Breakdown of Ved indgangen spørger jeg: “Undskyld, kan De vise mig garderoben, og får man et programblad der?”
Questions & Answers about Ved indgangen spørger jeg: “Undskyld, kan De vise mig garderoben, og får man et programblad der?”
Why does it say Ved indgangen spørger jeg instead of Jeg spørger ved indgangen?
Because Danish normally follows the V2 rule in main clauses: the finite verb comes in the second position.
- Jeg spørger ved indgangen = neutral word order, starting with I
- Ved indgangen spørger jeg = starting with At the entrance, so the verb spørger must come next
So when Ved indgangen is moved to the front, jeg has to come after the verb.
What exactly does Ved indgangen mean?
Ved indgangen means at the entrance or by the entrance.
- ved = at / by / near
- indgangen = the entrance
So it refers to the location where the speaker is asking the question.
Why is it indgangen and not just indgang?
Because indgangen is the definite form, meaning the entrance.
In Danish, the definite article is often attached to the end of the noun:
- en indgang = an entrance
- indgangen = the entrance
This is very common in Danish.
Why is De capitalized?
De is the formal/polite word for you.
It is capitalized to show respect and to distinguish it from de, which usually means they.
So:
- De = formal you
- de = they
This formal De is correct, but in modern spoken Danish it can sound quite formal or old-fashioned. In everyday speech, many Danes would simply say du instead.
Is De still common in modern Danish?
Not very common in everyday conversation. It is much more formal than modern English you.
You may still see or hear it:
- in very polite service situations
- in older texts
- when someone wants to sound especially respectful
But most modern Danes would usually use du, even with strangers.
A more everyday version would be:
Undskyld, kan du vise mig garderoben ...
Why is it vise mig and not vise jeg?
Because mig is the object form of jeg.
Compare:
- jeg = I
- mig = me
After a verb like vise (show), Danish uses the object form:
- kan De vise mig garderoben? = can you show me the cloakroom?
Just like in English, you say show me, not show I.
Why is it garderoben?
Garderoben means the cloakroom or the coat check.
Again, Danish puts the definite article at the end:
- en garderobe = a cloakroom / wardrobe
- garderoben = the cloakroom
In this sentence it refers to a specific cloakroom at the venue, so the definite form is natural.
What does man mean in får man et programblad der?
Here man means one, you, or people in general.
It is very common in Danish when asking about what is generally possible or available:
- Får man kaffe her? = Do you get coffee here? / Is coffee available here?
- Kan man parkere der? = Can you park there?
So får man et programblad der? means something like:
- Do you get a program leaflet there?
- Can you get a program leaflet there?
- Is a program leaflet available there?
It sounds more general than asking about me personally.
Why does the second question start with får?
Because yes/no questions in Danish usually begin with the finite verb.
So:
- statement: Man får et programblad der. = You get a program leaflet there.
- question: Får man et programblad der? = Do you get a program leaflet there?
This verb-first pattern is very common in Danish questions.
Does får man et programblad der? literally mean does one receive a program leaflet there?
Yes, more or less.
- får = gets / receives
- man = one / you / people
- et programblad = a programme leaflet / program booklet
- der = there
In natural English, we would usually not translate it word for word. More natural translations are:
- Do you get a program leaflet there?
- Can you get a program leaflet there?
- Is there a program leaflet available there?
Would kan man få et programblad der? also be possible?
Yes, absolutely. In fact, many learners will hear this version often.
- Får man et programblad der? asks whether people are given one there
- Kan man få et programblad der? asks whether it is possible to get one there
In many real situations, the difference is small. The version with kan man få can sound a little more directly about availability.
What is der doing here?
Here der means there.
So:
- der = there
It points to a place, in this case probably the cloakroom or that area near it.
Do not confuse it with other uses of der, such as in relative clauses. Here it is simply a place word.
You may also sometimes see dér with an accent when the speaker wants to stress it especially, but the normal spelling is just der.
Why is it et programblad and not en programblad?
Because programblad is a neuter noun in Danish, so it takes et.
- et programblad = a program leaflet
A useful extra point: programblad is a compound noun:
- program
- blad
In Danish compounds, the gender usually comes from the last part, and blad is a neuter noun, so the whole compound takes et.
Is this sentence natural Danish?
Yes, it is understandable and correct, but it sounds somewhat formal, mainly because of De.
A modern everyday version might be:
Undskyld, kan du vise mig garderoben, og kan man få et programblad dér?
or even:
Undskyld, hvor er garderoben, og kan man få et programblad dér?
So the original sentence is fine, especially for practicing grammar and polite forms, but it is more formal than what many Danes would normally say in casual speech.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning DanishMaster Danish — from Ved indgangen spørger jeg: “Undskyld, kan De vise mig garderoben, og får man et programblad der?” to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions