Meaning
To find the truth about a matter.
Cultural Background
Danes value 'gennemsigtighed' (transparency). In politics and business, 'at komme til bunds i' is a standard demand from the public whenever something seems hidden. Across Scandinavia, there is a shared maritime history that makes 'bottom' metaphors very intuitive. Swedes say 'gå till botten med', which is nearly identical. In Danish flat-hierarchy workplaces, even a junior employee can suggest 'at komme til bunds i' a problem to their boss without it being seen as rude. The Danish legal system emphasizes 'den materielle sandhed' (the material truth), meaning the court's duty is to 'komme til bunds' in what actually happened, not just what is presented.
Use it in Job Interviews
Saying 'Jeg kan lide at komme til bunds i problemerne' shows you are a thorough and reliable worker.
Don't forget the 's'
Saying 'komme til bund' sounds like a child speaking. That 's' is essential for the idiom.
Meaning
To find the truth about a matter.
Use it in Job Interviews
Saying 'Jeg kan lide at komme til bunds i problemerne' shows you are a thorough and reliable worker.
Don't forget the 's'
Saying 'komme til bund' sounds like a child speaking. That 's' is essential for the idiom.
Directness
In Denmark, wanting to 'komme til bunds' in a conflict is seen as a sign of respect for the truth, not as being argumentative.
Test Yourself
Udfyld det manglende ord i sætningen.
Vi er nødt til at komme til ______ i, hvorfor maskinen ikke virker.
Husk at bruge den genitive form 'bunds' i dette faste udtryk.
Hvilken sætning er korrekt?
Vælg den rigtige brug af udtrykket.
Udtrykket bruges om at undersøge en sag eller et mysterium med præpositionen 'i'.
Færdiggør dialogen.
A: Der er forsvundet penge fra kassen. B: Det er alvorligt. ____________________.
Dette er den naturlige måde at love en undersøgelse på.
Match situationen med den rigtige sætning.
Situation: En it-fejl har slettet alle filer.
Her bruges udtrykket til at finde årsagen til en teknisk fejl.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Practice Bank
4 exercisesVi er nødt til at komme til ______ i, hvorfor maskinen ikke virker.
Husk at bruge den genitive form 'bunds' i dette faste udtryk.
Vælg den rigtige brug af udtrykket.
Udtrykket bruges om at undersøge en sag eller et mysterium med præpositionen 'i'.
A: Der er forsvundet penge fra kassen. B: Det er alvorligt. ____________________.
Dette er den naturlige måde at love en undersøgelse på.
Situation: En it-fejl har slettet alle filer.
Her bruges udtrykket til at finde årsagen til en teknisk fejl.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsYes, but 'at gå i dybden med' is more common for books. Use 'komme til bunds i' if the book is very difficult to understand.
It is always 'i'. Using 'af' is a common mistake influenced by English.
It is neutral. You can use it with your friends or your boss.
Yes, but it's rare. Usually, we just say 'at nå bunden'.
Jeg kom til bunds i det (Past) or Jeg er kommet til bunds i det (Present Perfect).
Yes, 'at komme til bunds i en person' means to truly understand someone's character, but it's quite rare and sounds very deep.
Not exactly, but 'at hitte ud af' is a more casual way to say 'find out'.
It's an old genitive case from hundreds of years ago that stuck around in this specific phrase.
Absolutely. It's perfect for describing the search for the cause of a phenomenon.
Very common. You will see it in almost every investigative news story in Denmark.
Related Phrases
at opklare
synonymTo solve (a crime or mystery)
at nå bunden
contrastTo hit rock bottom
at gå i dybden
similarTo go into depth
at kulegrave
specialized formTo scrutinize/audit intensely
at få vished
builds onTo gain certainty
