at + Infinitive

Infinitive with at

Level 1

In Danish, at is the marker used to introduce an infinitive verb (e.g., at spise - to eat). It is used after many common verbs, adjectives, and prepositions.

How It Works

The infinitive marker at is a fundamental part of Danish sentence structure.

1. Basic Usage
Most Danish infinitives end in an unstressed -e (like at tale, at sove). If the verb stem ends in a stressed vowel, the infinitive is the same as the stem (like at gå, at se).

2. When to use 'at'

  • After verbs expressing desire, intent, or attempts: Jeg prøver at lære dansk.
  • After adjectives: Det er svært at forstå.
  • After prepositions: Unlike English, which uses the '-ing' form (gerund), Danish uses at + infinitiv. For example: Han er god til at svømme (He is good at swimming).

3. Pronunciation Tip
In natural spoken Danish, at is almost never pronounced with a 't'. It sounds like a short, open 'å' [ʌ]. This makes it sound identical to the word og (and), which is a common source of spelling errors for both learners and native speakers.

4. When NOT to use 'at'
Do not use at after modal verbs like kan, vil, skal, må, bør. For example, say Jeg kan svømme, not Jeg kan at svømme.

Examples (5)

  1. Det er dejligt at se dig.

    It is lovely to see you.

    Word by Word: It is lovely to see you.

    Here, 'at' follows the adjective 'dejligt' to introduce the action.

  2. Jeg elsker at danse.

    I love to dance.

    Word by Word: I love to dance.

    The verb 'elsker' (love) requires 'at' before the following infinitive.

  3. Han er god til at lave mad.

    He is good at cooking.

    Word by Word: He is good to to make food.

    Danish uses 'at' after the preposition 'til', whereas English uses the '-ing' form 'cooking'.

  4. Hun kom for at hjælpe os.

    She came in order to help us.

    Word by Word: She came for to help us.

    The phrase 'for at' is used to express purpose (in order to).

  5. Jeg prøver at sove nu.

    I am trying to sleep now.

    Word by Word: I try to sleep now.

    The verb 'prøver' (try) is followed by 'at' and the infinitive 'sove'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'at' after a modal verb.

    Jeg vil at spise nu.
    Jeg vil spise nu.

    Modal verbs like 'vil', 'kan', and 'skal' never take the 'at' marker. They are followed directly by the bare infinitive.

  • Confusing 'at' and 'og' in writing.

    Jeg er ude og løbe.
    Jeg er ude at løbe.

    Because both are pronounced 'å', learners often swap them. Use 'at' for purpose/intent and 'og' for two simultaneous actions. While 'og' is common in speech, 'at' is grammatically correct for purpose.

  • Using the present participle (-ende) after a preposition.

    Han gik uden sigende farvel.
    Han gik uden at sige farvel.

    English speakers often translate '-ing' literally. In Danish, prepositions like 'uden' (without) must be followed by 'at + infinitiv'.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

at + InfinitiveLevel 1Infinitive with at

Learn This First

To use the infinitive with 'at', you must be able to distinguish the base form of a verb from its present tense conjugation and understand how it functions within a basic sentence structure.

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Patterns that build on this one.

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Words in This Pattern

at