Phrase in 30 Seconds
Use 'at tabe sig' to talk about losing weight in a natural, everyday way.
- Means: To lose weight (literally 'to drop oneself').
- Used in: Health discussions, fitness goals, and medical contexts.
- Don't confuse: Don't forget the reflexive 'sig' or you'll just mean 'to drop'.
Erklärung auf deinem Niveau:
Bedeutung
Weight loss journey
Kultureller Hintergrund
The concept of 'Slankekur' (slimming cure/diet) is very popular in January. You will see 'at tabe sig' in every magazine and newspaper during this time. It is generally acceptable to discuss weight loss goals with colleagues during lunch, as health is seen as a positive personal project. Doctors are very direct. If you are overweight, they will tell you 'Du skal tabe dig' without much sugar-coating, as they value efficiency and health facts. The hashtag #vægttab is huge on Danish Instagram, where people share their 'tabe sig' journeys with a focus on 'hverdagsmad' (everyday food).
Don't forget the pronoun!
Without 'mig/dig/sig', you are just dropping things on the floor.
Use with 'kilo'
Always put the number of kilos after the pronoun: 'Jeg har tabt mig 5 kilo.'
Don't forget the pronoun!
Without 'mig/dig/sig', you are just dropping things on the floor.
Use with 'kilo'
Always put the number of kilos after the pronoun: 'Jeg har tabt mig 5 kilo.'
Be careful with compliments
While 'Du har tabt dig' is usually a compliment, some people might find it too personal. Use it with friends!
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the correct reflexive pronoun (mig, dig, sig, os, jer).
Jeg vil gerne tabe ___ inden sommerferien.
Because the subject is 'Jeg' (I), the reflexive pronoun must be 'mig' (me/myself).
Which sentence is correct?
How do you say 'He has lost weight'?
'At tabe sig' is the standard phrase, and 'sig' is the correct reflexive pronoun for 'han'.
Match the Danish subject with the correct reflexive form of 'tabe sig'.
Match the pairs:
Each subject has a specific corresponding reflexive pronoun in Danish.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Hvor ser du godt ud! Har du ____? B: Ja, jeg har tabt mig fem kilo.
A is asking B (you), so 'tabt dig' (past participle + reflexive) is correct.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Tabe vs. Tabe sig
Aufgabensammlung
5 AufgabenJeg vil gerne tabe ___ inden sommerferien.
Because the subject is 'Jeg' (I), the reflexive pronoun must be 'mig' (me/myself).
How do you say 'He has lost weight'?
'At tabe sig' is the standard phrase, and 'sig' is the correct reflexive pronoun for 'han'.
Ordne jedem Element links seinen Partner rechts zu:
Each subject has a specific corresponding reflexive pronoun in Danish.
A: Hvor ser du godt ud! Har du ____? B: Ja, jeg har tabt mig fem kilo.
A is asking B (you), so 'tabt dig' (past participle + reflexive) is correct.
🎉 Ergebnis: /5
Häufig gestellte Fragen
14 FragenNo, that sounds like a literal translation from English. Always use 'Jeg taber mig'.
'Tabe sig' is the result (losing weight), while 'slanke sig' is the process (dieting).
Danes use kilos. Say 'Jeg har tabt mig ca. 4,5 kilo'.
It is neutral. You can use it in any context.
Yes! 'Hunden har tabt sig' (The dog has lost weight).
The past tense is 'tabte sig'.
No, it changes to mig, dig, os, jer depending on the person.
Yes, it can be very blunt. Use it only if you are a doctor or a very close family member.
No, for games use 'at tabe' without 'sig'.
The opposite is 'at tage på'.
You still use 'at tabe sig', but you might add 'uden at ville det'.
Yes, 'et vægttab' (a weight loss).
That means 'I am losing myself' (mentally or in a crowd), not weight loss.
It sounds like 'sai' or 'say'. The 'g' is never hard.
Verwandte Redewendungen
at slanke sig
similarto diet / to try to get slim
at tage på
contrastto gain weight
at holde vægten
similarto maintain weight
et vægttab
specialized forma weight loss
at smide nogle kilo
informal alternativeto shed some kilos
Wo du es verwendest
At the Doctor
Læge: Du bør overveje at tabe dig lidt for dit blodtryk.
Patient: Jeg ved det godt, jeg prøver at tabe mig.
Gym Talk
Ven 1: Træner du for at få muskler?
Ven 2: Nej, mest for at tabe mig.
Dinner Party
Vært: Vil du have mere kage?
Gæst: Ellers tak, jeg prøver at tabe mig.
Clothes Shopping
Kunde: Disse bukser er for store.
Ekspedient: Har du tabt dig?
New Year's Resolutions
A: Hvad er dit nytårsforsæt?
B: Jeg vil tabe mig ti kilo.
Social Media Update
Influencer: Se mine før/efter billeder! Jeg har tabt mig meget.
Einprägen
Eselsbrücke
Think of 'tabe' as 'table'. If you drop your food under the 'table', you will 'tabe sig' (lose weight)!
Visuelle Assoziation
Imagine a person holding a heavy bag labeled 'SELF'. They drop the bag (tabe) and suddenly they are lighter and can jump higher.
Rhyme
Tabe sig og føle sig fri, det er den bedste melodi.
