Kan du foreslå et nyt tidspunkt, der passer dig?

Can you suggest a new time that suits you?

Breakdown of Kan du foreslå et nyt tidspunkt, der passer dig?

• et: a
• ny: new
• kunne: can
• dig: you
• du: you
• der: that
• tidspunktet: the time
• foreslå: to suggest
• passe: to suit

Questions & Answers about Kan du foreslå et nyt tidspunkt, der passer dig?

Why does it start with Kan du … instead of Du kan …?

Because it’s a yes/no question. Danish forms yes/no questions by putting the finite verb first:

• Statement: Du kan foreslå et nyt tidspunkt. (You can suggest a new time.)
• Question: Kan du foreslå et nyt tidspunkt? (Can you suggest a new time?)

So the verb-first word order signals it’s a question.

What exactly is kan doing here—does it mean “can” (ability) or “could” (polite request)?

Grammatically it’s present tense kan (“can”), but in context it often functions like an English polite request (“Could you…?”). Danish frequently uses kan du…? for polite requests without changing to a past form.

If you want it more explicitly polite/soft, you can also hear:

• Kunne du foreslå …? (“Could you suggest…?”)

How do I break down the verb foreslå?

Foreslå is the infinitive “to suggest/propose.” It’s a single verb (not “fore + slå” as two separate words in modern usage), and after a modal like kan, Danish uses the infinitive:

• Kan (modal) + du (subject) + foreslå (infinitive)

Why is it et nyt tidspunkt and not en ny tidspunkt?

Because tidspunkt is a neuter noun (et-ord), so it takes:

• the article et
• the neuter form of the adjective ny → nyt

So: et nyt tidspunkt. (Compare: en ny dag because dag is common gender.)

What does tidspunkt mean compared with tid?

Tidspunkt means a specific point in time, like “a time slot” or “a particular time (to meet).”
Tid is more general (“time” as a concept or duration).

So in scheduling, tidspunkt is the natural choice.

Why is there a comma before der passer dig?

Because der passer dig is a relative clause describing tidspunkt (“a new time that suits you”). In Danish, relative clauses are typically set off with a comma:

• et nyt tidspunkt, der passer dig = “a new time that suits you”

In modern Danish you’ll often see this comma; omitting it is less standard in careful writing.

What is der doing here—does it mean “there”?

Here der is a relative pronoun meaning “that/which/who,” not “there.”
It introduces a relative clause and refers back to tidspunkt:

• tidspunkt, der passer dig = “a time that suits you”

Danish often uses der as the subject of the relative clause.

Could it be som passer dig instead of der passer dig?

Yes, often both are possible, but there’s a common tendency:

• der is especially common when the relative pronoun is the subject of the clause (as here: der = the thing that “suits”).
• som is also widely used and would sound natural: et nyt tidspunkt, som passer dig.

In many everyday contexts, the difference is small; der is very common in this exact pattern.

Why is it passer dig and not passer til dig?

The verb passe can take a direct object when it means “to suit someone”:

• Det passer mig. = “That suits me.” So der passer dig is “that suits you.”

You can also hear passe til in other meanings (more like “match/go with”):

• Den farve passer til dig. = “That color suits you.” (also possible with direct object in some cases, but passe til emphasizes matching)

For appointments and scheduling, passe + person (direct object) is extremely common.

Is dig the informal “you”? What would the formal version be?

Yes. du/dig is the standard informal singular “you” (and it’s also what people use with almost everyone in Denmark today).

A more formal option exists but is rare in modern Danish:

• Kan De foreslå et nyt tidspunkt, der passer Dem? Here De/Dem is formal “you.”

Is this sentence asking for any new time, or specifically a different time than the current one?

et nyt tidspunkt typically implies “a new/alternative time” (i.e., different from the one currently proposed). It’s the normal phrasing when rescheduling.

If you want to make “different” extra explicit, you could say:

• et andet tidspunkt = “another time” Often et andet tidspunkt and et nyt tidspunkt are both used in rescheduling contexts, with andet being the most explicitly “different from the current one.”

How would the word order change if I added please?

Danish typically uses venligst (more formal) or a softener like lige (very common, informal). Word order stays the same; you just insert the word in a natural spot:

• Kan du venligst foreslå et nyt tidspunkt, der passer dig?
• Kan du lige foreslå et nyt tidspunkt, der passer dig? (“Can you just suggest a new time…?”)