chance

§ Basic sentence structure with 'chance'

The Danish word 'chance' is a noun and it behaves much like its English counterpart. You'll often use it with articles and prepositions to indicate its role in the sentence. Remember, Danish articles can be tricky at first, but with 'chance', it's pretty straightforward.

DEFINITION

A possibility of something happening

When you want to talk about 'a chance' in Danish, you'll use the indefinite article 'en'.

This translates to 'There is a chance of rain today.'

Meaning 'I have a chance to win.'

If you're talking about 'the chance', you'll use the definite article 'chancen'. Remember, in Danish, the definite article can be attached to the end of the word.

Which means 'The chance of success is great.'

§ Prepositions with 'chance'

'Chance' often teams up with prepositions to give more specific meaning. The most common prepositions you'll see with 'chance' are 'for' (for/of) and 'til' (to/for).

• 'chance for' (chance for/of): This is used to indicate what kind of possibility exists.

This translates to 'We have a chance of catching the train.'

• 'chance til' (chance to/for): This is often used when you're talking about an opportunity to do something.

Meaning 'He got a chance to prove himself.'

§ Common phrases with 'chance'

Just like in English, 'chance' is part of many common phrases. Knowing these will help you sound more natural in Danish.

• 'give en chance' (to give a chance): This means to provide an opportunity.

Translates to 'You should give him a chance.'

• 'tage chancen' (to take a chance): This means to risk something or seize an opportunity.

Meaning 'I decided to take the chance.'

• 'ikke en chance' (not a chance): A common way to express that something is impossible.

This translates to 'There's not a chance of that.'

Practicing these phrases will make your Danish sound much more natural. Don't be afraid to experiment with them in your own sentences.

§ Don't confuse 'chance' with 'sjanse'

Many English speakers learning Danish automatically think 'chance' in Danish is pronounced and used exactly like the English word. While the spelling is the same, the pronunciation is different, and there's a related, but distinct, word you might hear: 'sjanse'.

'Sjanse' (pronounced 'shans-eh') is an older, more informal, and less common word for 'chance' or 'opportunity'. You might encounter it in older texts or very colloquial speech, but 'chance' is definitely the standard and most used word in modern Danish.

§ Using 'chance' as a verb

In English, you can 'chance it' or 'chance upon something'. In Danish, 'chance' is strictly a noun. You cannot use it as a verb. If you want to express the idea of taking a chance or risking something, you'll need different verbs.

Wrong

Jeg chancer det.

This translates literally to 'I chance it' and it doesn't make sense in Danish.

Correct alternatives

• At tage en chance (To take a chance)
• At risikere (To risk)
• At vove (To dare/venture)

Translation hint: I want to take a chance.

Translation hint: She risked everything.

§ The article for 'chance'

In Danish, all nouns have a grammatical gender, which determines the indefinite and definite articles. 'Chance' is a common gender noun.

Indefinite article

En chance (a chance)

Definite article

Chancen (the chance)

It's a common mistake for learners to use 'et' instead of 'en' or to forget the article altogether. Always remember 'en chance' and 'chancen'.

Translation hint: There is only one chance / a chance.

Translation hint: The chance is small.

§ Using 'chance' for 'luck'

While related, 'chance' in Danish primarily means 'a possibility' or 'an opportunity'. It doesn't carry the same strong connotation of 'luck' as the English 'chance' can (e.g., 'good chance', 'bad chance'). If you want to talk about luck, you'll use 'held' (noun) or 'heldig' (adjective).

Wrong

Jeg har en god chance med lotteriet.

This isn't grammatically wrong, but it sounds a bit off if you mean 'good luck'. It implies a good probability.

Correct alternatives for 'luck'

• Jeg har held med lotteriet. (I have luck with the lottery)
• Jeg er heldig i lotteriet. (I am lucky in the lottery)

Translation hint: I had luck with it.

§ Plural of 'chance'

The plural of 'chance' is formed regularly by adding '-r' to the singular form.

Singular

En chance

Plural indefinite

Chancer

Plural definite

Chancerne

Don't overthink it and try to make it irregular. It follows a common pattern.

Translation hint: We have many chances.