Jeg kigger i min kalender, før jeg laver en ny aftale.

I look in my calendar before I make a new appointment.

Breakdown of Jeg kigger i min kalender, før jeg laver en ny aftale.

• jeg: I
• i: in
• en: a
• min: my
• ny: new
• kigge: to look
• før: before
• lave: to make
• aftalen: the appointment
• kalenderen: the calendar

Questions & Answers about Jeg kigger i min kalender, før jeg laver en ny aftale.

Why is there a comma before før?

In Danish it’s standard to put a comma before a subordinate clause introduced by conjunctions like før (before), når (when), fordi (because), etc.
So Jeg kigger i min kalender, før jeg laver en ny aftale has:

• main clause: Jeg kigger i min kalender
• subordinate clause: før jeg laver en ny aftale

(Some Danes also use a “new comma” system, but the comma before a clear subordinate clause like this is still very common and often expected.)

Why do we repeat jeg? Could it be omitted like in some languages?

No—Danish normally requires an explicit subject in each finite clause.
So you need jeg in both clauses:

• Jeg kigger ...
• før jeg laver ...

Omitting it would sound ungrammatical in standard Danish.

What’s the difference between kigger and ser here?

Both relate to “looking,” but they feel different:

• kigge = to look (often intentional/brief: “take a look”)
• se = to see (perception) or “watch” depending on context

With calendars, kigger i min kalender is very natural: “I check / take a look in my calendar.”

Why is it kigger i and not kigger på?

With something that functions like a container of information (calendar, book, document), Danish often uses i (“in”):

• kigge i en bog = look in a book
• kigge i kalenderen = look in the calendar

kigge på is more like looking at something as an object/image:

• kigge på et billede = look at a picture

Both can sometimes work, but i min kalender is the idiomatic choice here.

Is kigger present tense? Can it also mean “I’m checking (right now)”?

Yes, kigger is present tense of at kigge. Danish present tense can cover:

• habitual/general: “I (usually) check”
• near-future: “I check / I’m going to check”
• right-now present: “I’m checking”

Danish doesn’t require a separate “-ing” form; context does the job.

Why does Danish use laver (“makes/does”) with aftale?

at lave is a very common general verb meaning “make/do.” With agreements/appointments you can say:

• lave en aftale = make an appointment / arrangement

Other natural alternatives (depending on nuance) include:

• aftale en tid = arrange a time
• booke en tid = book a time (more “service/clinic” vibe)

What exactly does aftale mean here—appointment or agreement?

aftale can mean both “agreement” and “appointment/arrangement.” In daily speech, with calendars and scheduling, it strongly points to an appointment/arranged meeting/time.

So in this sentence it’s “a new appointment/engagement.”

Why is it en ny aftale and not aftalen?

en ny aftale is indefinite (“a new appointment”), which fits because it’s not a specific already-known appointment.

If it were a specific one, you’d use definite:

• den nye aftale = the new appointment (specific)
• aftalen = the appointment (already known from context)

How do I know min is correct—does it change with gender/number?

Yes, possessives agree with the noun’s gender/number:

• min
  • common gender singular (en-words): min kalender
• mit
  • neuter singular (et-words): mit hus
• mine
  • plural: mine bøger

kalender is common gender (en kalender), so min kalender is correct.

What’s the word order rule in the før-clause?

A clause introduced by før is a subordinate clause. In subordinate clauses, Danish typically places sentence adverbs (like ikke, aldrig, ofte) before the finite verb.

Compare:

• ... før jeg laver en ny aftale (no adverb)
• ... før jeg ikke laver en ny aftale (rare meaning, but shows the pattern: ikke before laver)

The subject jeg still comes before the verb here: før jeg laver ...

Could you swap the clauses: Før jeg laver en ny aftale, kigger jeg i min kalender? What happens to word order?

Yes, that’s completely natural. When you start with the subordinate clause, the main clause follows normal V2 rules, meaning the finite verb comes second—so the subject moves after the verb:

• Før jeg laver en ny aftale, kigger jeg i min kalender.

Notice kigger comes before jeg in the main clause because something else (Før ...) is occupying the first position.

Is før the only option? What about inden?

Both can mean “before”:

• før is the most general and common.
• inden often implies “before (something happens / by the time)” and can feel slightly more formal or specific.

In many everyday cases they’re interchangeable:

• ... før jeg laver en ny aftale
• ... inden jeg laver en ny aftale

Both sound fine.