Requesting Assistance

Level 1

Essential survival phrases for asking for help, repetition, or clarification in Danish.

How It Works

When you are learning Danish, you will inevitably need to ask for help or clarification. These phrases are your 'survival kit'.

1. Asking for Help
The most direct way is Kan du hjælpe mig? (Can you help me?). To be more polite, you can use the past tense modal Kunne du hjælpe mig? (Could you help me?).

2. Handling Confusion
If you don't understand, say Jeg forstår ikke. Note the placement of ikke after the verb. If you want to ask for a repetition, use Kan du sige det igen? (Can you say that again?).

3. Asking for Meanings
To ask what a word means, use Hvad betyder det?. Be careful not to use the verb mene here; betyde is for words/objects, while mene is for people's opinions.

4. Politeness without 'Please'
Danish doesn't have a direct 1:1 word for 'please'. Instead, we use:

  • Tak at the end of a sentence (e.g., Hjælp mig, tak).
  • The particle lige to soften the request (e.g., Kan du lige hjælpe mig?).
  • Modal verbs like kan or kunne.

Examples (5)

  1. Undskyld, kan du hjælpe mig?

    Excuse me, can you help me?

    Word by Word: Excuse, can you help me?

    A standard, polite way to start a request for assistance.

  2. Jeg forstår ikke helt, hvad du siger.

    I don't quite understand what you are saying.

    Word by Word: I understand not quite, what you say.

    Adding 'helt' (quite/completely) softens the statement of not understanding.

  3. Kan du sige det igen, tak?

    Can you say that again, please?

    Word by Word: Can you say it again, thanks?

    Using 'tak' at the end of a question functions like 'please' in English.

  4. Hvad betyder ordet "hygge"?

    What does the word "hygge" mean?

    Word by Word: What means word-the "hygge"?

    Use 'betyder' when asking for the definition of a specific word.

  5. Kunne du tale lidt langsommere?

    Could you speak a bit slower?

    Word by Word: Could you speak a little slower?

    Using 'kunne' (could) instead of 'kan' (can) makes the request more polite.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'mene' instead of 'betyde' for word meanings.

    Hvad mener det ord?
    Hvad betyder det ord?

    'Mene' refers to what a person thinks or intends. 'Betyde' refers to the meaning or significance of a thing or word.

  • Adding 'at' after a modal verb like 'kan'.

    Kan du at hjælpe mig?
    Kan du hjælpe mig?

    In Danish, modal verbs are followed by the bare infinitive without the marker 'at'.

  • Placing 'tak' at the beginning of a request like 'please'.

    Different MeaningTak, kan du hjælpe mig?
    Kan du hjælpe mig, tak?

    While 'tak' can start a sentence to mean 'thanks', when used to mean 'please' in a request, it almost always comes at the end.

How It Connects

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

Requesting AssistanceLevel 1

Learn This First

To request assistance in Danish, you need to understand how to form basic questions, use the negation marker 'ikke' for expressing what you don't understand, and use the question word 'hvad' to ask for meanings.