Dansk · Danish
Learn Danish vocabulary
Soft pronunciation, and an unusual way of building numbers.
Danish pronunciation is soft: many sounds that appear in writing are weakened or lost when spoken. That is why learning Danish by ear, and not only by reading, makes a big difference.
Some Danish numbers are built with a base-twenty logic (for example, 50 is "halvtreds"). It looks odd at first but becomes natural with practice.
What to know
- Pronunciation can differ greatly from spelling.
- Numbers are partly built on a base-twenty system.
- Closely related to Swedish and Norwegian.
Study tips
- Listen to every word.
- Treat numbers as a mini study project.
- Combine reading and listening.
Where is it spoken?
Danish is spoken in Denmark and is also used in the Faroe Islands and Greenland.
Pronunciation and spelling notes
The "soft d" (close to the "th" in "the"), the throaty "r" and the glottal catch called "stød" are characteristic. There are many vowel distinctions, and many written sounds are weakened or dropped.
Which languages help?
It is very similar to Norwegian in writing and shares a fair amount of vocabulary with Swedish; spoken differences can make understanding hard.
A roadmap for your first week
In week one, start with basic greetings and numbers, but take pronunciation seriously from the beginning: many written sounds soften or disappear when Danish is spoken. Never learn a word without hearing it.
Common mistakes
- Reading from spelling: Danish pronunciation is quite far from the written form.
- Treating the number system as pure memorisation: 50 "halvtreds" and 70 "halvfjerds" are partly base-twenty, and understanding the logic helps.
- Skipping the en/et distinction and learning nouns on their own.
A small sample word list
| Danish | English |
|---|---|
| hej | hello |
| tak | thank you |
| vær så venlig | please |
| vand | water |
| et hus | house |
| en ven | friend |
| ja | yes |
| nej | no |
| god | good |
| i dag | today |
This list is our own; it is not an official list and only gives a feel for the first steps in this language.
Studying Danish in Frigya
When you add Danish in Frigya, you choose a separate level (A1–C2) and daily word goal for it. In Discover you meet new words and in Learn you reinforce them with spaced repetition; you can listen to words and example sentences. You can start without an account.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Danish pronunciation hard?
Why are Danish numbers odd?
In Frigya you choose a separate level (A1–C2) and daily word goal for this language. For details see the levels guide.
Learn this language in Frigya
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