A1 Danish GrammarTime Expressions
Tell time and use basic time words in Danish: i dag (today), i morgen (tomorrow), i går (yesterday), days of the week, months, and seasons. Learn how to ask and answer questions about time for everyday situations.
1Telling Time
In Danish, use 'klokken' (the clock) to tell time. 'Klokken er...' means 'It is... o'clock'. Full hours use the number alone. Half hours use 'halv' (half) plus the NEXT hour. Quarter hours use 'kvart over' (quarter past) and 'kvart i' (quarter to).
Telling Time
| Danish | English | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Klokken er tre. | It is three o'clock. | full hour |
| Klokken er halv fire. | It is half past three. | half = next hour! |
| Klokken er kvart over to. | It is quarter past two. | quarter past |
| Klokken er kvart i fem. | It is quarter to five. | quarter to |
Examples
Hvad er klokken?
What time is it?
Standard question for time
Klokken er halv otte.
It is half past seven.
'halv otte' = 7:30 (half towards 8)
Mødet starter klokken ti.
The meeting starts at ten.
'klokken' for 'at' + time
Jeg kommer klokken kvart over seks.
I'm coming at quarter past six.
'kvart over' = 15 minutes past
2Days of the Week
Danish days of the week are not capitalized. Use 'på' before days to mean 'on'. 'I dag' (today), 'i morgen' (tomorrow), and 'i går' (yesterday) are essential words. Days end in '-dag' just like English '-day'.
Days of the Week
| Danish | English | Note |
|---|---|---|
| mandag | Monday | work week starts |
| tirsdag | Tuesday | |
| onsdag | Wednesday | |
| torsdag | Thursday |
Examples
I dag er det mandag.
Today is Monday.
'i dag' = today
Vi ses på fredag.
See you on Friday.
'på' + day = on that day
Jeg arbejder ikke om søndagen.
I don't work on Sundays.
'om søndagen' = every Sunday
I går var det tirsdag.
Yesterday was Tuesday.
'i går' = yesterday
3Months and Seasons
Danish months are not capitalized. Use 'i' before months (in January). Seasons use 'om' (in spring) or 'i' (this spring). Months are similar to English, making them easy to learn.
Months and Seasons
| Danish | English | Season |
|---|---|---|
| januar, februar, marts | Jan, Feb, Mar | vinter (winter) |
| april, maj, juni | Apr, May, Jun | forår (spring) |
| juli, august, september | Jul, Aug, Sep | sommer (summer) |
| oktober, november, december | Oct, Nov, Dec | efterår (autumn) |
Examples
Min fødselsdag er i maj.
My birthday is in May.
'i' + month = in that month
Om sommeren rejser vi.
In summer, we travel.
'om sommeren' = in summer (general)
December er en kold måned.
December is a cold month.
Months not capitalized in Danish
I år begynder foråret tidligt.
This year, spring starts early.
'i år' = this year
4Common Time Words
Danish uses many time expressions in daily speech. 'Nu' (now), 'snart' (soon), 'senere' (later), 'altid' (always), 'aldrig' (never). Time expressions often go after the verb in main clauses but before the verb in subordinate clauses.
Essential Time Words
| Danish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| nu | now | Jeg spiser nu. |
| snart | soon | Vi kommer snart. |
| senere | later | Vi ses senere. |
| hver dag | every day | Jeg arbejder hver dag. |
Examples
Hvornår kommer du?
When are you coming?
'hvornår' = when (question)
Jeg står altid op klokken syv.
I always get up at seven.
'altid' = always
Hun kommer om lidt.
She's coming in a moment.
'om lidt' = in a little while
Vi ses i morgen aften.
See you tomorrow evening.
'i morgen aften' = tomorrow evening