A1 Danish GrammarPresent Tense
Master present tense verb conjugations in Danish. Like Swedish and Norwegian, Danish verbs don't change based on the subject - the same form is used for all persons, making conjugation simple.
1One Form for All Subjects
Danish present tense is refreshingly simple: the verb form stays the same regardless of who is doing the action. Whether it's 'I', 'you', 'he', or 'they', the verb doesn't change. Most Danish verbs in present tense end in -r. To form the present tense, you typically add -r to the infinitive (which ends in -e).
Same Verb Form for All Subjects
| Subject | Verb | English |
|---|---|---|
| jeg | taler | I speak |
| du | taler | you speak |
| han/hun | taler | he/she speaks |
| vi | taler | we speak |
| I | taler | you (plural) speak |
| de | taler | they speak |
Notice: 'taler' never changes!
Examples
Jeg arbejder hver dag.
I work every day.
arbejde → arbejder
Hun studerer dansk.
She studies Danish.
studere → studerer
Vi bor i Odense.
We live in Odense.
bo → bor
De spiller fodbold.
They play football.
spille → spiller
2Regular Verb Patterns
Danish verbs follow predictable patterns. Most verbs form the present tense by adding -r to the infinitive. Some short verbs just add -r without the -e. The infinitive in Danish typically ends in -e (tale, spise, læse), and present tense ends in -r (taler, spiser, læser).
Regular Verb Examples
| Infinitive | Present | English |
|---|---|---|
| at tale | taler | to speak |
| at spise | spiser | to eat |
| at læse | læser | to read |
| at købe | køber | to buy |
| at bo | bor | to live |
| at gå | går | to go/walk |
Examples
Jeg spiser morgenmad.
I eat breakfast.
spise → spiser
Han læser en bog.
He reads a book.
læse → læser
Vi køber mad.
We buy food.
købe → køber
Hun går til arbejde.
She walks to work.
gå → går
3Essential Irregular Verbs
Some common Danish verbs are irregular and must be memorized. The most important are: være (to be), have (to have), gøre (to do/make). These verbs appear constantly in Danish, so learning them well is essential.
Common Irregular Verbs
| Infinitive | Present | English |
|---|---|---|
| at være | er | to be |
| at have | har | to have |
| at gøre | gør | to do/make |
| at sige | siger | to say |
| at vide | ved | to know (fact) |
| at ville | vil | to want/will |
| at kunne | kan | can/to be able |
| at skulle | skal | shall/must |
Examples
Jeg er glad.
I am happy.
være → er (to be)
Hun har en hund.
She has a dog.
have → har (to have)
Hvad gør du?
What are you doing?
gøre → gør (to do)
Jeg ved det ikke.
I don't know.
vide → ved (to know)
4Present Tense for Future
In Danish, present tense is often used to express future events, especially with time expressions like 'i morgen' (tomorrow), 'næste uge' (next week), or 'snart' (soon). This is similar to English 'I'm leaving tomorrow' using present for future plans.
Examples
Jeg rejser til Paris i morgen.
I'm traveling to Paris tomorrow.
Present + time word = future
Filmen starter klokken otte.
The movie starts at eight o'clock.
Scheduled future event
Vi ses snart!
See you soon!
Common phrase using present
Hun kommer næste uge.
She's coming next week.
komme → kommer (to come)