Learn Danish: Nå, hvad laver du i dag? - Well, what are you doing today?

Nå is a very common little filler word in Danish, much like "well", "oh", or "anyway" in English. In this sentence, it just sets a casual, friendly tone before asking the question.

Doesn't laver usually mean "make"? Why is it translated as "doing"?

Yes, the verb at lave often means "to make" (like making dinner). However, it is also the standard verb used to talk about activities or what someone is generally "doing". Because of this, hvad laver du? is the most natural way to ask "what are you doing?" in Danish.

Where is the "are" in hvad laver du? How do we know it means "are doing" and not "do"?

Danish doesn't have a specific "-ing" form (the present continuous tense) like English does. The single present tense verb laver covers both "do" and "are doing". You rely on context or time words like i dag (today) to know it is happening right now.

How do you pronounce the question word hvad?

The d at the end of hvad is completely silent. The word is pronounced as a short "va" sound, similar to the very beginning of the English word "vowel".

Why is "today" written as two separate words (i dag)?