Danish Language Blog

Most Danish Words Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on May 31, 2018

Which words or phrases are the ”most Danish”? Of course, such a spørgsmål (question) is very hard to answer… Besides, there are so many to pick! Below are my (current) candidates for the prize – do you (dis)agree? øl [url] (beer). Of course, not every Dane drinks beer… But in the home country of the…

Trees of Denmark Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on May 16, 2018

Bøgen er sprunget ud! (The beech has come into leaf!) It’s always a great begivenhed (happening) when Denmark’s national tree gets its first blade (leaves) after the long, leafless vinter season. Skove (forests) all across the realm turn breathtakingly lysegrøn (light green), hvide anemoner (white anemones) bloom between the rødder (roots – rod in the…

Hello Interjections! Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Apr 30, 2018

Ouch! Hitting your finger with a hammer hurts, and the interjection ouch helps you let out a bit of the pain and frustration. Yes! and um… are also interjections, small words that we use to express a feeling. They’re like their own miniature sentences, loaded with meaning. (The meaning of Yes! could be ”I’m so…

Danish Icebreakers Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Apr 29, 2018

Ever been to a social gathering where nobody said a word? 🙂 If you travel around Denmark, you’ll certainly meet people who are less talkative than the stereotypical American. This is especially true in the countryside, where people tend to speak slower and use fewer words than, well, the Copenhageners… Sometimes breaking the ice may…

Fun with Easter Eggs Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Mar 31, 2018

Påske [pawskeh] (Easter) in Denmark is usually a lot more laid-back than jul (Xmas). For many Danes, this welcome break from work is associated with nice little things like the coming of forår (Spring), påskeliljer (”Easter” daffodils), påskebryg (Easter beer) and the uniquely Danish tradition of scissor-cut gækkebrev letters (which I already wrote about). Still,…