About This Lesson
Use Asking About Dietary Restrictions to practice Danish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
En gæst har en kostrestriktion, så vi har brug for tydelige oplysninger, før vi bestiller.
en gest hah en KAWST-reh-strik-SHYOHN, soh vee hah broo foh TOO-theh-lee-uh AWP-lee-SAY-ner, fur vee beh-STIL-uh. One guest has a dietary restriction, so we need clear information before ordering.
B
Vi kan oplyse om ingredienserne.
vee kan awp-LEE-suh ohm in-greh-dee-EN-ser-nuh. We can list the ingredients.
B
Men jeg bør nævne, at tilberedningsområderne er fælles.
men yai bur NEV-nuh, ad tee-leh-BEH-thnings-AWR-uh-nuh air FEL-us. But I should mention that the prep areas are shared.
A
Det hjælper; gæsten kan beslutte, hvilket risikoniveau der er acceptabelt.
deh YEL-buh; GEST-en kan beh-SLOO-tuh, VEL-guhd REE-see-koh-NEH-voh dair air ak-sep-TEH-bel. That helps; the guest can decide what level of risk is acceptable.
B
Jeg beder køkkenet om at tjekke hver enkelt ingrediens i stedet for at gætte.
yai BAY-thuh KUR-guh-net ohm ad CHEH-guh vair EN-kelt in-greh-dee-ENS ee STAY-thuh fohr ad GET-uh. I'll ask the kitchen to check each component instead of guessing.
A
Tag også saucer og toppings med, eftersom de er nemme at overse.
teh AW-soh SOW-suh uh TOP-pings meth, ef-SAWM dee air NEM-uh ad OH-uh-SAY. Please include sauces and toppings too, since those are easy to miss.
B
Jeg sørger for, at de tjekker dem hver for sig.
yai SUR-uh fohr, ad dee CHEG-uh dem vair fohr SEE. I'll make sure they check those separately.
A
Så kan alle bestille uden at lægge pres på gæsten.
soh kan AL-uh beh-STIL-uh OO-thun ad LEG-uh pres poh GEST-en. Then everyone can order without putting pressure on the guest.
B
Når jeg har oplysningerne, kommer jeg tilbage og gennemgår dem med jer.
nohr yai hah AWP-lee-SAY-nuh, KUM-uh yai teh-BAL-guh uh GREHM-gaw dem meth yair. Once I have the details, I'll come back and walk you through them.Word by Word
En
In "En gæst", "En" introduces one unspecified guest, meaning “a” or “one.” It comes directly before the noun "gæst" and frames the guest as one person in the restaurant situation.
gæst
In "En gæst", "gæst" means a guest, here the restaurant customer with the dietary restriction. It is used with "en" to identify one guest in the group.
har
In "har en kostrestriktion", "har" means “has” and states that the guest has a dietary restriction. The same form is used in "vi har brug for tydelige oplysninger" to express what the group needs.
kostrestriktion
In "har en kostrestriktion", "kostrestriktion" means a dietary restriction affecting what the guest can safely order. The expression "en kostrestriktion" is useful when explaining a food-related limitation to restaurant staff.
så
In "så vi har brug for tydelige oplysninger", "så" means “so” and introduces the result of the guest having a dietary restriction. Later, in "Så kan alle bestille", the same form means “then” and introduces the next consequence.
vi
In "vi har brug for tydelige oplysninger", "vi" means “we” and is the subject representing the group. It also appears as the subject in "Vi kan oplyse om ingredienserne", where the restaurant offers information.
brug
In "har brug for tydelige oplysninger", "brug" is part of the fixed expression "har brug for", meaning “need.” The thing that is needed follows "for", here "tydelige oplysninger".
for
In "har brug for tydelige oplysninger", "for" is part of the expression "har brug for" and introduces what is needed. The complete expression, rather than "for" alone, means “need something.”
