Preparing for a Stormy Commute | Learn Danish in English

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Use Preparing for a Stormy Commute to practice Danish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Der kan komme en storm, mens jeg er på vej på arbejde.

Dair kan KAW-muh en STOHRM, mens yai air poh vie poh AH-bye-thuh. A storm may hit during my commute.

Hvis du er nødt til at tage af sted, så tag tidligere af sted, og vær fleksibel med din rute.

Ves doo air nuht teel ed TAI-yuh ow, soh TAI TEE-thlee-uh ow, oh vair flek-see-BEL meh deen ROO-duh. If you have to travel, leave earlier and keep your route flexible.

Jeg er nødt til at tage på kontoret.

Yai air nuht teel ed TAI-yuh poh kon-TOH-uth. I need to go to the office.

Men jeg kan komme tilbage, før stormen bliver kraftigere.

Men yai kan kom-uh teel-BAI-yuh, fur STOHR-mun BLEE-uh KRAF-tee-uh. But I can come back before it gets stronger.

Tag vandtætte sko på, og undgå gader, der normalt bliver oversvømmet.

TAI VAN-ted-uh sgoh poh, oh oon-GOH GAI-uh, dair NOR-malt BLEE-uh OH-vuh-svurm-ut. Wear waterproof shoes and avoid any streets that usually flood.

Undergangen nær stationen bliver ofte oversvømmet ved kraftig regn.

OON-uh-geng-un nair sta-SHYOH-nun BLEE-uh AWF-duh OH-vuh-svurm-ut veh KRAF-tee RINE. The underpass near the station often floods in heavy rain.

Tag hovedvejen i stedet, selv om det tager lidt længere tid.

TAI HOH-th-vai-un ee STAI-uth, selv ohm deh TAI-uh lit LONG-uh tee. Take the main road instead, even if it adds a little time.

Vil et vandtæt etui hjælpe med at beskytte min bærbare computer?

Veel ed VAN-ted eh-TOO-ee yelp-uh meh ed beh-SGUHD-uh meen BAIR-bah-ruh kom-POO-duh? Would a waterproof sleeve help protect my laptop?

Brug et, for forsinkelser er frustrerende, men beskadiget udstyr er værre.

Broo ed, foh foh-SENG-ul-suh air froo-STREH-nuh, men beh-SGAI-thut OOTH-styur air VAIR-uh. Use one, because delays are frustrating, but damaged equipment is worse.

Før jeg tager af sted, vil jeg sørge for, at batteriet på min telefon er fuldt opladet.

Fur yai TAI-uh ow steth, veel yai SUR-uh foh, ed bat-uh-REE-uth poh meen tel-uh-FOHN air foolt oh-PLAI-thut. Before I leave, I will make sure my phone battery is full.

Så kan du tjekke opdateringer, hvis ruten ændrer sig.

Soh kan doo chek-uh up-deh-TAI-reng-uh, ves ROO-dun EN-druh sai. Then you can check updates if the route changes.

Word by Word

Der In “Der kan komme en storm” and “gader, der normalt bliver oversvømmet,” “Der”/“der” introduces what follows: first an event that may occur, and later a relative clause describing the streets. In the first use it is a common way to present that something may happen; in the second, it refers back to “gader.”

kan “kan” expresses possibility in “Der kan komme en storm,” so the sentence says that a storm may occur. It is useful before an infinitive to describe something that may happen, such as “kan komme.”

komme “komme” describes the storm arriving or occurring in “Der kan komme en storm.” After “kan,” it remains in this infinitive form; use the pattern “kan” plus an infinitive when describing what may happen.

en “en” is the indefinite article before “storm” in “en storm,” meaning one unspecified storm or a storm. It is used directly before the noun in this noun phrase.

storm “storm” means a storm in “en storm.” It names the weather event that may occur during the speaker’s journey to work; it can be used as the subject or object of a sentence about severe weather.

mens “mens” means “while” and links the storm possibility to the time clause “mens jeg er på vej på arbejde.” It introduces an action or situation happening at the same time as another event.

jeg “jeg” means “I” in “mens jeg er på vej på arbejde.” It identifies the person who is on the way to work; use it as the subject before the verb in a first-person statement.

er “er” states the speaker’s situation in “jeg er på vej på arbejde”: the speaker is on the way to work. It is the form used with “jeg” in this present-time expression.

på In “på vej” and “på arbejde,” “på” helps express being on the way and going to or being at work. The exact meaning comes from each expression, so keep “på vej” and “på arbejde” together when reusing them.

vej “vej” means “way” in the expression “på vej,” which describes someone being on the way somewhere. A useful reuse pattern is “på vej” followed by the destination or activity.

arbejde “arbejde” means “work” in “på arbejde.” Together, “på arbejde” describes going to or being at work; it is used after “på” in this expression.

