🌟 Why Basic Words Matter
Learning basic Danish words gives you the foundation to start understanding and speaking. Even with just 50-100 words, you can begin to recognize patterns, understand simple conversations, and make yourself understood in everyday situations.
Key principle: Always learn nouns with their gender (en/et) from day one. This saves months of relearning later.
For a complete learning path, see our guide to starting from scratch.
👋 Greetings & Politeness
| Danish | English | Pronunciation Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Hej | Hi / Hello | Like English "hi" |
| God morgen | Good morning | "go morgen" (g is soft) |
| God dag | Good day | "go da" (soft d, g is silent) |
| God aften | Good evening | "go aften" |
| Farvel | Goodbye | "fa-vel" |
| Tak | Thank you | "tag" (soft d) |
| Mange tak | Thanks a lot | "mange tag" |
| Undskyld | Sorry / Excuse me | "un-skill" |
| Værsgo | Here you go / Please | "vers-go" |
| Ja | Yes | "ya" |
| Nej | No | "nigh" |
🔢 Numbers 1-20 with Pronunciation
| Number | Danish | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | en | "en" |
| 2 | to | "to" |
| 3 | tre | "tre" |
| 4 | fire | "fee-re" |
| 5 | fem | "fem" |
| 6 | seks | "seks" |
| 7 | syv | "su" (v is silent) |
| 8 | otte | "od-te" |
| 9 | ni | "nee" |
| 10 | ti | "tee" |
| 11 | elleve | "el-ve" |
| 12 | tolv | "tol" (v is silent) |
| 13 | tretten | "tred-den" |
| 14 | fjorten | "fjor-ten" |
| 15 | femten | "fem-ten" |
| 16 | seksten | "sikes-ten" |
| 17 | sytten | "sød-den" |
| 18 | atten | "ad-den" |
| 19 | nitten | "need-den" |
| 20 | tyve | "tue" (v is silent) |
📅 Days & Months
Days of the Week
| Danish | English |
|---|---|
| mandag | Monday |
| tirsdag | Tuesday |
| onsdag | Wednesday |
| torsdag | Thursday |
| fredag | Friday |
| lørdag | Saturday |
| søndag | Sunday |
Months
| Danish | English |
|---|---|
| januar | January |
| februar | February |
| marts | March |
| april | April |
| maj | May |
| juni | June |
| juli | July |
| august | August |
| september | September |
| oktober | October |
| november | November |
| december | December |
💬 Essential Phrases
| Danish | English |
|---|---|
| Hvordan går det? | How are you? |
| Det går godt, tak. | I'm doing well, thanks. |
| Hvad hedder du? | What's your name? |
| Jeg hedder... | My name is... |
| Hvor kommer du fra? | Where are you from? |
| Jeg kommer fra... | I'm from... |
| Hvor gammel er du? | How old are you? |
| Jeg er ... år gammel. | I'm ... years old. |
| Forstår du? | Do you understand? |
| Jeg forstår ikke. | I don't understand. |
| Kan du tale langsommere? | Can you speak slower? |
| Hvad betyder det? | What does that mean? |
🔤 50 Essential Nouns with Gender (en/et)
Critical rule: Always learn nouns with their gender. There's no simple rule – you must memorize them together. Here are 50 essential nouns to get started:
| Danish (with gender) | English |
|---|---|
| en mand | a man |
| en kvinde | a woman |
| et barn | a child |
| en dreng | a boy |
| en pige | a girl |
| en familie | a family |
| en mor | a mother |
| en far | a father |
| en bror | a brother |
| en søster | a sister |
| et hus | a house |
| en lejlighed | an apartment |
| et værelse | a room |
| en dør | a door |
| et vindue | a window |
| et bord | a table |
| en stol | a chair |
| en seng | a bed |
| et køkken | a kitchen |
| et toilet | a bathroom |
| en bil | a car |
| en cykel | a bike |
| en bus | a bus |
| et tog | a train |
| en flyvemaskine | an airplane |
| mad | food |
| vand | water |
| kaffe | coffee |
| te | tea |
| øl | beer |
| vin | wine |
| brød | bread |
| smør | butter |
| ost | cheese |
| æg | egg |
| fisk | fish |
| kød | meat |
| grøntsager | vegetables |
| frugt | fruit |
| æble | apple |
| banan | banana |
| dag | day |
| uge | week |
| måned | month |
| år | year |
| tid | time |
| time | hour |
| minut | minute |
| sekund | second |
| vejr | weather |
For more vocabulary, visit our complete vocabulary directory.
🚀 Next Steps
Now that you know basic words, here's how to continue:
- Practice daily: Use our beginner vocabulary exercises to reinforce what you've learned.
- Learn vocabulary systematically: Read our complete vocabulary guide with spaced repetition techniques.
- Explore themed vocabulary: Visit our vocabulary directory for words grouped by topic.
- Start your learning journey: If you're just beginning, see our guide to starting from scratch.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How many Danish words do I need to know to start speaking?
With just 100-200 most common words, you can begin to form simple sentences. Focus on high-frequency words first – greetings, pronouns, common verbs, and everyday nouns.
Do I really need to learn en/et from day one?
Yes, absolutely. Learning nouns without their gender means you'll have to relearn them later. Make it a habit: "en bil" not just "bil". Your future self will thank you.
What's the best way to memorize all these words?
Use spaced repetition with Anki. Create flashcards with the Danish word on front and the English meaning + example sentence on back. Review 10-15 minutes daily.
Should I learn Danish words with pronunciation first?
Yes! Danish pronunciation is tricky. Listen to native speakers (DR apps, podcasts) and repeat aloud. Our beginner exercises include audio examples.
Related Guides
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