Deciding whether to continue a hobby | Learn Danish in English

Danish lesson set in a contemporary Copenhagen everyday setting: At home, two adults discuss whether a painting class has become too much pressure and consider pausing or practicing casually..

EN → DA / Level: B1

About This Lesson

Use Deciding whether to continue a hobby to practice Danish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Jeg er ikke sikker på, om jeg vil fortsætte på malekurset.

yai uh IG-uh SIG-uh poh, ohm yai veel for-SET-uh poh MAY-luh-KOOR-suh. I am not sure whether I want to continue the painting class.
B

Er du ved at miste interessen, eller er den faste forpligtelse for meget?

air doo vay uh MIS-duh in-TEH-res-un, EH-luh air den FAS-duh for-PLEG-dul-suh for MAY-uh? Are you losing interest, or is the fixed commitment too much?
A

Lidt af begge dele. Jeg kan godt lide at male, men kurset føles stressende.

LID uh BOW-uh DAY-luh. yai kan goh LEE-uh uh MAY-luh, men KOOR-suh FOH-lus STRES-un-uh. A bit of both. I like painting, but the class feels stressful.
B

Måske er hobbyen gået fra at være afslappende til at være endnu en forpligtelse.

MOH-skeh uh HAW-bee-un GOH-uh frah uh VAIR uhf-SLAP-un-uh teel uh VAIR EN-oo en for-PLEG-dul-suh. Maybe the hobby changed from relaxing to another obligation.
A

Ja, det føles mindre som sjov og mere som endnu en opgave.

yah, deh FOH-lus MEN-uh som SHOHW oh MAY-uh som EN-oo en OH-gay-vuh. Yes, it feels less like fun and more like another task.
B

Du kunne i stedet gå over til at øve dig lidt derhjemme.

doo KOO-nuh ee STAY-uh GOH OH-vuh teel uh UH-vuh dai lid dair-YEM-uh. You could switch to casual practice at home instead.
A

Så kan jeg beholde fordelen uden den faste tidsplan.

soh kan yai beh-HOL-uh FOR-day-lun OO-un den FAS-duh TEEDS-plahn. Then I can keep the benefit without the fixed schedule.
B

Hobbyer skal passe til dit liv, ikke kun til den person, du gerne vil være.

HAW-bee-uh skal PAS-uh teel dit leew, IG-uh koon teel den pay-SOHN, doo YAIR-nuh veel VAIR. Hobbies should fit your life, not just your ideal self.
A

Måske vil en pause fra kurset vise, om jeg savner det.

MOH-skeh veel en POW-suh frah KOOR-suh VEE-suh, ohm yai SAW-nuh deh. Maybe pausing the class would show whether I miss it.
B

Det er bedre end pludselig at stoppe eller tvinge dig selv.

deh air BED-ruh en PLUD-suh-lee uh STOB-uh EH-luh TVENG-uh dai SELW. That is better than quitting suddenly or forcing yourself.

Word by Word

Jeg “Jeg” means “I” and is the subject pronoun used for the speaker in “Jeg er ikke sikker”. It is used before the verb when stating your own thoughts or situation.
er “Er” means “am” or “is” here and links the subject with a description, as in “Jeg er ikke sikker” and “kurset føles stressende”. It is a present-tense form of “være”, meaning “to be”.
ikke “Ikke” means “not” and negates the statement “Jeg er sikker”, giving “Jeg er ikke sikker”. It normally comes after the finite verb in this type of sentence.
sikker “Sikker” means “certain” or “sure” in “ikke sikker på”, expressing uncertainty about continuing the class. The reusable pattern is “være sikker på” followed by what someone is sure about.
på “På” is part of “sikker på” in “Jeg er ikke sikker på”, meaning that the uncertainty concerns something. It also appears in “fortsætte på malekurset”, where it relates continuing attendance on the course.
om “Om” introduces an indirect yes-or-no question and means “whether” in “om jeg vil fortsætte” and “om jeg savner det”. It is used before the clause containing the uncertainty.
vil “Vil” expresses what the speaker wants to do in “om jeg vil fortsætte”, meaning “want to”. It is followed by the infinitive “fortsætte”; “vil” is a present form of “ville”.
fortsætte “Fortsætte” means “continue” in “vil fortsætte på malekurset”. It is the infinitive used after “vil” and describes keeping an activity going.
malekurset “Malekurset” means “the painting class” in “fortsætte på malekurset”. The form refers to a specific course already known in the conversation; it is the definite form of the compound related to “malekursus”.
du “Du” means “you” and is used as the subject in “Er du ved at miste interessen?” and “Du kunne ...”. It addresses one person directly.
ved “Ved” is part of “ved at miste” and shows that the loss of interest is in progress. The pattern “være ved at” describes something currently happening or developing.
at “At” marks an infinitive in “ved at miste”, introducing the action that is in progress. The same infinitive marker appears in “fra at være” and “til at være”.
miste “Miste” means “lose” in “ved at miste interessen”, referring to gradually losing interest. It is an infinitive after “ved at” and takes “interessen” as its object here.
interessen “Interessen” means “the interest” in “miste interessen”, referring to interest in the painting hobby. It is the definite form of “interesse” and functions as the object of “miste”.
eller “Eller” means “or” and presents the second possible explanation in “miste interessen, eller er ... for meget?”. It connects two alternatives.
den “Den” means “the” in “den faste forpligtelse” and “den faste tidsplan”. It identifies a specific common-gender noun that is already relevant to the discussion.
faste “Faste” means “fixed” or “regular” in “den faste forpligtelse” and “den faste tidsplan”. It is the form of “fast” used with these definite nouns.
forpligtelse “Forpligtelse” means “commitment” or “obligation” in “den faste forpligtelse”. It refers to something the person is expected to keep doing, such as attending the class.
for “For” means “too” in “for meget”, showing that the commitment exceeds what feels manageable. The pattern “for” plus an adjective or quantity expresses excess.
meget “Meget” means “much” in “for meget”, and together with “for” it means “too much”. It describes the amount or burden of the commitment in this question.
Lidt “Lidt” means “a little” or “somewhat” in “Lidt af begge dele”. It gives a limited degree and can be used to answer briefly about an amount or extent.
af “Af” means “of” in “begge dele”, forming the expression “Lidt af begge dele” for “a little of both”. It connects the amount with the two aspects being discussed.
begge “Begge” means “both” in “begge dele”, referring to losing interest and feeling too much commitment. It is used before or together with the expression for the two things involved.
dele “Dele” means “parts” or “things” in the expression “begge dele”, meaning both of the matters just mentioned. Here it is the plural form related to “del”.
kan “Kan” appears in “kan godt lide at male”, the Danish expression used here for liking painting. In this expression, “kan” is a present form of “kunne” and combines with “godt lide” rather than carrying the whole meaning of “like” by itself.
godt “Godt” contributes to the expression “kan godt lide”, which means that the speaker likes painting. It should be learned together with “kan” and “lide” in this usage, rather than translated separately as “well”.
lide “Lide” is the final part of “kan godt lide at male”, the construction used to say that someone likes an activity. It is an infinitive after “kan” and is followed here by “at male”.
male “Male” means “paint” in “at male”, referring to the activity the speaker enjoys. It is an infinitive introduced by “at”.
men “Men” means “but” and contrasts liking painting with finding the class stressful in “Jeg kan godt lide at male, men kurset føles stressende”. It joins two statements with opposing information.
kurset “Kurset” means “the course” or “the class” in “kurset føles stressende”. It is the definite form of “kursus” and refers to the painting class already being discussed.
føles “Føles” means “feels” in “kurset føles stressende”, describing the speaker’s experience of the class. It is a present form related to “føle” and is followed here by a description.
stressende “Stressende” means “stressful” in “kurset føles stressende”. It describes the effect or experience of the course rather than naming the course itself.
Måske “Måske” means “maybe” and introduces a possibility in “Måske er hobbyen gået ...”. It is useful when offering an explanation or suggestion without presenting it as certain.
hobbyen “Hobbyen” means “the hobby” in “Måske er hobbyen gået fra ... til ...”. It is the definite form of “hobby” and refers to painting as the activity under discussion.
gået “Gået” means “gone” in “er gået fra at være afslappende til at være endnu en forpligtelse”, describing a change from one state to another. It is the past participle of “gå” used with “er”.
fra “Fra” means “from” and marks the starting state in “gået fra at være afslappende til at være ...”. The pattern “fra ... til ...” describes movement or change between two states.
