Foretrække means to prefer, and it is the verb you reach for when you want to state a clear preference of one thing over another in slightly elevated, careful Danish. Two things make it worth a dedicated page: it is a strong verb that inherits its irregular past from the base verb trække ("to pull"), and it pairs with the preposition frem for ("over / rather than"), not with end or over as English speakers reflexively try. Get the form and the preposition right and you sound markedly more fluent.
Principal parts
| Infinitive | Present | Past | Past participle | Imperative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (at) foretrække | foretrækker | foretrak | foretrukket | (foretræk!) |
The verb is built from the prefix fore- plus trække (pull → trak / trukket), so it follows exactly the same vowel pattern: foretrække → foretrak → foretrukket. There is no -ede and no -te; the past is signalled purely by the vowel change æ → a → u. Note the doubled k in the present foretrækker and participle foretrukket. The imperative foretræk! exists grammatically but is rarely used — you don't command someone to prefer something.
Present tense
Jeg foretrækker te frem for kaffe om morgenen.
I prefer tea over coffee in the morning.
Mange unge foretrækker at sende en besked frem for at ringe.
Many young people prefer texting to calling.
Foretrækker du at sidde ved vinduet eller ved gangen?
Do you prefer to sit by the window or by the aisle?
Past tense
The strong past foretrak often appears when explaining a choice that was already made.
Som barn foretrak jeg altid bøger frem for legetøj.
As a child I always preferred books to toys.
Vi foretrak at tage toget, fordi det var billigere.
We preferred to take the train because it was cheaper.
Present perfect
The perfect uses har + foretrukket.
Hun har altid foretrukket landet frem for byen.
She has always preferred the countryside to the city.
Jeg har aldrig foretrukket vin frem for øl, men det ændrer sig måske.
I've never preferred wine to beer, but maybe that's changing.
The frem for construction — the heart of the verb
The natural way to say "prefer X to/over Y" is foretrække X frem for Y. Frem for is a fixed two-word preposition meaning "rather than / in preference to." English speakers transfer "than" (→ wrongly end) or "over" (→ wrongly over); neither works here.
| English | Danish |
|---|---|
| prefer X to Y | foretrække X frem for Y |
| prefer to do X (rather than Y) | foretrække at gøre X (frem for at gøre Y) |
| prefer it if… | foretrække, at… / helst ville have, at… |
Jeg foretrækker at gå frem for at køre, når vejret er godt.
I prefer walking to driving when the weather is nice.
De fleste foretrækker en kort ferie nu frem for en lang til næste år.
Most people prefer a short holiday now to a long one next year.
Foretrække vs godt kunne lide vs hellere ville
Foretrække is slightly formal — it fits a survey, an interview, a written opinion. In casual speech Danes very often express the same idea with hellere ("rather") plus a modal, or with bedst kunne lide ("like best"). Knowing all three lets you match the register.
- foretrække (formal/neutral) — Jeg foretrækker te.
- hellere ville (have) (informal, very common) — Jeg vil hellere have te.
- bedst kunne lide (informal) — Jeg kan bedst lide te.
Jeg vil hellere have te end kaffe.
I'd rather have tea than coffee. (informal — note: hellere takes end, not frem for)
Af de tre kan jeg bedst lide den blå.
Of the three, I like the blue one best. (informal)
A dialogue
– Skal vi tage i biografen eller blive hjemme? – Helt ærligt foretrækker jeg at blive hjemme i aften — jeg er træt.
– Shall we go to the cinema or stay in? – Honestly, I'd prefer to stay home tonight — I'm tired.
Common mistakes
❌ Jeg foretrækker te end kaffe.
Incorrect — foretrække does not take end; that belongs to hellere ville.
✅ Jeg foretrækker te frem for kaffe.
I prefer tea to coffee.
❌ Jeg foretrækker te over kaffe.
Incorrect — over is a direct calque of English; Danish uses frem for here.
✅ Jeg foretrækker te frem for kaffe.
I prefer tea to coffee.
❌ Som barn foretrækkede jeg bøger.
Incorrect — foretrække is strong; it does not take the weak -ede past.
✅ Som barn foretrak jeg bøger.
As a child I preferred books.
❌ Hun har foretrak landet frem for byen.
Incorrect — the perfect needs the participle foretrukket, not the past foretrak.
✅ Hun har foretrukket landet frem for byen.
She has preferred the countryside to the city.
❌ Jeg vil hellere have te frem for kaffe.
Incorrect — hellere ville pairs with end, not frem for.
✅ Jeg vil hellere have te end kaffe.
I'd rather have tea than coffee.
Key takeaways
- Foretrække is strong, inheriting trække's pattern: foretrækker / foretrak / foretrukket.
- The signature construction is foretrække X frem for Y — never end, never over.
- It is a touch formal; in everyday speech Danes often say vil hellere have … end … or kan bedst lide ….
- Don't mix the connectors: frem for goes with foretrække, end goes with hellere.
Now practice Danish
Reading grammar gets you part of the way. The exercises are where it sticks — free, no signup needed.
Start learning Danish→Related Topics
- Irregular ComparisonB1 — The suppletive and umlaut comparatives in Danish — god/bedre/bedst, gammel/ældre/ældst and the rest, plus the mange/meget split.
- Vil gerne, Må gerne, Kan godt: Polite FormulasB1 — How to choose between vil gerne (would like), må gerne (may/allowed) and kan godt (can indeed) — the modal + gerne/godt formulas that carry Danish politeness.
- Kunne lideA2 — Full reference for the fixed idiom 'kunne lide' (to like) — the everyday Danish way to say you like something.
- Vil haveA1 — Full reference for vil have ('to want something'). Principal parts of the fixed ville have construction, why vil have means WANT and not the English future 'will have', the polite softener vil gerne have, and the contrast between jeg vil have en kaffe and jeg får en kaffe.