Expanding a conversation at a professional networking event | Learn Danish in English

Danish lesson set in a contemporary Copenhagen everyday setting: At a professional networking event, two attendees discuss overlapping work in product strategy, research, operations, and workflow improvement..

EN → DA / Level: B2

About This Lesson

Use Expanding a conversation at a professional networking event to practice Danish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Jeg lagde mærke til, at der står produktstrategi på dit navneskilt.

yai LAH-wuh MAIR-guh teel, ad dair staw proh-DUGD-strah-teh-GEE poh deeth NOW-nuh-sgeeld. I noticed your badge mentions product strategy.
B

Det er mit primære område, selv om mit arbejde også omfatter forskning og drift.

deh air meet pree-MAIR-uh oh-MRAW-deh, sel ohm meet AR-bai-thuh OH-soh OM-fah-duh FORSH-ning oh DREHFD. That is my main area, though my work also crosses into research and operations.
A

Den kombination må være en hjælp, når produktbeslutninger bliver komplekse.

den kom-bee-nah-SHOHN moh vair-uh en yelp, naw proh-DUGD-beh-SLOOD-ning-er bleh-ver kom-PLEK-suh. That mix must help when product decisions get complicated.
B

Det gør den, især når en strategi afhænger af, hvordan teams faktisk arbejder.

deh yoh, ee-SAIR naw en strah-TEH-gee af-HENG-er af, how TEEM fak-TISG AR-bai-der. It does, especially when a strategy depends on how teams actually work.
A

Jeg hjælper små digitale teams med at få styr på deres arbejdsgange.

yai yelp-er smaw dee-gee-TAH-leh TEEM med ad foh stoor poh dair-es AR-bai-ths-gang-uh. I help small digital teams clean up their workflows.
B

Så har vi nok nogle af de samme koordineringsproblemer.

soh har vee nohk noh-gleh af deh SAM-uh koh-or-dee-neh-REENGS-proh-BLAY-mer. Then we are probably dealing with some of the same coordination issues.
A

Jeg vil gerne sammenligne vores tilgange på et tidspunkt.

yai veel YAIR-nuh sam-men-lee-neh vaw-res TIL-gang-uh poh et TIDZ-punkt. I would like to compare approaches sometime.
B

Det kunne være nyttigt, især hvis vi holder samtalen praktisk.

deh KOO-nuh vair-uh NOO-dlee, ee-SAIR hvis vee HOL-uh SAM-tah-len PRAG-disg. That could be useful, especially if we keep the conversation practical.

