Log inSign up

Jeg gemmer kvitteringen i min lomme, hvis der senere er noget galt.

Jeg gemmer kvitteringen i min lomme, hvis der senere er noget galt.
I keep the receipt in my pocket in case something is wrong later.
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Danish grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Danish now

Questions & Answers about Jeg gemmer kvitteringen i min lomme, hvis der senere er noget galt.

Why is it jeg gemmer and not jeg gemmerer or something else—what tense is this?

Gemmer is the present tense of the verb at gemme (to save/keep/hide). Danish present tense is usually formed with -r (or sometimes -er, depending on the verb), but gemme → gemmer is the standard form.
In this sentence it functions like English I’m keeping / I keep.

Does gemme mean save, store, or hide here?

All three are possible meanings of at gemme, but in this context (a receipt and a pocket), it most naturally means to keep/save (for later), i.e. hold onto the receipt.

Why is it kvitteringen with -en at the end?

Kvittering means receipt and is a common gender (en-) noun: en kvittering.
Danish typically marks the definite form by adding an ending, so:

  • en kvittering = a receipt
  • kvitteringen = the receipt

So kvitteringen corresponds to the receipt.

What’s the difference between i and på in Danish—why i min lomme?

I is used for something being inside something. A pocket is treated as an interior space, so you put something i a pocket: i min lomme = in my pocket.
På is more like on top of/on the surface of something: på bordet (on the table).

Why does Danish say min lomme and not min lommen?

After a possessive like min/mit/mine (my), Danish usually uses the indefinite form of the noun:

  • min lomme = my pocket
  • lommen = the pocket

You generally don’t combine a possessive with the suffixed definite ending (-en/-et) in normal Danish.

How do I know it’s min and not mit or mine?

It depends on the noun’s gender/number:

  • min
    • common gender singular (en-words) → min lomme
  • mit
    • neuter singular (et-words) → e.g. mit hus (my house)
  • mine
    • plural → e.g. mine lommer (my pockets)

Lomme is common gender (en lomme), so min.

Why is there a comma before hvis?

In Danish, it’s standard to put a comma before a subordinate clause introduced by conjunctions like hvis (if). So the comma marks that what follows is a dependent clause: hvis der senere er noget galt.

Does hvis always mean if?

Most commonly, yes: hvis = if (a condition). It can also appear in expressions where English might use whether, but in this sentence it’s clearly the conditional if.

What is der doing in hvis der senere er noget galt?

Here der is the Danish dummy subject (like English there) used in existence/construction patterns:

  • der er ... = there is/are ...

So hvis der senere er noget galt literally corresponds to if there later is something wrong.

Why is the word order der senere er and not der er senere?

Both can occur, but der senere er ... is very natural because senere (later) is an adverb placed before the verb er to emphasize the time. Danish adverb placement is flexible, but adverbs often come before the finite verb in subordinate clauses like this.

What exactly does noget mean here?

Noget means something (an indefinite “thing”). In noget galt, it means something wrong. It’s a fixed and very common pattern.

Why is it galt and not gal or gale?

Galt is the neuter/adverbial form of gal and is used idiomatically in the expression noget galt = something wrong. You also see:

  • Det er galt = It’s wrong
  • Der er noget galt (med …) = There’s something wrong (with …)

So galt is the correct form in this construction.

Is der senere er noget galt missing med—shouldn’t it be “wrong with something”?

You can add med if you specify what’s wrong with what:

  • hvis der senere er noget galt med varen = if later something is wrong with the product

But without specifying an object, der er noget galt can stand alone and means roughly if something turns out to be wrong (later).

Could you also say hvis noget senere er galt?

Yes, that’s possible, but it changes the feel slightly. Hvis der senere er noget galt is a very common general “there is something wrong” phrasing.
Hvis noget senere er galt sounds more like you have a particular “something” in mind (even if you don’t name it), whereas der er noget galt is a standard general expression.

Why does Danish use er here—what tense is that?

Er is the present tense of at være (to be). In context, the whole clause refers to a possible future situation, but Danish commonly uses present tense in conditional clauses about the future, similar to English: if something is wrong later (not will be).

Could gemmer be replaced by lægger or putter?

Yes, but with different nuance:

  • Jeg lægger kvitteringen i min lomme = I put the receipt in my pocket (focus on the action of placing it)
  • Jeg putter kvitteringen i min lomme = I pop/stick the receipt in my pocket (more casual)
  • Jeg gemmer kvitteringen i min lomme = I keep/save the receipt in my pocket (focus on keeping it for later)

All can work, but gemmer highlights the reason: for later proof/returns.

Is i min lomme the only natural place in Danish, or could it be i lommen?

Both are natural, but they mean slightly different things:

  • i min lomme = in my pocket (explicitly “mine”)
  • i lommen = in the pocket (often used when it’s obvious whose pocket it is—usually yours)

So i lommen can be more neutral/implicit, while i min lomme is more explicit.

Does kvittering only mean a store receipt, or can it be any kind of confirmation?
It can be broader. Kvittering can mean a receipt (proof of purchase) and also an acknowledgment/confirmation in some contexts (like confirming you received something). In everyday speech, kvitteringen most often means the store receipt.