Jeg måtte låne sukker af naboen.

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Breakdown of Jeg måtte låne sukker af naboen.

• sukkeret: the sugar
• naboen: the neighbor
• låne: to borrow

Questions & Answers about Jeg måtte låne sukker af naboen.

Does the Danish modal verb in Jeg måtte låne sukker af naboen indicate necessity or permission?

It can express either:

• Necessity: you were compelled by circumstances (most common reading in everyday speech).
• Permission: you were allowed to.

Context decides. If you want to remove ambiguity, see the next two questions.

How can I say this unambiguously as necessity (had to)?

Use one of these:

• Jeg var nødt til at låne sukker af naboen.
• Jeg blev nødt til at låne sukker af naboen. (often feels like you ended up having to)

How can I say it unambiguously as permission (was allowed to)?

Use:

• Jeg fik lov til at låne sukker af naboen. You can also use present-tense må for permission in the moment: Må jeg låne …?

Why is there no at before låne?