umiddelbart

Umiddelbart is a Danish adverb used to express immediacy or an initial impression. It can mean “immediately,” as in without delay, or “at first glance,” indicating a preliminary assessment rather than a final conclusion. The meaning depends on context, and the word can convey either a request for prompt action or a tentative, surface-level judgment.

Etymology and form: Umiddelbart is formed from the adjective umiddelbar, meaning immediate, with the adverbial suffix -t. It is used to modify verbs or clauses and can appear in initial or mid-position in a sentence, for example, “Umiddelbart ser det ud til at fungere” (At first glance it seems to work) or “Han kunne umiddelbart ikke finde fejlen” (He could not find the fault immediately).

Usage notes: In everyday Danish, umiddelbart is common in speech and informal writing. For more explicit imperatives of timeliness, speakers may prefer phrases like “med det samme” or “straks.” When expressing a first impression rather than a confirmed fact, umiddelbart is appropriate, but it signals provisional interpretation rather than certainty.

Examples: Umiddelbart virker planen simpel. Hun blev umiddelbart overrasket. Det blev ogenligt, at han var til stede ved arrangementsstart, men umiddelbart var alt i orden.

See also: straks, tilsyneladende, ved første øjekblik, i første omgang.