Tandlægen skal lægge lokalbedøvelse.

The dentist must administer local anaesthetic.

Breakdown of Tandlægen skal lægge lokalbedøvelse.

• skulle: must
• tandlægen: the dentist
• lægge lokalbedøvelse: to administer local anaesthetic

Questions & Answers about Tandlægen skal lægge lokalbedøvelse.

Why does tandlægen end in -en?

Because tandlæge means dentist, and -en is the usual definite ending for a singular common-gender noun.

So:

• en tandlæge = a dentist
• tandlægen = the dentist

Unlike English, Danish often puts the at the end of the noun instead of using a separate word before it.

What exactly does skal mean here?

Skal is the present tense of skulle, a modal verb.

In this sentence, skal can suggest:

• must
• has to
• is supposed to
• is going to

So Tandlægen skal lægge lokalbedøvelse can mean something like:

• The dentist has to administer local anesthesia
• The dentist is going to give local anesthesia

The exact nuance depends on context. In a medical situation, it often sounds like a planned or necessary next step.

Why is lægge used? Doesn’t it usually mean to lay or to put?