Danish phrases | Most common phrases for everyday life

Danish phrases – Here you will find the most common phrases in Danish with translation. | Free & useful

Danish phrases are short expressions or idioms often used in speech to be polite, express gratitude, greet or say goodbye or simply to have a pleasant conversation.

They are an important part of Danish culture and can be useful in different situations, both in private and business life.

Danish phrases you should know

*

Greet someone in Danish

If you want to greet someone in Danish, it’s actually quite easy:

English	Danish	IPA
Welcome! in Danish	Velkommen!	[ˈvelˌkʰɔmən]
Good day to you! in Danish	God dag!	[ˈkoˀ ˈdɛˀ]
Good morning to you! in Danish	God morgen!	[ˈkoˀ ˈmɒˀn]
Good evening! in Danish	God aften!	[ˈkoˀ ˈɑfdn̩]
Good to see you. in Danish	Godt at se dig.	[ˈkʌd̥ ˈɛˀ ˈseˀ ˈtɑj]
I’m glad to see you. in Danish	Jeg er glad for at se dig.	[ˈjɑj ɑ ˈklæːð fɒˀ ˈɛˀ ˈseˀ ˈtɑj]

If you are greeted in Danish, the best way to respond is as follows:

English	Danish	IPA
Have a nice day too! in Danish	Hav også en god dag!	[ˈhæʊ̯ ˈʌsə en ˈkoˀ ˈdɛˀ]
Thanks, it’s nice to see you too. in Danish	Tak, det er også rart at se dig.	[ˈtˢɑk de ɑ ˈʌsə ˈʁɑːˀd ˈɛˀ ˈseˀ ˈtɑj]

How is my dialogue partner?

As in any other country, it is polite to start by asking where the person you are talking to is located. Here’s how you do it:

English	Danish	IPA
How are you doing? in Danish	Hvordan går det?	[vɐˈdæn ˈkɒˀ ˈde]
Are you doing well? in Danish	Går det godt?	[ˈkɒˀ de ˈkʌd]

If you are asked how you feel, you can answer with the following phrases:

English	Danish	IPA
Thank you for asking, I am fine.	Tak fordi du spørger, jeg har det fint.	[ˈtˢɑk fɐˈdiˀ du ˈsbɶɐ̯ ˈjɑj hɑː ˈde ˈfiːnˀd]
Thank you, I am fine.	Tak, jeg har det fint.	[ˈtˢɑk ˈjɑj hɑː ˈde ˈfiːnˀd]
Thank you, I am not doing so well.	Tak, jeg har det ikke så godt.	[ˈtˢɑk ˈjɑj hɑː de ˈekə sɒ ˈkʌd]
Thanks, I’m fine. How are you doing?	Tak, jeg har det fint. Hvordan går det med dig?	[ˈtˢɑk ˈjɑj hɑː ˈde ˈfiːnˀd | vɐˈdæn ˈkɒˀ de mɛl ˈtɑj]

*

More information about the Danish Language Course.

How do I say goodbye to someone in Danish?

Saying goodbye to a friend or stranger in Danish is not that difficult. Just use the following phrases:

English	Danish	IPA
Goodbye! in Danish	Farvel!	[fɑˈvɛl]
Take care of yourself! in Danish	Pas på dig selv!	[ˈpæs pʰoˀ dɑj sɛl]
Goodbye in Danish	Farvel	[fɑˈvɛl]
See you tomorrow in Danish	Vi ses i morgen	[vi ˈseːs i ˈmɒːn]
See you soon in Danish	Vi ses snart	[vi ˈseːs ˈsnɑːˀd]
See you later in Danish	Vi ses senere	[vi ˈseːs ˈseːnɐ]
Good night in Danish	Godnat	[ˈkoˀˌnɛd]
Sleep well in Danish	Sov godt	[ˈsʌʊ̯ ˈkʌd]
Talk to you later. in Danish	Vi snakkes ved senere.	[vi ˈsnɑkəs veː ˈseːnɐ]
Nice to have met you! in Danish	Dejligt at have mødt dig!	[ˈtɑjlid ˈæd hæː ˈmøt ˈdɑj]

How do I introduce myself in Danish?

When travelling in Denmark, sooner or later you will come into contact with local people. Naturally, you’ll want to introduce yourself in Danish and know who you’re talking to.