Story
Thomas wanted to run a marathon. He started to 'tabe' (drop) his old habits. By 'dropping himself' (tabe sig) of 10 kilos, he finally crossed the finish line feeling light as a feather.
In Other Languages
In German, it's 'abnehmen' (to take off), and in English, we 'lose' weight. Danish is unique in using the reflexive 'drop oneself' construction.
Word Web
Herausforderung
Try to conjugate 'at tabe sig' for all persons (jeg, du, han, vi, i, de) while looking in the mirror today.
Review this phrase in 1 day, 3 days, and 1 week to lock in the reflexive pronouns.
Aussprache
The 'a' is long, and the 'b' is soft, almost like a 'p' in some dialects.
The 'g' is silent and the 'i' sounds like 'ay' in 'say'.
Formalitätsspektrum
Det er nødvendigt for mit helbred at opnå et vægttab. (Health discussion)
Jeg har brug for at tabe mig af hensyn til mit helbred. (Health discussion)
Jeg skal altså tabe mig lidt, så jeg får det bedre. (Health discussion)
Jeg skal lige smide nogle kilo, mand. (Health discussion)
From the Old Norse 'tapa' (to lose/drop) combined with the reflexive pronoun 'sig'. The reflexive use for weight specifically developed as a way to describe the body 'dropping' its own mass.
Wusstest du?
In some older Danish dialects, 'at tabe sig' could also mean to lose one's way or get lost, but that meaning is now obsolete.
Kulturelle Hinweise
The concept of 'Slankekur' (slimming cure/diet) is very popular in January. You will see 'at tabe sig' in every magazine and newspaper during this time.
“Ugebladene er fyldt med tips til at tabe sig i januar.”
It is generally acceptable to discuss weight loss goals with colleagues during lunch, as health is seen as a positive personal project.
“Vi taler ofte om at tabe os i frokostpausen.”
Doctors are very direct. If you are overweight, they will tell you 'Du skal tabe dig' without much sugar-coating, as they value efficiency and health facts.
“Lægen sagde direkte, at jeg skulle tabe mig.”
The hashtag #vægttab is huge on Danish Instagram, where people share their 'tabe sig' journeys with a focus on 'hverdagsmad' (everyday food).
“Hun deler sit vægttab på Instagram.”
Gesprächseinstiege
Hvad er den bedste måde at tabe sig på?
Er det vigtigt for dig at tabe dig?
Hvorfor er det så svært at tabe sig efter jul?
Häufige Fehler
Jeg taber min vægt.
Jeg taber mig.
L1 Interference
Han taber sig nøglerne.
Han taber nøglerne.
L1 Interference
Vi taber sig.
Vi taber os.
L1 Interference
Jeg har mistet mig.
Jeg har tabt mig.
L1 Interference
In Other Languages
Adelgazar / Perder peso
Danish uses a reflexive 'drop' construction while Spanish uses a specific 'thinning' verb.
Maigrir / Perdre du poids
French 'maigrir' is a direct verb; Danish requires the reflexive pronoun.
Abnehmen
German is not reflexive; Danish is.
痩せる (Yaseru)
Japanese is a single verb; Danish is a multi-word reflexive collocation.
فقد الوزن (Faqada al-wazn)
Arabic requires the noun 'weight' to be explicitly stated.
减肥 (Jiǎnféi)
Chinese focuses on 'fat reduction'; Danish focuses on 'dropping oneself'.
살을 빼다 (Sal-eul ppaeda)
Korean is highly active ('pulling out'); Danish is more passive/reflexive ('dropping').
Emagrecer
Portuguese uses a single verb derived from 'magro' (thin).
Spotted in the Real World
“Jeg har tabt mig, Casper. Kan du ikke se det?”
Frank is trying to impress Casper with his new fitness regime.
“Jeg taber mig i dine øjne.”
A romantic song using the literal 'losing myself' meaning.
“Sådan taber du dig uden at gå på kur.”
Headline for a health article.
“Jeg skal vist tabe mig efter alle de kager!”
A joke made after eating too much cake on the show.
Leicht verwechselbar
Learners forget the 'sig' and end up saying they dropped an object.
If there is no object (like keys), you probably need 'sig'.
Both mean 'to lose' in English.
Use 'miste' for things you can't find or people who die. Use 'tabe sig' for weight.
Häufig gestellte Fragen (14)
No, that sounds like a literal translation from English. Always use 'Jeg taber mig'.
common mistakes'Tabe sig' is the result (losing weight), while 'slanke sig' is the process (dieting).
usage contextsDanes use kilos. Say 'Jeg har tabt mig ca. 4,5 kilo'.
practical tipsIt is neutral. You can use it in any context.
basic understandingYes! 'Hunden har tabt sig' (The dog has lost weight).
usage contextsThe past tense is 'tabte sig'.
grammar mechanicsNo, it changes to mig, dig, os, jer depending on the person.
grammar mechanicsYes, it can be very blunt. Use it only if you are a doctor or a very close family member.
cultural usageNo, for games use 'at tabe' without 'sig'.
comparisonsThe opposite is 'at tage på'.
basic understandingYou still use 'at tabe sig', but you might add 'uden at ville det'.
usage contextsYes, 'et vægttab' (a weight loss).
grammar mechanicsThat means 'I am losing myself' (mentally or in a crowd), not weight loss.
common mistakesIt sounds like 'sai' or 'say'. The 'g' is never hard.
practical tips
