i dag/i morgen/i går

Today / Tomorrow / Yesterday

Level 1

Danish uses the preposition i combined with a noun to express specific days relative to now: i dag (today), i morgen (tomorrow), and i går (yesterday).

How It Works

In Danish, the most common way to refer to the current, next, or previous day is through a two-word prepositional phrase.

Key Phrases:

  • i dag: Today
  • i morgen: Tomorrow
  • i går: Yesterday
  • i forgårs: The day before yesterday
  • i overmorgen: The day after tomorrow
  • i morgen tidlig: Tomorrow morning
  • i aften: Tonight / This evening
  • i weekenden: This weekend (uses the definite suffix)

Important Rules:
1. Two-Word Rule: These expressions must always be written as two separate words. Writing them as one word (e.g., 'idag') is a very common spelling error.
2. The 'i nat' Ambiguity: The phrase i nat can mean 'last night' (if using the past tense) or 'tonight/during the coming night' (if using the present tense).
3. Past vs. Future: While i morgen points to the future, some past expressions use a special -s ending, such as i morges (this morning, past) or i aftes (last night).
4. Word Order: These phrases usually appear at the end of a sentence, but if they are moved to the front for emphasis, they trigger the V2 word order rule, meaning the verb must come second.

Examples (5)

  1. Jeg er træt i dag.

    I am tired today.

    Word by Word: I am tired in day.

    A standard sentence using 'i dag' at the end.

  2. Vi ses i morgen!

    See you tomorrow!

    Word by Word: We see-each-other in tomorrow!

    A common farewell expression.

  3. I går regnede det meget.

    Yesterday it rained a lot.

    Word by Word: In yesterday rained it much.

    Notice how 'i går' at the start causes the verb 'regnede' to come before the subject 'det'.

  4. Hvad skal du lave i aften?

    What are you going to do tonight?

    Word by Word: What shall you do in evening?

    'i aften' refers to the upcoming evening.

  5. Jeg var i biografen i går.

    I was at the cinema yesterday.

    Word by Word: I was in cinema-the in yesterday.

    Using 'i går' with the past tense 'var'.

Common Mistakes

  • Writing the expression as a single word.

    Jeg kommer idag.
    Jeg kommer i dag.

    In Danish, 'i dag', 'i morgen', and 'i går' must always be written as two separate words.

  • Confusing 'i morgen' (tomorrow) with 'om morgenen' (in the morning).

    Different MeaningJeg drikker kaffe i morgen.
    Jeg drikker kaffe om morgenen.

    'Jeg drikker kaffe i morgen' is a good sentence, but it means 'I am drinking coffee tomorrow'. Use 'i morgen' for the day after today. Use 'om morgenen' for a habit that happens every morning.

  • Saying 'i morgen morgen' for tomorrow morning.

    Vi ses i morgen morgen.
    Vi ses i morgen tidlig.

    To say 'tomorrow morning', Danish uses the specific phrase 'i morgen tidlig' (literally: tomorrow early) instead of repeating the word for morning.

How It Connects

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

i dag/i morgen/i gårLevel 1Today / Tomorrow / Yesterday

Learn This First

To understand these time expressions, you need to be familiar with the preposition 'i' and basic time-related vocabulary. These phrases are fixed expressions used to indicate relative time.

Words in This Pattern

i dagi morgeni gårdagmorgen