Breakdown of Kan du vente en stund?
du
you
en
a / an (common)
kunne
to be able to / can
vente
to wait
stunden
the while (a period of time)
Questions & Answers about Kan du vente en stund?
En stund translates to 'a while', but how does it compare to et øjeblik or lidt?
Et øjeblik means 'a moment' and is usually very short, while lidt means 'a little'. En stund implies a slightly longer, more undefined period of time. It can also sound a bit more polite or slightly literary compared to the very common everyday phrase Kan du vente lidt?
Why isn't there a preposition before en stund, like 'for' in English ('for a while')?
In Danish, expressions of time duration often act directly as adverbs without needing a preposition. You say vente en stund (wait a while) just like you would say vente en time (wait an hour). Adding a preposition like i or for right after the verb here would sound unnatural.
Are there other common phrases where a learner would see the word stund?
Yes! A very common expression is for en stund, which means 'temporarily' or 'for a short period' (for example: Han var glad for en stund). You will also see it in compound words like morgenstund (morning time), which is famous from the Danish proverb Morgenstund har guld i mund (The early bird catches the worm).
Is the 'd' in stund pronounced?
The 'd' is not pronounced as a hard English 'd'. Instead, stund is pronounced with a stød (a slight catch in the throat) on the 'n', and the 'd' is completely silent. It rhymes roughly with the Danish word hund (dog).
Learn Kan du vente en stund and more in Danish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free