Happy New Year in Danish: godt nytår

Happy New Year in Danish is godt nytår, said roughly “got NEE-tor”. Danes often add og tak for det gamle, “and thanks for the old one”, and the answer is i lige måde, “same to you”. Below: the phrases, how to say them, and the New Year’s Eve habits that surprise people in their first Danish winter.

How do I say happy new year in Danish?

• Godt nytår!Happy New Year!
• Godt nytår, og tak for det gamle!Happy New Year, and thanks for the old year!
• Rigtig godt nytår!A really happy New Year!
• Godt nytår til dig og din familie.Happy New Year to you and your family.
• Tak, i lige måde!Thanks, same to you!

Tak for det gamle is the Danish part. You thank the people around you for the year that has passed: your neighbour, your colleagues, your teacher. You say it from New Year’s Eve and into the first days of January, the first time you see someone after the holiday.

How to pronounce godt nytår

• godt: the d is silent, so it sounds like “got” with a Danish o.
• nytår: ny means “new” and has the Danish y. Say “ee” and round your lips as if you were whistling. år means “year” and sounds close to English “or” without the r.
• The stress is on ny: “got NEE-tor”.

The pronunciation guide has the Danish vowels with sound, if y and å are new to you.

New Year’s words you will hear

• nytårsaftenNew Year’s Eve, the 31st of December
• nytårsdagNew Year’s Day, the 1st of January
• et nytårsforsæta New Year’s resolution
• en nytårstalea New Year’s speech
• fyrværkerifireworks
• en raketa rocket
• en kransekagea ring cake made of almond rings, eaten at midnight
• Skål!Cheers!

The King’s speech at six o’clock

Every year on the 31st of December at 18:00, the King gives his New Year’s speech, Kongens nytårstale, on TV and radio. Many families plan dinner around it: they watch the speech, then eat. Until 2023 it was Queen Margrethe; since then it has been King Frederik.

If you are invited to a Danish New Year’s Eve, ask Skal vi se talen?, “Are we watching the speech?”. People will be pleased that you know about it, and you will understand the conversation at dinner, which is often about what was said.

Jumping off a chair at midnight

This is the one nobody warns you about. A few seconds before midnight, everyone climbs up on a chair or a sofa, and when the clock strikes twelve, they jump down together. You literally jump into the new year: Vi hopper ind i det nye år. For many it means good luck for the year; for most it is just fun.

Before the jump, the TV shows the clock on Copenhagen’s City Hall counting down. After it, there are hugs, kransekage, a glass of something sparkling, and every phrase on this page at once.

Other New Year’s Eve habits

• Dinner for One. A short black-and-white sketch in English is shown on Danish TV on New Year’s Eve, and many Danes can quote it. The line is “the same procedure as last year”.
• Fireworks. Private fireworks go on for hours, and around midnight the sky is full. Keep pets inside.
• Old plates. An older tradition is to throw old plates at friends’ front doors. You see it less today, so do not try it on your neighbour without asking.
• Resolutions. In January, people ask Har du et nytårsforsæt?, “Do you have a New Year’s resolution?”. A safe answer for you: Jeg vil tale mere dansk, “I want to speak more Danish”.

How do you say happy in Danish?

Happy is glad: Jeg er glad, “I am happy”. It looks like English “glad” and means a little more. For deep, life-is-good happiness, Danes say lykkelig. In greetings, though, you do not use either: Happy New Year is godt nytår, “good New Year”, and Happy birthday is tillykke med fødselsdagen.

Questions people ask

What is a common Danish greeting?

The everyday greeting is hej, for hello, and hej hej for goodbye. The hello guide has the rest, from godmorgen to vi ses.

How long can you say godt nytår?

From New Year’s Eve and into January, the first time you meet someone after the holiday. Most people stop after the first week or two, when everybody has seen everybody.

How do you write merry Christmas and happy new year in Danish?

Glædelig jul og godt nytår! The Merry Christmas guide has more lines for a Christmas card.

What is a famous Danish saying for the new year?

There is no single one, but Danes love a saying for any season: Der findes ikke dårligt vejr, kun forkert påklædning, “there is no bad weather, only the wrong clothes”, is useful in January. See more in danske ordsprog.