Signification
To be on the verge of doing.
Contexte culturel
Danes often use 'lige' with 'ved at' to soften a request or explain a delay. It makes the statement sound more immediate and less formal. In meetings, 'vi er ved at...' is a common way to show progress without claiming a task is finished, which aligns with Danish modesty (Janteloven). Authors use 'var ved at' to create suspense in storytelling, stretching out a moment of crisis. On Instagram or TikTok, Danes use 'er ved at' to narrate 'Get Ready With Me' (GRWM) videos.
Use 'lige'
Always add 'lige' if you want to sound more like a native when you're 'just about' to do something.
Don't over-ing
Danish doesn't need 'ved at' as much as English needs '-ing'. Use it only for emphasis.
Signification
To be on the verge of doing.
Use 'lige'
Always add 'lige' if you want to sound more like a native when you're 'just about' to do something.
Don't over-ing
Danish doesn't need 'ved at' as much as English needs '-ing'. Use it only for emphasis.
Polite delays
Use 'Jeg er lige ved at være der' if you are 2 minutes away. It's the standard Danish 'on my way' text.
Past tense
Use 'var ved at' to set the scene in a story (e.g., 'Jeg var ved at sove, da telefonen ringede').
Teste-toi
Fill in the missing words to say 'I am in the middle of cooking.'
Jeg ___ ___ ___ lave mad.
The standard construction is 'være' (er) + 'ved at' + infinitive.
Which sentence means 'It is about to rain'?
Vælg den rigtige sætning:
'Ved at' indicates the action is just about to start.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Kan du hjælpe mig? B: Ikke lige nu, jeg ___ ___ ___ skrive en vigtig mail.
The speaker is currently busy with the action.
Match the sentence to the situation.
Situation: You see your friend reaching for their coat.
Reaching for a coat suggests they are about to leave.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Common Verbs with 'ved at'
Daily Life
- • lave mad
- • rydde op
- • vaske op
Transitions
- • blive træt
- • blive mørkt
- • blive klar
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesJeg ___ ___ ___ lave mad.
The standard construction is 'være' (er) + 'ved at' + infinitive.
Vælg den rigtige sætning:
'Ved at' indicates the action is just about to start.
A: Kan du hjælpe mig? B: Ikke lige nu, jeg ___ ___ ___ skrive en vigtig mail.
The speaker is currently busy with the action.
Situation: You see your friend reaching for their coat.
Reaching for a coat suggests they are about to leave.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
12 questionsNo, it must be conjugated with 'være' to function as a progressive marker.
It is always 'ved at' in standard Danish. 'Ved og' is a common dialectal error.
No, it can also mean 'in the middle of'. Context tells you which one it is.
Yes! 'Det er ved at blive koldt' is very common.
'I gang med' is more for active tasks you have started. 'Ved at' is broader.
It is neutral and used in all registers.
Yes, 'Jeg er ved at have styr på det' (I'm starting to get a handle on it).
Use the past tense: 'Jeg var ved at...'.
Yes, if you want to emphasize that you are currently working on it.
In speech, 'at' often disappears or becomes a glottal stop.
Yes, e.g., 'Huset er ved at blive malet' (The house is being painted).
Swedish uses 'håller på att', which is similar but different words.
Expressions liées
at være i gang med
synonymTo be in the middle of
at skulle til at
similarTo be about to
at være lige ved at
builds onTo be just about to
at være færdig med
contrastTo be finished with
