Questions & Answers about Jeg skal nok hjælpe dig.
What does skal mean here? Is it shall, must, or will?
In this sentence, skal is best understood as part of a promise or reassurance, so in natural English it often comes out as will.
On its own, skal can mean things like:
- shall
- must / have to
- a planned future
But in Jeg skal nok hjælpe dig, the combination skal nok means something like I’ll definitely help you or Don’t worry, I’ll help you.
What does nok mean here?
Here, nok does not mean enough.
In this sentence, nok is a very common Danish particle that adds reassurance. It suggests:
- certainly
- don’t worry
- I’ll make sure to
So Jeg skal nok hjælpe dig is stronger and warmer than just I will help you. It sounds like the speaker is calming the other person.
Why is hjælpe not changed to something like hjælper?
Because hjælpe comes after the modal verb skal.
After modal verbs in Danish, the next verb stays in the infinitive: