ville + Infinitive

Would (Ville)

Level 3

The pattern ville + bare infinitive is the standard way to say 'would' in Danish. It is used for imaginary scenarios, polite wishes, future-in-the-past, and past intentions.

How It Works

In Danish, ville is a versatile verb that functions as both a modal verb and the past tense of vil. When followed by a verb in its base form (the infinitive without at), it creates several meanings.

1. Hypothetical Scenarios ('Would'):
It is most commonly used in 'if-then' sentences to describe what would happen in a counterfactual situation.
Example: Hvis jeg var dig, ville jeg gøre det. (If I were you, I would do it.)

2. Future-in-the-Past:
When reporting what someone said or thought in the past about the future, Danish uses ville.
Example: De sagde, at de ville ringe senere. (They said they would call later.)

3. Past Tense ('Wanted to'):
Ville is the simple past tense of vil. It is used to describe desires or intentions that existed in the past.
Example: Jeg ville spørge dig om noget i går. (I wanted to ask you something yesterday.)

4. Omitting Verbs of Motion:
A unique feature of Danish modals like ville is that you can omit the main verb (like gå, køre, or tage) if there is a directional adverb present.
Example: Han ville ud. (He wanted to go out.)

5. Politeness:
Just like in English, using 'would' softens a request.
Example: Jeg ville gerne bestille en pizza. (I would like to order a pizza.)

Grammar & Pronunciation:

  • No 'at': When acting as a modal verb, it never takes the particle at before the following verb.
  • Invariance: The form ville stays the same regardless of the subject (jeg ville, vi ville).
  • Stød: Unlike the present tense vil, the word ville does not have stød.

Examples (6)

  1. Hvis jeg vandt i lotto, ville jeg rejse jorden rundt.

    If I won the lottery, I would travel around the world.

    Word by Word: If I won in lottery, would I travel world around.

    This shows a classic hypothetical result using ville + the infinitive 'rejse'.

  2. Han sagde, at han ville komme til festen.

    He said that he would come to the party.

    Word by Word: He said, that he would come to party-the.

    This is the 'future-in-the-past' usage, where ville describes an event that was in the future at the time he said it.

  3. Jeg ville gerne have en kop kaffe, tak.

    I would like a cup of coffee, please.

    Word by Word: I would gladly have a cup coffee, thanks.

    This is a very common polite way to order or ask for something using ville gerne.

  4. Da jeg var barn, ville jeg være brandmand.

    When I was a child, I wanted to be a firefighter.

    Word by Word: When I was child, wanted I be firefighter.

    In this context, ville is the past tense of 'vil', meaning 'wanted to'.

  5. Hun ville ikke hjem i går.

    She didn't want to go home yesterday.

    Word by Word: She would not home in yesterday.

    In Danish, you can omit the verb of motion (like 'gå') after ville when there is a directional adverb like 'hjem'.

  6. Det ville være dejligt, hvis du kom i aften.

    It would be lovely if you came tonight.

    Word by Word: It would be lovely, if you came in evening.

    Here, ville is used to express a wish or a pleasant hypothetical outcome.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'at' before the infinitive.

    Jeg ville at rejse til Danmark.
    Jeg ville rejse til Danmark.

    Modal verbs like 'ville' are followed by the bare infinitive. You must never use 'at' between 'ville' and the main verb.

  • Using 'vil' (present) instead of 'ville' (past) in hypothetical 'if' sentences.

    Hvis jeg var rig, vil jeg købe en bil.
    Hvis jeg var rig, ville jeg købe en bil.

    When the condition is unreal (If I were rich), you must use the past form 'ville' to match the hypothetical mood.

  • Using 'ville' for past habits.

    Da jeg var barn, ville jeg altid lege ude.
    Da jeg var barn, plejede jeg altid at lege ude.

    In English, 'would' can mean a past habit (I would always play outside). In Danish, 'ville' only means 'wanted' or 'hypothetical'. For habits, use plejede at.

How It Connects

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ville + InfinitiveLevel 3Would (Ville)

Learn This First

To understand 'ville + infinitiv', you need to be familiar with the basic modal construction 'vil + infinitiv'. Since 'ville' is the past tense form of 'vil', knowing how modal verbs conjugate in the past is necessary. Additionally, because this pattern is often used to express hypothetical situations (e.g., 'I would... if...'), understanding the conditional conjunction 'hvis' is very helpful.

Words in This Pattern

ville