Whether you speak a little Danish or a lot, here is a list of words you will definitely be able to use. Sprinkle these words into your sentences, and you will instantly sound way more Danish.
All these words are commonly used – once you learn them, you will hear them everywhere, we promise!
Are you ready? Let’s begin.
1. Tak
You probably know this one already. After all, tak means ‘thank you’. But that is not all it means in Danish.
In fact, this word is used in a multitude of ways.
- Tak can mean ‘please’: En cola, tak has the same meaning as ‘a coke, please’
- Tak can mean ‘enough’: If someone is serving some food on your plate or pouring you a drink, simply say tak tak to politely say when you have had enough
- Tak in general indicates politeness. If you want to accept – or decline – something, put a tak at the end – ja tak, nej tak - and you’re instantly more polite
2. Hej
Danish is one of the few languages that uses the same word to say hello and goodbye. Hej comes from the English ‘hi’ and is easy to say and remember. Don’t say ‘bye’ – say hej!
- Hej means ’hi’
- Hej means ‘bye’
- Hej hej also means ‘bye’ (but never ‘hi’)
Confused? Simply stick with a single hej. Then things will never go awry!
3. Nå
Nå is a wonderful word. Use it to indicate:
- Surprise: Nå! Det vidste jeg ikke. (’Wow! I didn’t know that.’)
- That you realised something: Nå, så du taler kinesisk! (’Aha, so you speak Chinese!’)
- A change in the conversation: Nå, skal vi tage en pause? (Well, how about we take a break?)
- Indifference: Nå. Og hvad så? (’Oh. So what?’)
The differences in meaning are indicated by the tone. For the first three meanings, say nå in an excited way, pushing the vowel through the top of your mouth. For the indifferent meaning, push the vowel sound back towards your throat.
It’s a little hard to explain, but once you know the word, you are bound to hear it all the time – listen to how Danes use it, and you will surely go Nå, sådan! (‘Aha, that’s how!’).
4. Pyt
Pyt is small but mighty! In 2018, Danes selected this as their favourite word of the year, and even The Washington Post has written about it.
So what is all the fuss about? Well, ironically, it’s about… making no fuss at all.
In fact, pyt is used to indicate that something doesn’t matter that much. Use it when you feel yourself getting upset about something that isn’t really that big a deal.
- I missed the bus. Pyt!
- It’s raining yet again. Pyt!
- I broke some eggs. Pyt!
It’s also a really good word if another person did something that annoys you. If the person apologises and you want to make them know it’s okay, you can say pyt.
In English, you say ‘don’t sweat the small stuff’. In Danish, you simply say pyt.
5. Øh
This one is used by Danes ALL THE TIME. Once you hear it, you can’t help but notice it everywhere. So what does it mean? Um, uh, well… it means exactly that. Simply, it’s the word you say when you don’t know what to say.
Maybe you’re struggling to find the right word in Danish. Maybe you need time to organize your thoughts. Øh works in either case.
Every language has a word or words like this, and they are often so deeply ingrained that they are hard to let go of. Learn to say øh, and you will sound much more Danish – even as you’re struggling to find the other words!
6. Øv
Not to be confused with øh, øv is a wonder word all by itself.
It means ‘bummer’, ‘too bad’ or ‘oh no’!
You can keep it short and sweet:
- If someone gives you bad news, you can show that you’re upset by saying øv!
- And if someone shares something bad that happened to them, you can express sympathy saying øv!
Be careful though. Øv is appropriate for minor disappointments, not major losses. Øv is for cancelled dinner plans or bad weather – not for when someone has an accident or loses a friend.
7. Ja
You probably know this one too. Ja means ‘yes’. But did you know that Danes use ja all the time in conversation?
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Ja can mean ‘yes, I understand’
- Ja can mean ‘yes, I sympathise’
- Ja can mean ‘yes, I agree’
If you are having a conversation in Danish, add some ja here and there – it will show the other person you are engaged.
There is also the very useful ja ja, which can both mean ‘yes, of course’ and ‘enough, I get it already’.
- If you ask if you can bring a friend to a party, and the host says ja ja it means ‘Sure! No problem!’
- But if you have been talking about something for a while and the other person suddenly says ja ja, it probably means they have heard enough. Maybe change the subject – or let them speak for a while
8. Ikk’?
It’s nice to agree. Danes certainly think so. Denmark is famous for its culture of consensus and agreement, and the Danish language reflects that too.
The small word ikk’ is really the word ikke (‘not’), but when it is said like this, without the e, and at the end of the sentence, it is used to invite agreement.
Danes love to use it.
- Det er dejligt vejr, ikk’? (‘the weather is lovely, isn’t it?’)
- Du kan godt lide rugbrød, ikk’? (’you like rugbrød, right?’)
- Jeg har virkelig brug for en ny sweater, ikk'? (’I really need a new sweater, don’t I?’)
It can be hard for Danes to disagree with an ikk’? Put it at the end of a sentence and see for yourself.
9. Sikkert / helt sikkert
Language can be ambiguous. The Danish expression sikkert is a case in point.
- Sikkert means ‘probably’
- Helt sikkert means ‘definitely’
Skal du med på stranden? Sikkert… (Are you coming to the beach? Probably…)
Skal du med på stranden? Helt sikkert! (Are you coming to the beach? Definitely!)
Both expressions are very useful and great to use as answers – just make sure you don’t mix them up!
10. Nemlig
We give the final word to one of the most Danish words out there. Depending on the context, nemlig can mean ‘that’s right’, ‘you’re right’ or ‘we’re right’. It is the ultimate consensus-building Danish feelgood word.
- Use nemlig to underline a point: Jeg gjorde det nemlig! (’I really did it!’)
- Use nemlig to show someone your approval: - Skal billedet hænge sådan? - Nemlig! (’- Should the picture hang like this? - Absolutely!’)
- Use nemlig to enthusiastically show someone they are correct. - Så du lærer altså dansk? - Nemlig! (‘- So you are learning Danish? - You bet!’)
There you have it
Our list of ten short and easy miracle words in Danish. Listen out for them and see if you can use them yourself. It will make your Danish sound a lot better.
Ja! Nemlig! Helt sikkert!