Learn Hardcore Danish: Hun vil helst holde samtalen privat, fordi emnet er følsomt. - She would prefer to keep the conversation private because the topic is sensitive.

Breakdown of Hun vil helst holde samtalen privat, fordi emnet er følsomt.

What does helst mean in this sentence?

Helst means preferably, rather, or most of all.

In Hun vil helst holde samtalen privat, it shows preference:

Hun vil holde samtalen privat = She wants/will keep the conversation private
Hun vil helst holde samtalen privat = She would prefer to keep the conversation private

So helst adds the idea of preference, not just simple intention.

Why is helst placed after vil?

That is the normal position in Danish with a modal verb like vil, kan, skal, or må.

Pattern:

So:

This sounds natural in Danish. English learners sometimes expect the adverb to go elsewhere, but after the modal is the usual place here.

What does holde samtalen privat literally mean?

Literally, it means keep the conversation private.

The pattern is:

Examples:

So privat describes the state that she wants the conversation to remain in.