Building a realistic healthy routine | Learn Danish in English

Danish lesson set in a contemporary Copenhagen everyday setting: At home, two adults choose one realistic health habit by starting with short walks before adding meals and earlier sleep..

EN → DA / Level: B1

About This Lesson

Use Building a realistic healthy routine to practice Danish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Jeg vil gerne have en sundere rutine, men jeg giver altid op efter en uge.

yai vel GAIR-nuh HEH-vuh en SOON-uh-ruh roo-TEE-nuh, men yai GHEE-vuh AL-tee up EF-duh en OO-uh. I want a healthier routine, but I always quit after a week.
B

Måske prøver du at ændre for meget på én gang.

MAW-skeh PRUR-vuh doo uh EN-ruh for MYE poh ayn gahng. Maybe you are trying to change too much at once.
A

Jeg planlægger som regel motion, madlavning og at gå tidligere i seng på samme tid.

yai plan-LAI-uh sum RAY-uhl moh-SHYOHN, MEH-thlow-ning oh uh goh TEE-lee-uh-ruh ee seng poh SAM-uh tee. I usually plan exercise, cooking, and earlier sleep all at the same time.
B

Vælg én vane først, og se på, hvad der står i vejen.

vel ayn VAH-nuh furst, oh say poh, va deh store ee VYE-uhn. Pick one habit first and look at what gets in the way.
A

Det største problem er, at jeg ikke har meget energi efter arbejde.

deh STUR-stuh proh-BLEM air, uh yai EEG-uh hah MYE-uth en-air-SHEE EF-duh AR-bye-duh. The main problem is that I have low energy after work.
B

Så start med en kort gåtur før aftensmaden.

soh stahd meh en kord GOH-toor fur AF-den-smeh-then. Then start with a short walk before dinner.
A

Det føles realistisk og ikke for krævende.

deh FUR-luhs ray-ah-LIS-disk oh EEG-uh for KREH-vuh-nuh. That feels realistic and not too demanding.
B

Du kan senere tilføje afbalancerede måltider, når det føles naturligt at gå ture.

doo kan SAY-nuh-ruh tel-FUR-yuh af-bal-an-SAIR-uh-thuh MOHL-tee-thuh, naw deh FUR-luhs nah-TROO-lee uh goh TOO-uh. You can add balanced meals later, once walking feels natural.
A

Det lyder bedre at holde styr på det tre gange om ugen end at prøve hver dag.

deh LOO-thuh BEDH-ruh uh HOL-uh STEWR poh deh tray GENG-uh um OO-uhn en uh PRUR-vuh vair day. Tracking it three times a week sounds better than trying every day.
B

Det er nemmere at holde fast i fleksible mål over tid.

deh air NEM-uh-ruh uh HOL-uh fast ee FLEK-see-bluh MAWL OH-vuh tee. Flexible goals are easier to keep over time.

