Jeg lægger bogen til side, når min ven kommer.

I put the book aside when my friend comes.

Breakdown of Jeg lægger bogen til side, når min ven kommer.

• jeg: I
• bogen: the book
• min: my
• når: when
• vennen: the friend
• komme: to come
• lægge: to put
• til side: aside

Questions & Answers about Jeg lægger bogen til side, når min ven kommer.

Why is it jeg lægger and not jeg lægge?

Because Danish (like English) conjugates the verb in the present tense.

• Infinitive: at lægge = to put/lay
• Present: (jeg) lægger = (I) put/lay
  So jeg lægge would be ungrammatical in standard Danish.

What does lægger ... til side mean as a unit? Is til side a separate “particle” like English put aside?

Yes—lægge ... til side functions much like an English phrasal verb put ... aside.

• lægger = put/lay
• til side = aside (literally “to (the) side”)
  You can think of it as: Jeg lægger [bogen] til side = I put [the book] aside.

Why is the object bogen (the book) and not en bog (a book)?

Bogen is the definite form (“the book”), formed by adding the definite ending -en to bog:

• en bog = a book
• bogen = the book
  In Danish, definiteness is often shown by a suffix (the “attached” the) rather than a separate word.

Is til side always two words, and do I have to keep that order?

It’s normally written as two words: til side. The usual order is lægge + object + til side.
Common placement:

• Jeg lægger bogen til side.
  You can sometimes move elements for emphasis, but the neutral, most common phrasing is exactly as in your sentence.

Why is there a comma before når?

Because når min ven kommer is a subordinate clause (“when my friend comes”). In Danish, it’s standard to put a comma before subordinate clauses introduced by words like når, fordi, at, etc.
So: ..., når ... is the expected punctuation.

Why does the sentence use present tense twice (lægger, kommer) even though it can refer to the future?

Danish often uses the present tense for habitual actions and for future time when it’s clear from context. Here it commonly means a general routine:

• Jeg lægger ... når ... kommer = “I put ... when ... comes” (habitual)
  It can also be future-like (“when my friend arrives (later)”), without needing a future tense.

What’s the difference between når and da for “when”?

A common learner question. A basic rule of thumb:

• når = “when” for repeated/habitual events or future situations
• da = “when” for a single event in the past (often in storytelling)
  Your sentence uses når because it naturally sounds like a general rule/habit (or future).

Why is it når min ven kommer and not når kommer min ven?

Because Danish word order changes in subordinate clauses. In main clauses, Danish is V2 (the finite verb is in the 2nd position):

• Main clause: Min ven kommer. / Nu kommer min ven.
  But in subordinate clauses introduced by når, the verb typically comes after the subject (more like English):
• Subordinate clause: ..., når min ven kommer.

Could I say når min ven er kommet instead, and what would that change?

Yes, and it changes the timing nuance:

• når min ven kommer = when my friend comes/arrives (focus on the arrival event)
• når min ven er kommet = when my friend has arrived / when my friend is (already) arrived (focus on the state after arrival)
  Both can be natural, depending on whether you mean “at the moment of arrival” vs “once he’s here.”

Why is it min ven and not min ven with an article like “my a friend”?

Danish (like English) does not use an indefinite article with a possessive in this structure:

• min ven = my friend
  Not min en ven.
  If you want “a friend of mine,” you typically say en ven af mig or more commonly en ven af mine (colloquially), but that’s a different construction.

How do you pronounce the tricky parts: lægger, bogen, and kommer?

Approximate guidance (accents vary):

• lægger: the æ is like a relaxed “eh” (as in bed), and the -er ending is often reduced.
• bogen: the o is fairly open/rounded; the final -en is a reduced syllable.
• kommer: stress on kom-, and -mer is reduced.
  A key tip: Danish endings like -er and -en are often pronounced more softly than English learners expect.

Could I replace lægger with sætter or putter? Would it sound more natural?

You can, but each verb has its own feel:

• lægger ... til side is very natural for placing something down/aside (especially something flat like a book).
• sætter ... til side can work too, often with the sense of “setting” something aside (more upright/placing).
• putter ... til side can sound a bit more colloquial and can imply “shoving/tucking away,” depending on context.
  For a book, lægger bogen til side is a very standard choice.