80 useful Danish phrases you should know (by a Dane)

I’ve often been told that Danish sounds like we talk with a hot potato in our mouth.

I get that Danish might seem difficult to tackle, but with a few key Danish phrases in your vocabulary, you’ll navigate Denmark like a pro.

In this post, I’ll share the must-know Danish phrases that will help you get around, make friends, and even deal with emergencies.

Let’s get to it!

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History of the Danish language

Danish is a Scandinavian language originating in Old Norse, the common language of the Vikings.

While it has its unique characteristics, if you know Danish, you’ll likely find Swedish and Norwegian somewhat familiar.

Where is Danish spoken?

Danish is spoken by approximately 5.4 million people, mainly in Denmark.

It’s also the official language in Greenland and the Faroe Islands.

Beyond that, there are Danish-speaking minorities in Northern Germany, and it’s offered as a language course in Icelandic schools.

How to pronounce Danish

Pronouncing Danish can be challenging due to its unique sounds, like the soft ‘d’, and the stød, which is a kind of glottal stop.

The standard Danish form taught and used in official contexts is called Rigsdansk. This is what you’ll hear on TV and radio in Denmark.

There are also various dialects across the country, which can sound quite different from Rigsdansk.

These include Jutlandic, spoken in Jutland; Insular Danish, from the Danish islands; and Bornholmsk, from the island of Bornholm. Each dialect has its own pronunciation quirks.

The Danish alphabet

a (ah)	j (yee)	s (ess)
b (be)	k (kå)	t (te)
c (se)	l (el)	u (u)
d (de)	m (emm)	v (ve)
e (eh)	n (enn)	w (dobbletve)
f (eff)	o (o)	x (eks)
g (geh)	p (pe)	y (y)
h (hå)	q (ku)	z (sett)
i (ee)	r (err)	Æ (ah) Ø (uh) Å (oh)

Numbers in Danish

English	Danish	Pronunciation
One	En	en
Two	To	toh
Three	Tre	tr-eh
Four	Fire	fee-reh
Five	Fem	fem
Six	Seks	seks
Seven	Syv	seew
Eight	Otte	ot-teh
Nine	Ni	nee
Ten	Ti	tee
Twenty	Tyve	too-veh
Thirty	Tredive	treh-dee-veh
Forty	Fyrre	feer-reh
Fifty	Halvtreds	halv-tress
Sixty	Tres	tress
Seventy	Halvfjerds	halv-fy-erds
Eighty	Firs	feers
Ninety	Halvfems	halv-fems
One hundred	Et hundrede	et hoon-dreh-de

🇩🇰 Basic Danish phrases for travelers

👋🏻 Greetings

English	Danish	Pronunciation
Hello	Hej	hi
Good morning	God morgen	goh mor-gen
Good afternoon	God eftermiddag	goh ef-ter-mid-dah
Good evening	God aften	goh af-ten
Good night	Godnat	goh-nat
Goodbye	Farvel	fahr-vel
See you later	Vi ses	vee ses

🙏🏻 Essentials

English	Danish	Pronunciation
Please	Vær så venlig	vair so ven-lee
Thank you	Tak	tahk
Yes	Ja	yah
No	Nej	nai
Excuse me	Undskyld	oon-skhool
I’m sorry	Det er jeg ked af	deh air yay keth af
I don’t understand	Jeg forstår ikke	yay for-stoar eek-eh
Can you help me?	Kan du hjælpe mig?	kan doo yel-peh may?
I don’t speak Danish	Jeg taler ikke dansk	yay tah-ler eek-eh dansk
Do you speak English?	Taler du engelsk?	tah-ler doo eng-elsk?

