Det passer mig. Det er en aftale. Lad os gøre det.

In Danish, at passe can mean to suit, to fit, or to be convenient.

So Det passer mig literally means something like That suits me or That fits me, and in everyday English it is often best translated as That works for me.

It is a very common way to agree to a time, plan, or suggestion.

• Kl. 3? – Det passer mig fint.
  • 3 o’clock? – That works fine for me.

Because mig is the object form of jeg.

In English, this is similar to the difference between I and me:

• I am happy.
• It suits me.

In Danish:

• jeg = subject form
• mig = object form

Since det is the thing doing the suiting, and mig is the person affected by it, Danish uses mig.

• Det passer mig.
• Not: Det passer jeg.

Here, passer is the present tense of at passe.

Depending on context, at passe can mean several things, including:

• to fit
• to suit
• to work
• to look after

In Det passer mig, it means suits me / works for me.

This verb is very context-dependent, so learners often notice it has more than one meaning.

Examples:

• Trøjen passer mig. = The sweater fits me.
• Tiden passer mig godt. = The time suits me well.
• Jeg passer børnene. = I look after the children.

Because det is a very common Danish pronoun meaning it or that, and it is often used in short everyday expressions.

In your three sentences:

• Det passer mig. = That works for me.
• Det er en aftale. = It’s a deal.
• Lad os gøre det. = Let’s do it.

In the first two, det acts as the subject:

• det passer
• det er

In the third, det is the object:

• gøre det = do it

Danish uses det very naturally in places where English also often uses it or that.

Literally, it means It is an agreement.

But in natural English, it usually means:

• It’s a deal
• Agreed
• We have an agreement

The noun aftale means agreement, arrangement, or appointment, depending on context.

So Det er en aftale is a common phrase used when two people confirm a plan.

Example:

• Vi ses klokken otte.
• Det er en aftale.

=

• See you at eight.
• It’s a deal.

The word aftale is broad, and the exact meaning depends on context.

It can mean:

• agreement: a deal between people
• arrangement: a plan you have made
• appointment: a scheduled meeting

Examples:

• Vi har en aftale. = We have an agreement / plan.
• Jeg har en aftale med lægen. = I have a doctor’s appointment.

In Det er en aftale, the meaning is clearly agreement / deal, not appointment.

Because Lad os ... is the standard Danish way to say Let’s ...

• Lad is the imperative of at lade.
• os means us.

So Lad os gøre det literally means Let us do it, but in normal English it is simply Let’s do it.

This structure is very common:

• Lad os gå. = Let’s go.
• Lad os prøve. = Let’s try.
• Lad os starte. = Let’s start.

Because after Lad os, Danish uses the infinitive form of the verb.

So:

• Lad os gøre det. = Let’s do it.

Here:

• gøre = infinitive, to do
• gør = present tense, do/does

Compare:

• Vi gør det nu. = We do it now / We’re doing it now.
• Lad os gøre det nu. = Let’s do it now.

Also notice there is no at before the infinitive here. After lad os, Danish normally uses the bare infinitive.

Not always. At gøre often corresponds to to do, but not in every expression.

In Lad os gøre det, it matches English very well: Let’s do it.

But Danish and English do not always use do/gøre in exactly the same places. Some phrases must simply be learned as fixed expressions.

Still, gøre is one of the main verbs for doing something:

• Hvad gør du? = What are you doing?
• Jeg gør mit bedste. = I’m doing my best.

So in this sentence, gøre is exactly what you would expect.

Yes. All three are natural standalone phrases in conversation.

• Det passer mig.
  Used when a suggestion is convenient for you.

• Det er en aftale.
  Used when confirming a plan or agreement.

• Lad os gøre det.
  Used when suggesting action right away.

You can say them separately or together, depending on the conversation.

For example:

• Skal vi mødes i morgen?
• Ja, det passer mig.

Or:

• Vi ses klokken seks.
• Det er en aftale.

Or:

• Skal vi bestille billetterne nu?
• Ja, lad os gøre det.

In natural speech, several sounds are softer than an English speaker might expect.

A rough guide:

• Det passer mig

  • roughly: de PAS-ser maj

• Det er en aftale

  • roughly: de er en ah-TAY-le

• Lad os gøre det

  • roughly: la os GUR-e de

A few important points:

• det often sounds more like de than a fully pronounced det
• gøre has a rounded vowel that English does not have exactly
• Danish d is often very soft, especially at the end of syllables

These rough spellings are only approximations, but they can help at the beginning.

Usually, no. The normal expression is Det passer mig.

Danish commonly uses the verb directly with the person:

• Det passer mig fint.

Using for here would sound unnatural in standard Danish.

So if you want to say That works for me, the safest version is:

• Det passer mig.
• Det passer mig fint. = That works fine for me.

It is neutral and very common in everyday speech.

It works well in:

• casual conversation
• planning with friends
• workplace scheduling
• polite everyday situations

You can make it more enthusiastic or polite by adding words:

• Det passer mig fint. = That works fine for me.
• Det passer mig godt. = That suits me well.
• Ja, det passer mig perfekt. = Yes, that works perfectly for me.

So it is a very useful phrase to learn.