B1 Danish GrammarSubjunctive & Conditional
Express hypothetical situations in Danish using ville + infinitive and conditional structures with hvis.
Practice in interactive stories
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1Conditional with Ville
'Ville' + infinitive creates the conditional mood, similar to 'would' in English.
Ville Forms
| Danish | English |
|---|---|
| Jeg ville gøre det | I would do it |
| Han ville komme | He would come |
| Vi ville elske det | We would love it |
Examples
Jeg ville gerne hjælpe dig.
I would like to help you.
polite offer
Det ville være fantastisk.
That would be fantastic.
hypothetical appreciation
Ville du gøre det for mig?
Would you do it for me?
polite request
Hun ville aldrig sige det.
She would never say that.
hypothetical negative
2If-Clauses with Hvis
'Hvis' introduces conditions. Use present for real conditions, past for unreal.
Condition Types
| Type | If-clause | Main clause |
|---|---|---|
| Real | Hvis det regner | bliver jeg hjemme |
| Unreal present | Hvis jeg var rig | ville jeg rejse |
| Unreal past | Hvis jeg havde vidst | ville jeg have gjort det |
Examples
Hvis jeg havde tid, ville jeg komme.
If I had time, I would come.
unreal present condition
Hvis det var mig, ville jeg sige ja.
If it were me, I would say yes.
hypothetical advice
Hvis du spørger pænt, siger hun ja.
If you ask nicely, she'll say yes.
real condition
Jeg ville købe det, hvis jeg havde råd.
I would buy it if I could afford it.
main clause first
3Past Conditional
Use 'ville have' + past participle for unreal past situations.
Past Conditional Structure
| Danish | English |
|---|---|
| ville have gjort | would have done |
| ville have sagt | would have said |
| ville have været | would have been |
Examples
Jeg ville have ringet, hvis jeg havde vidst.
I would have called if I had known.
past unreal condition
Han ville have hjulpet dig.
He would have helped you.
past hypothetical
Det ville have været bedre.
It would have been better.
past regret
Vi ville have vundet, hvis vi havde øvet mere.
We would have won if we had practiced more.
past counterfactual
4Wishes and Suggestions
Use 'gid' for wishes and conditional forms for polite suggestions.
Wish Expressions
| Danish | English | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gid jeg var... | I wish I were... | present wish |
| Gid jeg havde... | I wish I had... | past wish |
| Bare jeg kunne... | If only I could... | longing |
Examples
Gid jeg var yngre.
I wish I were younger.
present wish
Gid jeg havde lyttet til dig.
I wish I had listened to you.
past regret
Bare det ikke regnede.
If only it weren't raining.
wish about present
Kunne vi ikke bare blive hjemme?
Couldn't we just stay home?
suggestion
Practice Exercises
5 exercises
Complete: 'Det ___ jeg elske.' (I would love that - polite response)
Complete: 'Hvad vil du give mig, ___ jeg spinder det for dig?' (What will you give me if I spin it for you?)
Complete: 'Jeg ___ følt det på samme måde, hvis jeg var i din situation.' (I would have felt the same way if I were in your position.)
Complete: 'Din bedstefar ___ været så stolt.' (Your grandfather would have been so proud.)
Complete: 'Ben lovede at hjælpe os, ___ vi ville tage ham med tilbage.' (Ben promised to help us if we would take him back.)
See Real Examples in Stories
Now that you've practiced, see this grammar in context
“'Det ville jeg elske,' sagde Lisa med et smil.”
“'Hvad vil du give mig, hvis jeg spinder det for dig?' spurgte den lille mand med et snedigt smil.”
“'Jeg ville have følt det på samme måde, hvis jeg var i din situation.'”
“'Din bedstefar ville have været så stolt over at se denne dag,' hviskede hun.”
“Ben lovede at hjælpe os, hvis vi ville tage ham med tilbage til England.”
Practice with B1 Stories
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