Language

The national language of Denmark is Dansk or Danish. Speaking Danish can be hard, but learning a few key phrases in Danish will be helpful and endear you to the Danes.

If you try speaking a little Danish to a Dane, it is very much appreciated. Since most Danes speak English, they will quickly start to speak English to show you how well they can. They are proud of their language abilities.

Learning common phrases can go a long way: Thank you, hello, HELP!. Speaking Danish is a challenge, but it can be done.

Danish is a Germanic language, so many of the words and phrases have much in common with German, French and English. Speaking Danish will often be a tongue twisting exercise for many.

The Danish language is not an easy language to master, but don't be discouraged. Many English speaking people master it quite quickly once they are immersed in the Danish culture. Especially if partake in many of the free courses offered to expats.

You will find that, when you try speaking Danish to the Danes and they realize you are English-speaking, they will start conversing in English. This is especially so with the younger generation.

English is a mandatory subject in school and the Danes really enjoy showing off their language skills. It is still important to try to learn and speak a bit of the Danish language, if for no other reason than as a sign of respect.

Take a look at the tongue-in-cheek video below to understand a bit more about the Danish language – prepare to laugh!

Since language is such a large obstacle for those moving to Denmark, we have allocated several pages on helping you on your way. Just check out Dansk for lots of help, tips, translations and lists.

Not ready to jump into learning Danish? Need a little divine inspiration? Continue with the tour to learn about religion in Denmark

Or you can return to the Welcome Page.