-ede

Past Tense -ede

Level 2

Add -ede to the verb stem to talk about finished actions at a specific time in the past.

How It Works

The -ede ending is the hallmark of Group 1 verbs in Danish. It is used to describe actions that were completed in the past, especially when a specific time is mentioned (like i går or sidste år).

1. Formation:
To form the past tense, you add the suffix -ede to the verb stem. For the past participle (used with har), you add -et. A common indicator for Group 1 is a stem ending in two or more consonants, though many verbs with single consonants (like lave) also follow this pattern.

  • snakke (stem: snakk-) → snakkede (talked) / har snakket
  • lave (stem: lav-) → lavede (made) / har lavet
  • arbejde (stem: arbejd-) → arbejdede (worked) / har arbejdet

2. Group 3 Verbs:
Note that short verbs ending in a stressed vowel (Group 3) also use the -ede ending for the past tense, such as bo (to live) → boede and nå (to reach) → nåede.

3. Pronunciation:
The 'd' in -ede is a 'soft d' ([ð]). While similar to the 'th' in 'this', the Danish version is unique. Pro tip: For the Danish soft 'd', keep your tongue tip down behind your lower teeth rather than between your teeth. In natural speech, this 'd' is often silent, making snakkede sound like 'snakke-e'.

4. Usage:
Danish is strict about using the past tense when a specific past time marker is present. You should avoid using the perfect tense if you mention a specific time like 'yesterday'; you must use the -ede form instead.

5. Productivity:
This is a 'productive' pattern, meaning new loanwords like at maile or at downloade automatically take this ending: mailede, downloadede.

Examples (4)

  1. Jeg arbejdede i går.

    I worked yesterday.

    Word by Word: I worked in yesterday.

    Here, 'arbejdede' is the past tense of 'arbejde'. The time marker 'i går' (yesterday) requires the past tense.

  2. Vi snakkede om filmen hele vejen hjem.

    We talked about the movie the whole way home.

    Word by Word: We talked about the-movie whole the-way home.

    'Snakkede' is the past tense of 'snakke'. Note that the 'd' is often silent in speech.

  3. De boede i en lille lejlighed i Aarhus.

    They lived in a small apartment in Aarhus.

    Word by Word: They lived in a small apartment in Aarhus.

    'Boede' is the past tense of 'bo'. Even though 'bo' is short, it follows the Group 1 pattern.

  4. Han hentede børnene fra skole.

    He picked up the children from school.

    Word by Word: He fetched the-children from school.

    'Hentede' is the past tense of 'hente'.

Common Mistakes

  • Confusing the past tense (-ede) with the past participle (-et).

    Jeg har arbejdede i går.
    Jeg arbejdede i går.

    The -ede ending is for the simple past. If you use 'har' (have), you must use the participle ending in -et (Jeg har arbejdet).

  • Applying -ede to Group 2 verbs.

    Jeg købede en bil.
    Jeg købte en bil.

    Not all regular verbs use -ede. Group 2 verbs use the -te ending. You must learn which group a verb belongs to.

  • Over-regularizing strong verbs.

    Han løbede hurtigt.
    Han løb hurtigt.

    Strong verbs change their vowel in the past tense and do not take the -ede ending.

How It Connects

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

-edeLevel 2Past Tense -ede

Learn This First

To learn the past tense (-ede), you first need to understand how Danish verbs work in their basic infinitive form and how they are conjugated in the present tense. Knowing basic word order is also essential to place the conjugated past tense verb correctly in a sentence.

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