🍽️ Eating and ordering food

English	Danish	Pronunciation
Enjoy your meal!	Velbekomme!	vel-beh-kom-eh
I would like…	Jeg vil gerne have…	yay vil gerneh ha…
A table for two, please.	Et bord til to, tak.	et bohr til toh, tak
The menu, please.	Må jeg se menuen?	moe yai se meh-new-en?
What do you recommend?	Hvad anbefaler du?	vad an-beh-fah-ler doo?
I’m allergic to…	Jeg er allergisk overfor…	yay ar al-ler-gisk oh-ver-for
Can I have the bill?	Må jeg få regningen?	moe yai foe rey-ning-en?
A glass of water, please.	Et glas vand, tak.	et glahs vand, tak
Is this dish spicy?	Er denne ret stærk?	ar den-neh ret sterk?
Do you have vegetarian options?	Har I vegetariske muligheder?	har ee veh-geh-tar-isk-eh mool-ee-hair?

👈🏻 Directions

English	Danish	Pronunciation
Where is…?	Hvor er…?	vor ar…?
How do I get to…?	Hvordan kommer jeg til…?	vor-dan kom-mer yay til…?
Is it far?	Er det langt væk?	ar deh langt vehk?
Go straight ahead.	Gå lige ud.	go lee-eh oot.
Turn left.	Drej til venstre.	dry til ven-struh.
Turn right.	Drej til højre.	dry til hoy-reh.
Take the second left.	Tag den anden til venstre.	tah den an-den til ven-struh.
Take the third right.	Tag den tredje til højre.	tah den trey-eh til hoy-reh.
Can you show me on the map?	Kan du vise mig på kortet?	kan doo vee-seh may paw kort-et?
I’m looking for this address.	Jeg leder efter denne adresse.	yay lee-der ef-ter den-neh ad-res-seh.

🗺️ Getting around

English	Danish	Pronunciation
Where is the train station?	Hvor er togstationen?	vor ar toh-stah-si-o-nen?
How much is a ticket to…?	Hvor meget koster en billet til…?	vor my-et kos-ter en bil-let til…?
Does this bus go to…?	Kører denne bus til…?	kur-er den-neh boos til…?
How do I get to the airport?	Hvordan kommer jeg til lufthavnen?	vor-dan kom-mer yay til looft-hav-nen?
Can I have a map?	Må jeg få et kort?	moe yay foe et kort?
I would like to rent a car.	Jeg vil gerne leje en bil.	yay vil ger-ne lay-eh en beel.
Where can I park?	Hvor kan jeg parkere?	vor kan yay par-ker-eh?
I am lost.	Jeg er faret vild.	yay ar far-et veeld.
Can you show me the way?	Kan du vise mig vejen?	kan doo vee-seh may vay-en?
Is it within walking distance?	Er det inden for gåafstand?	ar deh in-den for goh-af-stan?

🚨 Emergency

English	Danish	Pronunciation
Help!	Hjælp!	yelp!
Call an ambulance!	Ring efter en ambulance!	ring ef-ter en am-bu-lan-seh
I need a doctor.	Jeg har brug for en læge.	yay har broo for en lay-eh
Is there a pharmacy nearby?	Er der et apotek i nærheden?	ar der et ap-o-tek ee nair-hay-den?
I’ve lost my bag.	Jeg har mistet min taske.	yay har mis-tet meen tas-keh
Can you call the police?	Kan du ringe til politiet?	kan doo ring-eh til po-lee-tee-et?
I need help with my car.	Jeg har brug for hjælp til min bil.	yay har broo for yelp til meen beel
Where is the nearest hospital?	Hvor er det nærmeste hospital?	vor ar deh nair-mes-teh hos-pi-tal?
I have an emergency.	Jeg har en nødsituation.	yay har en nerd-si-tu-a-si-on
Fire!	Brand!	brann!

FAQ – Basic Danish phrases

What is a typical Danish phrase?

A typical Danish greeting is “Hej” which means “Hello.”

How do you say basic words in Danish?

Here are some basic Danish words:

Yes: “Ja”
No: “Nej”
Please: “Vær så venlig”
Thank you: “Tak”
Excuse me: “Undskyld”
Hello: “Hej”
Goodbye: “Farvel”

How do you respond to Tak in Danish?

To respond to “Tak” in Danish, you can say “Selv tak,” which means “You’re welcome” or “Thanks to you too.”