A1 Expression Neutral

Det er sent

It is late

Phrase in 30 Seconds

Use 'Det er sent' to state that the hour is late or to politely signal it's time to leave.

  • Means: It is late (referring to the time of day).
  • Used in: Ending a party, checking the clock, or explaining tiredness.
  • Don't confuse: Use 'Jeg er forsinket' if you personally are running late.
🌙 + ⏰ = 😴 (Moon + Clock = Time to sleep)

Explanation at your level:

In A1, you learn 'Det er sent' as a basic way to talk about time. It is like 'It is late' in English. You use it when you look at a clock at night. It is very easy because the words do not change much. You just need 'det' (it), 'er' (is), and 'sent' (late).
At the A2 level, you start using 'Det er sent' to explain why you are doing something, like going home or going to bed. You might say 'Det er sent, så jeg er træt' (It is late, so I am tired). You also learn that 'sent' is the opposite of 'tidligt' (early).
Intermediate learners use the phrase to manage social situations. You learn to soften the phrase with words like 'ret' (quite) or 'efterhånden' (by now). You also begin to distinguish between 'Det er sent' (time of day) and 'Jeg kommer for sent' (I am late for something), which is a common hurdle.
At B2, you understand the nuance of 'Det er blevet sent' (It has become late) versus 'Det var sent' (It was late). You can use the phrase in professional contexts to suggest ending a meeting or in writing to describe a late-night setting with more descriptive adverbs like 'uoverkommeligt' (insurmountably).
Advanced learners recognize 'Det er sent' as a pragmatic marker. You understand that in a Danish conversation, this phrase often functions as a 'pre-closing' move in discourse analysis. You also master related idiomatic expressions like 'at være sent på den' in various metaphorical contexts, such as being late in one's career or a project phase.
At the C2 level, you possess a near-native grasp of the phrase's prosody—how the intonation of 'Det er sent' can convey irony, urgency, or exhaustion. You can analyze the phrase within the broader Germanic linguistic evolution and compare its usage to the 'impersonal it' constructions in other languages, noting the specific Danish preference for 'Klokken er mange' in colloquial registers.

Bedeutung

Time of day.

🌍

Kultureller Hintergrund

Danes value their sleep and 'nattero' (night peace). Calling someone after 9:00 PM is often preceded by an apology like 'Jeg ved, det er sent...'. In the summer, with the midnight sun, 'Det er sent' might be said even when it is bright outside, which can be confusing for visitors. Working late is generally discouraged in Denmark to maintain work-life balance. If a boss says 'Det er sent,' it's often a hint for you to go home. The 'Danish Goodbye' often starts with 'Det er sent.' It is a polite way to begin the 20-minute process of leaving a house.

💡

The Social Signal

If you are at a Danish home and want to leave, simply looking at your watch and saying 'Det er sent' is the most polite way to start your exit.

⚠️

Don't say 'Jeg er sent'

This is the #1 mistake. Always use 'Jeg er forsinket' if you are the one who is late.

Bedeutung

Time of day.

💡

The Social Signal

If you are at a Danish home and want to leave, simply looking at your watch and saying 'Det er sent' is the most polite way to start your exit.

⚠️

Don't say 'Jeg er sent'

This is the #1 mistake. Always use 'Jeg er forsinket' if you are the one who is late.

🎯

Use 'Efterhånden'

Add 'efterhånden' (Det er efterhånden sent) to sound much more like a native speaker when ending a conversation.

💬

Nattero

Respecting that 'det er sent' is a core part of Danish neighborly etiquette.

Teste dich selbst

Fill in the missing word to say 'It is late.'

Det ___ sent.

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: er

We use the verb 'at være' (to be) in the present tense 'er'.

Which sentence means you are behind schedule for a meeting?

Choose the correct sentence:

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: Jeg er forsinket.

'Forsinket' is used for people being late. 'Det er sent' is for the time of day.

Match the phrase to the situation.

You want to tell your friend it's time to go to bed because of the time.

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: Det er sent.

This is the standard way to observe that it is late at night.

Complete the dialogue.

A: Skal vi se en film mere? B: Nej, ______. Jeg skal op tidligt i morgen.

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: det er sent

The context of needing to get up early implies that it is currently late.

🎉 Ergebnis: /4

Visuelle Lernhilfen

Sent vs. Forsinket

Det er sent
Time of day It's 11 PM
Jeg er forsinket
Schedule I missed the bus

Häufig gestellte Fragen

10 Fragen

No, because 'det' is neuter, the adjective must be 'sent'.

