VERBS

        

General: a. Verbs are not conjugated in persons only in tenses.
           
             b. In a dictionary verbs are found in the infinitive form.

             c. The infinitive ends normally in -e
                 but words consisting of one syllable and ending with an unstressed vowel
                 do not add -e.

            d. If the infinitive does not end in -e
                then the infinitive and the base form are the same: bo (live), gå (go), se (see)
           
            e. Base form (or stem) is infinitive without -e:
                syng (=synge minus -e) (sing).

           
 
1. Present Tense

        
       is formed by adding -r to the infinitive in all persons:

       infinitive: synge + -r = synger (sing/sings)

                    jeg/du/han/vi/I/de synger    (I/you/he/we/they sing/sings)

       infinitive: bo, stå + -r = bor, står (live/lives, stand/stands)
      
   
Usage: The present tense is used as in English, but it is also used as the future tense: 

            jeg kommer i morgen (I shall come tomorrow)
         

          The progressive form (-ing form) in English
          can in Danish be expressed in different ways, eg.:

          a. present tense: han læser (he is reading)

          b. periphrastic construction with: 
              sidder/står/ligger og + present tense:
                    han sidder og læser (he is reading)

          c. periphrastic construction with: 
              er ved at + infinitive:
                    han er ved at læse (he is reading)
         
 
2. Past Tense

         
       there are 2 regular conjugations  (see also Present perfect):
         
       a. Regular conjugation, group I  (the biggest group):
          Base form + -ede  (the same in all persons):
                    husk, lav = huskede (remembered), lavede (made)
                    bo, vask  = boede (lived), vaskede (washed)
         
       b. Regular conjugation, group II:
          Base form + -te   (the same in all persons):
                    læs, spis = læste (read), spiste (ate)
                    køb, vis  = købte (bought), viste (showed)
         
       c. Irregular conjugation:
                    var (was/were), så (saw), gik (went), 
                    sagde (pronounced (sä·) (said),    
      
           
Usage: The past tense is used as in English.
         
           The progressive form (-ing form) in English
           can in Danish be expressed in different ways, eg.:

          a. past tense: han læste (he was reading)

          b. periphrastic construction with: 
              sad/stod/lå og + present tense:
              ...