Infinitive with At in Danish

Overview

The infinitive marker at in Danish serves a similar function to English "to" before verbs. It is used to link verbs together and to create infinitive phrases. At the A1 level, understanding when to use at and when to omit it is essential for constructing natural sentences.

The infinitive marker 'at' before verbs, similar to English 'to'. Omitted after modal verbs. Used in constructions like 'prover at', 'begynder at'. The key rule is that at is omitted after modal verbs (kan, vil, skal, ma, bor) but is required after most other verbs.

Common verbs that take at + infinitive include prover at (tries to), begynder at (begins to), laerer at (learns to), fortsaetter med at (continues to), and plejer at (usually does).

How It Works

When to use at

At is required before infinitives after most non-modal verbs:

Verb + at	Example	Translation
proeve at	Jeg prover at forstaa.	I try to understand.
begynde at	Hun begynder at lobe.	She starts to run.
laere at	Vi laerer at svomme.	We are learning to swim.
pleje at	De plejer at spise kl. 18.	They usually eat at 6 PM.
onske at	Jeg onsker at rejse.	I wish to travel.

When to omit at

At is omitted after modal verbs:

Modal + infinitive (NO at)	Translation
Jeg kan svomme.	I can swim.
Hun vil rejse.	She wants to travel.
Vi skal ga.	We must go.
Du ma komme ind.	You may come in.
I bor laese.	You should read.

At as "that" (conjunction)

Note: at also means "that" in subordinate clauses. Do not confuse the two uses:

Use	Example	Translation
Infinitive marker	Det er godt at vide.	It's good to know.
Conjunction "that"	Jeg ved, at hun kommer.	I know that she's coming.

Examples in Context

Danish	English	Note
Jeg forsoger at forstaa.	I try to understand.	at required after forsoger
Det er godt at vide.	It's good to know.	at in adjective + infinitive
Hun begynder at lobe.	She starts to run.	at required after begynder
Vi plejer at spise kl. 18.	We usually eat at 6 PM.	at required after plejer
Jeg kan svomme.	I can swim.	No at after modal kan
Han vil gerne laere at danse.	He would like to learn to dance.	No at after vil, at after laere
Det er svart at forstaa.	It's hard to understand.	at in adjective + infinitive
Hun lover at komme.	She promises to come.	at required after lover
Jeg har brug for at sove.	I need to sleep.	at in expression
Vi fortsaetter med at arbejde.	We continue to work.	at after med in fixed phrase

Common Mistakes

Adding at after modal verbs

• Wrong: Jeg kan at svomme.
• Right: Jeg kan svomme.
• Why: Modal verbs (kan, vil, skal, ma, bor) are always followed directly by the infinitive without at.

Omitting at after non-modal verbs

• Wrong: Jeg prover forstaa.
• Right: Jeg prover at forstaa.
• Why: Most non-modal verbs require at before the following infinitive.

Confusing at (infinitive marker) with at (that)

• Wrong: Misinterpreting at in sentences like Det er godt at vide as "that" instead of "to."
• Right: Recognize from context: if followed by an infinitive, it means "to"; if followed by a full clause, it means "that."
• Why: Both uses are spelled and pronounced the same. Context determines the meaning.

Usage Notes

The infinitive marker at functions similarly to English "to" but is omitted after modal verbs (kan, vil, skal, ma, bor). It is required after most other verbs: prover at (tries to), begynder at (begins to), laerer at (learns to). In spoken Danish, at often merges with the preceding word and may be barely audible.

Practice Tips

• Sort verbs into two groups. Make a list of verbs that need at (proeve, begynde, laere, pleje) and those that do not (kan, vil, skal, ma). Practice sentences with each.
• Listen for at in speech. In spoken Danish, at is often very reduced. Training your ear to notice it helps you understand when it is present.
• Create sentence chains. Practice linking verbs: Jeg vil gerne laere at tale dansk (I would like to learn to speak Danish). Notice which verbs need at and which do not.

Related Concepts

• Present Tense - Parent concept
• Infinitive Constructions