dække

Dække is a Danish verb meaning to place something over or to cover a surface, as well as to provide coverage in a broader sense. The primary sense involves physically covering or shielding, for example by laying a cloth over a table or placing a lid on a pot. It is also used in figurative contexts, such as covering costs or providing protection.

In everyday use, dække appears in common phrases. Dække bordet means to set or lay the table, as in Jeg dækker bordet. The past tense is dækkede and the supine form is dækket, as in Bordet er dækket (the table is set) or Regningen blev dækket af firmaet (the bill was covered by the company). Dække is also used to describe financial coverage, for example omkostningerne er dækket, meaning the costs are covered, and in journalism to describe reporting on events, as in at dække en begivenhed (to cover an event).

The noun dækning, derived from the same root, denotes the act or result of covering, such as insurance coverage or a covering in mathematics. In mathematics and related fields, dækning is used to refer to the concept of a cover of a set.

Dække is etymologically connected to related Scandinavian forms; Norwegian dekke and Swedish täcka reflect the same semantic core of covering. The word is part of a family of terms describing physical coverings, protective layers, and the provision of financial or informational coverage.