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Get Moving in Danish Posted by on Sep 30, 2019 in Vocabulary

(Photo by Mariavalloestrauss from Pixabay, no copyright.)

Så er det efterår! (Then it’s autumn!) Before the sofa swallows you, here is a reminder to keep moving…

Man kan bevæge sig på mange forskellige måder. (One can move in many different ways.) Legs and feet make it possible at gå, at løbe, at hoppe, at sparke (to walk, to run, to jump, to kick). Some special varieties include:
De er nede at vandre i Alperne (They’re ”down” walking in the Alps)
Pigerne hinkede i frikvarteret (The girls were hopping on one foot in the school break)
Han snublede på vej ind i lokalet (He stumbled on hus way into the room)
De listede sig af sted igennem skoven (They were stealing/tiptoeing through the forest)
Slingrer ned ad Vestergade (Reeling down Vestergade Street – classical song by the Danish band Gnags)

Arms and hands further enable us at gribe, at løfte, at bære, at klatre, at svømme, at omfavne nogen (to catch, to lift, to carry, to climb, to swim, to embrace somebody):
Drengen aede marsvinet (The boy patted/stroke the guinea pig)
Dronningen vinker fra skibet (The Queen is waving from the ship)
Hun famlede i mørket (She was groping in the dark)
De knipsede til musikken (They were snapping their fingers to the music)
Publikum klapper (The audience applauds)

Of course there are countless other ways to move, but for bevægelser (movements) excluding our legs/feet and arms/hands, the vocabulary is more limited. We may trække på skuldrene (shrug our shoulders), nikke (nod), ryste på hovedet (shake our head), rynke panden (knit our brows), trække vejret (breathe), skyde ryg som en kat (arch our backs like a cat), vrikke med hofterne (wiggle our hips) and lukke øjnene (close our eyes). If you can’t fløjte (whistle), skele (squint) or vrikke med ørerne (wiggle your ears), at least you can gabe (yawn) or række tunge (stick out your tongue).

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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.


Comments:

  1. Lisa Møller Pedersen:

    Love this blog. I immigrated to the USA when I was three. Between your blog and Duolingo my danish is coming back. 👍

    • Bjørn A. Bojesen:

      @Lisa Møller Pedersen @Lisa Mange tak for din kommentar! 🙂 Glad to hear that the blog is helping you learning Danish. Feedback like this means a lot.