Vi vil gerne reservere et bord på caféen til i aften.

We would like to reserve a table at the café for tonight.

Breakdown of Vi vil gerne reservere et bord på caféen til i aften.

• et: a
• bordet: the table
• vi: we
• ville: to want
• til: for
• på: at
• gerne: gladly
• i aften: tonight
• caféen: the café
• reservere: to reserve

Questions & Answers about Vi vil gerne reservere et bord på caféen til i aften.

Why does vil come before gerne in Vi vil gerne ...?

In Danish, vil is the finite verb (present tense of ville) and in a main clause it normally takes the second position (the V2 rule). Gerne is an adverb, so it comes after the finite verb:

• Vi vil gerne reservere ... = “We would like to reserve ...”
  You can move other elements to the front for emphasis, but the finite verb still stays second.

Does vil gerne mean “want” or “would like”?

Literally, vil is “want/will,” and gerne means “gladly/willingly.” Together, vil gerne is a very common polite way to say “would like (to)”. It’s softer than vi vil alone, which can sound more like a firm “we want.”

Why is it reservere and not a form like reserverer?

Because after a modal verb like vil, Danish uses the infinitive (base form) of the main verb:

• vil + infinitive → vil reservere (“want/would like to reserve”)
  Reserverer would be a present-tense form and would normally be used without a modal: Vi reserverer et bord (“We are reserving a table / We reserve a table”).

What’s the difference between reservere and bestille in this context?

Both can be used, but the nuance differs:

• reservere et bord = reserve a table (hold a table for you)
• bestille et bord = book/order a table (also common in everyday speech)
  In restaurants/cafés, reservere is very standard and slightly more formal.

Why is it et bord and not en bord?

Bord is a neuter noun, so it takes the article et: et bord (“a table”).
Danish has two grammatical genders in common usage: en-words and et-words.

Why does bord not have an ending for plural here?

Because the sentence uses the singular: et bord = “a table.” If you needed plural, it would be:

• borde (plural indefinite) → Vi vil gerne reservere borde ... (less common phrasing)
  More natural: Vi vil gerne reservere to borde (“reserve two tables”).

Why is it på caféen (on/at the café) and not i caféen?

With places like restaurants/cafés, Danish often uses på to mean “at” an establishment: på caféen, på restauranten, på hotellet.
I caféen is also possible, but it focuses more on being physically inside the café (location inside), whereas på caféen sounds like “at the café (as a venue/business).”

What does the ending -en in caféen mean?

-en is the definite suffix for common-gender nouns (en-words). en café = “a café,” caféen = “the café.”
Danish usually marks “the” by adding an ending rather than using a separate word.

Why is café spelled with é in Danish?

Danish often keeps the accent in loanwords like café. In practice you’ll also see cafe without the accent, especially informally, but café is common in standard writing.

Why do we say til i aften instead of just i aften?

In reservation contexts, til means “for” (for this time/occasion):

• reservere et bord til i aften = reserve a table for tonight
  Just i aften can sound more like “tonight (at some point)” and is less “reservation-style.” Til makes it clear the booking is intended for that evening.

Is i aften one word or two, and what does it literally mean?

It’s two words: i + aften. Literally “in (the) evening,” used idiomatically as “tonight/this evening.”
Compare:

• i dag = today
• i morgen = tomorrow (also literally “in morning,” but idiomatically “tomorrow”)
• i nat = tonight (during the night)

Could I replace vi with jeg? What changes?

Yes. Only the subject changes; the verb form stays the same (Danish doesn’t conjugate by person in the present tense):

• Jeg vil gerne reservere et bord på caféen til i aften.
  Meaning: “I’d like to reserve a table at the café for tonight.”

Is this sentence formal or informal? How polite is it?

It’s neutral and polite. vil gerne is a common polite phrasing. If you want it more explicitly polite, you might add:

• Vi vil gerne reservere et bord til i aften, tak.
  Or use a question form when speaking to staff:
• Kan vi reservere et bord til i aften? (“Can we reserve a table for tonight?”)

Can the word order change, like starting with i aften?

Yes, but then Danish V2 word order applies (finite verb still second):

• I aften vil vi gerne reservere et bord på caféen.
  That version emphasizes “tonight.”

Why isn’t there an explicit word for “to” before caféen like “to the café”?

Danish often uses a preposition phrase (på caféen) to express the target venue “at the café.” The idea of “to” is not needed because you’re not describing movement; you’re describing where the reservation is. If you were talking about going there, you’d use verbs of movement and different prepositions, e.g. Vi går på café / Vi går hen på caféen depending on nuance.

How would I make it a direct question in Danish?

Invert the subject and the finite verb:

• Vil I gerne reservere et bord på caféen til i aften? (to “you” plural/formal)
• Vil du gerne reservere et bord ...? (to one person informally)
  Or a very common alternative with kan:
• Kan vi reservere et bord til i aften?