Asking someone to hold your place in line | Learn Danish in English

Danish lesson set in a contemporary Copenhagen everyday setting: While waiting in line, one person asks another to hold their place briefly while staying nearby and visible..

EN → DA / Level: B1

About This Lesson

Use Asking someone to hold your place in line to practice Danish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Må jeg bede om en lille tjeneste, mens vi står i kø?

moh yai BAY-uh om en LIL-uh CHAY-nuh-stuh, mens vee STOHR ee KUH? Could I ask a small favor while we are in line?
B

Fortæl mig, hvad du har brug for, så kan jeg måske hjælpe.

foh-TEL my, veh doo har BROOG fohr, soh kan yai muh-SKAY YEL-buh. Tell me what you need, and I may be able to help.
A

Kan du holde min plads, mens jeg henter noget vand?

kan doo HOL-uh min PLASS, mens yai HEN-tuh NOH-uth VAN? Could you hold my place while I get some water?
B

Det kan jeg godt, hvis du bliver tæt på køen.

deh kan yai goht, ves doo BLEE-uh TATE poh KUH-en. I can do that if you stay close to the line.
A

Jeg kan blive et sted, hvor du kan se mig, og holde øje med køen.

yai kan BLEE-uh ehd STAYD, vohr doo kan SAY my, oh HOL-uh UH-yuh meh KUH-en. I can stay where you can see me and keep an eye on the line.
B

Det hjælper, fordi folk kan blive bekymrede, hvis nogen forsvinder.

deh YEL-buh, for-DEE fohlk kan BLEE-uh beh-KUHM-ruh, ves NOH-en for-SVEN-uh. That helps, because people may worry if someone disappears.
A

Jeg vil ikke have, at nogen skal føle, at jeg springer over i køen.

yai vel EG-uh hah, ad NOH-en skal FUR-uh, ad yai SPRANG-uh OH-vuh ee KUH-en. I do not want anyone to feel I am cutting in.
B

Hvis nogen spørger, kan jeg forklare, at du blev i nærheden.

ves NOH-en SPUR-uh, kan yai for-KLAIR-uh, ad doo BLAY-oo ee NARE-hay-en. If anyone asks, I can explain that you stayed nearby.
A

Jeg sætter pris på hjælpen. Jeg skynder mig.

yai SET-uh prees poh YEL-bun. yai SKUN-uh my. I appreciate the help. I will be quick.
B

Bare kom tilbage, før køen rykker sig ret meget.

BAH-uh kom tay-BAY-luh, fur KUH-en RUK-uh sai rate MAY-uth. Just come back before the line moves much.

