Learn Danish: Jeg skal lige besvare en besked selvom det er tidsspild. - I just have to reply to a message even though it is a waste of time.

In this sentence, lige acts as a softening modal particle. It implies that replying to the message will be very quick and not a big deal, much like saying "just" in English to downplay an action. Without it, the statement sounds heavier and more like a strict duty.

Why is there no at before the verb besvare?

The word skal is a modal verb, which translates to "must" or "have to" here. In Danish, modal verbs are followed directly by the infinitive form of the main verb without using the infinitive marker at. Therefore, it is skal lige besvare, never skal lige at besvare.

How is the noun tidsspild formed?

It is a compound noun made up of tid (time) and spild (waste), connected by a linking s. This extra s is incredibly common in Danish compound words and simply glues the words together to make them easier to pronounce.

Does selvom change the word order in the second half of the sentence?

The word selvom (even though) introduces a subordinate clause. In Danish subordinate clauses, you still use straight word order for the subject and verb, which is why we see the subject det directly followed by the verb er. However, if you needed to add an adverb like ikke, it would go between the subject and the verb, which is a special rule for subordinate clauses.