Lad være med at tænde lyset, hvis du vil se stjernerne.

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Breakdown of Lad være med at tænde lyset, hvis du vil se stjernerne.

• stjernen: the star
• ville: to want
• hvis: if

Questions & Answers about Lad være med at tænde lyset, hvis du vil se stjernerne.

What does Lad være med at ... literally mean, and why use it instead of just Ikke ...?

Lad være med at ... literally comes from lade (lad = imperative let) + være (be) and functions idiomatically as refrain from / don’t do ....
It’s a very common Danish way to give a “don’t” instruction, often sounding a bit more natural/idiomatic than simply putting ikke in front of a verb.

• Lad være med at tænde lyset = Don’t (go) turning on the light / Refrain from turning on the light
• A more direct alternative is Tænd ikke lyset ... = Don’t turn on the light ... (also correct)

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Is med required in Lad være med at ...? Can you say Lad være at ...?

In modern everyday Danish, Lad være med at + infinitive is the standard pattern.
You may sometimes see/hear Lad være at + infinitive, but it’s less common and can sound more formal/older-fashioned to many speakers. If you want the safest, most idiomatic choice: use med at.

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Why is there an at before tænde?