Word by Word

Må In ‘Må jeg bede om en lille tjeneste’, ‘Må’ asks for permission: “may I…?”. It is the present form of the modal verb with the infinitive ‘måtte’, and this polite pattern is useful when making a request.
jeg ‘jeg’ means “I” and is the person making the request in ‘Må jeg bede om en lille tjeneste’. The capitalized form ‘Jeg’ appears at the beginning of later sentences; it is used as the subject before the verb.
bede In ‘bede om en lille tjeneste’, ‘bede’ means “ask for” or “request”; it is the infinitive after ‘Må’. The reusable pattern ‘bede om’ is followed by the thing being requested.
om In ‘bede om en lille tjeneste’, ‘om’ introduces what is being requested, so the phrase means “ask for a small favor”. Use it in the construction ‘bede om’ rather than assigning the whole request meaning to ‘om’ alone.
en In ‘en lille tjeneste’, ‘en’ is the indefinite article meaning “a”. It comes before the noun phrase and is reused in expressions such as ‘en lille tjeneste’ when referring to one unspecified favor.
lille ‘lille’ means “small” in ‘en lille tjeneste’, describing the favor as minor or modest. It appears between the article ‘en’ and the noun ‘tjeneste’ in this noun phrase.
tjeneste ‘tjeneste’ means “favor” in ‘en lille tjeneste’, the small thing being requested. The phrase ‘bede om en lille tjeneste’ is useful when asking another person for a modest favor.
mens ‘mens’ means “while” in ‘mens vi står i kø’ and introduces an action happening during the same time. It is followed here by the clause ‘vi står i kø’.
vi ‘vi’ means “we” and is the subject of ‘står’ in ‘mens vi står i kø’. Use it before a verb when referring to the speaker together with one or more other people.
står In ‘står i kø’, ‘står’ means “are standing” and describes the people waiting in line; its citation form is ‘stå’. The expression ‘stå i kø’ is a useful way to describe waiting in a queue.
i In ‘står i kø’, ‘i’ means “in” and places the speakers within the queue. The same preposition appears in ‘i nærheden’, where it forms a phrase meaning “nearby”.
kø ‘kø’ means “line” or “queue” in ‘står i kø’. The expression ‘i kø’ is used when people are waiting their turn.
Fortæl ‘Fortæl’ means “tell” in ‘Fortæl mig, hvad du har brug for’; it is the imperative form of ‘fortælle’. It is used at the beginning of a direct request, followed by the person being told, such as ‘Fortæl mig’.
mig ‘mig’ means “me” and identifies the person who should be told in ‘Fortæl mig’. It commonly follows a verb when the speaker is the recipient of the information or action.
hvad ‘hvad’ means “what” in ‘hvad du har brug for’ and introduces the information the other person should give. The clause ‘hvad du har brug for’ functions as the content of ‘Fortæl mig’.
du ‘du’ means “you” and is the subject in ‘hvad du har brug for’ and later clauses. It is placed before the verb when addressing one person directly.
har brug for The whole expression ‘har brug for’ means “need”; in ‘hvad du har brug for’, it describes what the other person needs. It consists of ‘har’, ‘brug’, and ‘for’, and the needed thing follows the expression.
så In ‘så kan jeg måske hjælpe’, ‘så’ means “then” or “so” and connects the information requested with the possible help that follows. The pattern ‘..., så kan jeg måske hjælpe’ presents a result or response.
kan In ‘kan jeg måske hjælpe’, ‘kan’ means “can” or “be able to” and is followed by the infinitive ‘hjælpe’; its citation form is ‘kunne’. This modal is useful for expressing ability or a possible offer of help.
måske ‘måske’ means “maybe” in ‘kan jeg måske hjælpe’ and makes the offer less definite. It can be placed with a modal verb when offering possible help rather than promising it.
hjælpe ‘hjælpe’ means “help” in ‘kan jeg måske hjælpe’ and is the infinitive after ‘kan’. The pattern ‘kan jeg måske hjælpe’ is useful when offering assistance politely.
holde In ‘holde min plads’, ‘holde’ means “hold” or “keep” and refers to keeping the speaker’s place available; it is the infinitive after ‘kan’. The phrase ‘holde min plads’ is used when asking someone to preserve a place while the speaker is briefly away.
min ‘min’ means “my” in ‘min plads’ and shows that the place belongs to the speaker. It comes directly before the noun in this possessive phrase.
plads ‘plads’ means “place” or “spot” in ‘holde min plads’, referring to the speaker’s position in the line. The phrase ‘holde min plads’ is useful when asking someone to save that position.
henter In ‘mens jeg henter noget vand’, ‘henter’ means “get” or “fetch” and describes what the speaker is doing; its citation form is ‘hente’. It is followed here by the thing being fetched, ‘noget vand’.
