Thank you in Danish: tak, tusind tak and more

The Danish word for thank you is tak. It is one short syllable, like “tahk” with a short a. To say thank you very much, say mange tak or tusind tak. Danes also say thank you for things English speakers never thank for, like the meal and the last time you met. Tap any phrase to hear it.

How do you say thank you in Danish?

Say tak. It works everywhere: in a shop, to your boss, to a stranger who holds the door. There is no special polite version you need for older people. Put it at the end of a sentence with ja or nej, and you have yes please and no thanks:

• Tak.Thanks. Thank you.
• Ja tak.Yes please.
• Nej tak.No thanks.
• Ja tak, gerne.Yes please, I’d love to.

Danish has no separate word for “please”. Ja tak does that job, and so does a friendly tone.

How do you pronounce tak?

The t at the start has a clear puff of air, the a is short and open, and the k is short. Do not draw it out into “taaak”. In tusind tak the d is silent: “tu-sin tak”. The pronunciation guide explains the silent letters.

Thank you very much in Danish

How do you answer tak?

When someone thanks you, say selv tak, “thanks yourself”. It means you’re welcome, and it is the normal reply. You will also hear det var så lidt, “it was so little”, meaning don’t mention it.

• Tak for hjælpen!Thanks for the help!
• Selv tak.You’re welcome.

The Danish thank-you habit

This is the part the dictionaries miss. Danes say thank you for a lot of things, and some of the phrases are fixed. If you know these four, you will sound polite in a very Danish way.

Tak for mad: thanks for the meal

Say tak for mad when the meal is over, at home, at a friend’s house, even to your own parents. The host answers velbekomme, “may it do you good”. Leaving the table without saying it is noticed.

• Nej tak, jeg er helt mæt. Men tak for mad, det smagte dejligt!No thanks, I’m completely full. But thanks for the meal, it was delicious!
• Velbekomme!You’re welcome! (after a meal)

Tak for i dag: thanks for today

Said when you leave: after a visit, after a class, after a working day. Tak for i aften after an evening.

• Tusind tak for i dag. Det har været rigtig hyggeligt.Thank you so much for today. It has been really lovely.

Tak for sidst: thanks for last time

The next time you see people you spent time with, you say tak for sidst, thanks for the last time we met. A week after a dinner, a month after a party. The answer is selv tak or tak for sidst back.

Tak for din mail: thanks for your email

Danish emails often begin with a thank you: Tak for din mail. It is how you answer almost any mail, and it is the first line in the email tasks at the language school.

Which thank you fits? A 30-second quiz

Choose first, then open the answer.

Your friend has cooked dinner, and you have finished eating. What do you say?

Tak for mad. Your friend says velbekomme.

The cashier offers you a bag, and you want one. What do you say?

Ja tak. Yes please.

You meet your neighbour, who invited you for coffee last week. What do you say?

Tak for sidst. Thanks for last time.

A colleague says tak after you helped her. What do you answer?

Selv tak. You’re welcome.

Questions people ask

What does tak mean?

Thanks, or thank you. It is related to the English “thanks” and the German “Danke”.

How do you say bless you in Danish?

When someone sneezes, Danes say prosit. The answer is tak.

Do Danes say I love you?

Yes, jeg elsker dig, but less often and less casually than many English speakers. To a friend, Danes would rather say du er sød, you are sweet, or just tusind tak.

What are some common Danish phrases besides tak?

hej (hi), hej hej (bye), undskyld (sorry, excuse me) and værsgo (here you are). See hello in Danish and the other Danish phrases.