English	Danish	IPA
My name is Jonas.	Mit navn er Jonas.	[mit ˈnɑʊ̯n ɑ ˈjoːnæs]
What is your name?	Hvad hedder du?	[vɛð ˈhɛðɐ du]
What is your surname?	Hvad er dit efternavn?	[vɛð ɑ dit ˈefɐˌnɑʊ̯n]
What is your first name?	Hvad er dit fornavn?	[vɛð ɑ dit ˈfɒːˌnɑʊ̯n]
What is your surname?	Hvad er dit efternavn?	[vɛð ɑ dit ˈefɐˌnɑʊ̯n]

If you want to tell people where you come from, the following sentences are useful:

English	Danish	IPA
Where do you come from?	Hvor kommer du fra?	[ˈvɒˀ ˈkʰʌmɐ du fʁɑː]
I am from London.	Jeg kommer fra London.	[ˈjɑj ˈkʰʌmɐ fʁɑː ˈlɔnˌdʌn]
Are you from Birmingham?	Kommer du fra Birmingham?	[ˈkʰʌmɐ du fʁɑː ˈbœːmiˌhæm]
No, I’m from Madrid.	Nej, jeg kommer fra Madrid.	[ˈnɑj ˈjɑj ˈkʰʌmɐ fʁɑː maˈdʁið]
Great, I’m from Madrid too.	Fedt, jeg kommer også fra Madrid.	[ˈfe̝d ˈjɑj ˈkʰʌmɐ ˈʌsə fʁɑː maˈdʁið]
Where do you live?	Hvor bor du?	[ˈvɒˀ ˈpoɐ̯ ˈdu]
I live in Berlin.	Jeg bor i Berlin.	[ˈjɑj ˈpoɐ̯ i bɛɐ̯ˈliːn]

If you have problems with your Danish, it is good to know which languages are still spoken:

English	Danish	IPA
Do you speak English?	Taler du engelsk?	[ˈtʰɛːlɐ du ˈɛŋˌelˀsk]
Yes, I speak English.	Ja, jeg taler engelsk.	[ˈjæ ˈjɑj ˈtʰɛːlɐ ˈɛŋˌelˀsk]
Yes, I speak some English.	Ja, jeg taler lidt engelsk.	[ˈjæ ˈjɑj ˈtʰɛːlɐ ˈle̝d ˈɛŋˌelˀsk]
No, I do not speak any English.	Nej, jeg taler ikke engelsk.	[ˈnɑj ˈjɑj ˈtʰɛːlɐ ˈekə ˈɛŋˌelˀsk]
I only speak English.	Jeg taler kun engelsk.	[ˈjɑj ˈtʰɛːlɐ ˈkʰɔn ˈɛŋˌelˀsk]
I understand some Danish.	Jeg forstår lidt dansk.	[ˈjɑj fɒˈsdɒˀ ˈle̝d ˈtanˀsk]

Useful sentences with ‘I am…’

The following sentences will help you orientate yourself in Danish and express your wishes and concerns:

English	Danish	IPA
I am English. in Danish	Jeg er englænder.	[ˈjɑj ɑ ˈɛŋˌlɛnɐ]
I am injured. in Danish	Jeg er skadet.	[ˈjɑj ɑ ˈskɛːð̩]
I am here. in Danish	Jeg er her.	[ˈjɑj ɑ ˈhɑ]
I am hungry. in Danish	Jeg er sulten.	[ˈjɑj ɑ ˈsulˀdn̩]
I am thirsty. in Danish	Jeg er tørstig.	[ˈjɑj ɑ ˈtɶɐ̯sdi]
I am a single person. in Danish	Jeg er single.	[ˈjɑj ɑ ˈseŋl̩]
I need help! in Danish	Jeg har brug for hjælp!	[ˈjɑj hɑː ˈpʁuˀ ˈfɒ ˈjelb]
I am tired. in Danish	Jeg er træt.	[ˈjɑj ɑ ˈtʁɑd]
I am happy. in Danish	Jeg er glad.	[ˈjɑj ɑ ˈglæːð]
I am sad. in Danish	Jeg er ked af det.	[ˈjɑj ɑ ˈkɛð ʌ ˈde]
I am in love. in Danish	Jeg er forelsket.	[ˈjɑj ɑ fɒˈɛlsɡ̊ð]
I am ill. in Danish	Jeg er syg.	[ˈjɑj ɑ ˈsyː]
I am ready. in Danish	Jeg er klar.	[ˈjɑj ɑ ˈklɑːˀ]
I am busy. in Danish	Jeg har travlt.	[ˈjɑj hɑː ˈtʁɑːwld]
I am lost. in Danish	Jeg er faret vild.	[ˈjɑj ɑ ˈfɑːʁəð ˈvilˀ]
I am a tourist. in Danish	Jeg er turist.	[ˈjɑj ɑ tuˈʁisd]
I am new here. in Danish	Jeg er ny her.	[ˈjɑj ɑ ˈnyː ˈhɛɐ̯]
I am confident. in Danish	Jeg er selvsikker.	[ˈjɑj ɑ ˈselˌseɡ̊ɐ]
I am proud. in Danish	Jeg er stolt.	[ˈjɑj ɑ ˈsdʌlˀd]
I am a teacher. in Danish	Jeg er lærer.	[ˈjɑj ɑ ˈlæːɐ]
I am late. in Danish	Jeg er forsinket.	[ˈjɑj ɑ fɒˈseŋˌkəð]
I am 30 years old. in Danish	Jeg er 30 år gammel.	[ˈjɑj ɑ ˈtʁædˀsə ˈɒˀ ˈɡɑmˀl]
I am in a hurry. in Danish	Jeg har travlt.	[ˈjɑj hɑː ˈtʁɑːwld]
I am happy. in Danish	Jeg er glad.	[ˈjɑj ɑ ˈglæːð]
I am surprised. in Danish	Jeg er overrasket.	[ˈjɑj ɑ ˈɒʊ̯ʁɑskəð]
I am angry. in Danish	Jeg er vred.	[ˈjɑj ɑ ˈvʁɛð]

Apologising in Danish

Here’s how to apologise to a Danish speaker:

English	Danish	IPA
I apologise.	Jeg undskylder.	[ˈjɑj ˈɔnˌskylɐ]
Sorry, that was not the intention.	Undskyld, det var ikke meningen.	[ˈɔnˌskyl ˈde vɑː ˈekə ˈme̝ːneŋən]
Sorry, I did not do it on purpose.	Undskyld, jeg gjorde det ikke med vilje.	[ˈɔnˌskyl ˈjɑj ˈɡjoːˀɐ de ˈekə me̝ː ˈviljə]
Sorry, that was very clumsy of me.	Undskyld, det var meget klodset af mig.	[ˈɔnˌskyl de vɑː ˈmɑj̯ð ˈklʌsəð æ ˈmɑj]

*

More information about the Danish Intermediate Course.

Useful signs and notices in Danish

Useful signs and messages in Danish that you will often see.

English	Danish	IPA
Entrance in Danish	Indgang	[ˈenˌkɛŋ]
Toilet in Danish	Toilet	[ˌtʰo.iˈlɛd]
Exit in Danish	Udgang	[ˈuðˌkɛŋ]
Attention! in Danish	Advarsel!	[ˈælˌvɑːsəl]
Police in Danish	Politi	[pʰoliˈti]
Emergency services in Danish	Beredskab	[bəˈʁɛðˌskɛˀb]
Fire brigade in Danish	Brandvæsen	[ˈbʁɑnˌvɛːsn̩]
Passage forbidden. in Danish	Adgang forbudt.	[ˈælˌkɛŋ fɒˈbut]
Caution! in Danish	Pas på!	[pʰæs ˈpʰoˀ]
This building is under video surveillance. in Danish	Denne bygning er under videoovervågning.	[ˈdenə ˈpykneŋ ɑ ˈonɐ ˈviːdeoˌɒʊ̯ɐˌvɔwneŋ]

Numbers to 25 in Danish

Counting in Danish is not that difficult. Here are the numbers in Danish from 1 to 25.

English	Danish	IPA
One in Danish	En	[ˈe̝n]
Two in Danish	To	[ˈtˢoˀ]
Three in Danish	Tre	[ˈtʰʁɛˀ]
Four in Danish	Fire	[ˈfiːɐ̯]
Five in Danish	Fem	[ˈfɛmˀ]
Six in Danish	Seks	[ˈsɛks]
Seven in Danish	Syv	[ˈsywˀ]
Eight in Danish	Otte	[ˈʌdˀə]
Nine in Danish	Ni	[ˈniˀ]
Ten in Danish	Ti	[ˈtiˀ]
Eleven in Danish	Elleve	[ˈelˀvə]
Twelve in Danish	Tolv	[ˈtʰʌlˀ]
Thirteen in Danish	Tretten	[ˈtʰʁɑd̥n̩]
Fourteen in Danish	Fjorten	[ˈfjɒːd̥n̩]
Fifteen in Danish	Femten	[ˈfɛmˀd̥n̩]
Sixteen in Danish	Seksten	[ˈsɑj̯sd̥n̩]
Seventeen in Danish	Sytten	[ˈsytˀn̩]
Eighteen in Danish	Atten	[ˈad̥n̩]
Nineteen in Danish	Nitten	[ˈne̝d̥n̩]
Twenty in Danish	Tyve	[ˈtyːvə]
Twenty-one in Danish	Enogtyve	[ˈe̝nɒˌtyːvə]
Twenty-two in Danish	Toogtyve	[ˈtˢoɒˌtyːvə]
Twenty-three in Danish	Treogtyve	[ˈtʰʁɛɒˌtyːvə]
Twenty-four in Danish	Fireogtyve	[ˈfiːɐ̯ɒˌtyːvə]
Twenty-five in Danish	Femogtyve	[ˈfɛmɒˌtyːvə]

The colours in Danish

The most common colours in Danish with phonetic transcription for pronunciation.

English	Danish	IPA
Red in Danish	Rød	[ʁœːˀ]
Blue in Danish	Blå	[blɔːˀ]
Green in Danish	Grøn	[kʁœnˀ]
Yellow in Danish	Gul	[ɡuːˀl]
Black in Danish	Sort	[soːˀt]
White in Danish	Hvid	[viðˀ]
Orange in Danish	Orange	[oˈʁɑ̃ːʃə]
Purple in Danish	Lilla	[ˈle̝lə]
Pink in Danish	Lyserød	[ˈlyːsəʁœːˀ]
Brown in Danish	Brun	[b̥ʁuːˀn]

Days of the week, months and seasons in Danish

Of course, you will also need the days of the week in Danish and the pronunciation of the months and seasons in dialogues and daily communication in Danish.

English	Danish	IPA
Monday in Danish	Mandag	[ˈmænˌtæˀ]
Tuesday in Danish	Tirsdag	[ˈtiɐ̯ˌsdaˀ]
Wednesday in Danish	Onsdag	[ˈɔnˌstaˀ]
Thursday in Danish	Torsdag	[ˈtʰɒːˌsdaˀ]
Friday in Danish	Fredag	[ˈfʁɛˌdæˀ]
Saturday in Danish	Lørdag	[ˈlɶɐ̯ˌdæˀ]
Sunday in Danish	Søndag	[ˈsønˌdæˀ]
January in Danish	Januar	[ˈjanua̯ʁ]
February in Danish	Februar	[ˈfe̝bʁuˌɑˀ]
March in Danish	Marts	[ˈmɑːts]
April in Danish	April	[aˈpʰʁiːl]
May in Danish	Maj	[ˈmai̯]
June in Danish	Juni	[ˈjuːni]
July in Danish	Juli	[ˈjuːli]
August in Danish	August	[ˈɑwˌgʊsd]
September in Danish	September	[sɛbˈtɛmbɐ]
October in Danish	Oktober	[ogˈtʰoːbɐ]
November in Danish	November	[noˈvɛmbɐ]
December in Danish	December	[deˈsɛmbɐ]
Spring in Danish	Forår	[ˈfɒːˌɒˀ]
Summer in Danish	Sommer	[ˈsʌmɐ]
Autumn in Danish	Efterår	[ˈefdɐˌɒˀ]
Winter in Danish	Vinter	[ˈvenˀtɐ]

*

More information about the Danish Business Course.

Additional links

• Learn Danish with Mondly
• Learn Danish with Babbel
• The different ways of learning languages
• Learning vocabulary successfully
• Motivated language learning
• It is so easy to train your understanding of a language at the same time
• Learning languages quickly? – Is it possible?
• The different types of learners when learning languages

More information about the Danish Course for Children.