Sometimes you don't have time to learn long lists of words and phrases. All you want to know are the bare essentials for communicating to get what you need, or where you need to go.
Here are the bare minimum of Danish words and phrases you need to know to survive.
Learn the Top 10 Phrases if you only have time for the barest minimum. If you need or want more, then take a look at the Top 20 Phrases, Top 30 Phrases and the Extra Phrases.
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Hello.
How much is it?|
Here are ten more phrases that will help you make new friends and ask for directions ...
The Top 20 ... |
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Hvad hedder du? What is your name? Jeg hedder ... My name is ... Hvordan har du det? How are you? Fint. Hvad med dig? Fine. And you? Hvor er ...? Where is ...? Hvor er toalettet? Herrer/Damer Where is the toilet? Men/Women Jeg beklager. Undskyld. Sorry. Excuse me. Intet problem. No problem. Jeg vil ... I want ... Jeg vil ikke ... I don't want ... |
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Here are another ten phrases to help you make a little more conversation and to get around ...
The Top 30 ... |
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Hvorfra kommer du? Where are you from? Jeg kommer fra Australien.* I am from Australia. Regningen, tak. The bill, please. Jeg er faret vild. I am lost. Stop! Vent! Stop! Wait! Her, der, derovre. Here, there, over there. Taxi. Hotel. Lufthavn. Station. Taxi. Hotel. Airport. Station. Jeg kan godt lide ... I like ... Jeg kan ikke lide ... I don't like ... en, to, tre, fire, fem. one, two, three, four, five. seks, syv, otte, ni, ti. six, seven, eight, nine, ten. *Or choose your country: Amerika - America Canada - Canada England - England Irland - Ireland New Zealand - New Zealand |
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Here are some extra words and phrases you might find useful, especially if you have dietary needs or allergies ...
Useful Extras ... | |
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Skål! Cheers! god / dårlig good / bad stor / lille big / small nær / fjern near / far mindre / mere less / more en anden / nok another / enough Jeg er vegetar. I am vegetarian. Jeg spiser ikke kød. I don't eat meat. ... kylling. ... chicken. ... fisk. ... fish. Jeg er allergisk over for nødder. I am allergic to nuts. ... jordnødder. ... peanuts. ... fisk. ... fish. ... fisk og skaldyr. ... seafood. ... æg. ... eggs. |
Vowels:
a is pronounced as a as in hat (æ)
æ is pronounced as e as in pet (ɛ)
å is pronounced as as o in pot (ɔ)
unstressed e is pronounced as e as in brother (ə)
ø is pronounced as ir as in bird
u is pronounced either as u or o
y is pronounced as German ü, ie. an i with rounded lips (IPA y) or as Danish y but with compressed not protruded lips (ʉ)
Consonants:
d is pronounced as an approximant to th as in this (ð) when not at the start of words, often heard mistakenly as a weak l eg. lide = liðə
g is pronounced as a weak gh, a voiced velar fricative (ɣ) when not at the start of words
-ig at the end of a word is pronounced as i
gn is pronounced as in, eg. regningen is pronounced as reiningen
j is pronounced as y as in yet (IPA j)
hv is pronounced as v
k is pronounced as k as in kick, with a puff of air (kʰ)
k, p and t are devoiced to g, b and d when not at the start of words, eg. ikke = iggə
p is pronounced as p as in pat, with a puff of air (pʰ)
r at the start of words is pronounced as an approximant to a voiced uvular fricative as in French and German (ʁ)
r is pronounced as a weak a, like u in nut (ɐ) when not at the start of words
sj is pronounced as a palatalised sh, sh + y (ɕ)
t at the start of words is pronounced with a faint s sound (tˢ), eg. to = tˢo
-et at the end of words is pronounced as -əð
v is pronounced as ʋ (midway between w and v) and weakly as an approximant when not at the start of words
Please note:
De and de is pronounced as di
det is pronounced as dɛ
og and at are pronounced as uh in plus, an ɔ with unrounded lips (ʌ)
af is pronounced as æ
til is pronounced as tˢe
jeg, mig, dig and sig and pronounced as jej, mej, dej and sej
meget is pronunced as majəð or mɑ:ð
The stød or weak glottal stop (ˀ) is often heard in Danish words as a creaky voice.
a is pronounced as a as in hat (æ)
æ is pronounced as e as in pet (ɛ)
å is pronounced as as o in pot (ɔ)
unstressed e is pronounced as e as in brother (ə)
ø is pronounced as ir as in bird
u is pronounced either as u or o
y is pronounced as German ü, ie. an i with rounded lips (IPA y) or as Danish y but with compressed not protruded lips (ʉ)
Consonants:
d is pronounced as an approximant to th as in this (ð) when not at the start of words, often heard mistakenly as a weak l eg. lide = liðə
g is pronounced as a weak gh, a voiced velar fricative (ɣ) when not at the start of words
-ig at the end of a word is pronounced as i
gn is pronounced as in, eg. regningen is pronounced as reiningen
j is pronounced as y as in yet (IPA j)
hv is pronounced as v
k is pronounced as k as in kick, with a puff of air (kʰ)
k, p and t are devoiced to g, b and d when not at the start of words, eg. ikke = iggə
p is pronounced as p as in pat, with a puff of air (pʰ)
r at the start of words is pronounced as an approximant to a voiced uvular fricative as in French and German (ʁ)
r is pronounced as a weak a, like u in nut (ɐ) when not at the start of words
sj is pronounced as a palatalised sh, sh + y (ɕ)
t at the start of words is pronounced with a faint s sound (tˢ), eg. to = tˢo
-et at the end of words is pronounced as -əð
v is pronounced as ʋ (midway between w and v) and weakly as an approximant when not at the start of words
Please note:
De and de is pronounced as di
det is pronounced as dɛ
og and at are pronounced as uh in plus, an ɔ with unrounded lips (ʌ)
af is pronounced as æ
til is pronounced as tˢe
jeg, mig, dig and sig and pronounced as jej, mej, dej and sej
meget is pronunced as majəð or mɑ:ð
The stød or weak glottal stop (ˀ) is often heard in Danish words as a creaky voice.