Breakdown of Nå, hvad laver du i dag?
du
you
hvad
what
lave
to make; to do (an activity)
i dag
today
nå
oh, I see; well
Questions & Answers about Nå, hvad laver du i dag?
Why does the sentence start with Nå?
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)?
In Danish, many common time expressions are formed by combining the preposition i (in) with a noun. I dag literally translates to "in day", but it is the standard way to say "today". Just remember to always keep the space between the two words!
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