Where should one start if they want to begin learning some Danish words? What vocabulary, words, and phrases are the most important to know in Danish?
We help you here with a list of 10 important words and phrases to learn when you, as an international citizen, need to speak Danish.
These are Danish words and phrases that you will encounter in many conversations with Danes, whether at work, in school, or in your free time. You will also most probably hear many of these Danish words in TV shows, movies, radio, and podcasts.
Here are 10 important Danish words and phrases that will help you get started:
- Er/ være - “I am/to be”: e.g., Jeg er glad for at møde dig (I am happy to meet you)
- Hedde - “is called”: e.g., Jeg hedder Maria (I am called Maria)
- Hej - “Hi”: Danes say “hej” once when they meet, and they say “hej hej,” i.e., hej twice quickly in a row, as goodbye.
- Tak - "Thank you"
- Sådan - “like this”: e.g., Sådan her vil jeg gerne have min kaffe (I would like my coffee like this). But it is used in countless variations, for example, a single “Sådan” with emphasis is a recognition that something is well done: Sådan!
- Undskyld - "Sorry" or "Excuse me": e.g., Undskyld, må jeg komme forbi (Sorry, may I pass by?). Or: Det må du undskylde (You must excuse me).
- Mad -”food”: e.g., Tak for mad (Thank you for the food) (Danes always use this when finishing a meal with family or as guests in another home)
- God weekend - “good weekend”: e.g., Kan du have en god weekend (Have a good weekend) (Danes are almost obsessed with wishing each other a good weekend, and already from Thursday, people start wishing a good weekend when saying goodbye)
- Hvor - "Where": e.g., Hvor kommer du fra? (Where are you from?)
- Hvad - “What” or "How": e.g., Hvad arbejder du med? (What do you do for work?)
A2B teaches international citizens Danish in our Danish courses, which take place online, at companies and educational institutions, and at our language schools. So, whether you have come to Denmark or live in another country, you can learn Danish with A2B and become even better at communicating in Danish when you meet a Danish speaker.
If you want to try learning Danish by watching videos, listening to audio files, reading texts, and solving tasks, you can sign up for our online self-study course.
As a participant in our beginner course, you will learn Danish from scratch in a class where an experienced instructor teaches you basic Danish through 24 lessons, so you get even more important words and phrases under your belt.
If you have already come to Denmark, you can learn even more Danish on The Official Danish Language Course (danskuddannelsen), which can be free for you if you have a CPR number and are entitled to a referral for Danish lessons from the municipality you live in. If you are unsure whether you are entitled to free Danish lessons, fill out the form below, and we can check it for you.
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