Word by Word

Jeg Jeg is the subject form meaning “I” in Jeg vil gerne have en sundere rutine. It is used before the verb when you describe your own wishes or actions, as in Jeg planlægger som regel motion.
vil In Jeg vil gerne have en sundere rutine, vil helps express what the speaker wants. A reusable pattern is Jeg vil gerne have ... for saying that you would like to have something.
gerne Gerne adds the idea of willingness or desire in Jeg vil gerne have en sundere rutine. The common pattern vil gerne + verb is useful when making a friendly statement about what you would like to do or have.
have Have means “have” in Jeg vil gerne have en sundere rutine. Here it follows vil gerne, and it can be reused before the thing someone wants to have.
en En is the indefinite article before the singular noun rutine in en sundere rutine, meaning “a”. Use en before a singular noun when introducing one non-specific thing.
sundere Sundere means “healthier” in en sundere rutine and compares this routine with the current one. It is placed before the noun it describes, as in en sundere rutine.
rutine Rutine means “routine” in en sundere rutine, referring here to a regular way of living. It can be used after an adjective to describe the kind of routine, such as en sundere rutine.
men Men connects the desired routine with the problem that the speaker quits, meaning “but” in men jeg giver altid op. It is useful for joining two statements with an opposing or limiting idea.
giver Giver is the verb form used in giver altid op. Together with op, giver op means “gives up”; the pattern jeg giver op can describe stopping an effort.
altid Altid means “always” in jeg giver altid op efter en uge. It commonly comes before the main verb when describing something that happens every time.
op Op is the particle in giver op, and together with giver it forms the expression “give up”. The reusable pattern give someone or something up is expressed here by giver op.
efter Efter means “after” in efter en uge, showing when the quitting happens. It can be followed by a time expression, as in efter en uge.
uge Uge means “week” in efter en uge. In this phrase, en uge identifies one week as the period after which something happens.
Måske Måske means “maybe” at the beginning of Måske prøver du at ændre for meget på én gang. It introduces a suggestion or possibility when speaking to someone.
prøver Prøver means “are trying” in prøver du at ændre for meget. The pattern prøve at + verb is used to talk about attempting an action.
du Du is the subject form meaning “you” in prøver du at ændre for meget. It refers to the person being addressed and can be placed before the verb in a statement.
at At introduces the action in prøver du at ændre for meget. Here it links prøve with the following verb, so the pattern is prøve at + verb.
ændre Ændre means “change” in at ændre for meget på én gang. It is used after at in the pattern prøve at ændre ... when describing an attempted change.
for For means “too” in for meget, showing that the amount of change is excessive. The pattern for + amount or adjective is useful for saying that something exceeds a suitable level.
meget Meget means “much” in for meget, and with for it means “too much”. It can be used before an uncounted amount, as in ændre for meget.
på På is part of the expression på én gang, meaning “at once” in this dialogue. Use the complete pattern på én gang when several things happen or are attempted simultaneously.
gang Gang means “time” or “occasion” in på én gang. Together, på én gang describes something done in one go or all at once.
planlægger Planlægger means “plan” in Jeg planlægger som regel motion, madlavning og at gå tidligere i seng. It is used before the activities or things someone intends to organize.
som Som is part of the expression som regel, which means “usually” in Jeg planlægger som regel motion. The complete pattern som regel is useful for describing what normally happens.
regel Regel contributes to the expression som regel, meaning “usually” here rather than referring to a literal rule. Use som regel before or around an activity to describe a normal habit.
motion Motion means “exercise” in motion, madlavning og at gå tidligere i seng. It names physical activity as one of the habits being planned.
madlavning Madlavning means “cooking” in motion, madlavning og at gå tidligere i seng. It refers to the activity of preparing food and can be listed with other activities.
og Og means “and” in motion, madlavning og at gå tidligere i seng. It joins items in a list, including nouns and the phrase at gå tidligere i seng.
gå Gå means “go” or “walk” in at gå tidligere i seng. Together with i seng, the phrase gå tidligere i seng means “go to bed earlier”; the verb can also describe walking in gå ture.
tidligere Tidligere means “earlier” in at gå tidligere i seng, specifying an earlier time for going to bed. It can be placed with an activity to compare its timing with another time.
i I is used in i seng in the expression gå tidligere i seng, meaning “go to bed earlier”. The complete pattern gå i seng is used for going to bed.
seng Seng means “bed” in gå tidligere i seng. Together with i, it forms the familiar expression i seng, used here with gå for going to bed.
samme Samme means “same” in på samme tid, referring to one shared time. The phrase på samme tid is used when several things are planned or happen simultaneously.
tid Tid means “time” in på samme tid. Together with samme, it identifies the shared time at which the activities are planned.
Vælg Vælg is used as a direct instruction meaning “choose” in Vælg én vane først. It is useful when advising someone to select one option from several.
vane Vane means “habit” in Vælg én vane først. It refers to one regular behavior, and it can be used after a number or article when selecting a habit.
først Først means “first” in Vælg én vane først, setting the order of the action. It is useful when telling someone to do one step before another.
se Se means “look” in se på, as in se på, hvad der står i vejen. Together with på, se på introduces the thing or situation someone should examine.
hvad Hvad means “what” in hvad der står i vejen, introducing the thing that is blocking progress. The pattern se på, hvad ... is useful when asking or examining what causes a situation.
der Der links the clause in hvad der står i vejen and helps introduce what is standing in the way. It appears between hvad and the verb står in this construction.
står Står literally means “stands” in hvad der står i vejen, but with vejen it describes something that blocks progress. The expression står i vejen can be reused for an obstacle.
vejen Vejen means “the way” in står i vejen. Together with står i, it forms the expression stands in the way, used here for something that prevents a habit from succeeding.
Det Det is the neutral form used in Det største problem, Det føles realistisk, and Det lyder bedre. It can refer to a situation or idea, and in the latter two expressions it introduces an evaluation of that situation.
største Største means “biggest” or “main” in Det største problem. It identifies the problem considered most important, and it is placed before problem.
problem Problem means “problem” in Det største problem er, at jeg ikke har meget energi. It names the difficulty being explained after the phrase Det største problem er ...
