These tiny unstressed words carry no dictionary meaning but colour the whole utterance: jo = "as we both know", da = mild surprise or protest, nu = softening or urging, vel = seeking agreement, altså = "I mean, after all". They sit in the adverb slot, right after the verb and subject, and leaving them out makes speech sound blunt and foreign.
Examples
- Det ved du jo godt.
- You know that perfectly well (as we both know).
- Det er da mærkeligt.
- That IS strange, isn't it.
- Kom nu, vi skal af sted.
- Come on now, we have to go.
- Du kommer vel med i morgen?
- You're coming along tomorrow, right?
The mistake to avoid
Translating them literally or stressing them - they must stay unstressed and are often untranslatable.
Where this fits in
Udtryk og nuancer, Danish C1: Master register, idiomatic expression, and emotional nuance.