Bedeutung
Stating your destination or plan.
Kultureller Hintergrund
Danes value punctuality highly. If you say you are going to work, it's expected you arrive exactly on time. 'Flexicurity' also means people talk about work openly but maintain a strict boundary with home life. In Greenlandic Danish, the phrase is the same, but the 'work' might involve different seasonal activities like hunting or fishing, though 'arbejde' still refers to formal jobs. Compared to the US 'hustle culture', the Danish phrase sounds more like a neutral part of the day rather than a stressful obligation. In Japan, leaving for work involves specific set phrases like 'ittekimasu'. In Denmark, 'Jeg skal på arbejde' is more of a factual statement of intent.
Drop the 'go'
To sound like a native, never say 'Jeg skal gå på arbejde'. Just say 'Jeg skal på arbejde'. The motion is implied!
The 'Polite Exit'
If you are at a boring social event, 'Jeg skal desværre tidligt på arbejde i morgen' is the perfect, polite way to leave.
Bedeutung
Stating your destination or plan.
Drop the 'go'
To sound like a native, never say 'Jeg skal gå på arbejde'. Just say 'Jeg skal på arbejde'. The motion is implied!
The 'Polite Exit'
If you are at a boring social event, 'Jeg skal desværre tidligt på arbejde i morgen' is the perfect, polite way to leave.
Preposition Trap
Avoid 'til' at all costs. It's the #1 marker of a beginner.
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the missing word.
Jeg ___ på arbejde nu.
'Skal' is the correct modal verb to indicate you are heading to a destination.
Which sentence is correct?
How do you say 'I have to go to work tomorrow'?
'På arbejde' is the fixed idiomatic expression.
Match the situation to the phrase.
You are leaving the house and saying goodbye to your cat.
You use 'skal' because you are about to go.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Vil du med i biografen? B: Nej, desværre. Jeg ___ ___ ___.
B is explaining why they cannot go to the cinema.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Skal vs. Er
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenJeg ___ på arbejde nu.
'Skal' is the correct modal verb to indicate you are heading to a destination.
How do you say 'I have to go to work tomorrow'?
'På arbejde' is the fixed idiomatic expression.
You are leaving the house and saying goodbye to your cat.
You use 'skal' because you are about to go.
A: Vil du med i biografen? B: Nej, desværre. Jeg ___ ___ ___.
B is explaining why they cannot go to the cinema.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenYes, it is very common and slightly more informal. Both are perfectly natural.
In Danish, 'arbejde' in this phrase is an abstract noun. Adding 'det' (the) makes it sound like a specific task rather than your job.
You can still say 'Jeg skal på arbejde' to signal you are starting your day, or more specifically, 'Jeg skal i gang med at arbejde'.
Not always. It can also mean 'shall' or 'am going to'. It's about a plan or a future event.
You say 'Jeg skal hjem fra arbejde'.
No, for school you say 'Jeg skal i skole'. Different preposition!
The past tense is 'Jeg skulle på arbejde'.
It is neutral. You can use it with your boss or your best friend.
It's a 'soft d', which sounds like the 'th' in 'mother'. Don't pronounce it like a hard 'd'.
No, that's incorrect. You can say 'Jeg skal til at tage på arbejde' (I am about to head to work).
Verwandte Redewendungen
Jeg er på arbejde
similarI am at work
Jeg tager på arbejde
synonymI'm heading to work
Jeg har fri
contrastI am off work / I have free time
Jeg skal på job
specialized formI'm going to my job