Hvis “Hvis” means “if” and introduces the condition “Hvis du er nødt til at tage af sted.” It is placed at the beginning of the conditional clause here; lowercase “hvis” is also used when it is not sentence-initial.

du “du” means “you” in “Hvis du er nødt til at tage af sted.” It is the person being advised and functions as the subject before the verb phrase.

nødt “nødt” expresses being obliged or having no real choice in “er nødt til at tage af sted.” It is used in the fixed construction “er nødt til at” before an infinitive when someone must do something.

til “til” is part of “nødt til at tage af sted,” linking the obligation to the action that must be taken. In this construction it comes before “at” and the infinitive.

at “at” marks the infinitive “tage” in “nødt til at tage af sted.” It introduces the action connected to the preceding expression; keep it before the infinitive in this pattern.

tage af sted “tage af sted” means to leave or set off in “tage af sted” and “tag tidligere af sted.” The whole expression has this meaning: “tage” supplies the verb, while “af” and “sted” form the fixed expression; use it when someone departs from a place.

så “så” means “then” in “så tag tidligere af sted,” introducing the recommended action that follows the condition. It can connect a condition with its result or advice.

tag “tag” gives the instruction to take or use a route in “tag tidligere af sted” and “Tag hovedvejen.” It is an instruction form used directly at the start of advice; the following phrase specifies when to leave or which road to choose.

tidligere “tidligere” means “earlier” in “tag tidligere af sted,” telling the listener to set off before the usual time. It is placed with the departure expression to modify when the action happens.

og “og” means “and” and joins the two pieces of advice “tag tidligere af sted” and “vær fleksibel med din rute.” It is useful for linking coordinated instructions or actions.

vær “vær” tells the listener to be flexible in “vær fleksibel med din rute.” It is an instruction placed before the adjective “fleksibel.”

fleksibel “fleksibel” means flexible in “vær fleksibel med din rute,” advising the listener not to depend on only one route. The pattern “vær fleksibel med” can be used when advising adaptability about something.

med In “fleksibel med din rute,” “med” links flexibility to the route concerned. It can introduce the thing a person is flexible about in this kind of expression.

din “din” means “your” in “din rute,” identifying the route belonging to the person addressed. It comes directly before the noun it describes.

rute “rute” means “route” in “din rute,” referring to the path the listener plans to take. It can be used after a possessive such as “din” when talking about someone’s planned way.

tage “tage” means “go to” in “tage på kontoret,” where it describes going to the office. It is the infinitive after “er nødt til at”; the destination is expressed by the following phrase.

kontoret “kontoret” means “the office” in “tage på kontoret.” The ending makes this the definite form, and it names the destination of the speaker’s trip.

Men “Men” means “but” and introduces a limitation or additional point in “Men jeg kan komme tilbage.” It contrasts the need to go to the office with the possibility of returning before the storm strengthens; lowercase “men” is used within a sentence.

tilbage “tilbage” means “back” in “komme tilbage,” describing movement back to a previous place. It commonly follows a movement verb when the destination is understood from context.

før “før” means “before” and introduces the time clause “før stormen bliver kraftigere.” It places one event earlier than another event or change.

stormen “stormen” means “the storm” in “før stormen bliver kraftigere.” It is the definite form of “storm,” referring to the storm already mentioned.

bliver “bliver” means “becomes” or “gets” in “bliver kraftigere,” describing a change in the storm’s intensity. It is used before an adjective when something changes into a new state.

kraftigere “kraftigere” means “stronger” or “more intense” in “bliver kraftigere.” It compares the storm’s later intensity with its earlier intensity; it follows “bliver” to describe the change.

vandtætte “vandtætte” means waterproof in “vandtætte sko.” This form describes the shoes in the plural noun phrase; use the adjective directly before the item that should keep water out.

sko “sko” means shoes in “vandtætte sko.” Here it names the footwear being recommended for wet weather and follows the adjective “vandtætte.”

undgå “undgå” means avoid in “undgå gader,” giving an instruction not to use certain streets. It is followed directly by the thing or place that should be avoided.

gader “gader” means streets in “undgå gader, der normalt bliver oversvømmet.” It identifies the roads to avoid and is followed by a relative clause describing which streets they are.

normalt “normalt” means usually or normally in “der normalt bliver oversvømmet.” It says that the flooding happens as a usual pattern rather than only once.

oversvømmet “oversvømmet” means flooded in “bliver oversvømmet.” It describes the condition the streets or underpass get into, following “bliver” in a phrase about becoming flooded.

