Jeg prøver ikke at være negativ, men det lyder som en dyr løsning.

In a normal Danish main clause, the finite verb usually comes in second position, and ikke normally comes after that verb.

So:

• Jeg prøver ikke ... = I am not trying ...

This is standard Danish word order:

• Jeg = subject
• prøver = finite verb
• ikke = negation

If you put ikke before prøver, it would sound wrong in an ordinary statement.

Here at is the infinitive marker, like English to in to be.

So:

• være = be
• at være = to be

After prøver, Danish commonly uses at + infinitive:

• prøve at gøre noget = try to do something

So:

• Jeg prøver at være positiv = I’m trying to be positive
• Jeg prøver ikke at være negativ = I’m not trying to be negative

Because negativ is a predicate adjective here, linked to the subject jeg through være.

With jeg, the basic adjective form is used:

• Jeg er træt
• Jeg er glad
• Jeg er negativ

You would use -t with a neuter singular noun/pronoun:

• Det er negativt = That is negative

So compare:

• Jeg er negativ = I am negative
• Det er negativt = It is negative

Here it means I’m not trying to be negative.

The ikke negates prøver, so the idea is:

• I am not attempting to be negative
• I’m not trying to sound negative

It does not mean I’m trying to be not negative. Danish would express that differently.

So the sentence is a polite way of softening the opinion that comes next.

Here det works like English it in it sounds like ...

It does not necessarily refer to a specific noun. It can refer to the whole situation or idea.

So:

• Det lyder godt = That/It sounds good
• Det lyder mærkeligt = That sounds strange
• Det lyder som en dyr løsning = That sounds like an expensive solution

This kind of det is very common in Danish.

Lyder is from at lyde, meaning to sound.

som here means like/as.

So:

• det lyder som ... = it sounds like ...

This is used not only for actual sound, but also for impressions or judgments, just like in English:

• Det lyder godt = That sounds good
• Det lyder dyrt = That sounds expensive
• Det lyder som en god idé = That sounds like a good idea

In your sentence, det lyder som en dyr løsning means the speaker thinks it seems expensive.

Because løsning is a common-gender noun, so the indefinite article is en.

Structure:

• en = a
• dyr = expensive
• løsning = solution

So:

• en dyr løsning = an expensive solution

The adjective comes before the noun, just like in English.

Because of the context.

In Danish, dyr can mean:

• expensive (adjective)
• animal (noun)

Here it is clearly an adjective because it comes before løsning:

• en dyr løsning = an expensive solution

If it were the noun animal, the sentence structure would be different.

So context tells you which meaning is intended.

Men means but and connects two main clauses.

The sentence has two parts:

1. Jeg prøver ikke at være negativ
2. men det lyder som en dyr løsning

So the structure is:

• I’m not trying to be negative
• but it sounds like an expensive solution

This is a very common way to soften criticism in Danish, just as in English.

Yes, but the meaning is slightly different.

• Det lyder dyrt = That sounds expensive
• Det lyder som en dyr løsning = That sounds like an expensive solution

The version with som en dyr løsning is more specific. It says that the thing being discussed seems to be a solution that is expensive, not just something vaguely expensive.

So both are possible, but the original is more precise.

Yes. Prøver is the present tense of at prøve.

So:

• at prøve = to try
• jeg prøver = I try / I am trying

In Danish, the present tense often covers both simple present and present continuous, depending on context.

So Jeg prøver ikke at være negativ can mean:

• I do not try to be negative
• I’m not trying to be negative

In this sentence, the natural English translation is usually I’m not trying to be negative.

A careful approximate pronunciation might be:

Yai PROH-ver ik at VAIR-uh neh-gah-TEEV, men deh LOO-der som en DYR luhs-NEENG

A few helpful notes:

• Jeg sounds roughly like yai
• prøver has a rounded vowel that English does not have exactly
• ikke is often pronounced more like ik
• være is often pronounced with two syllables in careful speech
• lyder starts with ly-, which can be tricky for English speakers
• dyr has a vowel sound that English does not really have

The sentence is often said with a slight pause before men, because the speaker is softening what comes next.

Yes, very much so.

Jeg prøver ikke at være negativ, men ... is a common way to introduce criticism or disagreement politely. It signals:

• I don’t want to sound harsh
• I’m not attacking the idea
• I’m just expressing concern

So even though the speaker is saying something negative, the first clause makes it sound softer and more diplomatic.