Checking an email's tone before sending | Learn Danish in English

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Use Checking an email's tone before sending to practice Danish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Kan du tjekke tonen i denne e-mail, før jeg sender den?

kan doo CHEK-uh TOHN-un ee-MAIL, fur yai SEN-uh den? Could you check the tone of this email before I send it?

Den er professionel, men åbningen virker lidt skarp.

den air proh-feh-shoh-NEHL, men OHB-nehng-en VEER-uh led SKAHB. It is professional, but the opening feels a little sharp.

Jeg vil gerne minde dem om forespørgslen uden at lyde utålmodig.

yai vel GER-nuh MEN-uh dem um FOHR-spur-slen OO-then at LOO-thuh oo-TAWL-moh-thee. I want to remind them about the request without sounding impatient.

Prøv med en blødere åbning, hvor du skriver, at du følger op.

prurv meh den BLOO-thuh-ruh OHB-nehng, vor doo SKREE-vuh, at doo FUR-luh ohp. Try a softer opening that says you are following up.

Det lyder bedre. Er min forespørgsel tydelig nok?

deh LOO-thuh BED-ruh. air men FOHR-spur-slen TOO-thuh-lee nok? That sounds better. Is my request clear enough?

Forklar det næste trin i samme afsnit.

fohr-KLAHR deh NESS-duh treen ee SEM-uh OW-sned. Explain the next step in the same paragraph.

Jeg har også tilføjet ekstra baggrund nær slutningen.

yai ha OH-suh tel-FOY-thuh EK-strah BAG-groon nair SLOOD-nehng-en. I also added extra context near the end.

Baggrunden er nyttig. Tjek modtagerlisten, før du sender den.

BAG-groon-en air NUH-dee. CHEK moh-TAIR-uh-lehs-den, fur doo SEN-uh den. The context is helpful. Check the recipient list before you send it.

Det var let at overse. Den forkerte person blev inkluderet ved en fejl.

deh va led at OH-vair-suh. den FOR-gair-duh per-SOHN blehv in-kloo-DEH-ruh veh en FYLE. That was easy to miss. The wrong person was included by mistake.

Fjern den person fra listen.

FYairn den per-SOHN fra LEES-den. Remove that person from the list.

Så er e-mailen klar til at blive sendt.

soh air ee-MAIL-en klah tel at BLEE-vuh sent. Then the email is ready to send.

Word by Word

Kan “Kan” means “can” or, in this polite question, “could”; it is a form of “kunne”. In “Kan du tjekke...”, it introduces a request, and this question pattern is useful when asking someone to do something.

du “du” means “you” and identifies the person being asked to act. It is the subject in “Kan du tjekke...”, so it commonly comes after a question-opening verb such as “Kan”.

tjekke “tjekke” means “to check” in this request. It is the infinitive used after “Kan du”, and “Kan du tjekke...” is a reusable way to ask someone to check something.

tonen “tonen” means “the tone” of the email; it is the definite form related to “tone”. In “tjekke tonen i denne e-mail”, it names the aspect being checked, and “tjekke tonen” can be used when reviewing how communication sounds.

i “i” means “in” here and connects the tone with the email containing it. The phrase “tonen i denne e-mail” shows the useful pattern of using “i” to identify where something appears.

denne “denne” means “this” and points to the specific email being discussed. It appears directly before “e-mail” in “denne e-mail”, a reusable pattern for identifying one nearby item.

e-mail “e-mail” means “email” and names the written message whose tone is being checked. In “denne e-mail”, it follows the demonstrative “denne” to identify a particular message.

før “før” means “before” and introduces the time condition for sending the email. In “før jeg sender den”, it connects one action with another, a useful pattern for saying that something happens before a following action.

jeg “jeg” means “I” and refers to the speaker who will send the email. In “før jeg sender den”, it is the subject of the action that follows “før”; the capitalized form “Jeg” also appears at the start of another sentence.

sender “sender” means “send” here and is the form related to “sende”. In “jeg sender den”, it describes the speaker’s sending action and shows the common pattern of placing the object after the verb.

den “den” means “it” here and refers back to the email. In “jeg sender den”, it functions as the object of “sender”; the same form also appears as “Den” at the beginning of “Den er professionel”.

er “er” means “is” and links the email with the description “professionel”. It is the form related to “være”, and “Den er...” is a common pattern for describing something; the capitalized form “Er” appears in the later question.

professionel “professionel” means “professional” and describes the overall character of the email. It follows “er” in “Den er professionel”, a reusable pattern for giving an assessment.

men “men” means “but” and introduces a qualification to the positive assessment. In “professionel, men åbningen...”, it contrasts the email’s professional quality with a problem in its opening.

