Use 'indstille' when something is formally stopped or ceased.
indstille in 30 Sekunden
- stop
- cease
- suspend
§ Indstille: Not Just 'To Stop'
Many Danish learners at the B1 level get tripped up by 'indstille'. While it can mean 'to stop' or 'to cease a process', it's not a direct, all-purpose equivalent for the English 'to stop'. Using it incorrectly can make your Danish sound unnatural, or even change the meaning of your sentence entirely. Let's look at some common pitfalls and how to avoid them.
§ Mistake 1: Using 'indstille' for physically stopping an action or person
- The Mistake
- Thinking 'indstille' can be used like 'stop' when someone or something physically ceases an action.
You wouldn't say 'Jeg indstillede at løbe' (I stopped running) if you just meant you physically stopped your run. 'Indstille' implies a more formal, often planned, or official cessation of an activity or process. For simple physical actions, you'll use 'stoppe'.
Correct: Han stoppet med at ryge. (He stopped smoking.)
Incorrect: Han indstillede med at ryge.
§ Mistake 2: Confusing 'indstille' with 'at justere' (to adjust) or 'at sætte' (to set)
- The Mistake
- Using 'indstille' when you mean to adjust settings or prepare something.
Another common confusion arises because 'indstille' can also mean 'to adjust' or 'to set' in specific contexts, particularly with machinery or devices. For example, 'at indstille uret' (to set the clock). However, learners sometimes incorrectly extend this meaning to situations where 'to set' or 'to adjust' would be better expressed with other verbs.
- For setting a table: 'at dække bord'
- For adjusting your posture: 'at rette sig op'
- For setting a goal: 'at sætte et mål'
The key is that 'indstille' for 'adjusting' implies a technical setting, often with a dial or button, rather than a general adjustment or preparation.
Correct: Kan du indstille temperaturen? (Can you adjust/set the temperature?)
Incorrect: Jeg skal indstille mig på at sove. (I need to get ready/prepare myself to sleep.)
§ Mistake 3: Overusing 'indstille' for general discontinuation
- The Mistake
- Applying 'indstille' to any situation where something ceases, even if it's informal or temporary.
'Indstille' often carries a connotation of a formal, official, or definitive decision to stop something, like a program, a meeting, or a production line. For more casual or temporary cessations, other verbs are more appropriate.
- For a temporary pause: 'holde pause', 'tage en pause'
- For canceling an event: 'aflyse'
- For discontinuing a product: 'udgå' (for the product itself), 'ophøre med at producere' (for the company)
Correct: Mødet blev indstillet på grund af snevejr. (The meeting was cancelled/called off due to snow. - Implies a formal decision.)
Incorrect: Jeg indstillede filmen for at få kaffe. (I paused the movie to get coffee.)
§ Recap: How to use 'indstille' correctly
To avoid these mistakes, remember the core uses of 'indstille' at B1:
- To cease a process: This is often formal or official. E.g., 'Produktionen blev indstillet.' (Production was ceased.)
- To adjust/set (a device/machine): E.g., 'Indstil ovnen til 200 grader.' (Set the oven to 200 degrees.)
- To nominate/propose: This is another meaning, e.g., 'Han blev indstillet til en pris.' (He was nominated for an award.)
When in doubt about stopping a general action, 'stoppe' is usually safer. For adjustments, consider if it's a technical setting. Paying attention to these nuances will significantly improve your Danish fluency and accuracy with 'indstille'. Keep practicing and you'll get the hang of it!
Aussprachehilfe
- Mispronouncing 'in' as in English (it's a short 'i' sound, like in 'sit')
- Not clearly pronouncing the double 'l' sound (it's similar to the 'll' in 'hall' but with a slight tongue roll if possible, though not mandatory)
Beispiele nach Niveau
Jeg skal indstille uret.
I must adjust the clock.
Vi indstiller mødet til næste uge.
We are postponing the meeting until next week.
De indstillede produktionen midlertidigt.
They temporarily halted production.
Kan du indstille radioen?
Can you tune the radio?
Han indstiller sit ur hver morgen.
He sets his watch every morning.
Maskinen indstiller sig selv.
The machine adjusts itself.
Vi måtte indstille festen.
We had to cancel the party.
Indstil alarmen til klokken syv.
Set the alarm for seven o'clock.
De besluttede at indstille produktionen af de gamle modeller.
They decided to stop the production of the old models.
Here, 'indstille' is used with a direct object, 'produktionen'.
Vi bliver nødt til at indstille mødet, da ikke alle kan deltage.
We will have to cancel/postpone the meeting, as not everyone can attend.
'Indstille' can also mean to cancel or postpone in certain contexts.
Motoren indstillede pludselig sin funktion.
The engine suddenly ceased its function.
Here, 'indstille' is used reflexively with 'sin funktion' (its function).
Hun valgte at indstille sin karriere for at fokusere på familien.
She chose to end her career to focus on her family.
'Indstille' in this context means to end or discontinue.
På grund af stormen måtte færgetrafikken indstilles.
Due to the storm, the ferry service had to be suspended.
Used in the passive voice: 'indstilles' (to be suspended).
Dommeren var nødt til at indstille kampen efter den voldsomme regn.
The referee had to stop the match after the heavy rain.
'Indstille' with a direct object, 'kampen'.
Har de indstillet efterforskningen endnu?
Have they stopped the investigation yet?
Used in a question, perfect tense ('har indstillet').
Jeg har besluttet at indstille mit medlemskab af klubben.
I have decided to terminate my membership of the club.
Similar to 'end' or 'terminate' when referring to memberships or subscriptions.