noget ‘noget’ means “some” in ‘noget vand’, referring to an unspecified amount of water. It comes before the noun or substance being obtained in this phrase.
vand ‘vand’ means “water” in ‘henter noget vand’, the thing the speaker is going to get. The phrase ‘noget vand’ is a natural way to refer to an unspecified amount of water.
Det In ‘Det kan jeg godt’, ‘Det’ means “that” or “it” and refers to the requested action of holding the place. It is a useful way to refer back to an action just mentioned.
godt In ‘Det kan jeg godt’, ‘godt’ adds an affirmative sense such as “yes, I can” or “that is okay”; it does not mean “well” by itself here. Together with ‘kan’ and ‘Det’, it confirms willingness or ability to do the requested task.
hvis ‘hvis’ means “if” in ‘hvis du bliver tæt på køen’ and introduces the condition for the offer. It is followed here by the condition ‘du bliver tæt på køen’.
bliver In ‘bliver tæt på køen’, ‘bliver’ means “stay” or “remain” in this context; its citation form is ‘blive’. The pattern ‘blive tæt på’ describes remaining near a person or place.
tæt ‘tæt’ means “close” in ‘tæt på køen’ and describes the required distance from the queue. It is commonly used with ‘på’ when expressing physical proximity.
på In ‘tæt på køen’, ‘på’ helps express proximity, so the phrase means “close to the line”. It also appears in the fixed expression ‘sætter pris på’, where it introduces what is appreciated.
køen ‘køen’ means “the line” or “the queue” in ‘tæt på køen’; it is the definite form of ‘kø’. The definite form is used because the conversation concerns the particular line they are already standing in.
blive ‘blive’ means “stay” or “remain” in ‘Jeg kan blive et sted’; it is the infinitive after ‘kan’. The pattern ‘blive et sted’ describes remaining in a particular place.
et In ‘et sted’, ‘et’ is the indefinite article meaning “a”. It comes before the noun ‘sted’ when referring to an unspecified place.
sted ‘sted’ means “place” in ‘blive et sted’, referring to somewhere the speaker can remain visible. The phrase ‘et sted, hvor du kan se mig’ specifies a place with a useful condition.
hvor ‘hvor’ means “where” in ‘et sted, hvor du kan se mig’ and introduces information about the place. It links ‘et sted’ to the clause describing what can happen there.
se ‘se’ means “see” in ‘du kan se mig’ and is the infinitive after ‘kan’. The pattern ‘kan se’ is used to describe whether someone is visible to another person.
og ‘og’ means “and” and joins ‘blive et sted’ with ‘holde øje med køen’ in the sentence. It connects two actions performed by the same speaker.
holde øje med The whole expression ‘holde øje med køen’ means “keep an eye on the line” or “watch the line”. It contains ‘holde’, ‘øje’, and ‘med’; the thing being watched follows ‘med’, as in ‘holde øje med køen’.
hjælper In ‘Det hjælper’, ‘hjælper’ means “helps” and says that the other person’s visible presence makes the situation easier; its citation form is ‘hjælpe’. The pattern ‘Det hjælper, fordi ...’ gives a reason why an action is useful.
fordi ‘fordi’ means “because” in ‘fordi folk kan blive bekymrede’ and introduces the reason for the previous statement. It is followed here by the reason clause ‘folk kan blive bekymrede’.
folk ‘folk’ means “people” in ‘folk kan blive bekymrede’, referring generally to others in the queue. It can be used as the subject when talking about people collectively.
bekymrede ‘bekymrede’ means “worried” in ‘kan blive bekymrede’, describing how people may feel if someone disappears. With ‘blive’, it expresses a change into that worried state.
nogen ‘nogen’ means “someone” or “anyone” depending on the context; here it appears in ‘hvis nogen forsvinder’ and refers to an unspecified person. It is useful in conditional statements about whether an unspecified person does something.
forsvinder In ‘hvis nogen forsvinder’, ‘forsvinder’ means “disappears” or “goes out of sight”; its citation form is ‘forsvinde’. It describes the condition that could make people worried.
vil In ‘Jeg vil ikke have’, ‘vil’ means “want” and expresses the speaker’s intention; its citation form is ‘ville’. It is followed by the infinitive ‘have’ in the pattern ‘vil ikke have, at ...’.
ikke ‘ikke’ means “not” and negates ‘vil’ in ‘Jeg vil ikke have’. It is placed after the modal verb here to say that the speaker does not want something to happen.
have In ‘Jeg vil ikke have, at nogen skal føle ...’, ‘have’ means “have” as part of the construction expressing “do not want someone to feel”; it is the infinitive after ‘vil’. The following clause introduced by ‘at’ states what the speaker does not want.
at In ‘at nogen skal føle’, ‘at’ introduces the clause describing what someone should feel. The pattern ‘have, at ...’ connects a person’s wish or attitude with a following clause.
