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Er der et ledigt tidspunkt hos lægen i denne uge?

Er der et ledigt tidspunkt hos lægen i denne uge?
Is there an available time with the doctor this week?
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Questions & Answers about Er der et ledigt tidspunkt hos lægen i denne uge?

Why does the sentence start with Er der instead of Der er?

Because it’s a yes/no question. In Danish, yes/no questions typically have verb-first word order:

  • Statement: Der er et ledigt tidspunkt ... = There is an available appointment...
  • Question: Er der et ledigt tidspunkt ...? = Is there an available appointment...?
What does der mean here? Is it like English there?

Yes—der is an existential “there” (a “dummy” subject) used to introduce that something exists/ is available:

  • Er der ...? = Is there ...? It does not refer to a place; it just sets up the existence of something.
Why is it et ledigt tidspunkt and not en ledig tidspunkt?

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

  • the article et
  • and the adjective ending -t in the singular indefinite form

So you get et ledig-t tidspunkt.

Why does ledig become ledigt?

Adjectives in Danish agree with gender/number/definiteness. In singular, indefinite, neuter:

  • en ledig tid (common gender: no -t)
  • et ledigt tidspunkt (neuter: add -t) Plural would typically be ledige.
Is tidspunkt the same as “time”?

Not exactly. Tidspunkt is closer to a point in time / a time slot (a specific time). For appointments, Danish often uses:

  • en tid = an appointment time (very common)
  • et tidspunkt = a specific point/time slot (slightly more formal or precise)

So this sentence is natural, but Er der en ledig tid hos lægen ...? is also very common.

What does hos lægen mean, and why hos?

Hos means at someone’s place / with someone (professionally). It’s used for appointments with professionals:

  • hos lægen = at the doctor’s / with the doctor You’d also say hos tandlægen (at the dentist), hos frisøren (at the hairdresser).
Why is it lægen (definite) instead of en læge?

In Danish, when you mean the doctor you’re dealing with / the doctor’s office in a typical situation, you often use the definite form:

  • hos lægen = at the doctor’s (the one relevant here)

If you mean “a (random) doctor,” you could say hos en læge, but for booking an appointment it’s usually lægen.

What’s the difference between i denne uge and denne uge?

Both can work, but they feel slightly different:

  • i denne uge = sometime during this week (common for availability)
  • denne uge (without i) can also mean this week, but i denne uge is very standard when talking about events happening within a time period.
Why is it denne uge and not den her uge?

Both mean “this week,” but they differ in style:

  • denne uge = more neutral/formal, common in writing and polite speech
  • den her uge = more spoken/colloquial, a bit more “right here/this one”

In a phone call, you might hear either.

What’s the typical pronunciation of the tricky parts?

Common learner trouble spots:

  • Er der often sounds like a reduced [a dɑ]-ish flow in fast speech.
  • lægen: the æ is like the vowel in cat for many speakers, but Danish æ can vary by accent.
  • uge ends with a soft vowel sound; the g is not a hard English g.

(Exact IPA varies by dialect, but the main point is that Danish speech often reduces small words like er and der.)

Can the word order change—e.g., can I move i denne uge earlier?

Yes, you can front time expressions, but then Danish requires inversion (verb before subject):

  • Er der et ledigt tidspunkt hos lægen i denne uge? (neutral)
  • Er der i denne uge et ledigt tidspunkt hos lægen? (possible but sounds a bit marked/less natural)

A more natural fronted version might be:

  • I denne uge, er der et ledigt tidspunkt hos lægen? (with a pause)
How would I make it more polite or more natural in a real booking context?

Common more “real-life” options include:

  • Har I et ledigt tidspunkt hos lægen i denne uge? (Do you have an available slot...)
  • Er der en ledig tid i denne uge? (Is there an available appointment this week?)
  • Kan jeg få en tid hos lægen i denne uge? (Can I get an appointment this week?)

Your original sentence is correct and understandable; these are just frequent phrasing choices.