Jeg forstår teksten bedre, når jeg taler med kollegaen.

I understand the text better when I talk with the colleague.

Breakdown of Jeg forstår teksten bedre, når jeg taler med kollegaen.

• jeg: I
• når: when
• med: with
• forstå: to understand
• bedre: better
• kollegaen: the colleague
• teksten: the text
• tale: to talk

Questions & Answers about Jeg forstår teksten bedre, når jeg taler med kollegaen.

Why is it kollegaen (the colleague) rather than en kollega (a colleague)?

In Danish, the definite form kollegaen suggests a specific colleague. Using en kollega would mean any colleague in general. So, if you’re referring to a particular person, you use kollegaen.

How do I pronounce kollegaen correctly?

It's typically pronounced something like /kol-LEH-gæn/ in standard Danish. The first part sounds like kol, the stressed syllable is LEH, and then a short gæn at the end, where the vowel is quite open.

Which grammatical tense is used in Jeg forstår and jeg taler?

Both forstår and taler are in the present tense. Even if you regularly do these actions, Danish uses the present tense to express the general habit, similar to English’s simple present.

Why is bedre used to express the idea of “better” here?

Bedre is the comparative form of god, meaning “better.” In Danish, you can say jeg forstår teksten bedre to mean “I understand the text better.” The comparative is formed by using bedre for “better,” bedst for “best.”

Could I use snakker instead of taler?

Yes, you could say snakker in casual conversation. Taler is slightly more formal, while snakker is more informal. Both are correct, but taler sounds a bit more polite or official.