Archive by Author
Animal Talk Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Jun 24, 2018
Hunden er menneskets bedste ven (the dog is man’s best friend), the saying goes. Some would disagree and pick katten (the cat), or maybe even skildpadden (the turtle), guldfisken (the gold fish) or kanariefuglen (the canary), if you’re that kind of person! Either way, dyr (animals) are fascinating – and you need words to discuss…
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…
Slow Down and Repeat Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Mar 25, 2018
Jeg lærer dansk. Kan du tale lidt langsommere? (I’m learning Danish. Could you speak a little bit slower, please?) As a language learner, you’ve probably sometimes found yourself in situations of awkward communication. Maybe you’ve learnt a few sætninger (phrases) by heart, and all of a sudden every Dane starts telling you their life story…