Undergangen “Undergangen” means “the underpass” in “Undergangen nær stationen.” It is the definite form and identifies the specific underpass near the station.

nær “nær” means near in “nær stationen,” locating the underpass in relation to the station. It is placed before the place used as the reference point.

stationen “stationen” means “the station” in “nær stationen.” It is the definite form and names the reference point for the underpass’s location.

ofte “ofte” means often in “bliver ofte oversvømmet.” It describes a repeated occurrence and is placed with the verb phrase describing the flooding.

ved “ved” means under or in the conditions of in “ved kraftig regn.” It connects the flooding with the condition of heavy rain; use it before a condition or circumstance in this type of phrase.

kraftig “kraftig” means heavy or intense in “kraftig regn.” It describes the intensity of the rain and comes directly before “regn.”

regn “regn” means rain in “kraftig regn.” It names the weather condition associated with the underpass flooding and is modified by “kraftig.”

hovedvejen “hovedvejen” means “the main road” in “Tag hovedvejen i stedet.” It is the definite form, referring to the particular main road recommended as an alternative.

i stedet “i stedet” means instead in “Tag hovedvejen i stedet,” directing the listener to choose the main road rather than the potentially flooded streets. “i” and “stedet” work together in this fixed expression, which commonly follows or precedes the replacement action.

selv om “selv om” means even though or even if in “selv om det tager lidt længere tid.” Together, “selv” adds the sense of “even” and “om” introduces the condition that does not change the recommendation.

det “det” is the subject in “det tager lidt længere tid,” the Danish way to refer to the time required by the route or choice. It does not name a specific object here; the following time expression explains what is being measured.

tager “tager” means “takes” in “det tager lidt længere tid,” referring to the amount of time needed. A useful pattern is “det tager” followed by an amount or comparison of time.

lidt “lidt” means a little in “lidt længere tid,” reducing the extent of the extra time. It is placed before the comparison “længere” in this time expression.

længere “længere” means longer in “tager lidt længere tid,” comparing the travel time with another route or usual journey. It modifies “tid” and shows that the difference is an increase in duration.

tid “tid” means time in “tager lidt længere tid.” It is the amount being measured in the expression about how long the alternative route requires.

Vil “Vil” begins a question about whether the waterproof case would help in “Vil et vandtæt etui hjælpe...?” Here it makes the question tentative, asking whether something would be useful; lowercase “vil” is used within a sentence.

et In “et vandtæt etui,” “et” is the indefinite article before “etui”; in “Brug et,” it means “one” and refers back to the case. The form therefore introduces the case in the question and lets the speaker refer to it without repeating the noun in the instruction.

vandtæt “vandtæt” means waterproof in “et vandtæt etui,” describing a case that protects against water. It comes directly before the item it describes.

etui “etui” means case or sleeve in “et vandtæt etui,” referring to the protective cover for the laptop. It is the noun introduced after the indefinite article “et.”

hjælpe “hjælpe” means help in “hjælpe med at beskytte,” asking whether the sleeve would assist with protecting the laptop. It is followed by “med at beskytte” to state the action that the help concerns.

beskytte “beskytte” means protect in “med at beskytte min bærbare computer.” It names the purpose of the sleeve and follows “at” as the infinitive describing that action.

min “min” means “my” in “min bærbare computer,” showing that the computer belongs to the speaker. It comes before the noun phrase it identifies.

bærbare “bærbare” contributes the meaning “portable” in “bærbare computer,” the expression used for a laptop computer. It describes the type of computer and appears before “computer.”

computer “computer” means computer in “min bærbare computer.” Together with “bærbare,” it identifies the speaker’s laptop, which the case should protect.

