2023-05-16 17:46:52
What is Gladly?
Gladly is a very useful Danish word, which can often be literally translated as ‘willingly’ or ‘gladly’, but is used much more often and in more informal contexts than either of those words in English.
Speakers of other languages might spot the similarity with German gladlySwedish gladly and Icelandic gladlywith all these words sharing a root in the Old Norse word gladly (‘willing’ or ‘eager’).
Why do I need to know Gladly?
Gladly can be used as an adverb in sentences like I would like to have a cup of coffee (literally ‘I’ll happily have a coffee’ but closer to ‘I’m happy to have a coffee/I’d like to have a coffee) or I’m happy to help you (‘I’m happy to help you’).
You can also use it on its own, in which case it’s a snappier alternative to ‘yes, I’d like that’ or ‘yes please!’: For example, you can reply to the question Do you want to come along?? (‘would you like to come along?’), with Gladly!meaning ‘yes please’ or ‘I’d love to’.
If someone asks Would you like milk and sugar? (‘Do you want milk and sugar?’), you can answer I’d like milk, please (‘milk, please’).
Gladly can also be used when you’re talking about someone else, such as in the sentence she likes to talk about it (‘she doesn’t mind talking about it’) or she wants to join (‘she would like to come along too’).
It’s also possible to use it to mean ‘if you like’, for example day gladly contact (‘feel free to get in touch’ or ‘please get in touch’) or please take the children with you (‘bring your kids if you like’).
In these examples, the use of Gladly softens the requests: take the kids with you (‘bring your children’) is a command, while adding Gladly emphasizes that the decision is up to the listener. This phrasing is particularly common in situations where the speaker is encouraging someone to do something they may think they aren’t allowed to.
Gladly can also be used when you’re not implying any choice or pleasure linked to the action, but simply implying that something happens readily, easily, or often. This might mean you’re talking about inanimate objects, for example it likes to fall apart (‘it falls apart easily’).
You may occasionally hear a waiter or a bartender say certainly in response to an order, for example I would like to order two beers (‘I would like to order two beers’) – Certainly. Here, it means ‘certainly’ or ‘my pleasure’ or a similar nicety you might hear from service staff who are taking an order.
This phrasing is old-fashioned and increasingly rare to hear in modern Denmark. If you watch classic television series Matador, though, you’ll hear the character Boldt say it in almost every episode.
#Danish #expression #day #sluge #kamel