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Party Chitchat Posted by on Aug 19, 2015 in Uncategorized

fest

(Opensource image from OpenClipart.)

You’re at a fest (party) with Danes. You’re a begynder (beginner). Your ability to stitch together phrases is so-so. Men du vil meget gerne tale dansk! (But you really want to speak Danish!) Below are a few made-up examples of party smalltalk or småsnak (both: smalltalk), also known as sludder (’rubbish’). To some people it’s a very superficial way of talking, I know. You have to start somewhere, though, before you can discuss migration laws and taxes!

Anne: Hej, jeg hedder Anne! (Hi, my name is Anne!)
John: Hej, jeg hedder John. Og det her er min kæreste Brenda. (Hi, I’m John. And this is my girlfriend Brenda.)
Anne: Hej Brenda! (Hi Brenda!) Hyggeligt at møde dig. (Nice to meet you.)
Brenda: Hej! (Hi!)

Anne: Hvor kommer I fra? (Where do you guys come from?)
John: Jeg kommer fra Kansas… (I’m from Kansas…)
Brenda: …og jeg kommer fra Texas. Vi har faktisk mødt hinanden her i Danmark! (…and I’m from Texas. We’ve actually met each other here in Denmark!)
Anne: Spændende! (Exciting!)

Lars: Hvad laver I så her i Danmark? (What are you doing here in Demark, then?)
Brenda: Vi er ved at lære dansk. (We’re learning Danish.)
Lars: Fedt! (Wow!/Nice!/Great!)
Brenda: Ja, det er rigtigt sjovt, men også lidt svært. (Yes, it’s really fun, but also a bit hard.)
John: Dansk udtale er meget svært. (Danish pronunciation is really hard.)
Anne: Prøv lige at sige ”rødgrød med fløde”! (Hey, try to say rødgrød med fløde!)
John: Rødgrød med fløde…
Anne: Du taler sgu da godt dansk! (You d@mn sure talk Danish very well!)
John: Tak! (Thanks!)

Brenda: Det er nogle rigtigt fine øreringe du har, Lone! (That’s some really nice ear rings you’ve got, Lone!)
Lone: Tak, jeg kan også rigtigt godt lide dem! (Thanks, I also really like them myself!)
Brenda: Hvor har du mon købt dem henne? (Wonder where you’ve bought them?)
Lone: De har faktisk nogle på tilbud i Magasin! (They’ve actually got some on offer in Magasin!)
Brenda: Ej, er det rigtigt? Jeg skal meget i Magasin! (Gee, is that true? I’m so hooked on dropping by Magasin!)

Lars: Hvad laver I egentlig? (What do you guys actually do?)
John: Jeg er mekaniker. (I’m a mechanic.)
Lars: Cool. Så kan du måske reparere mit fjernsyn? (Wow. Then you could perhaps fix my tv set?)
John: –
Lars: Det er for sjov! Og hvad med dig? (Just making fun, man! And how about you?)
Brenda: Jeg arbejder som stewardesse. Men nu holder jeg ferie for at lære dansk. (I work as a stewardess. But now I’m on holiday to learn Danish.)
Lone: Det lyder vildt spændende. Så kommer I vel en masse ud at rejse? (That sounds awesome! Then you guys get to travel a lot, don’t you?)

Anne: Skål, John! (Cheers, John!)
John: Skål for rødgrød med fløde! (Cheers to rødgrød med fløde!)

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About the Author: Bjørn A. Bojesen

I was born in Denmark, but spent large parts of my childhood and study years in Norway. I later returned to Denmark, where I finished my MA in Scandinavian Studies. Having relatives in Sweden as well, I feel very Scandinavian! I enjoy reading and travelling, and sharing stories with you! You’re always welcome to share your thoughts with me and the other readers.