Significado
Having permission to do something.
Contexto cultural
Danish parents often use 'at få lov' to negotiate with children, fostering a sense of mutual respect rather than blind obedience. The flat hierarchy means even subordinates can ask 'Må jeg få lov til at sige noget?' to interrupt a manager politely. Danish websites are very strict about GDPR, and the phrase 'Må vi få lov til at bruge dine data?' is ubiquitous. In crowded spaces like the Copenhagen Metro, 'Må jeg få lov...' is the standard 'excuse me' when you need to move.
The 'Til' Rule
Always remember 'til' if you have a verb after. 'Jeg fik lov' (I got permission) vs 'Jeg fik lov til at spise' (I was allowed to eat).
Politeness Hack
Use 'Må jeg få lov til...' instead of 'Kan jeg...' to sound 10x more like a native speaker when asking for favors.
Significado
Having permission to do something.
The 'Til' Rule
Always remember 'til' if you have a verb after. 'Jeg fik lov' (I got permission) vs 'Jeg fik lov til at spise' (I was allowed to eat).
Politeness Hack
Use 'Må jeg få lov til...' instead of 'Kan jeg...' to sound 10x more like a native speaker when asking for favors.
Don't use 'en'
Never say 'en lov' in this phrase. It's always just 'lov'.
Ponte a prueba
Fill in the missing words to complete the sentence: 'May I be allowed to see the book?'
Må jeg ___ ___ ___ at se bogen?
After the modal verb 'må', we use the infinitive 'få'.
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
Select the correct past tense usage:
'Fik' is the past tense of 'få'.
Complete the dialogue between a boss and an employee.
Medarbejder: 'Må jeg ___ ___ ___ at holde fri på fredag?' Chef: 'Ja, det er i orden.'
The employee is asking to *receive* permission.
Match the phrase to the correct situation.
Situation: You are at a concert and want to get closer to the stage.
This is the polite way to ask people to let you pass.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Ayudas visuales
Common Permission Givers
Authority
- • Politiet
- • Chefen
- • Læreren
Family
- • Mor
- • Far
- • Bedsteforældre
Banco de ejercicios
4 ejerciciosMå jeg ___ ___ ___ at se bogen?
After the modal verb 'må', we use the infinitive 'få'.
Select the correct past tense usage:
'Fik' is the past tense of 'få'.
Medarbejder: 'Må jeg ___ ___ ___ at holde fri på fredag?' Chef: 'Ja, det er i orden.'
The employee is asking to *receive* permission.
Situation: You are at a concert and want to get closer to the stage.
This is the polite way to ask people to let you pass.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Preguntas frecuentes
10 preguntasIt is neutral. You can use it with your friends, your parents, or your boss. It is the standard way to express permission.
No. Use 'at kunne' for ability. 'At få lov til' is only for permission.
'Må' is a modal verb (may/must). 'At få lov til' is a phrase. They are often used together: 'Må jeg få lov til...?'
Etymologically yes, but in this phrase, it specifically means 'permission'. You don't think about the legal system when you use it.
Use the negative: 'Jeg fik ikke lov til at...'
Yes, very often. 'Vi fik lov til at præsentere vores tal' (We were allowed to present our numbers).
Yes, 'det' (it/that) can replace the entire 'at + verb' part if the context is clear.
In Danish, many verbs and nouns require a specific preposition to connect to an infinitive. 'Lov' happens to take 'til'.
Not a direct one, but 'at få grønt lys' (to get the green light) is the closest idiomatic equivalent.
Yes! 'Jeg fik lov til at se verden' means 'I had the opportunity to see the world'.
Frases relacionadas
at give lov til
contrastTo give permission
at have lov til
similarTo be allowed to (state)
at få grønt lys
synonymTo get the green light
at have frie hænder
builds onTo have a free hand / total autonomy