Word by Word

Jeg Jeg means “I” here and is the subject of the sentence. It identifies the speaker as the person who noticed the badge. Use Jeg as the subject before the action or description.
lagde mærke til The expression lagde mærke til means “noticed” here. It is a fixed expression made up of lagde, mærke, and til, and lagde mærke til is the past form of lægge mærke til. A reusable pattern is lægge mærke til + something or someone.
at At introduces the clause describing what was noticed: that something is written on the badge. Here it is a conjunction, not an infinitive marker. Use at before a complete subordinate clause.
der Der is a dummy subject in der står produktstrategi, introducing information that is written or displayed somewhere. It does not refer to a specific place here. A common pattern is der står + information + på something.
står Står means “is written” or “is displayed” here, referring to the text on the badge. It is the present form of stå. Use der står when presenting text or information shown in a place.
produktstrategi Produktstrategi means “product strategy,” the professional field written on the badge. It is a compound combining product and strategy. Use it as the name of a work area or specialization.
på På means “on” here and identifies the surface where the information is displayed. It links produktstrategi to dit navneskilt. Use på with a surface or place where something is written, shown, or located.
dit Dit means “your” here and refers to the person being addressed. This form is used with the neuter noun navneskilt. Use dit before a neuter singular noun when expressing possession.
navneskilt Navneskilt means “name badge” here, the badge worn at the event. It is a compound referring to a sign that shows a person’s name. The dialogue uses it in the location phrase på dit navneskilt.
Det Det means “that” or “it” here and refers back to produktstrategi as the speaker’s main area. It is the subject of Det er mit primære område. A common pattern is Det er + a description or noun phrase.
er Er means “is” here and connects the subject with its description, mit primære område. It is the present form of være. Use er to identify or describe a person, thing, area, or situation.
mit Mit means “my” here and expresses possession of område. This form is used with the neuter noun område. Use mit before a neuter singular noun.
primære Primære means “primary” or “main” here and describes the speaker’s main professional area. It modifies område in the phrase mit primære område. Use it before a noun when identifying the main or most important area.
område Område means “area” or “field” here, referring to a professional specialization. It is the noun described as the speaker’s primary one. Use område when talking about a field of work, responsibility, or activity.
selv om Selv om means “although” here and introduces a concession about the speaker’s work. Selv adds emphasis to om, and together the two words form the conjunction selv om. Use selv om + a clause to acknowledge something while adding a contrasting point.
arbejde Arbejde means “work” here and refers to the speaker’s professional work. It is used after mit in mit arbejde. Use arbejde when describing someone’s job or professional activity.
også Også means “also” here and adds research and operations to the areas included in the speaker’s work. It shows that this is additional information. It commonly appears before the verb or element being added, as in også omfatter.
omfatter Omfatter means “includes” or “covers” here and says that the work includes research and operations. It is the present form of omfatte. Use omfatter + areas, tasks, or activities to describe what something covers.
forskning Forskning means “research” here and names one of the professional areas included in the work. It refers to research as an activity or field. It is coordinated with drift in the phrase forskning og drift.
drift Drift means “operations” here and refers to the operational side of the work. It is presented as another area alongside forskning. Use drift when referring to the ongoing operation or running of an organization or activity.
Den Den means “that” or “it” here and refers to the combination just mentioned. The capital letter appears because it begins the sentence. Use den to refer back to a common-gender thing such as kombination.
kombination Kombination means “combination” or “mix” here, referring to the speaker’s work across several areas. It names the mix that may help with complicated decisions. Use combination when describing elements considered together.
må Må expresses a strong inference here: the combination “must” or “is likely to” be helpful. It is used in the construction må være. Use må + an infinitive to express necessity or a confident conclusion.
være Være means “be” here and follows the modal må in må være en hjælp. It is the infinitive form used to describe what the combination is likely to be. Use være after a modal verb when describing a state or quality.
en En means “a” here and introduces the common-gender noun hjælp. It marks one unspecified instance of help. Use en before a common-gender singular noun.
hjælp Hjælp means “help” here, meaning assistance with complicated product decisions. It is used after være in være en hjælp. Use hjælp when describing support that makes something easier.
når Når means “when” here and introduces the situation in which the combination is helpful. It links the main statement to a time or condition. Use når + a clause to describe what happens when a situation occurs.
produktbeslutninger Produktbeslutninger means “product decisions” here. It is a compound referring to decisions about a product, and the form refers to more than one decision. Use it for decisions made as part of product work.
bliver Bliver means “become” or “get” here and describes a change into a more complicated state. It is the present form of blive. A common pattern is subject + bliver + adjective.
komplekse Komplekse means “complicated” or “complex” here and describes produktbeslutninger. The form matches the plural noun it describes. Use bliver + komplekse when decisions or other matters become difficult to handle.
gør Gør means “does” here in the confirming response Det gør den. It refers back to the preceding idea that the combination helps. The pattern Det gør den is useful for confirming that a previously mentioned action or quality applies.
især Især means “especially” here and highlights the situation in which the combination is particularly helpful. It narrows the focus to the following condition. Use især before a situation or point that deserves special emphasis.
strategi Strategi means “strategy” here and refers to a plan or direction for product work. It is the subject of afhænger af. Use strategi when discussing an organized approach to achieving a professional goal.
afhænger Afhænger means “depends” here and says that the strategy is determined partly by how teams work. It is the present form of afhænge. Use afhænger af + a noun or clause to state what something depends on.
af Af is the preposition required after afhænger in afhænger af. Here it introduces the factor that determines the strategy. Use afhænger af + something or afhænger af + a clause.
hvordan Hvordan means “how” here and introduces the clause explaining the way teams work. It asks about or describes manner. Use hvordan + a clause when explaining how an activity is carried out.
teams Teams means “teams” here and refers to groups of people working together. It is the subject of arbejder. Use teams when discussing groups in a professional or organizational context.
faktisk Faktisk means “actually” here and emphasizes the way teams really work in practice. It contrasts the real working process with an assumed or theoretical one without changing the basic statement. It can be placed before the verb, as in faktisk arbejder.
arbejder Arbejder means “work” here and describes what the teams actually do. It is the present form of arbejde. Use a subject + arbejder to describe someone’s ongoing work or way of working.
hjælper Hjælper means “helps” here and describes the speaker’s professional service to digital teams. It is the present form of hjælpe. A common pattern is hjælpe someone med at + an activity.
små Små means “small” here and describes the teams receiving help. It appears before the plural noun teams. Use små before a plural noun when describing limited size or scale.
digitale Digitale means “digital” here and describes the type of teams being discussed. It appears before teams in the phrase små digitale teams. Use an adjective before a noun to specify its type or area.
med Med means “with” here, but in hjælpe teams med at få styr på their workflows it introduces the activity that the speaker helps with. It is part of the pattern hjælpe nogen med at + verb. Use med at before the activity someone receives help with.
få styr på Få styr på means “get under control” or “organize” here. Få contributes the idea of getting, styr refers to control or order, and på links that control to the object being organized. Use the reusable pattern få styr på + something, as in få styr på deres arbejdsgange.
deres Deres means “their” here and shows that the workflows belong to the digital teams. It does not change according to the number or gender of the possessed noun. Use deres before the noun that belongs to them.
arbejdsgange Arbejdsgange means “workflows” here and refers to the ways work is organized and carried out. It is a compound formed from work and processes or paths, and the form refers to multiple workflows. Use it when discussing how professional tasks move through a team or organization.
Så Så means “then” or “so” here and introduces a conclusion based on the previous statement. The speaker infers that both people face similar problems. A useful pattern is Så har vi ... when drawing a conclusion from what was just said.
har Har means “have” here and says that the speakers share certain problems. It is the present form of have. Use har + an object or issue to describe what someone experiences or possesses.
vi Vi means “we” here and refers to both speakers together. It is the subject of har. Use vi when including the speaker and at least one other person.
nok Nok means “probably” here and makes the conclusion cautious rather than completely certain. It does not mean “enough” in this sentence. It commonly appears after the finite verb, as in har vi nok.
nogle Nogle means “some” here and introduces an unspecified number of problems. It appears before the plural noun koordineringsproblemer. Use nogle + a plural noun when referring to an unspecified selection or number.
de De means “the” here and forms part of the plural noun phrase de samme koordineringsproblemer. Together with samme, it identifies the particular problems shared by both speakers. Use de samme + a plural noun for “the same” items.
samme Samme means “same” here and shows that the coordination problems are shared by both speakers. It appears in the construction de samme koordineringsproblemer. Use de samme + a plural noun when identifying identical or shared items.
koordineringsproblemer Koordineringsproblemer means “coordination issues” here and refers to difficulties in coordinating work or people. It is a compound combining coordination and problems. Use it when discussing obstacles to effective cooperation or organization.
vil Vil means “want to” here as part of the polite expression vil gerne sammenligne. It expresses the speaker’s wish to compare the two approaches. Use vil gerne + an infinitive to state what you would like to do.
gerne Gerne means “would like to” or “gladly” here because it combines with vil in vil gerne sammenligne. It makes the intended action sound willing and polite. Use vil gerne + an infinitive for a polite expression of desire.
sammenligne Sammenligne means “compare” here and is the activity the speaker would like to do. It is the infinitive after vil gerne. Use sammenligne + one thing and another thing when evaluating similarities or differences.
vores Vores means “our” here and shows that the approaches belong to both speakers. It is used before tilgange. Use vores before a noun when the thing belongs to the speaker and one or more other people.
tilgange Tilgange means “approaches” here and refers to the different ways the two speakers handle their work. It is the plural form of tilgang. Use tilgange when comparing methods or ways of dealing with a task.
et Et means “a” here and introduces the neuter noun tidspunkt. It marks one unspecified point in time. Use et before a neuter singular noun.
tidspunkt Tidspunkt means “point in time” here, and på et tidspunkt means “sometime” or “at some point.” The phrase leaves the exact time open. Use på et tidspunkt when suggesting an unspecific future time.
kunne Kunne means “could” here and presents the usefulness as a possibility rather than a certainty. It is used in Det kunne være nyttigt. Use kunne + an infinitive to describe a possible or tentative outcome.
nyttigt Nyttigt means “useful” here and describes the proposed comparison. It is the form used after være to describe det. Use være nyttigt when saying that an activity or idea would provide practical value.
hvis Hvis means “if” here and introduces the condition for the comparison being useful. It links the main statement to a possible circumstance. Use hvis + a clause to state a condition.
holder Holder means “keep” here and describes maintaining the conversation in a practical form. It is the present form of holde. In this context, use holde + an object + an adjective to describe how something is maintained.
samtalen Samtalen means “the conversation” here. It is the definite form of samtale and refers to the conversation already taking place between the speakers. Use samtalen when referring to a particular conversation known from the context.
praktisk Praktisk means “practical” here and describes the way the conversation should remain. It is used after holder in holder samtalen praktisk. Use holde + an object + praktisk when saying that a discussion or activity should stay focused on useful action.

