Everyday fixed phrases
| Danish | English |
|---|---|
| fra bunden | from scratch |
| på egen hånd | on your own |
| frem og tilbage | back and forth; there and back |
| være i god form | to be in good shape |
| snarest muligt | as soon as possible |
Fra bunden is literally "from the bottom". På egen hånd has no possessive in Danish, whoever does it: Han gør det på egen hånd, "he does it on his own".
| She always bakes the bread from scratch. | Hun bager altid brødet fra bunden. |
Snarest muligt belongs to letters, e-mails and notices; in conversation people usually say så hurtigt som muligt. A ticket frem og tilbage is a round-trip ticket, the same as tur-retur.
Suggesting and reassuring
hvad siger du til makes a suggestion, followed by a noun or by at + an infinitive. det gælder om at is "the key thing is to"; det is fixed, and after a fronted word it moves behind the verb:
| Now the key is to find a solution. | Nu gælder det om at finde en løsning. |
In det skal nok gå, skal nok expresses confidence, not obligation:
| Don't worry, it'll be fine. | Bare rolig, det skal nok gå. |
Welcoming and accepting
byde velkommen usually puts the guest between the two words: byde nogen velkommen. takke ja til is to accept an offer or an invitation, and takke nej til is to decline it.
| She said yes to the job. | Hun takkede ja til jobbet. |
