Describing symptoms objectively | Learn Danish in English

About This Lesson

Use Describing symptoms objectively to practice Danish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Ubehaget er mildt, men det har varet længere end normalt.

oo-beh-HAH-yeth air milt, men deh hah VAIR-eth LENG-uh en nor-MAHLT. The discomfort is mild, but it has lasted longer than usual.

Ændrer det sig ved aktivitet, hvile eller måltider?

EN-druh deh sigh veh ahk-tee-vee-TEHT, VEE-leh EL-uh MOHL-teeth-uh? Does it change with activity, rest, or meals?

Jeg lægger mere mærke til det, når jeg sidder i lang tid.

yai LEG-uh MAIR-uh MAIR-keh tell deh, nor yai SID-uh ee long teeth. I notice it more when I sit for a long time.

Det mønster er værd at nævne, og klinikeren kan vurdere det ordentligt.

deh MUN-stuh air VAIR ah NEV-nuh, oh klee-NEE-kuhn kan voo-DAIR-uh deh OR-den-lee. That pattern is worth mentioning, and the clinician can assess it properly.

Jeg prøver at beskrive det uden at få det til at lyde værre eller mindre alvorligt, end det er.

yai PROO-uh ad beh-SKREE-vuh deh OO-then ad foh deh teel ad LOO-theh VAIR-uh EL-uh MEN-druh ahl-VOR-lee, en deh air. I am trying to describe it without making it sound worse or less serious than it is.

Fokuser på, hvor ofte det sker, og hvordan det påvirker dig.

foh-koo-SAIR poh, voh OFF-teh deh skair, oh voh-DAN deh poh-VAIR-kuh dye. Focus on how often it happens and how it affects you.

Jeg kan forklare, at det gør det sværere for mig at koncentrere mig på arbejdet.

yai kan foh-KLAIR-uh, ad deh gur deh SVAIR-uh for mai ad kon-sen-TRair-uh mai poh AH-bai-yeth. I can explain that it makes it harder to concentrate at work.

Medtag den detalje, da den daglige påvirkning ofte er med til at bestemme den videre opfølgning.

MEHT-tai den deh-TAI-lyeh, dah den DAI-lee-uh poh-VAIRK-ning OFF-teh air meh teel ad beh-STEM-uh den VEE-thuh OP-furlk-ning. Include that detail, since daily impact often guides follow-up.

Word by Word

Ubehaget Ubehaget means “the discomfort” here and identifies the symptom being discussed. It is the definite form of ubehag, used for a specific discomfort already understood in the conversation. In a clinic conversation, it can name a symptom without diagnosing it.

er Er means “is” in “Ubehaget er mildt” and links the discomfort with its description. It is the present form of være. It is commonly used before an adjective when describing a condition.

mildt Mildt means “mild” and describes the discomfort as limited in intensity. The -t form matches the neuter noun Ubehaget in this sentence. It is used after er to describe how something is.

men Men means “but” and introduces a contrast between the discomfort being mild and lasting longer than usual. It joins two parts of the sentence with opposing or differing information. In this dialogue, it helps make the description balanced and objective.

det Det means “it” when it refers back to the discomfort in “det har varet”. It also appears as “Det” at the beginning of “Det mønster”, where it points to the pattern just described. This form commonly refers to a neuter noun or to an already identified situation.

har Har means “has” in “det har varet” and helps express that the discomfort has continued up to the relevant point. It is the present form of have used with the participle varet. A common reuse pattern is har followed by a past participle.

varet Varet means “lasted” in “har varet længere end normalt”. It is the participle form of vare used with har to describe duration. In a health conversation, this form can describe how long a symptom has continued.

længere Længere means “longer” and compares the duration with what is usual in “længere end normalt”. It is the comparative form related to lang. It is commonly followed by end when making this kind of comparison.

end End means “than” and introduces the standard of comparison in “længere end normalt”. It connects a comparative form such as længere with what it is being compared against. Here the comparison is with the normal duration.

normalt Normalt means “normally” or “usually” in “end normalt”. It gives the usual situation as the reference point for the comparison. It can follow end when describing how something differs from what normally happens.

