Questions & Answers about Maskinen er farlig at betjene.
Why do we use the active infinitive at betjene when the machine is the thing being operated?
This is a specific pattern. After certain adjectives like farlig (dangerous), let (easy), or svær (hard), Danish uses the active infinitive (at betjene) even though the logical meaning is passive. You do exactly the same in English: 'dangerous to operate', not 'dangerous to be operated'.
Why is the adjective farlig rather than farligt?
The adjective must agree with the noun it describes, which in this case is the subject Maskinen. Since en maskine is a common gender noun, the adjective takes the basic form farlig without a -t.
How would the sentence change if we started with 'It is dangerous...' instead?
You would use the dummy subject det, making it: Det er farligt at betjene maskinen. Notice that farlig becomes farligt here because it is now describing the neuter pronoun det (and the abstract action of operating), rather than the common gender noun maskinen.
Can at betjene be used for anything other than machines?
Yes! While it means 'to operate' when talking about equipment or machines, it also means 'to serve'. For example, you use at betjene when talking about serving customers in a shop or a restaurant.