være “Være” means “be” in “fra at være afslappende” and “til at være endnu en forpligtelse”. It is an infinitive after “at” and describes the state before and after the change.
afslappende “Afslappende” means “relaxing” in “at være afslappende”. It describes the original quality the hobby used to have.
til “Til” means “to” or “into” in “fra at være afslappende til at være endnu en forpligtelse”, marking the destination of the change. It also appears in “gå over til” and “passe til dit liv”.
endnu “Endnu” means “another” in “endnu en forpligtelse” and “endnu en opgave”, adding one more burden to those already present. It commonly appears before “en” plus a singular noun in this meaning.
en “En” is the indefinite article “a” or “an” in “en forpligtelse” and “en opgave”. In “endnu en forpligtelse”, it introduces one additional commitment.
Ja “Ja” means “yes” and confirms the preceding suggestion in “Ja, det føles ...”. It is commonly used at the beginning of a reply before adding further information.
det “Det” means “it” in “det føles mindre som sjov” and refers to the situation or hobby being discussed. It also appears in “Det er bedre”, where it refers to the proposed pause.
mindre “Mindre” means “less” in “mindre som sjov og mere som endnu en opgave”. It forms one side of a comparison between how the activity feels.
som “Som” means “like” or “as” in “mindre som sjov” and “mere som endnu en opgave”. The pattern “mindre som ... mere som ...” compares two ways something is experienced.
sjov “Sjov” means “fun” in “mindre som sjov”. It names the enjoyable quality that the class now seems to have less of.
mere “Mere” means “more” in “mere som endnu en opgave”. Together with “mindre” and “som”, it contrasts the activity’s present feeling with fun.
opgave “Opgave” means “task” in “endnu en opgave”. It presents the class as an additional responsibility rather than as relaxation.
kunne “Kunne” means “could” in “Du kunne ... gå over til ...”, giving a gentle suggestion or possible alternative. It is followed by the infinitive “gå”.
i “I” is part of the fixed expression “i stedet”, meaning “instead”. It helps mark that the suggested activity replaces the regular class arrangement.
stedet “Stedet” contributes to “i stedet”, meaning “instead” in “Du kunne i stedet ...”. The expression introduces an alternative action or arrangement.
gå “Gå” means “go” in “gå over til at øve dig”, but the full expression means switching to another activity. It is an infinitive after “kunne”.
over “Over” is part of “gå over til”, which means to switch or move over to another option in “gå over til at øve dig”. It is used together with “gå” and “til” in this change-of-activity pattern.
øve “Øve” means “practice” in “øve dig lidt derhjemme”. It is an infinitive after “til at” and is used here with the object pronoun “dig”.
dig “Dig” means “you” as the object of “øve” in “øve dig lidt derhjemme”. Together with the verb, it describes practicing yourself or practicing the skill personally.
derhjemme “Derhjemme” means “at home” in “øve dig lidt derhjemme”. It specifies the place where the suggested practice would happen.
Så “Så” means “then” in “Så kan jeg beholde fordelen”, linking the suggested change with its result. It can introduce a consequence after a previous idea.
beholde “Beholde” means “keep” or “retain” in “kan jeg beholde fordelen”. It is an infinitive after “kan” and describes continuing to have a benefit.
fordelen “Fordelen” means “the benefit” or “the advantage” in “beholde fordelen”. It is the definite form of “fordel” and refers to the positive effect of the hobby.
uden “Uden” means “without” in “uden den faste tidsplan”. It introduces something that is absent from the alternative arrangement.
tidsplan “Tidsplan” means “schedule” or “timetable” in “den faste tidsplan”. It refers to the regular fixed timing connected with attending the class.
Hobbyer “Hobbyer” means “hobbies” in “Hobbyer skal passe til dit liv”. It is the plural form of “hobby” and acts as the subject of the general statement.
skal “Skal” means “should” in “Hobbyer skal passe til dit liv”, expressing what is considered appropriate or desirable. It is followed by the infinitive “passe”.
passe “Passe” means “fit” or “suit” in “passe til dit liv”. The reusable pattern is “passe til” followed by the person, situation, or thing that the activity suits.
dit “Dit” means “your” in “dit liv”. It is the possessive determiner used with the noun “liv” in this expression.
liv “Liv” means “life” in “passe til dit liv”. The statement says that hobbies should suit the learner’s actual life circumstances.
person “Person” means “person” in “den person, du gerne vil være”. It refers to the ideal version of oneself that someone would like to become.
gerne “Gerne” expresses willingness or desire in “du gerne vil være”, meaning that you would like to be someone or something. It is used with “vil” to make the desire clear.
pause “Pause” means “pause” or “break” in “en pause fra kurset”. It refers to temporarily stopping attendance without necessarily ending the hobby permanently.
vise “Vise” means “show” in “vil en pause fra kurset vise”. It is an infinitive after “vil” and describes what the pause may reveal.
savner “Savner” means “miss” in “om jeg savner det”, referring to missing the class after taking a break. It is a present form of “savne” and takes “det” as its object here.
bedre “Bedre” means “better” in “Det er bedre end ...”. It is the comparative form of “god” and evaluates the proposed pause more positively than the alternatives.
end “End” means “than” in “bedre end pludselig at stoppe”. It introduces the option being compared with the pause.
pludselig “Pludselig” means “suddenly” in “pludselig at stoppe”. It describes stopping abruptly rather than making a considered change.
stoppe “Stoppe” means “stop” or “quit” in “pludselig at stoppe”. It is an infinitive after “at” and describes ending the activity.
tvinge “Tvinge” means “force” in “tvinge dig selv”. It is an infinitive after “at” and describes making yourself continue despite not wanting to.
selv “Selv” means “self” in “tvinge dig selv”, emphasizing that the person is forcing their own actions. It follows “dig” in this expression.