tydelige
In "tydelige oplysninger", "tydelige" describes the information as clear and specific enough to help with the ordering decision. It directly modifies "oplysninger" in the request for ingredient details.
oplysninger
In "tydelige oplysninger", "oplysninger" means information or details, specifically the details needed before ordering. It also appears in "Når jeg har oplysningerne", referring to the details once they have been obtained.
før
In "før vi bestiller", "før" means “before” and places the ordering after the information-gathering step. It introduces the activity that has not yet happened: "vi bestiller".
bestiller
In "før vi bestiller", "bestiller" means “order,” referring to the group placing its restaurant order. The verb appears after the subject "vi" in this time expression.
kan
In "Vi kan oplyse om ingredienserne", "kan" expresses ability or possibility: the restaurant is able to provide the information. It is followed by the verb form "oplyse"; the same pattern appears in "kan beslutte" and "kan ... bestille".
oplyse
In "oplyse om ingredienserne", "oplyse" means provide information about the ingredients. The reusable construction is "oplyse om" followed by the topic being explained.
om
In "oplyse om ingredienserne", "om" marks the topic of the information, namely the ingredients. It also appears in "om at tjekke", where it belongs to the request construction that specifies an action.
ingredienserne
In "oplyse om ingredienserne", "ingredienserne" refers to the specific ingredients being discussed. The form is used when the restaurant is offering information about what the food contains.
Men
In "Men jeg bør nævne", "Men" means “but” and introduces an important qualification to the restaurant’s offer of information. It signals that the shared preparation areas must also be mentioned.
jeg
In "jeg bør nævne", "jeg" means “I” and identifies the speaker as the person responsible for mentioning the preparation areas. The same subject appears in "Jeg beder køkkenet" and "Jeg sørger for".
bør
In "jeg bør nævne", "bør" means “should” or “ought to” and presents mentioning the shared areas as the responsible thing to do. It is followed by the action "nævne".
nævne
In "bør nævne, at tilberedningsområderne er fælles", "nævne" means “mention” or “state.” The construction "nævne, at" introduces the information that is being mentioned.
at
In "nævne, at tilberedningsområderne er fælles", "at" introduces the content of what is being mentioned. In "om at tjekke hver enkelt ingrediens", it introduces the requested action "tjekke".
tilberedningsområderne
In "tilberedningsområderne er fælles", "tilberedningsområderne" means the preparation areas where the food is prepared. Here it identifies the areas that are shared and therefore relevant to the guest’s risk assessment.
er
In "tilberedningsområderne er fælles", "er" links the preparation areas with the description "fælles", meaning that they are shared. The same linking pattern appears in "er nemme at overse".
fælles
In "tilberedningsområderne er fælles", "fælles" means shared or common. It tells the guest that the preparation areas are not used exclusively for one type of food.
Det
In "Det hjælper", "Det" means “that” and refers back to the information about the shared preparation areas. It allows the speaker to comment on the usefulness of the preceding explanation.
hjælper
In "Det hjælper", "hjælper" means “helps,” indicating that the information makes the guest’s decision easier. The short expression can respond positively when someone has provided useful clarification.
gæsten
In "gæsten kan beslutte", "gæsten" means “the guest” and refers to the specific guest already mentioned. The expression identifies that person as the one who makes the final decision about the risk.
beslutte
In "gæsten kan beslutte, hvilket risikoniveau der er acceptabelt", "beslutte" means “decide.” It is used after "kan" and is followed by the question of which risk level is acceptable.
hvilket
In "hvilket risikoniveau der er acceptabelt", "hvilket" means “which” and asks the guest to identify one acceptable risk level. It works together with "risikoniveau" and the following clause rather than standing alone.
risikoniveau
In "hvilket risikoniveau der er acceptabelt", "risikoniveau" means risk level, referring to the amount of possible risk the guest is willing to accept. The expression is useful when a person must make an informed choice rather than receive a simple yes-or-no answer.
