Learn Danish: Følger du med i fodbold?

The phrase at følge med i means to keep up with an interest, like sports or the news. If you just said følger du fodbold, it would sound like you are physically walking behind a football!

Can I use følge med i for things other than sports?

Yes, it is very common to use this phrase for anything that develops over time. For example, you can say jeg følger med i nyhederne (I follow the news) or følger du med i den nye serie? (are you keeping up with the new series?).

Why do we need the preposition i here?

The core phrase for paying attention or keeping up is at følge med. When you want to specify exactly what you are keeping up with, you must add i before the topic. If a teacher asks a student if they are paying attention, they drop the i and simply ask følger du med?.

Does this sentence mean 'Do you follow football in general' or 'Are you following a football game right now'?

Danish uses the simple present tense følger for both habits and ongoing actions. However, the phrase følger med i implies a general, ongoing interest. If you wanted to ask if someone is watching a game right now, you would ask ser du fodbold? instead.