Common Danish phrases: the ones you will actually use

These are the common Danish phrases you will actually use in your first months: hello and goodbye, thank you, sorry, ordering a coffee and asking someone to slow down. They are grouped by situation, and every phrase can be heard: tap it. I am Lui, a Danish teacher, and this is the list I wish my students had on day one.

Hello and goodbye

• Hej!Hi! (sounds like English “high”; works with everyone, also your boss)
• Godmorgen!Good morning!
• Hvordan går det?How are you? (a greeting, not a real question)
• Det går godt, tak.I’m fine, thanks.
• Hyggeligt at møde dig.Nice to meet you.
• Hej hej!Bye! (yes, hello twice means goodbye)
• Vi ses.See you.
• Farvel!Goodbye! (a little more final)
• Hav en god dag!Have a good day!
• God weekend!Have a nice weekend! (every Friday, at every till)

Thank you, and the Danish “please”

Tak is the most used word in Danish, and Danes thank for things English does not thank for: for the meal, for the last time you met, for today.

• Tak.Thanks.
• Mange tak.Thank you very much.
• Tak for mad.Thanks for the meal (said to whoever cooked, every time)
• Tak for sidst.Thanks for last time (the first thing you say when you meet someone again)
• Det var så lidt.You’re welcome. (literally: it was so little)
• Selv tak.Thank you, too. (when the other person thanked you first)

Danish has no single word for “please”. Politeness sits in tak, in gerne and in the tone. Ja tak is “yes please”, nej tak is “no thanks”, and the very Danish Nej tak, ellers tak is “no thank you, but thanks for asking”.

What is “excuse me” in Danish?

It is undskyld, and it does three jobs: excuse me, sorry, and “I didn’t hear that”. You use it to get past someone on the bus, to say sorry when you bump into them, and to start a question to a stranger.

• Undskyld.Excuse me. / Sorry.
• Undskyld, kan du sige det igen?Sorry, can you say that again?
• Kan du sige det lidt langsommere?Can you say it a bit more slowly?
• Jeg taler lidt dansk.I speak a little Danish.
• Taler du engelsk?Do you speak English?

A tip from the classroom: say Jeg taler lidt dansk before the second sentence, not after. Many Danes switch to English the moment they hear an accent. Tell them you are learning, and most will slow down and stay in Danish.

Introducing yourself

• Hvad hedder du?What is your name?
• Jeg hedder Anna.My name is Anna.
• Hvor kommer du fra?Where are you from?
• Jeg kommer fra Spanien.I’m from Spain.

At the café and in the shop

There are two ways to order, and both are polite. Danes do not say “can I get”.

• Jeg vil gerne have en kaffe.I would like a coffee.
• Må jeg få en kaffe?Could I have a coffee?
• Hvad koster det?How much is it?
• Nej tak, det var det hele.No thanks, that was all.

The price comes back with the ones first (47 is “seven-and-forty”), which is why the guide to Danish numbers is worth ten minutes before your first shopping trip.

Welcome in Danish, and having guests

Welcome is velkommen. When people visit you, these are the phrases you will use at the door and at the table:

• Velkommen!Welcome!
• Kom indenfor.Come in.
• Sæt jer bare.Do sit down. (to more than one person)
• Velbekomme.You’re welcome (the answer when someone says tak for mad)
• I er altid velkomne.You are always welcome.

Good luck in Danish, and other wishes

• Held og lykke!Good luck! (before an exam, a job interview, a driving test)
• Tillykke!Congratulations! (also: happy birthday)
• Skål!Cheers! (look people in the eyes when you say it)

If you are on your way to a language test: your teacher will say Held og lykke!, and the answer is simply Tak!

Questions people ask

What is Danish for cheers?

Cheers is skål, said with a long, round å, like the “aw” in British “saw”. You raise the glass, look at the others, say it, and look at them again before you drink.

Do Danes say I love you?

Yes, jeg elsker dig, but they keep it for the people closest to them. You love your partner and your children with elsker; a good film or a good cake is something you rigtig godt kan lide, really like.

Which Danish phrases should I learn first?

Five: hej, tak, undskyld, Jeg taler lidt dansk and Kan du sige det igen? With those you can start any conversation and survive the second sentence.

How do I get the pronunciation right?

Listen first, then copy the rhythm, not the spelling. Danish swallows many letters: the d in det, the g in dag. The pronunciation guide takes the sounds one by one.

How to practise these phrases

Read a phrase, tap it, and say it out loud three times, copying the melody. Then use it the same day, at the bakery or at work. In the free course, the topic “Præsentér dig selv” builds these phrases into conversations about you, with your own name, country and job, and a simulator where you answer out loud.