Grammar Points

gå fra at være ... til at være ...

Malekurset er gået fra at være afslappende til at være stressende.

MAY-luh-KOOR-suh uh GOH-uh frah uh VAIR uhf-SLAP-un-uh teel uh VAIR STRES-un-uh.

The painting class has changed from being relaxing to being stressful.

This construction describes a change from one state to another; at være introduces the infinitive after fra and til.

Danish Vocabulary

afslappende adj
uhf-SLAP-un-uh relaxing
fast adj
FAS fixed faste
forpligtelse noun
for-PLEG-dul-suh commitment; obligation
Gender
common
fortsætte verb
for-SET-uh continue
gå fra ... til ... phrase
GOH frah ... teel ... change from ... to ... gået fra at være afslappende til at være
interesse noun
in-TEH-ruh-suh interest interessen
Gender
common
malekursus noun
MAY-luh-KOOR-soos painting class malekurset
Gender
neuter
miste verb
MIS-duh lose
opgave noun
OH-gay-vuh task
Gender
common
sikker adj
SIG-uh sure

ikke sikker på

stressende adj
STRES-un-uh stressful
øve sig phrase
UH-vuh sai practice øve dig

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

commitment; obligation

Show Answerforpligtelse

sure

Show Answersikker

interest

Show Answerinteressen

continue

Show Answerfortsætte