Brug “Brug” means use and gives the instruction to use the case in “Brug et.” It is placed at the beginning of the advice, with “et” standing for the previously mentioned case.

for “for” means because in “for forsinkelser er frustrerende,” introducing the reason for using the case. In “sørge for,” it has a different role as part of the fixed expression meaning make sure, so its meaning depends on the construction.

forsinkelser “forsinkelser” means delays in “forsinkelser er frustrerende.” It names the travel problems being compared with damaged equipment; the form refers to delays generally in this statement.

frustrerende “frustrerende” means frustrating in “forsinkelser er frustrerende,” describing the speaker’s reaction to delays. It follows the verb “er” to describe the delays.

beskadiget “beskadiget” means damaged in “beskadiget udstyr.” It describes equipment that has been harmed, and it comes directly before the noun it modifies.

udstyr “udstyr” means equipment in “beskadiget udstyr.” It refers here to work equipment such as the laptop and is the thing whose damage is judged worse than delays.

værre “værre” means worse in “beskadiget udstyr er værre.” It makes a negative comparison between damaged equipment and the frustrating delays mentioned earlier.

sørge for “sørge for” means make sure or ensure in “vil jeg sørge for, at batteriet på min telefon er fuldt opladet.” “sørge” expresses taking care to achieve something, while “for” links it to the result being ensured; the construction is useful before the thing or clause that must be secured.

batteriet “batteriet” means “the battery” in “batteriet på min telefon.” It is the definite form and identifies the phone battery whose charge the speaker will check.

telefon “telefon” means phone in “på min telefon.” It identifies the device that the battery belongs to; the phrase “batteriet på min telefon” specifies that relationship.

fuldt “fuldt” means fully in “fuldt opladet,” strengthening “opladet” to say that the battery has a complete charge. It is used directly with the following word in this description of the battery’s state.

opladet “opladet” means charged in “fuldt opladet,” describing the battery’s condition before the speaker leaves. Together with “fuldt,” it expresses that the battery is completely charged.

tjekke “tjekke” means check in “kan du tjekke opdateringer.” It follows “kan” in the infinitive form and takes “opdateringer” as the thing being checked.

opdateringer “opdateringer” means updates in “tjekke opdateringer,” referring to new travel or route information. It is the object after “tjekke” when someone checks for current information.

ruten “ruten” means “the route” in “hvis ruten ændrer sig.” It is the definite form and refers to the particular route discussed earlier.

ændrer “ændrer” means changes in “ruten ændrer sig.” It describes the route becoming different, and it is used with the reflexive “sig” in this expression.

sig “sig” is the reflexive pronoun in “ruten ændrer sig,” indicating that the route itself changes. It follows “ændrer” in this common pattern for saying that something changes.

Grammar Points

være nødt til at + infinitiv

Jeg er nødt til at tage af sted.

Yai air nuht teel ed TAI-yuh ow steth.

I have to leave.

The fixed structure være nødt til at expresses necessity. The verb after at stays in the infinitive.

ændre sig

Ruten ændrer sig.

ROO-dun EN-druh sai.

The route is changing.

Sig is a reflexive pronoun used with ændre sig when something changes by itself or undergoes a change.

Danish Vocabulary

fleksibel adj

flek-see-BEL flexible

vær fleksibel med din rute

komme tilbage phrase

KAW-muh teel-BAI-yuh come back

jeg kan komme tilbage

kontoret noun

kon-TOH-uth the office

Gender: neuter

Jeg er nødt til at tage på kontoret.

kraftigere adj

KRAF-tee-uh-ruh stronger

før stormen bliver kraftigere

nødt til at tage af sted phrase

nuht teel ed TAI-yuh ow steth have to leave

Hvis du er nødt til at tage af sted

oversvømmet adj

OH-vuh-svurm-ut flooded

bliver oversvømmet

på vej på arbejde phrase

poh vie poh AH-bye-thuh on the way to work

mens jeg er på vej på arbejde

rute noun

ROO-duh route

Gender: common

med din rute

storm noun

STOHRM storm

Gender: common

Der kan komme en storm.

tidligere adv

TEE-thlee-uh-ruh earlier

så tag tidligere af sted

undgå verb

oon-GOH avoid

undgå gader

vandtæt adj

VAN-ted waterproof

et vandtæt etui

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

route

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rute

storm

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storm

stronger

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kraftigere

the office

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kontoret