You don't need Danish to travel in Denmark, since almost everyone speaks excellent English, and signage is easy to follow. But a few words are a friendly gesture, and they help you read menus and maps.
Danish pronunciation is famously tricky, with soft "d" sounds and swallowed endings. Don't worry about getting it perfect; the effort is what's appreciated, and locals will happily switch to English.
The essentials
| English | Danish | Rough pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Hello / Hi | Hej | "hai" |
| Goodbye | Farvel | "fah-vel" |
| Please | Vær så venlig | "vehr saw ven-li" |
| Thank you | Tak | "tahk" |
| Thank you very much | Mange tak | "mahng-eh tahk" |
| Yes / No | Ja / Nej | "ya" / "nai" |
| Excuse me / Sorry | Undskyld | "on-skul" |
| Do you speak English? | Taler du engelsk? | "tay-lah doo eng-elsk" |
| Cheers! | Skål! | "skoal" |
Out and about
| English | Danish |
|---|---|
| How much is it? | Hvad koster det? |
| The bill, please | Regningen, tak |
| Water | Vand |
| Coffee | Kaffe |
| Beer | Øl |
| Bakery | Bageri |
| Open / Closed | Åben / Lukket |
| Entrance / Exit | Indgang / Udgang |
| Toilet | Toilet |
| Train / Station | Tog / Station |
Words you'll see on a map
Danish place names follow patterns once you spot them: -borg (castle/fortress, as in Rosenborg, Aalborg), -havn (harbour, as in København/Copenhagen, Nyhavn), -by (town), gade (street), torv (square), ø (island), and klint (cliff, as in Møns Klint). The three extra Danish letters, æ, ø, å, come at the very end of the alphabet, which matters when you're reading an index.
Pronunciations are approximate guides for English speakers, not formal phonetic transcription.