The Around the World phrasebook
Let's learn traveller's Danish
Not the school kind — the airport, taxi and dinner-table kind. Every phrase with a say-it-out-loud pronunciation.
Nobody expects you to speak fluent Danish. But ten words in the right places — and the market seller smiles, the driver drops the price, the waiter brings the good stuff. We've gathered 65 phrases that actually work, sorted by the moment you'll need them: the landing, the taxi, check-in, the table. Each with a pronunciation you can read aloud without cringing.
Phrasebook · 1/8
First words
| What you want to say | Danish | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| Hello (formal) | Goddag | go-DAG |
| Hello (informal) | Hej | HI |
| Goodbye | Farvel | far-VEL |
| Thank you | Tak | TAK |
| Please | Vær så venlig | vaer so VEN-li |
| Yes | Ja | YA |
| No | Nej | NAI |
| Sorry | Undskyld | UN-skyld |
| I don't understand | Jeg forstår ikke | yai for-STOR i-ke |
| Do you speak English? | Taler du engelsk? | TAE-ler du EN-gelsk |
Phrasebook · 2/8
Courtesy & introductions
| What you want to say | Danish | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| Good morning | God morgen | GOH MOR-en |
| Good evening | God aften | GOH AF-ten |
| How are you? | Hvordan har du det? | vor-DAN HAR doo DET |
| My name is... | Mit navn er... | mit NAUN er |
| Nice to meet you | Hyggeligt at møde dig | HUE-ghe-lit et MEU-the dai |
| I am from Israel | Jeg er fra Israel | yai ER fra IS-ra-el |
| See you | Vi ses | vee SES |
Phrasebook · 3/8
At the airport & on the flight
| What you want to say | Danish | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| Where is the gate? | Hvor er gaten? | VOR er GAY-ten? |
| Is the flight delayed? | Er flyet forsinket? | ER FLU-yet for-SINK-et? |
| Boarding pass | Boardingkort | BORD-ing-kort |
| My suitcase hasn't arrived | Min kuffert er ikke ankommet | MIN KOO-fert er EE-keh AN-kom-et |
| I have a connecting flight | Jeg har en forbindelsesflyvning | YAI har en for-BIN-dels-es-FLYV-ning |
| Window/aisle seat | Vindues-/gangplads | VIN-dus-/GANG-plads |
| Where is passport control? | Hvor er paskontrollen? | VOR er PAS-kon-TROL-en? |
Phrasebook · 4/8
Transport & directions
| What you want to say | Danish | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| To this address, please. | Til denne adresse, tak. | TIL DEN-neh a-DRE-seh, TAK. |
| How much to the center? | Hvor meget til centrum? | VOR MY-et TIL SEN-trum? |
| One ticket to… | En billet til… | EN bi-LET TIL… |
| Which platform? | Hvilken perron? | VIL-ken pe-RON? |
| Where is the bus station? | Hvor er busstationen? | VOR er BUS-sta-TI-o-nen? |
| Stop here, please. | Stop her, tak. | STOP HER, TAK. |
| Is it far? | Er det langt? | ER de LANGT? |
| Turn left/right. | Drej til venstre/højre. | DRAY TIL VEN-streh/HOY-reh. |
| Straight. | Ligeud. | LEE-eh-ud. |
Phrasebook · 5/8
Hotel & stay
| What you want to say | Danish | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| I have a reservation | Jeg har en reservation | YEY har en re-ZER-va-TZION |
| Check-in | Check-in | CHEK-IN |
| Check-out | Check-out | CHEK-AUT |
| Is breakfast included? | Er morgenmad inkluderet? | ER MORN-mel in-kloo-DE-ret |
| Room key | Værelsesnøgle | VER-el-ses-NOY-leh |
| Wi-Fi password | Wi-Fi kode | VAI-FAI KO-deh |
| Can I leave my luggage? | Kan jeg efterlade min bagage? | KEN yey EF-ter-leh-deh min ba-GA-sheh |
| The air conditioner doesn't work | Aircondition virker ikke | ER-kon-di-SHEN VIR-ker EE-keh |
Phrasebook · 6/8
Restaurant & food
| What you want to say | Danish | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| Table for two | Et bord til to | et BORD til TO |
| The menu, please | Menuen, tak | me-NUE-en TAK |
| What do you recommend? | Hvad anbefaler I? | ved AN-be-fe-ler EE |
| The bill, please | Regningen, tak | REI-neen-en TAK |
| Tap water | Postevand | POST-e-vand |
| I have a nut allergy | Jeg har nøddeallergi | yai HAR NED-e-al-er-GI |
| No meat | Ingen kød | IN-gen KED |
| It was excellent | Det var fremragende | de VAR FREM-rau-en-de |
| Can I pay by card? | Kan jeg betale med kort? | ken YAI be-TA-le med KORT |
Phrasebook · 7/8
Shopping & money
| What you want to say | Danish | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| How much does it cost? | Hvor meget koster det? | VOR MELD KOS-ter DET? |
| It's too expensive | Det er for dyrt | DEH ER for DEE-urt |
| Do you accept cards? | Tager I kort? | TAH-er EE KORT? |
| I'm just looking | Jeg kigger bare | YAI KEE-ger BAR-eh |
| Can I have a receipt? | Kan jeg få en kvittering? | KEN YAI FOH en KVEE-teh-ring? |
| Where is an ATM? | Hvor er der en hæveautomat? | VOR ER der en HEH-veh-ow-toh-maht? |
| A smaller size | En mindre størrelse | en MIN-dreh STOR-elseh |
Phrasebook · 8/8
Emergencies & health
| What you want to say | Danish | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| Help! | Hjælp! | YELP |
| Call a doctor | Ring til en læge | RING til en LEH |
| Call the police | Ring til politiet | RING til po-li-TEE-el |
| Where is a pharmacy? | Hvor er der et apotek? | VOR er der et a-po-TEK |
| I don't feel well | Jeg har det ikke godt | YAI har de i-ke GOT |
| I'm lost | Jeg er faret vild | YAI er FA-reh VIL |
| I need a hospital | Jeg har brug for et hospital | YAI har BRU for et hos-pi-TAL |
| It hurts here | Det gør ondt her | De GER OND HER |
Q&A
Answers to your questions
How do you say "thank you" in Danish?
"Tak" (TAK). It's one of the five words worth knowing by heart before you land.
How much Danish do I need for a trip?
Not much. Five or six courtesy words (hello, thank you, please, sorry, yes/no) open doors, and another ten to fifteen phrases for fixed situations — a taxi, check-in, the restaurant bill — cover almost any trip. The rest: a camera-translation app.
Can you get by in English where Danish is spoken?
In city centres, hotels and tourist sites — usually yes, especially with younger people. Outside them — markets, transport, small towns — a few words of the local language make a real difference and are warmly received.
Which countries have Danish as an official language?
Danish is a main language in 1 countries: Denmark.
What's the difference between the formal and casual greeting?
Most languages have a formal "hello" for strangers, service staff and elders, and an everyday version for friends and peers. As a traveller it's always safer to open with the formal one — nobody is offended by too much politeness.
How do you politely ask someone to speak English?
"Taler du engelsk?" (TAE-ler du EN-gelsk) — "do you speak English?". Lead with "excuse me" in the local language and it comes across as respectful.
About this page
Written and checked by the Around the World team. We compare prices across the major providers, cross-check official sources, and update when something changes. We have no stake in any one provider — links are affiliate links, and the price is the same for you.
Sources: Phrasebook: the Around the World team · Language-to-country: Around the World data