Danish Language Blog

As 2012 is slipping away, it’s time to set the record straight for 2013! Many people are making nytårsforsætter (et nytårsforsæt in the singular), or New Year’s resolutions, about things to improve or achieve during the upcoming year. I asked some family members and friends about their nytårsforsætter:

• at leve sundt (to live healthy)
• at begynde at træne (to start training)
• at snakke pænt til konen (to talk nice to the wife)
• at læse mere (to read more)
• at starte et nyt og bedre liv (to start a new and better life)
• at rydde op (to tidy up)
• at lave færre overspringshandlinger (to do fewer displacement activities)
• at bruge mere tid til at være social på Facebook (to spend more time being social on Facebook)
• at læse færre netaviser (to read fewer online newspapers)
• at bygge en garage (to build a garage)
• at holde op med at ryge (to quit smoking)
• at lave flere lektier (to do more homework)
• at dyrke mere sport (to do more sport)

What are your resolutions for 2013?

Godt nytår!

Fun fact for language geeks: In Denmark, many think that the word for new year’s resolution is actually ”nytårsfortsæt”, which means ”new year’s continue” (fortsæt)!

It’s ferie (holiday) time, and most Danes pakker kufferten (pack their trunk) and prepare themselves to escape to another place for a couple of weeks, be it Island (Iceland), Grækenland (Greece), Thailand, the local beach, a sommerhus (summer residence, cabin) in another part of the country, or your very own kolonihavehus.

No matter where you go, you’ll need some vocabulary:

Hvornår har vi sommerferie? When do we have (our) summer holidays?
Ferien starter i uge 28. The vacation starts in Week 28 (from July 9 in 2012).

Hvor skal vi rejse hen? Where are we going (to)?
Hvad med Spanien? How about Spain?
Nej, det er for varmt. No, that’s too hot.
Jeg vil hellere være hjemme i Danmark. I’d rather be at home in Denmark.

Skal jeg hjælpe dig med at pakke? Would you like me to help you with the luggage (literally: “Shall I help you with to pack?”)
bagage [baGASHeh] luggage
parasol parasol
badehåndklæde beach towel
badebold beach ball
badebukser swimming trunks
badedragt swimsuit
bikini
topløs (adj.) topless
solbriller sunglasses
solkrem tan lotion
bog book

Hej, mit navn er Karen, jeg ringer fra Struer… Hello, my name is Karen and I’m calling from Struer…

Taler du dansk/engelsk/arabisk? Do you speak Danish/English/Arabic?

Jeg vil gerne bestille en billet til Rhodos. I’d like to order a ticket to Rhodos.

Det kan du gøre inde på vores hjemmeside. You can do that at our homepage.

Hvor meget bliver det? How much is it?

Det bliver fire tusind kroner, tak. That’s 4000 kroner, please.

Hvor meget er det i euro? How much is that in euros?

Har I studierabat? Do you have a students’ discount?

Jeg vil gerne booke to hotelværelser. I’d like to book two hotel rooms.

Ét med dobbeltseng, og ét med tre enkeltsenge. One with a double bed, and one with three single beds.
sengelinned bed linen
lagen/er sheet/s
altan balcony

Hvor er det nærmeste toilet? Where is the nearest toilet?

Må jeg låne din mobiltelefon? May I borrow your mobile phone?

Jeg er blevet angrebet af en haj. I’ve been attacked by a shark.

Hvornår skal vi hjem igen? When are we going back home?

We can’t be talking about grammar and pronunciation all the time – let’s get down to the essential stuff: følelser (feelings, say ’FURLsor’).

If someone makes you smile or even laugh, you may describe your mood by the words

Jeg er glad! [yaah glath] I’m happy!

If you’re happy at a more profound level – like you’re happy with your life – you may say

Jeg er lykkelig. [yaah LURK-eh-lee] I’m happy/fortunate. (It’s the same word as English ’lucky’!)

If someone makes you feel angry and sad, on the other hand, the best words to use may be

Jeg er sur (på dig). [yaah soor paw dy] I’m cross (with you).

If it’s even worse – you want to pick the nearest bottle and throw it at your conversational partner – say

Jeg er vred (på dig). [yaah vreth paw dy] I’m angry (with you).
Jeg er rasende (på dig). [yaah RAHsneh paw dy] I’m furious (with you).

(But don’t throw that bottle!)

But hey! The other person is cowering! Did you give him too much skældud [skelOOTH] (scolding)?

Hvordan har du det? [VOdan har doo deh] How are you?
Er du bange? [ah doo BANG] Are you afraid?
Er du ked af det? [ah doo KETH ah deh] Are you sad?

Perhaps he’s just ligeglad [LEEHglath] (indifferent). Or jaloux [shalOO] (jealous). Or nervøs [nare-VURS] (nervous). Or hemmeligt forelsket [HEMleet forELSketh] (secretly in love). Or maybe he keder sig [KETHor sy] (bores himself, is bored).

Anyway, it might be a good idea not to exclaim strong declarations like

Jeg elsker dig! [yah ELSkor dy] I love you

or

Jeg hader dig! [yah HATHor dy] I hate you

He might just end up feeling forvirret [forVEEoth] (confused) or ulykkelig [ooLURK-eh-lee] (sad, brokenhearted). I’d take a chance on

Skal vi snakke om det? [skal vee SNARK-eh om deh] Wanna talk about it?