Useful Words & Phrases in Danish

Danish for Travelers

By Terri Mapes

Updated 06/17/17

Danish students in Copenhagen. — ••• Henrik Sorensen / Getty Images

Many Danish letters are similar to the English language, but here are a few exceptions:

a sounds like e in egg
i sounds like a sound between e in egg and i in ill
or sounds like e in see
æ sounds like a in ache but very short
r at the beginning of a word or after a consonant sounds like a strong guttural h, the Spanish j in Jose or as the French r in rue. Elsewhere between vowels or before a consonant it often becomes part of the vowel sound or is lost

w as v in van
y sounds like ew in few but with lips more rounded

Meet & Greet

Hello: Goddag/Hej (polite/informal)
Goodbye: Farvel
Yes: Ja
No: Nej
Thank you: Tak
Excuse me: Undskyld

Basic Expressions

What's your name?: Hvad hedder du?
My name is ...: Jeg hedder ...
Where are you from?: Hvorfra kommer du?
I'm from ...: Jeg kommer fra ...
How old are you?: Hvor gammel er du?

In Public

Entrance: Indgang
Exit: Udgang
Open: Å¢en
Closed: Lukket
Information: Information
Police Station: Politistation
Toilets: Toiletter
Men: Herrer
Women: Damer

Things to Do

I'm looking for ...: Jeg leder efter ...
A bank: en bank
The city centre: centrum
The ... embassy: den ... ambassade
My hotel: mit hotel
The market: markedet
The museum: museet
The police: politiet
The post office: postkontoret
A public toilet: et offentligt toilet
Telephone centre: telefoncentralen
Tourist office: turist-informationen
Cathedral: domkirke
Church: kirke
Main square: torvet

Shops & Buying

How much is it?: Hvor meget koster
Bookshop: boghandel
Camera shop: fotohandel
Delicatessen: delikatesse
Laundry: vaskeri
Market: marked
News agency: aviskiosk
Stationers: papirhandel

The Time

What time is it?: Hvad er klokken?
It's ? o'clock.: Klokken er ?
Today: i dag
Tomorrow: i morgen
Early: tidlig
Monday: mandag
Tuesday: tirsdag
Wednesday: onsdag
Thursday: torsdag
Friday: fredag
Saturday: lordag
Sunday: sondag