skal In ‘nogen skal føle’, ‘skal’ marks what the unspecified person is to feel in the speaker’s concern; its citation form is ‘skulle’. It is followed by the infinitive ‘føle’ in the reusable pattern ‘skal føle’.
føle ‘føle’ means “feel” in ‘nogen skal føle, at ...’ and is the infinitive after ‘skal’. It is followed by the clause ‘at jeg springer over i køen’, which states the feeling’s content.
springer In ‘springer over i køen’, ‘springer’ means “cuts in” in this context; its citation form is ‘springe’. The full expression ‘springer over i køen’ describes entering ahead of others in a queue.
over In ‘springer over i køen’, ‘over’ contributes to the expression meaning “cut in” or pass over others in the queue. Keep it together with ‘springer’ and the location phrase ‘i køen’ when reusing this meaning.
spørger In ‘Hvis nogen spørger’, ‘spørger’ means “asks”; its citation form is ‘spørge’. The pattern ‘Hvis nogen spørger’ introduces what the speaker will say if another person asks about the situation.
forklare ‘forklare’ means “explain” in ‘kan jeg forklare, at du blev i nærheden’ and is the infinitive after ‘kan’. It is followed by ‘at’ and the information being explained.
blev In ‘du blev i nærheden’, ‘blev’ means “stayed” or “remained” and is the past form of ‘blive’. The phrase ‘blev i nærheden’ explains that the person remained nearby rather than abandoning the line.
nærheden ‘nærheden’ means “the nearby area” in the phrase ‘i nærheden’; it is the definite form related to ‘nærhed’. The complete phrase ‘i nærheden’ is used to say that someone remains close by.
sætter pris på The whole expression ‘sætter pris på hjælpen’ means “appreciate the help” or “value the help”. It contains ‘sætter’, ‘pris’, and ‘på’; the thing appreciated follows ‘på’, as in ‘sætter pris på hjælpen’.
hjælpen ‘hjælpen’ means “the help” in ‘sætter pris på hjælpen’; it is the definite form of ‘hjælp’. It names the specific assistance the speaker has just received.
skynder mig The whole expression ‘Jeg skynder mig’ means “I hurry” or “I will be quick”. It contains ‘skynder’ and ‘mig’, and this first-person expression is useful for reassuring someone that the speaker will return soon.
Bare ‘Bare’ means “just” or “simply” in ‘Bare kom tilbage’ and softens or limits the following instruction. It is useful at the beginning of a short request or reminder.
kom ‘kom’ means “come” in ‘Bare kom tilbage’; it is the imperative form of ‘komme’. Together with ‘tilbage’, it gives the instruction to return.
tilbage ‘tilbage’ means “back” in ‘kom tilbage’, describing movement to the previous place. The expression ‘kom tilbage’ is a common way to tell someone to return.
før ‘før’ means “before” in ‘før køen rykker sig ret meget’ and introduces a time limit. It is followed by the clause describing what should not happen first.
rykker In ‘køen rykker sig’, ‘rykker’ means “moves” or “shifts”; its citation form is ‘rykke’. Together with ‘sig’, it describes the queue moving forward or changing position.
sig In ‘køen rykker sig’, ‘sig’ is the reflexive element that forms the expression for the queue moving itself or shifting position. Its meaning here depends on the complete expression ‘rykker sig’, not on ‘sig’ alone.
ret ‘ret’ means “quite” or “rather” in ‘ret meget’ and strengthens the amount or degree of movement being discussed. It commonly appears before an adjective or adverbial quantity expression.
meget ‘meget’ means “much” in ‘rykker sig ret meget’, referring to the amount the queue moves. Together with ‘ret’, the phrase means “very much” or “by quite a lot” in this context.

Grammar Points

Mens + subjekt + verb, verb + subjekt ...

Mens jeg står i kø, holder du min plads.

mens yai STOHR ee KUH, HOL-uh doo min PLASS.

While I stand in line, you hold my spot.

Efter en indledende ledsætning med mens kommer verbet før subjektet i hovedsætningen.

Danish Vocabulary

bede verb
BAY-uh ask; request
fortælle verb
foh-TEL-uh tell Fortæl
have brug for phrase
HEH-vuh BROOG fohr need har brug for
hente verb
HEN-tuh fetch; get henter
hjælpe verb
YEL-buh help
holde verb
HOL-uh hold; keep
kø noun
KUH queue; line
Gender
common
mens conj
mens while
måske adv
muh-SKAY perhaps; maybe
plads noun
PLASS place; spot
Gender
common
stå verb
STOHR stand står
tjeneste noun
CHAY-nuh-stuh favor
Gender
common

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

perhaps; maybe

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stand

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ask; request

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favor

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