Polite Requests with Ville and Kunne
In Danish, just like in English, you can make a request softer and more polite by using the past tense of a modal verb to ask for something in the present.
To ask someone if they "would" or "could" do something, use ville (the past tense of vil) or kunne (the past tense of kan).
| Would you do me a favor? | Ville du gøre mig en tjeneste? |
| Could you ask her for the favor? | Kunne du bede hende om tjenesten? |
Apologizing for the Trouble
When asking for a large favor or setting up a delicate situation, you can make your request even more polite by apologizing for the inconvenience first. You will often see these apologies paired with kunne or ville.
| Sorry for the trouble, but could you help my brother? | Undskyld besværet, men kunne du hjælpe min bror? |
| I apologize for the trouble, but would you wait for my sister? | Jeg beklager besværet, men ville I vente på min søster? |
Seeking Permission with Måtte
The past tense of må (may/must) is måtte. In questions, it is used for very polite, formal permission-seeking, similar to "might I" or "may I" in English.
| Might I ask you to translate this? | Måtte jeg bede dig om at oversætte dette? |
Everyday Polite Commands
For quick, everyday favors—like passing an object across the table—kunne is the most common choice.
| Could you pass me the salt? | Kunne du række mig saltet? |
You will often hear native speakers drop in the word lige (just) to make these small requests sound more casual while remaining polite.
| Could you just pass me the coffee? | Kunne du lige række mig kaffen? |