Ændrer Ændrer means “changes” in the question “Ændrer det sig”. It is the present form used with det, placed first because this is a question. It is useful when asking whether a symptom varies under different conditions.

sig Sig is the reflexive pronoun in “Ændrer det sig”, referring back to det. Together, “Ændrer det sig” means “does it change”; sig shows that the change is expressed reflexively. This construction can be used when asking whether a thing or situation changes.

ved Ved introduces the circumstances connected with the change in “ved aktivitet, hvile eller måltider”. Here it is understood as “with” or “under” those conditions. A useful reuse pattern is ved followed by a noun naming a situation or condition.

aktivitet Aktivitet means “activity” and names one condition being tested in the question. It appears in the list “ved aktivitet, hvile eller måltider” without an article because the question refers generally to activity. In a clinic conversation, it can identify what may influence a symptom.

hvile Hvile means “rest” and names another condition in “ved aktivitet, hvile eller måltider”. It refers to a period without activity, considered alongside activity and meals. It can be used in a list of circumstances affecting how something feels.

eller Eller means “or” and presents alternatives in “aktivitet, hvile eller måltider”. It joins items when one of several possibilities is being considered. Here it keeps the question open to different circumstances.

måltider Måltider means “meals” and refers to meals generally in the list “ved aktivitet, hvile eller måltider”. It is the plural form used because the question concerns meals as recurring events. It can be used when discussing whether something changes around eating.

Jeg Jeg means “I” and is the subject of the speaker’s observation in “Jeg lægger mere mærke til det”. It identifies the person noticing the symptom. It is normally placed before the verb in a basic statement.

lægger Lægger is part of the expression “lægger mere mærke til det”, which means “notice it more”. In this expression, it contributes to the act of directing attention rather than simply meaning “places”. The full expression is useful when describing what you notice.

mere Mere means “more” in “lægger mere mærke til det”. It indicates that the speaker notices the discomfort to a greater degree under the stated condition. It commonly modifies a verb phrase to compare the amount or degree of an action.

mærke Mærke is part of “lægger mere mærke til det”, the expression used for noticing something. Its meaning here comes from the whole expression together with lægger and til, not from mærke alone. The pattern can be used when identifying something that has come to your attention.

til Til is part of “mærke til det” and marks what the speaker notices. Together with lægger mærke, it completes the expression for paying attention to or noticing something. In this dialogue, det is the object of attention.

når Når means “when” and introduces the condition “når jeg sidder i lang tid”. It connects the observation with the time or situation in which it occurs. A common reuse pattern is når followed by a clause describing a recurring situation.

sidder Sidder means “sit” or “am sitting” in “når jeg sidder i lang tid”. It is the present form of sidde and describes the speaker’s position or activity. It is useful for explaining what happens while you are in a particular position.

i I means “for” in the duration expression “i lang tid”. Together with the duration phrase, it indicates how long the sitting continues. A useful reuse pattern is i followed by a time expression.

lang Lang means “long” and describes the duration in “i lang tid”. It comes before the noun tid. This pattern is used to describe an extended period of time.

tid Tid means “time” in the duration expression “i lang tid”. It names the period during which the speaker sits. It commonly appears after a word describing the length of the period.

mønster Mønster means “pattern” in “Det mønster” and refers to the connection between the discomfort and sitting for a long time. It names a recurring relationship rather than a diagnosis. In a clinic conversation, it can describe a repeated symptom pattern for the clinician to assess.

værd Værd means “worth” in the expression “er værd at nævne”. The whole expression means that something deserves to be mentioned because it may be relevant. A useful reuse pattern is er værd at followed by an infinitive.

at At is the infinitive marker in “at nævne” within “er værd at nævne”. It connects værd with the action considered worth doing. Here it does not mean “that”; it introduces the infinitive nævne.

nævne Nævne means “mention” in “er værd at nævne”. It is the infinitive after at and describes bringing the pattern into the conversation. It can be reused when deciding that a relevant detail should be mentioned.

og Og means “and” and joins related information in the dialogue. In “og klinikeren kan vurdere det ordentligt”, it connects the advice about mentioning the pattern with what the clinician can do. It can join clauses or items in a list.

klinikeren Klinikeren means “the clinician” and identifies the professional who can assess the pattern. It is the definite form of kliniker, referring to a specific person in the clinic context. It functions as the subject of “kan vurdere det ordentligt”.

kan Kan means “can” in “klinikeren kan vurdere det ordentligt”. It expresses the clinician’s ability or possibility of carrying out the assessment. It is followed by the infinitive vurdere.

vurdere Vurdere means “assess” in “kan vurdere det ordentligt”. It is the infinitive following kan and describes evaluating the reported pattern. The pattern kan followed by an infinitive is useful for describing what someone is able or expected to do.

ordentligt Ordentligt means “properly” in “vurdere det ordentligt”. It describes the manner in which the clinician can assess the pattern. It is useful when emphasizing that an action should be carried out carefully or adequately.

prøver Prøver means “is trying” in “Jeg prøver at beskrive det”. It is the present form used with Jeg and introduces an effort to perform the following action. A common reuse pattern is prøver at followed by an infinitive.

beskrive Beskrive means “describe” in “prøver at beskrive det”. It is the infinitive after at and refers to giving an objective account of the discomfort. It can be reused with an object identifying what is being described.

uden Uden means “without” and introduces the action the speaker wants to avoid in “uden at få det til at lyde værre eller mindre alvorligt”. It is followed here by at and an infinitive. The pattern uden at plus an infinitive is useful for describing an action that does not happen.

få Få contributes the causative meaning “make” or “cause” in “få det til at lyde værre eller mindre alvorligt”. The whole construction describes making something come across as more or less serious, while det refers to the discomfort. This construction is useful when discussing how something is made to appear or sound.

lyde Lyde means “sound” in “til at lyde værre eller mindre alvorligt”. It describes how the discomfort comes across in the speaker’s wording. Here it follows få det til at and is followed by a description of how serious it sounds.

værre Værre means “worse” in “lyde værre”. It compares the impression of the discomfort with a less serious or less negative impression. It is the comparative form related to dårlig and is used here to describe how something sounds.

mindre Mindre means “less” in “mindre alvorligt”. It indicates a lower degree of seriousness in the way the discomfort might sound. It is used before alvorligt to form the comparison within the larger expression.

alvorligt Alvorligt means “serious” in “mindre alvorligt”. It describes the degree of seriousness conveyed by the description. Together with lyde, it concerns how the situation sounds rather than making a medical judgment about it.

Fokuser Fokuser means “focus” in the instruction “Fokuser på”. It is an imperative addressed to one person and tells the listener where to direct attention. It is useful when guiding someone toward the most relevant information.

på På follows Fokuser in “Fokuser på” and introduces the topic that should receive attention. Here the topic is the frequency and effect of the symptom. A useful reuse pattern is fokusere på followed by a subject or topic.

hvor Hvor means “how” in “hvor ofte det sker”. Together with ofte, it asks about frequency. The pattern hvor ofte followed by a clause is useful when asking how frequently something happens.

ofte Ofte means “often” and measures frequency in “hvor ofte det sker”. It helps the listener report how regularly the symptom occurs. It commonly appears after hvor when asking about frequency.

sker Sker means “happens” in “det sker”. It is the present form of ske and refers to the occurrence of the symptom. The pattern det sker can be used when describing an event or symptom occurrence.

hvordan Hvordan means “how” in “hvordan det påvirker dig”. It introduces information about the way the symptom affects the person. A useful reuse pattern is hvordan followed by a clause describing an effect or manner.

påvirker Påvirker means “affects” in “hvordan det påvirker dig”. It is the present form used with det as the subject and dig as the object. It is useful for describing the effect of a symptom or situation on a person.

dig Dig means “you” as the object of påvirker in “påvirker dig”. It identifies the person experiencing the effect of the symptom. It is used after a verb when that person receives or experiences the action.

forklare Forklare means “explain” in “kan forklare”. It is the infinitive after kan and refers to giving a clear account of the symptom’s effect. In this dialogue, it is followed by an at-clause explaining the consequence.

gør Gør contributes the meaning “makes” in “gør det sværere for mig at koncentrere mig”. The whole construction says that the discomfort makes concentrating more difficult; det is the cause and the following phrase describes the result. This pattern is useful for describing how one situation creates a difficulty for someone.

sværere Sværere means “harder” in “gør det sværere for mig at koncentrere mig”. It expresses an increased degree of difficulty. It is the comparative form related to svær and describes the action that has become more difficult.

for For marks the person affected by the difficulty in “sværere for mig”. It shows for whom concentrating is harder, rather than expressing a general purpose here. The pattern sværere for someone at plus an infinitive can describe a task that has become more difficult.

mig Mig means “me” in “for mig” and identifies the person for whom concentrating is harder. It also appears in “koncentrere mig”, where it refers back to the speaker as the person concentrating. Its form is used after for and as the object in this reflexive expression.

koncentrere Koncentrere means “concentrate” in “at koncentrere mig”. It is the infinitive after at and describes the activity affected by the discomfort. The expression includes mig to show who is concentrating.

arbejdet Arbejdet means “the work” or “the job” in “på arbejdet”. It is the definite form of arbejde and refers to the speaker’s specific workplace or work situation. The expression på arbejdet is used when describing something happening at work.

Medtag Medtag means “include” in the instruction “Medtag den detalje”. It is an imperative telling the listener to add a particular piece of information. It is useful when advising someone to include a relevant detail in an explanation.

den Den means “the” or “that” in “den detalje”. It points to a specific detail that has just been discussed. It is placed before the noun and helps identify which detail should be included.

detalje Detalje means “detail” in “Medtag den detalje”. It names the specific piece of information to add to the description. In this dialogue, it refers to the effect on concentration at work.

da Da means “since” or “as” in “da den daglige påvirkning ofte er med til at bestemme den videre opfølgning”. It introduces the reason for including the detail. A useful reuse pattern is da followed by a clause explaining why something matters.

daglige Daglige means “daily” in “den daglige påvirkning”. It describes the effect as connected with everyday life. The form appears before the noun and after den in this specific phrase.

påvirkning Påvirkning means “impact” or “effect” in “den daglige påvirkning”. It names how the discomfort influences the person’s everyday functioning. In the clinic context, it helps describe practical consequences without diagnosing the cause.

med Med is part of the expression “er med til at bestemme”, which means “helps determine” or “contributes to determining”. Here it does not simply mean “with”; it contributes to the construction describing an influence on the decision. A reusable pattern is være med til at followed by an infinitive.

bestemme Bestemme means “determine” in “er med til at bestemme den videre opfølgning”. It is the infinitive after at and describes helping decide what follow-up comes next. The expression presents the daily impact as one factor in that decision.

videre Videre means “further” or “continued” in “den videre opfølgning”. It points to the next or continuing stage of follow-up. It commonly appears before a noun when describing what happens after the current step.

opfølgning Opfølgning means “follow-up” in “den videre opfølgning”. It refers to the subsequent attention or assessment after the initial description. In this clinic conversation, it names the next stage guided partly by the symptom’s daily impact.

Grammar Points

få ... til at lyde

Få det til at lyde værre.

foh deh teel ad LOO-theh VAIR-uh.

Make it sound worse.

Efter få bruges til at + infinitiv: få det til at lyde. Engelsk bruger normalt ikke to i denne konstruktion.

ændre sig

Ændrer det sig?

EN-druh deh sigh?

Does it change?

Sig er et refleksivt pronomen, der viser, at subjektet ændrer sig selv eller sin tilstand.

Danish Vocabulary

aktivitet noun

ahk-tee-vee-TEHT activity

Gender: common

hvile noun

VEE-leh rest

Gender: common

lægge mærke til phrase

LEG-uh MAIR-keh tell notice; pay attention to lægger mere mærke til

længere adj

LENG-uh longer

mild adj

milt mild mildt

Gender: neuter

mønster noun

MUN-stuh pattern

Gender: neuter

måltid noun

MOHL-teeth meal måltider

Gender: neuter

normal adj

nor-MAHL normal; usual normalt

Gender: neuter

sidde verb

SID-uh sit sidder

ubehag noun

oo-beh-HAH discomfort ubehaget

Gender: neuter

vare verb

VAIR-uh last varet

ændre sig phrase

EN-druh sigh change ændrer det sig

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

last

Show Answer

varet

mild

Show Answer

mildt

meal

Show Answer

måltider

rest

Show Answer

hvile