åbningen “åbningen” means “the opening” of the email; it is the definite form related to “åbning”. In “åbningen virker lidt skarp”, it identifies the beginning as the part being evaluated, and “åbningen” can refer to the beginning of a written message.

virker “virker” means “seems” or “comes across” here; it is related to “virke”. In “åbningen virker lidt skarp”, it introduces an impression rather than stating that the opening is literally sharp, and “virker” commonly appears before a description.

lidt “lidt” means “a little” and softens the assessment of the opening. In “virker lidt skarp”, it reduces the strength of the description, which is useful when giving careful feedback.

skarp “skarp” means “sharp” here and describes the opening as giving a sharp impression. It follows “virker lidt” in “virker lidt skarp”, so the phrase communicates a cautious evaluation of tone.

vil “vil” expresses wanting or intending in “Jeg vil gerne minde...”; it is related to “ville”. Together with “gerne”, it introduces what the speaker would like to do, and “vil gerne” is a useful way to express a wish or intention.

gerne “gerne” adds willingness or a polite “would like to” meaning in the construction “vil gerne”. Its contribution is combined with “vil”, and “vil gerne” is used before an infinitive such as “minde”.

minde “minde” means “remind” in “minde dem om forespørgslen”; it is the infinitive used after “vil gerne”. The reusable pattern is “minde” someone “om” something, as in the complete phrase from the dialogue.

dem “dem” means “them” and identifies the people who should be reminded. In “minde dem om forespørgslen”, it is placed after “minde” and before “om” to show who receives the reminder.

om “om” means “about” in the pattern “minde dem om forespørgslen”. It connects the people being reminded with the subject of the reminder, and this preposition is part of the reusable expression for reminding someone about something.

forespørgslen “forespørgslen” means “the request”; it is the definite form related to “forespørgsel”. In “minde dem om forespørgslen”, it identifies the specific request already known in the situation.

uden “uden” means “without” and introduces something the speaker wants to avoid. In “uden at lyde utålmodig”, it introduces the avoided impression, a useful pattern for describing an action without producing a certain result.

at “at” introduces the infinitive “lyde” in “uden at lyde utålmodig”. Here it functions as the infinitive marker after “uden”, so the whole pattern is “uden at” followed by an action.

lyde “lyde” means “sound” in the sense of giving an impression to others; it is the infinitive related to “lyder”. In “uden at lyde utålmodig”, it describes how the speaker does not want the message to come across.

utålmodig “utålmodig” means “impatient” and describes the impression the speaker wants to avoid. It follows “lyde” in “lyde utålmodig”, a useful pattern for describing how someone or something sounds.

Prøv “Prøv” means “try” and is the imperative form related to “prøve”. It gives a direct but practical suggestion in “Prøv med en blødere åbning”, a useful pattern for recommending an alternative.

med “med” means “with” in the suggestion “Prøv med en blødere åbning”. Together with “Prøv”, it introduces the option to use or try, so “prøv med...” is useful when suggesting a different approach.

en “en” means “a” or “an” and introduces the non-specific noun “åbning”. In “en blødere åbning”, it appears before the adjective and noun, as an indefinite article does in a noun phrase.

blødere “blødere” means “softer” and is the comparative form related to “blød”. In “en blødere åbning”, it compares the suggested opening with the sharper one and is useful when recommending a gentler alternative.

