Word
Jeg tager som regel cyklen.
Meaning
I usually take the bike.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Jeg tager som regel cyklen.
jeg
I
cyklen
the bicycle
tage
to take / to make (a decision)
som regel
as a rule, usually
Questions & Answers about Jeg tager som regel cyklen.
What does som regel literally mean, and how else could I say this?
It literally translates to "as rule" (as a rule) and is a very common way to say "usually". You could also express this meaning using the verb plejer (to be in the habit of). If you use that, the sentence structure changes to: Jeg plejer at tage cyklen.
Why is the definite form spelled cyklen and not "cykelen"?
When a Danish noun ends in an unstressed -el, -en, or -er (like the word en cykel), it drops its final -e before adding the definite ending. This spelling rule matches the pronunciation, making it cyklen rather than the clunky "cykelen".
If I want to put som regel at the very beginning of the sentence, what happens to the word order?
Danish uses the V2 rule, meaning the verb must always be the second piece of information in a main clause. If you move som regel to the front, the verb tager and the subject jeg have to swap places. It becomes: Som regel tager jeg cyklen.
Is tager the natural verb to use for all types of transportation in Danish?
Yes! Just like in English, at tage (to take) is the standard verb for modes of transport. You can seamlessly say tager toget (take the train), tager bussen (take the bus), or tager bilen (take the car).