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.
Read next: 10 fun facts about the Danish language
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.
Read next: The best and worst time to visit Denmark
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.”
More posts about Denmark you might like
- How to say how are you in Danish (7 phrases & 10 replies)
- 25 fun facts about Denmark
- Is Denmark in the Netherlands?
- 30 unique places to visit in Denmark
- 43 unique things to do in Copenhagen
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