Jeg læser programbladet i salen, før forestillingen begynder.

It can mean either, depending on context.

In Danish, the present tense often covers both:

• I read
• I am reading

So Jeg læser programbladet i salen can mean either I read the programme booklet in the auditorium or I am reading the programme booklet in the auditorium. In this sentence, most people would naturally understand it as I am reading because it describes what is happening before the performance starts.

Because -r is the usual present-tense ending in Danish.

The infinitive is at læse = to read.
The present tense is læser = read / am reading.

A few examples:

• jeg læser = I read / am reading
• du læser = you read / are reading
• hun læser = she reads / is reading

Unlike English, the verb does not change much depending on the subject.

In Danish, the definite article is usually attached to the end of the noun.

So:

• et programblad = a programme booklet / programme sheet
• programbladet = the programme booklet / the programme sheet

The ending -et shows that the noun is:

• singular
• neuter
• definite

This is very common in Danish:

• et hus → huset = the house
• et brev → brevet = the letter

For the same reason: Danish usually marks the by adding it to the noun.

• en sal = a hall / auditorium
• salen = the hall / the auditorium

In this sentence, i salen means in the auditorium / in the hall. It sounds natural because both speaker and listener are assumed to know which hall is meant: the one where the performance will take place.

i usually means in.

So:

• i salen = in the hall / in the auditorium

This is the natural preposition when you mean being physically inside an enclosed space. English learners sometimes wonder whether another preposition might be used, but i is the normal choice here.

Here, før means before and introduces a subordinate clause.

So:

• før forestillingen begynder = before the performance begins

In this sentence, før is a conjunction, not just a simple preposition. It links the main clause to another clause with its own subject and verb:

• subject: forestillingen
• verb: begynder

Because after før, Danish uses subordinate clause word order.

In a normal main clause, Danish usually puts the finite verb in second position:

• Forestillingen begynder snart. = The performance begins soon.

But after a subordinating word like før, the clause keeps the more basic order:

• før forestillingen begynder

So the subject comes before the verb:

• forestillingen = subject
• begynder = verb

That is why før begynder forestillingen would be wrong here.

Because Danish often uses the present tense for future events, especially when they are scheduled or expected.

So:

• Forestillingen begynder klokken otte. = The performance starts at eight.
• før forestillingen begynder = before the performance starts

This is very similar to English, which also often uses the present for scheduled future events:

• The show starts at eight.

It depends on which Danish comma system is being used.

The sentence is written:

• Jeg læser programbladet i salen, før forestillingen begynder.

In Danish, a subordinate clause like the one introduced by før may be preceded by a comma in the traditional system. In modern usage, many writers also omit this comma.

So both of these can be seen:

• Jeg læser programbladet i salen, før forestillingen begynder.
• Jeg læser programbladet i salen før forestillingen begynder.

If your course or textbook uses commas before subordinate clauses, then the comma here is completely normal.

Yes.

You can say:

• Før forestillingen begynder, læser jeg programbladet i salen.

When the subordinate clause comes first, the main clause follows normal Danish V2 word order, so the verb comes before the subject:

• læser jeg not
• jeg læser

That movement is very common in Danish.

It breaks down like this:

• Jeg = subject
• læser = verb
• programbladet = direct object
• i salen = place
• før forestillingen begynder = time clause

So the sentence pattern is roughly:

Subject + verb + object + place + time clause

That makes it a very useful model sentence for everyday Danish word order.

A few parts may be tricky for English speakers:

• jeg: the j is like English y in many pronunciations, and the word is often pronounced quite softly.
• læser: the æ is an open front vowel, somewhat like the vowel in cat, but not exactly the same.
• før: the vowel is rounded and may be unfamiliar to English speakers.
• begynder: the middle of the word is often harder than it looks, and the rhythm matters.

You do not need perfect pronunciation to understand the grammar, but these are words worth listening to from native audio because Danish spelling and pronunciation do not always match closely.

Because the sentence refers to a specific performance: the one that is about to begin.

Compare:

• en forestilling = a performance
• forestillingen = the performance

The definite form is natural here because the context already identifies it. If you are in the theatre and talking about the event everyone is waiting for, Danish normally uses the definite form.