åbning “åbning” means “opening” and refers to the beginning of the email. In “en blødere åbning”, it is an indefinite noun after “en”; the definite form “åbningen” appears when the specific opening is discussed.

hvor “hvor” means “where” or “in which” and links the opening with what is written in it. In “en blødere åbning, hvor du skriver...”, it introduces a relative description of the opening.

skriver “skriver” means “write” here and is related to “skrive”. In “hvor du skriver, at...”, it describes the content the reader is instructed to put in the opening, using the pattern “du skriver” for a written action.

følger op “følger op” means “follow up” as one expression in the professional email context. “følger” is the verb part related to “følge”, while “op” completes the follow-up expression; in “du følger op”, it describes contacting someone again about an earlier matter.

Det “Det” means “that” or “it” and refers to the revised opening just discussed. In “Det lyder bedre”, it acts as the subject of an assessment, and the lowercase form “det” also appears before “næste trin”.

lyder “lyder” means “sounds” and is related to “lyde”. In “Det lyder bedre”, it evaluates the impression made by the revised wording; “lyder” commonly appears with a description such as “bedre”.

bedre “bedre” means “better” and compares the revised opening with the earlier version. In “Det lyder bedre”, it follows “lyder” to give an overall evaluation of the new wording.

min “min” means “my” and shows that the request belongs to or was written by the speaker. It appears before “forespørgsel” in “min forespørgsel”, a reusable possessive pattern.

forespørgsel “forespørgsel” means “request” and is the indefinite form related to “forespørgslen”. In “min forespørgsel”, it names the specific request made in the email while remaining an indefinite noun after the possessive “min”.

tydelig “tydelig” means “clear” and describes whether the request can be understood easily. In “tydelig nok”, it is followed by “nok” to ask whether the clarity is sufficient.

nok “nok” means “enough” in “tydelig nok”. Placed after the adjective, it expresses whether the described quality reaches a sufficient level, which is useful when checking adequacy.

Forklar “Forklar” means “explain” and is the imperative form related to “forklare”. It gives a direct instruction in “Forklar det næste trin”, a useful pattern when asking someone to make a process clear.

næste “næste” means “next” and identifies the step that comes after the current one. In “det næste trin”, it appears before the noun and helps organize actions in sequence.

trin “trin” means “step” and refers to one action in the follow-up process. In “det næste trin”, it is specified by “det næste”, and this phrase is useful when explaining what should happen next.

samme “samme” means “same” and shows that the next step should be placed in the paragraph already being discussed. In “samme afsnit”, it identifies the paragraph as unchanged or already selected.

afsnit “afsnit” means “paragraph” and refers to one section of the email text. In “i samme afsnit”, it follows “i” to show where the next step should be explained.

har “har” means “have” and is used with “tilføjet” in “Jeg har også tilføjet...”. It helps describe an addition that the speaker has made, and “har” commonly appears before a completed-action form such as “tilføjet”.

også “også” means “also” and adds another piece of information to what the speaker has already said. In “Jeg har også tilføjet...”, it is placed between “har” and “tilføjet” to mark an additional action.

tilføjet “tilføjet” means “added” and is related to “tilføje”. In “har også tilføjet ekstra baggrund”, it names the additional material placed in the email and appears with “har”.

ekstra “ekstra” means “extra” and indicates that the background is additional material. In “ekstra baggrund”, it comes directly before the noun and is useful for specifying an amount beyond what was already included.

baggrund “baggrund” means “context” or “background” in the email. In “ekstra baggrund”, it refers to information that helps explain the request; the definite form “Baggrunden” is used when that context is referred to again.

nær “nær” means “near” and locates the extra context close to the end of the email. In “nær slutningen”, it is followed by the place or point that something is close to.

slutningen “slutningen” means “the end” and is the definite form related to “slutning”. In “nær slutningen”, it identifies the final part of the email as the location of the added context.

Baggrunden “Baggrunden” means “the context” or “the background”; it is the capitalized sentence-initial form related to “baggrund”. In “Baggrunden er nyttig”, it refers back to the context already mentioned and is used as the subject of an evaluation.

nyttig “nyttig” means “helpful” or “useful” and describes the value of the context. In “Baggrunden er nyttig”, it follows “er” to give a practical assessment of the added information.

Tjek “Tjek” means “check” and is the imperative form related to “tjekke”. In “Tjek modtagerlisten”, it gives a direct instruction to review the recipient list before sending.

modtagerlisten “modtagerlisten” means “the recipient list” and refers to the list of people who will receive the email. In “Tjek modtagerlisten”, it is the object of “Tjek”, so the phrase is useful when verifying recipients before sending.

var “var” means “was” and is a past form related to “være”. In “Det var let at overse”, it links the situation with the assessment “let” and refers to what was easy in the earlier review.

let “let” means “easy” in “Det var let at overse”. It describes the difficulty of noticing the mistake, and the pattern “let at” is used before an action that is easy to perform or miss.

overse “overse” means “overlook” or “miss” and is the action that was easy in “let at overse”. It follows “at” in the infinitive construction, and the phrase is useful when describing something not noticed during a check.

forkerte “forkerte” means “wrong” and describes the person who should not have been included. In “den forkerte person”, it appears before the noun and identifies the particular person involved in the mistake.

person “person” means “person” and identifies the individual included in the recipient list. In “den forkerte person”, it follows the description “forkerte” and refers to one specific individual.

blev “blev” means “was” in the passive expression “blev inkluderet”; it is related to “blive”. Together with “inkluderet”, it says that the wrong person was included, and this construction is useful when focusing on what happened rather than who did it.

inkluderet “inkluderet” means “included” and is related to “inkludere”. In “blev inkluderet ved en fejl”, it describes the person’s unintended presence in the list and works with “blev” in the passive construction.

ved “ved” is the preposition used in the expression “ved en fejl”, which means “by mistake”. Its meaning here comes from this complete expression, useful for explaining that an action happened accidentally.

fejl “fejl” means “mistake” in the expression “ved en fejl”. Together, “ved en fejl” explains that the wrong person was included accidentally; the phrase can be used when describing an unintentional error.

Fjern “Fjern” means “remove” and is the imperative form related to “fjerne”. In “Fjern den person fra listen”, it gives a direct instruction to take someone out of a list.

fra “fra” means “from” and connects the person being removed with the list. In “fra listen”, it identifies the place or group from which the person should be removed.

listen “listen” means “the list” and is the definite form related to “liste”. In “Fjern den person fra listen”, it names the list from which the person should be removed.

Så “Så” means “then” here and marks the result of removing the incorrect recipient. In “Så er e-mailen klar...”, it links the completed correction with the email’s resulting status.

e-mailen “e-mailen” means “the email” and is the definite form related to “e-mail”. In “e-mailen klar til at blive sendt”, it refers to the specific message that has just been reviewed and corrected.

klar “klar” means “ready” and describes the email’s status after the final correction. In “klar til at blive sendt”, it is followed by “til” to specify what the email is ready for.

til “til” means “for” in the construction “klar til at blive sendt”. It introduces the action for which the email is ready, and “klar til at...” is a reusable pattern for describing readiness.

blive “blive” means “be” or “become” here as part of the passive construction “blive sendt”. Together with “sendt”, it expresses that the email will receive the action of being sent.

sendt “sendt” means “sent” and is related to “sende”. In “blive sendt”, it completes the passive expression “to be sent”, describing the action that the ready email is about to undergo.

Grammar Points

Komparativ: adjektiv + -ere

Prøv en blødere tone.

prurv en BLUR-thuh-ruh TOHN-uh.

Try a softer tone.

Add -ere to an adjective to compare: blød becomes blødere, meaning “softer.”

Danish Vocabulary

e-mail noun

ee-MAIL email

Gender: common

forespørgsel noun

FOHR-spur-sel request forespørgslen

Gender: common

før conj

fur before

lyde verb

LOO-thuh to sound

minde verb

MEN-uh to remind

professionel adj

proh-feh-shoh-NEHL professional

sende verb

SEN-uh to send sender

skarp adj

SKAHB sharp; harsh

tjekke verb

CHEK-uh to check

tone noun

TOHN-uh tone tonen

Gender: common

virke verb

VEER-uh to seem; to appear virker

åbning noun

OHB-nehng opening åbningen

Gender: common

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Remove that person from the list.

Show Answer

Fjern den person fra listen.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to seem; to appear

Show Answer

virker

opening

Show Answer

åbningen

tone

Show Answer

tonen

sharp; harsh

Show Answer

skarp