-r

Present Tense -r

Level 1

In Danish, verbs in the present tense always end in -r (with a few modal exceptions). Unlike English, the verb form stays the same regardless of who is doing the action.

How It Works

Danish conjugation is simpler than many other languages because it does not use person or number agreement. Whether the subject is jeg (I), vi (we), or de (they), the verb form remains identical.

How to form it:

  • Regular verbs: Most Danish verbs end in -e in their infinitive form. To make them present tense, simply add -r. For example: at spise (to eat) becomes spiser.
  • Vowel-ending verbs: If a verb ends in a stressed vowel other than -e, you still add -r. For example: at bo (to live) becomes bor.
  • Irregular verbs with -r: Some common verbs change their stem but still end in -r, such as er (am/is/are) and har (have/has).
  • Exceptions (No -r): A specific group of verbs, mostly modal verbs, do not end in -r in the present tense. The six main exceptions are: kan (can), skal (shall/must), vil (will/want), må (may/must), bør (should), and tør (dare). Additionally, the verb ved (know) does not take -r.

Usage:
Danish uses the present tense for:
1. Current actions: Jeg skriver nu (I am writing now). Note that to emphasize you are in the middle of an action, you can use er ved at + infinitive.
2. Habits/General truths: Solen skinner (The sun shines).
3. Scheduled future events: Jeg rejser i morgen (I am traveling tomorrow).

Examples (4)

  1. Jeg spiser et æble.

    I am eating an apple / I eat an apple.

    Word by Word: I eat an apple.

    The verb 'spiser' comes from 'at spise'. The -r suffix indicates the action is happening now.

  2. Han bor i København.

    He lives in Copenhagen.

    Word by Word: He lives in Copenhagen.

    For verbs ending in a stressed vowel like 'bo', we simply add -r to get 'bor'.

  3. Vi rejser til Danmark på mandag.

    We are traveling to Denmark on Monday.

    Word by Word: We travel to Denmark on Monday.

    Danish often uses the present tense -r form to describe planned future events.

  4. De taler dansk.

    They speak Danish.

    Word by Word: They speak Danish.

    Notice that the verb 'taler' is the same for 'jeg', 'han', or 'de'.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding -r to modal verbs.

    Jeg kanr svømme.
    Jeg kan svømme.

    Modal verbs like 'kan', 'skal', and 'vil' are exceptions and do not take the -r suffix in the present tense.

  • Using 'er' + a present tense verb to translate 'am ...ing'.

    Jeg er spiser.
    Jeg spiser.

    In Danish, the -r form already includes the meaning of 'am eating'. You should not use the verb 'være' (er) as an auxiliary here.

  • Confusing the infinitive (-e) with the present tense (-er) in writing.

    Jeg køre bil.
    Jeg kører bil.

    Because the -r is often quiet in speech, it is easy to forget to write it. Use the 'spise-test': if 'spiser' sounds right, you need the -r.

How It Connects

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

-rLevel 1Present Tense -r

Learn This First

To understand the Danish present tense, you need to know the subject pronouns (jeg, du, vi, etc.) to which the verb forms are applied. Since the present tense form is the same for all subjects, knowing both singular and plural pronouns helps illustrate this consistency.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

And 14 more in the full list.