{"id":1530,"date":"2021-10-01T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-01T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swaplanguage.com\/blog\/?p=1530"},"modified":"2021-10-01T12:00:00","modified_gmt":"2021-10-01T10:00:00","slug":"nar-or-daways-to-say-when-in-danish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.claireb.dk\/index.php\/2021\/10\/01\/nar-or-daways-to-say-when-in-danish\/","title":{"rendered":"N\u00e5r or da? Deciding How to Say \u201cWhen\u201d in Danish Made Simple and Easy!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

So maybe you want to tell a story in Danish. Or tell your colleagues what you’re going to do after work (“When I get home…”).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But then you remember that you can either use n\u00e5r <\/em>or da<\/em> when saying “when” in Danish. These two words – conjunctions to be exact – can be translated to the same English word, but have two different meanings! But which one do you use?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don’t let this question ruin your stories and plans! Check out these tips on whether you should use n\u00e5r<\/em> or da<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When to use da<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Da<\/em> is used when talking about an action that happened at some point in the past and is now finished. It can often be replaced with dengang (back when).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Da jeg kom ind p\u00e5 kontoret, spurgte min chef: \u201dHvorfor kommer du s\u00e5 sent?\u201d (When I came to the office, my boss asked, \u201cWhy are you coming so late?\u201d)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jeg kom aldrig for sent i skole, da jeg var barn. (I never came to school late when I was a kid.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note here that the first example describes a single point in time after da<\/em>, while the action described in the second example (being a kid) is much longer. The point here is not how long the actions are, but that they are both finished!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When to use n\u00e5r<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Family<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It gets a little bit more complicated with n\u00e5r<\/em> \u2013 but don’t worry, you will manage!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can use n\u00e5r <\/em>when talking about the past, but this time, it’s about repeated actions. In other words, you are talking about what happened every time something occurred. Remember how with da<\/em>, you could replace it with dengang<\/em>? When using n\u00e5r with the past tense, you can usually replace it with hver gang (every time)<\/em>. What is all of that supposed to mean, you ask? Here are some examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Min tidligere chef tilb\u00f8d mig kaffe, n\u00e5r\/hver gang jeg kom for sent. (My former boss offered me coffee when\/everytime I arrived late.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This time, the actions can also happen regularly in the present:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Min nuv\u00e6rende chef bliver sur, n\u00e5r jeg kommer for sent. (My current boss gets angry when\/every time I arrive late.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

N\u00e5r <\/em>does not only describe repeated actions, though!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It can be used when talking about the future \u2013 and here, it’s not just for describing single actions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

N\u00e5r jeg kommer hjem i aften, laver jeg pizza. (When I come home tonight, I\u2019ll make pizza).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tell me again \u2013 how do I know if I should use <\/em>n\u00e5r or da?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The most important points to remember when deciding whether to use n\u00e5r<\/em> or da<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n