Einprägen
Eselsbrücke
Imagine 'in still' to help you remember 'indstille'. When something is in still, it has stopped or ceased movement.
Visuelle Assoziation
Picture a factory production line that suddenly goes quiet and still as a big red button labeled 'INDSTILLE' is pressed, bringing everything to a halt.
Word Web
Herausforderung
Translate: 'The company decided to stop all operations.' (Hint: 'operations' can be 'driften')
Teste dich selbst 36 Fragen
The speaker wants to set the clock.
They need to cancel or postpone the meeting.
The speaker is asking to tune the radio.
Read this aloud:
Indstil alarmen til klokken syv.
Focus: ind-stil, a-lar-men, klok-ken, syv
Du hast gesagt:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
Jeg skal indstille maskinen.
Focus: jeg, skal, ind-stil-le, mas-ki-nen
Du hast gesagt:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
De vil indstille produktionen.
Focus: de, vil, ind-stil-le, pro-duk-tion-en
Du hast gesagt:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
De har besluttet at ___ projektet.
To stop or cease a project, 'indstille' is the correct verb.
Vi må ___ mødet på grund af sygdom.
If someone is sick, you might need to stop the meeting, so 'indstille' is appropriate.
Han ville ikke ___ sin søgen efter sandheden.
To not stop his search, 'indstille' is the correct choice here.
Regeringen valgte at ___ byggeriet.
The government decided to stop the construction, making 'indstille' the right fit.
De blev nødt til at ___ produktionen midlertidigt.
To temporarily stop production, 'indstille' is the correct verb.
Hun måtte ___ sin uddannelse på grund af penge.
To stop one's education because of money, 'indstille' is the appropriate word.
Which of these means to stop a machine?
'Indstille' means to stop or cease a process, often used for machines or activities.
Choose the best translation for: 'De besluttede at indstille mødet.'
In this context, 'indstille' refers to ceasing or canceling the meeting.
If a company decides to 'indstille produktionen', what are they doing?
'Indstille produktionen' means to stop or cease production.
You can use 'indstille' when you want to stop a clock.
'Indstille' can be used for stopping a process, and stopping a clock is a process.
If you 'indstiller alarmen', you are setting it.
While 'indstille' can also mean to adjust or set, in the context of 'alarmen', it usually means to stop it from ringing.
The phrase 'indstille arbejdet' means to start working.
'Indstille arbejdet' means to stop or cease working.
Regeringen besluttede at ___ byggeriet på grund af økonomiske problemer. (The government decided to ___ the construction due to economic problems.)
Here, 'indstille' means to stop or cease the construction.
På grund af den kraftige sne måtte vi ___ vores rejseplaner. (Due to the heavy snow, we had to ___ our travel plans.)
In this context, 'indstille' means to call off or cancel the travel plans.
Firmaet måtte ___ produktionen, da der opstod tekniske vanskeligheder. (The company had to ___ production when technical difficulties arose.)
'Indstille' here refers to stopping the production process.
Vi er nødt til at ___ mødet til næste uge. (We need to ___ the meeting until next week.)
In this sentence, 'indstille' means to postpone or reschedule the meeting.
Han valgte at ___ sin karriere for at tilbringe mere tid med familien. (He chose to ___ his career to spend more time with his family.)
'Indstille' here implies ceasing or putting an end to his career.
Politiet måtte ___ eftersøgningen, da mørket faldt på. (The police had to ___ the search as darkness fell.)
Here, 'indstille' means to stop or suspend the search.
This sentence structure correctly places the verb 'indstille' after 'at' to form an infinitive clause, with the subject and auxiliary verb at the beginning.
The phrase 'På grund af vejret' acts as an adverbial phrase, followed by the main clause with the subject 'vi' and the modal verb 'måtte' before 'indstille'.
This sentence structure correctly places the subject 'Parterne' and verb 'valgte', followed by the infinitive 'at indstille' and the direct object 'forhandlingerne', with the subordinate clause 'uden at nå til enighed' at the end.
Regeringen valgte at ___ forhandlingerne efter uenighederne.
In this context, 'indstille' means to cease or suspend, which fits the idea of ending negotiations due to disagreements.
På grund af den kraftige sne måtte togene ___ driften midlertidigt.
'Indstille driften' is a common phrase meaning to cease operations, which is appropriate for trains stopping due to snow.
Direktionen besluttede at ___ produktionen af den gamle model for at fokusere på nye innovationer.
To 'indstille produktionen' means to stop the manufacturing process, aligning with the company's shift in focus.
For at undgå yderligere tab blev det nødvendigt at ___ udviklingen af projektet.
Here, 'indstille udviklingen' implies halting the progress of a project to prevent further losses.
Efter mange års tro tjeneste har den gamle motor endelig ___ sin funktion.
When an engine 'indstiller sin funktion', it means it has ceased to work or operate.
På grund af manglende finansiering var forskningsgruppen nødt til at ___ deres eksperimenter.
To 'indstille eksperimenter' means to stop or discontinue them, which is a consequence of insufficient funding.
/ 36 correct
Perfect score!
Summary
Use 'indstille' when something is formally stopped or ceased.
- stop
- cease
- suspend
Verwandte Inhalte
Mehr general Wörter
afbryde
B1To stop something from continuing
afbøje
B2To deflect or turn aside.
afgørende
B1decisive or crucial
afholde
B2to hold or host an event, or to refrain from
afhængig
B1Determined or decided by something else
afkorte
B2To shorten or reduce in length.
afmærke
B2To mark or indicate a position.
afrunde
B2To conclude or make complete.
afslutte
B1to bring to an end
afsløre
B2to make something secret known
