(Free image from Pixabay; no copyright.)

Tøj skaber folk (clothes create people), as the saying goes. Here are some handy words to get you covered fra top til tå (from top to toe).

No matter how much the sun might scorch you from the big blue sky, only a few beaches in Denmark will allow you to walk around nøgen (naked). To go for a swim in the heat, you’ll typically need some badetøj (swimwear). such as a badedragt (swimsuit), bikini or badebukser (swimming trunks).

Note, by the way, that the Danish word bukser (trousers, trunks, pants) is always in the plural (as in English). In order to highlight a single garment, use the word par (pair), just like you’d do in English: et par bukser (a pair of trousers).

When you’re back on dry land, you’ll need your undertøj (underwear). The first thing you step into is often called underbukser (underpants) for the male edition and trusser (briefs) for the female. A bra is a bh or brystholder (literally ”breast-holder”). A T-shirt is a… (Well, okay, we’re quite fond of borrowing words from English, as you’ve probably remarked!) For colder days, you might also need strømper (socks) and strømpebukser (tights).

For the next layer of clothing, some alternatives are bukser (eventually with a bælte), nederdel (skirt) and shorts. If it’s not too hot, add a skjorte (shirt), a bluse (blouse) or even a trøje (jersey). For many women, in particular, a kjole (dress) is of course also an option. Fodtøj (footwear) include sko (shoes), støvler (boots) and sandaler (sandals).

Overtøy (outerwear) may not be necessary at this time of the year. Even if you don’t need a regular jakke (jacket), however, you might need a regnjakke (raincoat). Let’s save the hue (cap), handsker (gloves), vanter (mittens), halstørklæde (scarf), undertrøje (undershirt), frakke (coat), hat (hat) and slips (tie) for colder times.

God sommer! 🙂