Language/Danish/Vocabulary/Greetings-and-Introductions
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As a Danish language teacher with 20 years of experience, I would like to welcome you to the "Complete 0 to A1 Danish Course". This course is designed for complete beginners, and it will take you to the A1 level. In this lesson, you will learn basic Danish greetings and how to introduce yourself.
Consider broadening your understanding by checking out these related lessons: Geography & At the Store.
Greetings
Let's start with the most common Danish greeting: "Hej". It is pronounced like "hey" in English. You can use it in both informal and formal situations. Another common greeting is "God morgen" which means "Good morning". It is pronounced like "go-mor-gen". You can use it only in the morning until around 10 or 11 am.
Here are some other common greetings:
- God dag - Good day (pronounced "go-day")
- God eftermiddag - Good afternoon (pronounced "go-eff-ter-mi-dag")
- God aften - Good evening (pronounced "go-af-ten")
- Hej med dig - Hello to you (informal, pronounced "hey med di")
Remember to always greet people properly when you meet them. Danes value politeness and respect, especially when meeting someone for the first time.
Introductions
When you want to introduce yourself in Danish, you can use the phrase "Jeg hedder" which means "My name is". It is pronounced like "yai he-der". Here is an example:
- Jeg hedder Anna. - My name is Anna.
Another way to introduce yourself is to say "Mit navn er" which also means "My name is". It is pronounced like "mitt naun e". Here is an example:
- Mit navn er Peter. - My name is Peter.
After introducing yourself, you can ask the person for their name by saying "Hvad hedder du?" which means "What is your name?". It is pronounced like "vad he-der du".
Here are some useful phrases to use when meeting someone for the first time:
- Hyggeligt at møde dig - Nice to meet you (pronounced "hyg-ge-lit at mer-di di")
- Hvor kommer du fra? - Where are you from? (pronounced "vor kom-mer du fra")
- Hvordan har du det? - How are you? (pronounced "vor-dan har du dé")
- Tak for sidst - Thanks for last time (a way to say thank you after a previous meeting, pronounced "tak for sist")
Everyday conversations
In everyday conversations, it is common to ask people "Hvordan går det?" which means "How are you?". It is pronounced like "vor-dan gor dé". The usual reply is "Det går godt" which means "It's going well". It is pronounced like "dé gor got".
If someone asks you "Hvordan har du det?", you can reply using these expressions:
- Jeg har det godt, tak. - I'm doing well, thank you.
- Jeg har det ikke så godt. - I'm not doing well.
Here are some other useful phrases that will come in handy in everyday conversations:
- Undskyld – Excuse me (pronounced "un-sjjould")
- Ja – Yes (pronounced "ya")
- Nej – No (pronounced "nai")
- Tak – Thank you (pronounced "tak")
- Selv tak – You're welcome (pronounced "sel tak")
Learning basic Danish greetings and introductions is a great way to start building your language skills. Don't be afraid to practice with native speakers and immerse yourself in Danish culture. In the next lesson, you will learn vocabulary related to family members.
Vocabulary
Here's a table that will help you memorize the Danish words for some of the common greetings and phrases mentioned above:
| Danish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Hej | hey | Hello |
| God morgen | go-mor-gen | Good morning |
| God dag | go-day | Good day |
| God eftermiddag | go-eff-ter-mi-dag | Good afternoon |
| God aften | go-af-ten | Good evening |
| Hej med dig | hey med di | Hello to you |
| Jeg hedder | yai he-der | My name is |
| Mit navn er | mitt naun e | My name is |
| Hvad hedder du? | vad he-der du | What is your name? |
| Hyggeligt at møde dig | hyg-ge-lit at mer-di di | Nice to meet you |
| Hvor kommer du fra? | vor kom-mer du fra | Where are you from? |
| Hvordan har du det? | vor-dan har du dé | How are you? |
| Det går godt | dé gor got | It's going well |
| Jeg har det godt, tak. | yai har dé got, tak | I'm doing well, thank you |
| Jeg har det ikke så godt. | yai har dé i-ke så got | I'm not doing well |
| Undskyld | un-sjjould | Excuse me |
| Ja | ya | Yes |
| Nej | nai | No |
| Tak | tak | Thank you |
| Selv tak | sel tak | You're welcome |
Other Lessons
- Computer
- Food
- Idiomatic Expressions
- Colors and Numbers
- Science and Technology
- Everyday Life
- Animal
- Transportation
- At the Post Office
- Food in Danish
Sources
- Self Introductions - Basic Greetings in Danish - DanishClass101
- How To Say Hello In Danish
- Learn Danish
Videos
150 Basic Danish Phrases! (Greetings, self-introduction, work ...
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