Jeg tager bestikket frem, før gæsterne kommer.

Bestik is the basic noun, meaning cutlery or silverware. Danish often adds the definite ending directly to the noun instead of using a separate word like the.

So:

• bestik = cutlery
• bestikket = the cutlery

The extra k appears because of spelling and pronunciation patterns in Danish. This is normal and something you just get used to.

For the same reason: gæsterne means the guests.

• gæst = guest
• gæster = guests
• gæsterne = the guests

Danish usually puts definiteness at the end of the noun:

• singular definite: -en / -et
• plural definite: -ne

So før gæsterne kommer means before the guests come/arrive.

Because tage frem is a verb + particle combination, similar to English phrasal verbs like take out or bring out.

The full expression is tage frem, which often means take out, bring out, or get out depending on context.

In main clauses, Danish finite verbs usually come early in the sentence, so the verb and particle can be separated:

• Jeg tager bestikket frem.

This is completely normal. You can think of it as similar to English:

• I take the cutlery out.

On its own, frem often means something like forward, out, or forth. But in this sentence, it is part of the expression tage frem.

So here frem does not simply mean physical forward movement. It helps create the meaning take out / bring out / get out.

In context:

• Jeg tager bestikket frem = I get the cutlery out / I bring out the cutlery

Because Danish often uses the present tense for future events when the time reference is clear from context.

So:

• før gæsterne kommer literally looks like before the guests come
• but in natural English it is usually before the guests arrive or before the guests come

This is very similar to English in sentences like:

• I’m leaving tomorrow
• Call me when he arrives

So Danish present tense can easily refer to the future.

Because før already introduces the time clause by itself. It means before.

So:

• før gæsterne kommer = before the guests come/arrive

You do not need another linking word. Danish subordinate clauses are often introduced by words like:

• før = before
• når = when
• da = when
• fordi = because
• hvis = if

Because after før, you have a subordinate clause, and subordinate clauses usually keep the subject before the verb.

So the normal order is:

• gæsterne kommer = the guests come

This is different from Danish main clauses, where the finite verb is often in second position.

Compare:

• Main clause: Nu kommer gæsterne. = Now the guests are coming.
• Subordinate clause: før gæsterne kommer = before the guests come

That subject-verb order is one of the important differences between main and subordinate clauses in Danish.

Yes, you could say før gæsterne ankommer, and it would mean before the guests arrive.

However, kommer is more common and more natural in everyday speech. Danish often uses komme where English might prefer arrive.

So:

• før gæsterne kommer = very natural, everyday Danish
• før gæsterne ankommer = also correct, but a bit more formal or specific

It can mean either, depending on context.

The Danish present tense can express:

• something happening now
• a habitual action
• a near-future action

So this sentence could mean:

• I’m getting the cutlery out before the guests arrive
• I usually get the cutlery out before the guests arrive

Without more context, both are possible. In many real situations, listeners understand from the situation which meaning is intended.

Usually bestik is treated as a collective noun, like cutlery in English. It often refers to cutlery in general, not one single piece.

So in this sentence, bestikket most naturally means the cutlery as a group.

If you want to talk about individual items, you would usually say:

• en kniv = a knife
• en gaffel = a fork
• en ske = a spoon

In some contexts, et bestik can mean a set for one person, but in everyday usage bestik/bestikket often refers to cutlery more generally.

A full pronunciation guide can vary by accent, but a few useful points are:

• Jeg is often pronounced more like yai or yai̯
• tager often sounds roughly like ta-er, with a very soft or dropped g
• bestikket has stress on the second syllable: be-STIK-ket
• før has a front rounded vowel that English speakers often find difficult
• gæsterne begins with a vowel like æ, somewhat like the vowel in cat, but not exactly the same
• kommer often sounds roughly like kom-er

Also, in natural speech, some endings are less clearly pronounced than in careful textbook speech.

No, that would not sound natural here.

With tage frem, the usual word order is:

• Jeg tager bestikket frem

The object normally comes before the particle frem in a simple main clause like this.

So for learners, it is safest to remember:

• tage noget frem = take something out / bring something out

Example pattern:

• Jeg tager tallerkenerne frem.
• Hun tager glassene frem.

That pattern is very common.