der
In "hvilket risikoniveau der er acceptabelt", "der" is part of the indirect-question structure that states which level is acceptable. It should be understood together with the full clause "der er acceptabelt", not translated separately here.
acceptabelt
In "der er acceptabelt", "acceptabelt" means acceptable or within the level the guest can accept. It describes the risk level being considered in the indirect question.
beder
In "Jeg beder køkkenet om at tjekke", "beder" means “ask” or “request.” The construction "beder køkkenet om at tjekke" identifies who is asked and what action is requested.
køkkenet
In "beder køkkenet om at tjekke", "køkkenet" means the kitchen, treated here as the restaurant department responsible for checking the ingredients. It follows "beder" as the part being asked to carry out the action.
tjekke
In "om at tjekke hver enkelt ingrediens", "tjekke" means “check” or “verify.” It names the action requested from the kitchen and is followed by the items to be checked.
hver
In "hver enkelt ingrediens", "hver" means “each” and directs attention to the ingredients one by one. It is used together with "enkelt" to make the individual treatment especially clear.
enkelt
In "hver enkelt ingrediens", "enkelt" means individual or single and emphasizes that no ingredient should be treated as part of an unchecked group. The full expression means “each individual ingredient.”
ingrediens
In "hver enkelt ingrediens", "ingrediens" means ingredient, with the phrase focusing on one ingredient at a time. It is the object of the checking action in "tjekke hver enkelt ingrediens".
i
In "i stedet for at gætte", "i" is part of the fixed expression "i stedet for", meaning “instead of.” The complete expression contrasts checking the ingredients with guessing.
stedet
In "i stedet for at gætte", "stedet" is part of the fixed expression meaning “instead of”; it does not refer to a physical place here. The construction "i stedet for at" introduces the action that is avoided.
gætte
In "i stedet for at gætte", "gætte" means “guess,” referring to giving an answer without checking the ingredients. The phrase presents verification as the preferred alternative to guessing.
Tag
In "Tag også saucer og toppings med", "Tag" is a direct request to include or take something along. Together with "med", it tells the listener to add the sauces and toppings to the items being checked.
også
In "Tag også saucer og toppings med", "også" means “also” or “too” and adds sauces and toppings to the ingredients already under discussion. It signals that these additional components must not be left out.
saucer
In "saucer og toppings", "saucer" means sauces, which may contain relevant ingredients in the restaurant context. It is one of the additional food components the speaker specifically asks the kitchen to check.
og
In "saucer og toppings", "og" means “and” and joins the two categories of food components that should be included. It connects "saucer" with "toppings" in one request.
toppings
In "saucer og toppings", "toppings" means the added food components placed on top of a dish. Here it is listed alongside sauces because both can be easy to overlook when checking ingredients.
med
In "Tag også saucer og toppings med", "med" is part of the expression meaning “include” or “take along.” In "gennemgår dem med jer", the same word means “with” and identifies the people the details will be reviewed together with.
eftersom
In "eftersom de er nemme at overse", "eftersom" means “since” or “because” and introduces the reason for checking sauces and toppings. The reason is that these components are easy to miss.
de
In "de er nemme at overse", "de" means “they” and refers to the sauces and toppings mentioned immediately before. It is the subject of the description of why they need separate attention.
nemme
In "nemme at overse", "nemme" means “easy,” describing the sauces and toppings as easy to miss. The construction "nemme at" is followed by the action that is easy to perform or, here, easy to fail to notice.
overse
In "nemme at overse", "overse" means “overlook” or “miss,” referring to failing to notice a sauce or topping during an ingredient check. The phrase explains why these components should be checked separately.
sørger
In "Jeg sørger for, at de tjekker dem hver for sig", "sørger" means “makes sure” or “ensures.” The construction "sørger for, at" introduces the result the speaker will ensure: that the items are checked separately.
tjekker
In "de tjekker dem hver for sig", "tjekker" means “check,” describing the action the kitchen staff will perform. It takes "dem" as the objects being checked.