Grammar Points

vil gerne + infinitiv

vil gerne sammenligne tilgange

veel YAIR-nuh sam-men-lee-neh TIL-gang-uh

would like to compare approaches

Danish uses vil gerne followed by the infinitive to express a wish or preference.

adjektiv i flertal: -e + substantiv

komplekse produktbeslutninger

kom-PLEK-suh proh-DUGD-beh-SLOOD-ning-er

complicated product decisions

Before a plural noun, the adjective takes the -e ending, as in komplekse.

Danish Vocabulary

afhænger verb
af-HENG-uh depends
der står phrase
dair staw' it says; it is written
drift noun
DREHFD operations
Gender
common
forskning noun
FORSH-ning research
Gender
common
kombination noun
kom-bee-nah-SHOHN combination; mix
Gender
common
komplekse adj
kom-PLEK-suh complicated; complex
lagde mærke til phrase
LAH-wuh MAIR-guh teel noticed
navneskilt noun
NOW-nuh-sgeeld name badge
Gender
neuter
omfatter verb
OM-fah-duh includes; covers
primære adj
pree-MAIR-uh primary; main
produktbeslutninger noun
proh-DUGD-beh-SLOOD-ning-er product decisions
Gender
common
produktstrategi noun
proh-DUGD-strah-teh-GEE product strategy
Gender
common

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

primary; main

Show Answerprimære

name badge

Show Answernavneskilt

includes; covers

Show Answeromfatter

research

Show Answerforskning