Så vidt jeg ved, begynder læsekredsen i dag.

Yes. Så vidt jeg ved is a very common set phrase meaning as far as I know.

Breakdown:

• så vidt = literally something like so far / to the extent
• jeg ved = I know

But in normal use, you should learn the whole chunk så vidt jeg ved as one expression. It is used to soften a statement and show that the speaker is not claiming absolute certainty.

Examples:

• Så vidt jeg ved, kommer han ikke. = As far as I know, he isn’t coming.
• Så vidt jeg ved, er det rigtigt. = As far as I know, that is correct.

Because Danish, like many languages, uses different verbs for different kinds of to know.

• vide means to know a fact / know information
• kende means to know a person / place / thing through familiarity

So:

• jeg ved det = I know that / I know it
• jeg kender ham = I know him

In så vidt jeg ved, the speaker means as far as I know / as far as my information goes, so vide is the correct verb.

This is because Danish is a V2 language in main clauses. That means the finite verb usually comes in the second position.

In this sentence, Så vidt jeg ved comes first as one whole introductory element. Because that first slot is already filled, the finite verb begynder must come next, before the subject læsekredsen.

So the structure is:

• Så vidt jeg ved = first element
• begynder = finite verb in second position
• læsekredsen = subject
• i dag = time expression

Compare:

• Læsekredsen begynder i dag. = neutral word order
• Så vidt jeg ved, begynder læsekredsen i dag. = with an introductory phrase, so inversion happens

This is one of the most important word-order patterns in Danish.

Læsekredsen is the definite form of læsekreds.

• en læsekreds = a reading group / a book club
• læsekredsen = the reading group / the book club

The word is built from:

• læse = to read
• kreds = literally circle, but in compounds it can mean a group or circle of people

So læsekreds is literally something like reading circle, but in natural English it is usually reading group or book club.

Because Danish often adds the definite article to the end of the noun instead of using a separate word like English the.

For common gender nouns:

• en læsekreds = a reading group
• læsekredsen = the reading group

This ending -en is the definite marker here.

More examples:

• en bog = a book

• bogen = the book

• en skole = a school
• skolen = the school

So læsekredsen is simply the reading group.

Because Danish often uses the present tense for scheduled or near-future events, just like English sometimes does.

So:

• Læsekredsen begynder i dag literally uses present tense
• but the meaning can be The reading group starts today

This is completely normal.

Compare English:

• The meeting starts at 3.
• My class begins tomorrow.

Danish works similarly:

• Mødet begynder klokken 3.
• Kurset starter i morgen.

Yes, often you could.

• begynder = begins
• starter = starts

In many everyday contexts, both are possible:

• Læsekredsen begynder i dag.
• Læsekredsen starter i dag.

Begynder can sound a little more neutral or slightly more formal in some contexts, while starter can feel a bit more everyday and direct. But the difference is not huge here.

I dag means today, and it gives the time of the action.

Yes, it can move, because Danish word order is flexible as long as the V2 rule is respected in main clauses.

You can say:

• Læsekredsen begynder i dag.
• I dag begynder læsekredsen.
• Så vidt jeg ved, begynder læsekredsen i dag.

The meaning stays basically the same, but the emphasis changes:

• Læsekredsen begynder i dag = neutral
• I dag begynder læsekredsen = stronger focus on today

The comma separates the introductory phrase så vidt jeg ved from the main clause.

It helps show that så vidt jeg ved is a comment by the speaker on the truth of the sentence, not part of the main event itself.

So the structure is:

• speaker comment: Så vidt jeg ved
• main statement: begynder læsekredsen i dag

In English, we also often use a comma in As far as I know, ...

That is true. Jeg is one of those very common Danish words whose pronunciation often surprises learners.

In careful pronunciation, it is often something like yai or yai/yei, but in natural speech it is frequently reduced. Exactly how it sounds can vary by speaker and region.

The important point for learners is:

• do not pronounce it like English jegg
• the j is like English y
• the word is often quite light and reduced in fast speech

Because it is so common, it is a good word to listen for in real spoken Danish.

A rough learner-friendly guide is:

læ-se-kred-sen

But there are a few important things to notice:

• æ is a front vowel that does not exist exactly in English
• d in Danish is often softer than English d
• unstressed syllables, especially endings like -en, are often reduced in natural speech

You do not need perfect pronunciation right away. A good first goal is:

• keep the stress early in the word
• make læse clear
• do not pronounce every letter too heavily

If you want, you can think of it as approximately: LEH-se-kreth-sen but that is only a rough guide, not an exact pronunciation.

No, så vidt jeg ved is the normal idiomatic expression.

A learner should strongly prefer:

• Så vidt jeg ved = As far as I know

The alternatives you mentioned are either unnatural or would mean something different. This is a good example of a phrase that is best learned as a complete unit rather than translated word for word.

Not in standard Danish main-clause word order.

After the fronted element så vidt jeg ved, Danish normally requires the finite verb in second position:

• Så vidt jeg ved, begynder læsekredsen i dag. ✓

So:

• Så vidt jeg ved, læsekredsen begynder i dag. ✗

That version sounds wrong because it breaks the V2 rule.