dem
In "tjekker dem hver for sig", "dem" means “them” and refers to the sauces and toppings. It functions as the object of "tjekker", so the repeated food items do not need to be named again.
sig
In "hver for sig", "sig" is part of the fixed expression meaning “separately” or “each on its own.” The complete expression makes clear that the sauces and toppings should not be checked as one combined item.
alle
In "kan alle bestille", "alle" means “everyone” and refers to the people in the group. It is the subject of the ordering action once the dietary information has been clarified.
bestille
In "Så kan alle bestille", "bestille" means “order,” specifically place a restaurant order. It follows "kan" and describes what everyone can do after the information has been checked.
uden
In "uden at lægge pres på gæsten", "uden" means “without” and introduces an action that should not happen. The construction "uden at" is followed by "lægge pres på gæsten", the action of putting pressure on the guest.
lægge
In "lægge pres på gæsten", "lægge" is part of the expression meaning “put” or “place” pressure on someone. The complete construction is "lægge pres på" followed by the person affected.
pres
In "lægge pres på gæsten", "pres" means pressure, referring to social pressure to order despite a dietary concern. The noun is used in the fixed expression "lægge pres på".
Når
In "Når jeg har oplysningerne", "Når" means “when” or “once” and introduces the point at which the details are available. It sets the condition for the speaker’s return and explanation.
oplysningerne
In "Når jeg har oplysningerne", "oplysningerne" means the information or details that the speaker is waiting to receive. The form refers back to the specific ingredient and preparation information discussed earlier.
kommer
In "kommer tilbage", "kommer" means “comes” in the sense of returning to the group. Together with "tilbage", it describes the speaker’s return after obtaining the details.
tilbage
In "kommer tilbage", "tilbage" means “back” and completes the expression for returning. It shows that the speaker will return to the people waiting for the information.
gennemgår
In "gennemgår dem med jer", "gennemgår" means “goes through” or “reviews,” referring to explaining the details carefully. The object "dem" identifies the details, and "med jer" identifies the people receiving the explanation.
jer
In "gennemgår dem med jer", "jer" means “you” when addressing more than one person. It follows "med" and identifies the group with whom the speaker will review the details.
Grammar Points
hver enkelt + substantiv i ental
Tjek hver enkelt ingrediens.
CHEK vair EN-kelt in-greh-dee-ENS.Check each individual ingredient.
hver enkelt comes before a singular noun and emphasizes that the items are checked one at a time.
i stedet for + substantiv
Tag sauce med i stedet for topping.
TAY SOW-suh meth ee STAY-thuh fohr TOP-ping.Include sauce instead of topping.
i stedet for introduces the alternative that replaces the first choice.
Danish Vocabulary
beslutte
verb
beh-SLOO-tuh
to decide
bestille
verb
beh-STIL-uh
to order
bestiller
fælles
adj
FEL-us
shared
gæst
noun
gest
guest
gæsten
- Gender
- common
have brug for
phrase
HAH-vuh BROO fohr
to need
har brug for
hjælpe
verb
YEL-puh
to help
hjælper
ingrediens
noun
in-greh-dee-ENS
ingredient
ingredienserne
kostrestriktion
noun
KAWST-reh-strik-SHYOHN
dietary restriction
- Gender
- common
oplyse om
phrase
AWP-LEE-suh ohm
to provide information about
oplysning
noun
AWP-lee-SAY-ning
information
oplysningerne
tilberedningsområde
noun
tee-leh-BEH-thnings-AWR-uh
preparation area
tilberedningsområderne
- Gender
- neuter
tydelig
adj
TOO-theh-lee
clear
tydelige
Quiz
Word Order
Arrange the words in the correct order.
We can list the ingredients.
Show Answer
Vi kan oplyse om ingredienserne.Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
to order
Show Answer
bestillerguest
Show Answer
gæstenclear
Show Answer
tydeligeshared