Good morning in Danish: godmorgen

Good morning in Danish is godmorgen. It is written as one word, and in everyday speech it sounds like “go-morn”: the d is silent and the end is swallowed. Tap the word to hear it, then read on for when to say goddag instead and what Danes say back.

How do you say good morning in Danish?

You say Godmorgen! It is made of god (good) and morgen (morning), and you will also see it written as two words, god morgen. Both are fine; one word is the most common.

In my own pronunciation notes I write it as go-morn. Three things happen when Danes say it:

1. The d in god is silent. You do not hear it at all.
2. The g in morgen almost disappears. The word ends in a soft “morn”, not “mor-gen”.
3. The stress is on morgen. Say “go” quickly and lightly, then “MORN”.

Learners who read the word letter by letter say “good mor-gen”, and Danes understand it, but it sounds like reading aloud. Listen a few times and copy the short version.

Godmorgen, goddag or hej?

Danes greet each other in a few simple ways, and the choice depends on the time and on how formal the situation is.

• Hej!Hi! Works all day, with everybody.
• Godmorgen!Good morning! From when you get up until late morning.
• Goddag!Good day, hello. A bit formal.
• Godaften!Good evening!
• Godnat!Good night! Only when you go to bed or leave late.

Hej is the safe choice. You can say it to your boss, to the cashier and to a child. Godmorgen is warmer and very common at work, at school and at home: the first time you see your colleagues in the morning, you say it to everybody.

How to say good day in Danish

Good day is goddag, also one word. It sounds like “go-day”, with a soft ending. It is a polite, slightly formal hello. You hear it on the phone, at the doctor’s, in a shop, or from older people. Among friends and colleagues, most people just say hej.

A typical phone call to an office starts like this: Goddag, jeg hedder Sara. (Hello, my name is Sara.)

When do you stop saying godmorgen?

There is no fixed hour. Most Danes say godmorgen from when they get up until the middle of the morning, and some until lunch. After lunch, it sounds odd, unless you are joking with someone who just woke up. When you are in doubt, say hej.

What do Danes say back?

The easiest reply is to say the same thing back: Godmorgen! Often a question follows, and then you answer and ask back. These lines are from the conversations in the course:

• Godmorgen! Hvordan var din weekend?Good morning! How was your weekend?
• Hvordan går det?How are you?
• Det går godt, tak. Hvad med dig?I am fine, thanks. What about you?
• Godmorgen! Nå, så fik vi regnen alligevel.Good morning! Well, we got the rain after all.

The last one is very Danish. The weather is the first thing people talk about in the morning, so it is a good idea to have one sentence ready.

A short morning conversation

Here is how it often goes when you arrive at work or at the language school. Tap each line to hear it, then say the replies out loud.

• Godmorgen!Good morning!
• Godmorgen! Hvordan går det?Good morning! How are you?
• Det går fint. Hvad med dig?I am fine. What about you?
• Det går godt, tak.I am fine, thanks.

Notice that Danes do not always answer the question in detail. Det går godt is enough, and it is polite to ask back with Hvad med dig?

Test yourself

It is 8 o’clock and you meet a colleague. What do you say?

Godmorgen! Or simply Hej!

You call the doctor’s office. How do you start?

With a polite hello and your name: Goddag, jeg hedder Sara.

Someone says “Hvordan går det?” What can you answer?

Det går godt, tak. Hvad med dig?

Questions people ask

Is godmorgen one word or two?

Usually one word, godmorgen. You can also write god morgen; both are correct.

How do you say bless you in Danish?

When someone sneezes, Danes say Prosit! The person answers Tak (thanks).

What are some other common Danish phrases?

Start with hej, tak, Hvordan går det? and Vi ses! (See you!). The guide to Danish phrases has the rest.