'Sent' refers to the time of day (It's 11 PM). 'Forsinket' refers to being late for an appointment.

Yes, but 'Klokken er mange' is more common in casual speech.

You say 'Det er ved at blive sent' or 'Det bliver sent'.

Yes, you can say 'i de sene 90'ere'.

It can be. It's usually better to wait for the guest to say it, or say 'Jeg skal tidligt op i morgen' (I have to get up early tomorrow).

It means being late in a specific timeframe or process, like being late to start a task.

Use 'for sent'. For example: 'Det er for sent nu.'

It can be both. In 'Det er sent', it functions as a predicative adjective.

Yes, this means 'It is late in the evening'.

Verwandte Redewendungen

🔄

Klokken er mange

synonym

The clock is many (It is late)

🔗

Sent på den

similar

Late in the process

🔗

For sent

specialized form

Too late

🔗

Sent i går

builds on

Late yesterday

🔗

Ud på de små timer

similar

Into the small hours

Wo du es verwendest

🥳

Leaving a party

Gæst: Tak for i aften, men det er sent nu.

Vært: Selv tak! Kom godt hjem.

informal
💻

Working overtime

Chef: Det er sent. Skal vi stoppe for i dag?

Ansat: Ja, god idé. Vi ses i morgen.

neutral
🧒

Putting kids to bed

Far: I seng nu! Det er sent.

Barn: Fem minutter mere, tak!

informal
📞

Late night phone call

A: Undskyld jeg ringer, jeg ved det er sent.

B: Det gør ikke noget. Hvad er der sket?

neutral
⌚

Checking the time

Ven 1: Hvad er klokken?

Ven 2: Den er halv tolv. Det er sent!

neutral
📱

Dating app message

Bruger: Er du stadig vågen? Det er ret sent.

Match: Ja, jeg er et B-menneske!

informal

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of 'Sent' as 'Scent'—at night, the 'scent' of the flowers is stronger because 'Det er sent'.

Visual Association

Imagine a giant clock tower in Copenhagen (like the City Hall clock) with the sun setting behind it and the hands pointing to midnight.

Rhyme

Når solen er gået i seng, er det sent, min lille dreng.

Story

You are at a cozy Danish 'hygge' party. You look at your watch and see it's 11 PM. You whisper to your friend, 'Det er sent,' and you both start putting on your heavy coats to walk home in the cool night air.

Word Web

senforsinketnataftenklokkentidligtsovetræt

Herausforderung

Tonight, exactly when you decide to go to bed, say out loud: 'Det er sent, jeg skal sove.'

In Other Languages

Spanish high

Es tarde

Danish distinguishes 'eftermiddag' (afternoon) from 'sent' (late).

French high

Il est tard

French uses 'tard' while Danish uses 'sent'.

German high

Es ist spät

The words are cognates but sound different.

Japanese moderate

遅いです (Osoi desu)

Japanese 'osoi' can be used for both time of day and being late for a meeting.

Arabic moderate

الوقت متأخر (Al-waqt muta'akhkhir)

Arabic requires a noun like 'time' or 'hour' to be the subject.

Chinese moderate

很晚了 (Hěn wǎn le)

Chinese focuses on the change of state rather than the 'it is' structure.

Korean low

늦었어요 (Neujeosseoyo)

One word covers both 'sent' and 'forsinket' in Korean.

Portuguese high

Está tarde

Portuguese uses a temporary 'to be' (estar) whereas Danish uses 'er' (være).

Easily Confused

Det er sent vs. Jeg er forsinket

Learners use 'Det er sent' to mean they are late for a meeting.

Use 'forsinket' for people, 'sent' for the clock.

Det er sent vs. Klokken er sent

Direct translation from English 'The time is late'.

In Danish, the clock is 'mange' (many), not 'sent'.

FAQ (10)

No, because 'det' is neuter, the adjective must be 'sent'.

'Sent' refers to the time of day (It's 11 PM). 'Forsinket' refers to being late for an appointment.

Yes, but 'Klokken er mange' is more common in casual speech.

You say 'Det er ved at blive sent' or 'Det bliver sent'.

Yes, you can say 'i de sene 90'ere'.

It can be. It's usually better to wait for the guest to say it, or say 'Jeg skal tidligt op i morgen' (I have to get up early tomorrow).

It means being late in a specific timeframe or process, like being late to start a task.

Use 'for sent'. For example: 'Det er for sent nu.'

It can be both. In 'Det er sent', it functions as a predicative adjective.

Yes, this means 'It is late in the evening'.

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