Adding a side note with i øvrigt
When catching up with old friends, you will often want to add an extra detail or slightly shift the focus of the conversation. The phrase i øvrigt translates to "by the way" or "besides."
As a sentence adverb, it typically sits right after the first verb in a main clause. If the sentence is a question or uses inverted word order, it sits after the subject.
| It is lovely to see you again, by the way. | Det er i øvrigt dejligt at se dig igen. |
| The anniversary is arranged by a former teacher, by the way. | Jubilæet arrangeres i øvrigt af en tidligere lærer. |
| She has become a very successful author, by the way. | Hun er i øvrigt blevet en meget succesfuld forfatter. |
Introducing an afterthought with for resten
If a thought suddenly occurs to you and you want to change the subject, use for resten ("incidentally" or "by the way"). It functions identically to i øvrigt and the two are often interchangeable in casual speech.
| Incidentally, can you remember the name of this classmate? | Kan du for resten huske navnet på denne klassekammerat? |
| Incidentally, we must invite every single classmate. | Vi skal for resten invitere hver eneste klassekammerat. |
| He is going to arrange the anniversary this year, incidentally. | Han skal for resten arrangere jubilæet i år. |
Reunion vocabulary in action
These topic shifters are incredibly useful when jumping between memories and updates at a high school reunion. Notice how naturally i øvrigt and for resten blend with vocabulary about your graduating class and feelings of nostalgia.
| This reunion makes many of us nostalgic, by the way. | Denne genforening gør i øvrigt mange af os nostalgiske. |
| The reunion for the whole graduating class is held tonight, incidentally. | Genforeningen for hele årgangen holdes for resten i aften. |
| Do you expect a large attendance from our graduating class, by the way? | Forventer du i øvrigt et stort fremmøde fra vores årgang? |