er Er means “is” in Det største problem er ... and connects the subject with the explanation that follows. It also appears in the pattern Det er nemmere ... for giving an evaluation.
ikke Ikke means “not” in jeg ikke har meget energi. It negates the following idea, so the speaker says they do not have much energy after work.
har Har means “have” in jeg ikke har meget energi. It is used with an object such as meget energi to describe what someone has or lacks.
energi Energi means “energy” in jeg ikke har meget energi. It names the resource the speaker lacks after work and can be used with have to describe available energy.
arbejde Arbejde means “work” in efter arbejde, identifying the time after the speaker finishes working. The pattern efter arbejde is useful for describing activities done after work.
Så Så means “then” in Så start med en kort gåtur, connecting the advice to the problem just described. It is useful when presenting a consequence or next step.
start Start is used as an instruction meaning “start” in start med en kort gåtur. The pattern start med + activity or object tells someone what to begin with.
med Med means “with” in start med en kort gåtur, identifying what the action should begin with. The pattern start med ... is useful for suggesting a manageable first step.
kort Kort means “short” in en kort gåtur, describing the walk as limited in length or duration. It is placed before the noun it describes.
gåtur Gåtur means “walk” in en kort gåtur. It refers to a walk as an activity, and it can be described with an adjective such as kort.
før Før means “before” in før aftensmaden, showing when the walk should happen. It can introduce a meal or another event that follows the activity.
aftensmaden Aftensmaden means “the dinner” in før aftensmaden. It identifies the evening meal as the time reference for the walk.
føles Føles means “feels” in Det føles realistisk og ikke for krævende. It describes how the suggested habit seems to the speaker, especially in the pattern Det føles + description.
realistisk Realistisk means “realistic” in Det føles realistisk. It describes the proposed walk as practical and possible for the speaker to maintain.
krævende Krævende means “demanding” in ikke for krævende, describing something that requires too much effort. The pattern ikke for krævende means “not too demanding”.
kan Kan means “can” in Du kan senere tilføje afbalancerede måltider, expressing possibility or ability. The reusable pattern kan + verb is used to say what someone can do.
senere Senere means “later” in Du kan senere tilføje afbalancerede måltider. It places the addition after the first habit has become established.
tilføje Tilføje means “add” in tilføje afbalancerede måltider. It is used after kan and before the thing being added, as in kan tilføje + object.
afbalancerede Afbalancerede means “balanced” in afbalancerede måltider, describing meals with a balanced composition. It is placed before the plural noun måltider in this phrase.
måltider Måltider means “meals” in afbalancerede måltider. It refers to meals as an additional part of the healthy routine.
når Når means “when” or “once” in når det føles naturligt at gå ture. It introduces the condition that must be reached before adding the next habit.
naturligt Naturligt means “natural” in det føles naturligt at gå ture, describing walking as something that no longer feels difficult or unusual. The pattern føles naturligt at + verb describes an action that feels natural to do.
ture Ture means “walks” in gå ture, referring to walking as a repeated activity. The pattern gå ture is used when talking about going for walks.
lyder Lyder means “sounds” in Det lyder bedre at holde styr på det. It is used to give an opinion about how an idea or suggestion seems when heard or considered.
bedre Bedre means “better” in Det lyder bedre, comparing this plan with the alternative of trying every day. It can follow lyder when evaluating one option against another.
holde Holde is the infinitive used in at holde styr på det and holde fast i fleksible mål. With styr på it means “keep track of”, while with fast i it contributes to “stick to” or maintain something.
styr Styr is part of holde styr på det, meaning “keep track of it”. The complete pattern holde styr på + object is used for monitoring or keeping an overview of something.
gange Gange means “times” in tre gange om ugen, stating how often the activity should happen. It follows a number in frequency expressions such as tre gange.
om Om means “per” in tre gange om ugen, expressing the frequency within one week. The pattern gange om ugen is used to say how many times something happens each week.
ugen Ugen means “the week” in tre gange om ugen. Together with om, it provides the time period for the frequency expression.
end End means “than” in bedre end at prøve hver dag. It introduces the alternative used for comparison after a comparative word such as bedre.
prøve Prøve means “try” in at prøve hver dag. It is used after at and before the time expression hver dag, describing an attempted daily action.
hver Hver means “every” in hver dag, referring to each individual day. The pattern hver + singular time word is used for regular frequency.
dag Dag means “day” in hver dag. Together with hver, it means “every day” and describes the proposed daily frequency.
nemmere Nemmere means “easier” in Det er nemmere at holde fast i fleksible mål. It compares keeping flexible goals with a more difficult alternative or approach.
fast Fast is part of holde fast i fleksible mål, meaning to stick to or maintain the goals. The complete pattern holde fast i + object is useful for describing continued commitment.
fleksible Fleksible means “flexible” in fleksible mål, describing goals that can adapt to the person’s situation. It is placed before the noun mål.
mål Mål means “goals” in holde fast i fleksible mål. It refers to the aims the speaker wants to continue following over time.
over Over means “over” in over tid, describing a period across which something continues. The phrase over tid is useful when talking about gradual or sustained change.

Grammar Points

Komparativ: adjektiv + -ere

En sundere rutine er nemmere over tid.

en SOON-uh-ruh roo-TEE-nuh air NEM-uh-ruh OH-vuh tee.

A healthier routine is easier over time.

The suffix -ere forms the comparative of many adjectives, such as sund → sundere and nem → nemmere.

Superlativ: adjektiv + -este

Den største vane står i vejen.

den STUR-stuh VAY-nuh store ee VYE-uhn.

The biggest habit gets in the way.

The suffix -este forms the superlative when describing the biggest or main item.

Danish Vocabulary

efter prep
EF-duh after
give op phrase
GHEE-vuh UP quit; give up
madlavning noun
MEH-thlow-ning cooking
motion noun
moh-SHYOHN exercise
Måske adv
MAW-skeh maybe
planlægger verb
plan-LAI-uh plan; am planning
prøver verb
PRUR-vuh try; are trying
på én gang phrase
poh ayn gahng at once
rutine noun
roo-TEE-nuh routine
som regel phrase
sum RAY-uhl usually
sundere adj
SOON-uh-ruh healthier
ændre verb
EN-ruh change

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

try; are trying

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after

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routine

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plan; am planning

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