Daten begynder klokken otte.

Because Danish usually marks the by adding an ending to the noun.

• en date = a date
• daten = the date

So -en is the definite ending here. This is very common in Danish.

Yes. Date is used in modern Danish, especially for a romantic meeting, and it is borrowed from English.

So:

• en date = a date
• to dates = two dates
• daten = the date

There are more traditional Danish words for similar ideas, but date is very common in everyday speech.

Begynder is the present tense of at begynde.

• at begynde = to begin / to start
• begynder = begins / is beginning / starts

In Danish, the present tense is also often used for future events when the time is clear from context, just like in English:

• Daten begynder klokken otte. = The date starts at eight.

So even though it is grammatically present tense, it can refer to a future scheduled event.

This is just part of how the verb changes.

The infinitive is:

• at begynde

The present tense is:

• begynder

Many Danish verbs change slightly when they are conjugated, so you cannot always just remove -e and add one fixed ending mechanically. This is a normal verb form that learners simply need to get used to.

Useful forms:

• at begynde = infinitive
• begynder = present
• begyndte = past
• begyndt = past participle

In Danish, you normally do not need a separate preposition before a clock time in this kind of sentence.

So Danish says:

• Daten begynder klokken otte.

Literally, this looks like The date begins eight o'clock, but the natural English translation is The date begins at eight o'clock.

This is completely normal in Danish. Time expressions often come directly without a preposition.

Klokken literally comes from klokke meaning clock, and klokken is the definite form, so literally the clock.

But in time expressions, klokken works like at ... o’clock in English.

Examples:

• klokken otte = at eight o’clock
• klokken tre = at three o’clock

So in this sentence, klokken otte is just the normal way to give the time.

Sometimes, yes, but klokken otte is the clearest and most standard way to say a specific clock time.

• Vi ses klokken otte. = We’ll meet at eight.

In casual speech, people may sometimes shorten time expressions if the context is obvious, but for learners, using klokken is a very good habit.

This is the normal word order for a Danish main clause:

subject + verb + other information

So here:

• Daten = subject
• begynder = verb
• klokken otte = time expression

This is very straightforward Danish word order.

Yes. Danish often allows a different element to come first, but then the verb must still stay in second position.

So you can also say:

• Klokken otte begynder daten.

This still means the same thing, but now the sentence emphasizes the time a bit more.

This is part of the Danish V2 word order pattern: in main clauses, the finite verb usually comes second.

Yes. Otte means eight.

Number words are important in time expressions:

• klokken otte = at eight o’clock
• klokken ni = at nine o’clock
• klokken ti = at ten o’clock

So here otte is simply the number.

A rough guide is:

• daten ≈ DAY-dn or DAY-ten depending on accent and how carefully someone speaks

A few helpful points:

• The first syllable sounds like day
• The final -en is often pronounced quite lightly
• Danish pronunciation is often softer and more reduced than spelling suggests

If you are learning, it is best to listen to native audio, because Danish pronunciation can be much less phonetic than English learners expect.

A rough learner-friendly guide is:

• begynder ≈ be-GUHN-er or be-GYN-er

But this is only approximate. The y sound in Danish is not the same as a normal English u or i, so it may take practice.

Also, in natural speech:

• some syllables are reduced
• the d is not pronounced like a strong English d

Danish pronunciation often needs listening practice more than spelling-based guessing.

It is neutral and natural. Nothing in it is especially formal or especially slangy.

• date is modern and everyday
• begynder klokken otte is standard Danish

So this is a perfectly normal sentence in ordinary conversation.

Often, yes.

• Daten starter klokken otte.
• Daten begynder klokken otte.

Both can work. Begynder is a very standard verb for begins, while starter is also common and may sound a little more everyday in some contexts.

That said, begynder is an excellent choice and very natural here.

It would be:

• En date begynder klokken otte.

That means A date begins at eight o’clock.

Compare:

• en date = a date
• daten = the date

So the only difference is whether the noun is indefinite or definite.

Yes, potentially. Like English, the Danish present tense can describe:

• a scheduled future event
• a general truth
• a habitual event, depending on context

So Daten begynder klokken otte could mean:

• The date starts at eight tonight
• or, in a suitable context, The date starts at eight as a known plan

Usually the surrounding context tells you which meaning is intended.