Would you like to greet some Danish friends or impress someone? As with any other language, acquiring a good pronunciation is essential for correct communication. The Scandinavian and Germanic languages (Danish in particular) can be quite difficult to master. Fortunately, there are many useful resources online that teach you to speak like a real native speaker.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Greetings in Different Ways
Step 1. Say Hej!. This informal greeting means "Hello".
Hear the pronunciation here
Step 2. To politely greet someone, say 'Hallo
Although most frequently used to answer the phone, this greeting can also be used in person and means "Hello".
Hear the pronunciation here
Step 3. Change the greeting to consider the time of day
Depending on the time you will say God morgen, God eftermiddag, Goddag or God aften. As with English, French and many other languages, Danish also has common expressions that are considered appropriate and courteous for interacting with anyone, from friends to strangers, regardless of social hierarchy. In Scandinavian countries such as Denmark and Norway, the God morgen greeting is used until noon, after which you have to switch to God eftermiddag. This last greeting can be used until 6 pm, at which time it is more appropriate to start saying God aften. It is considered normal to use Goddag all day until the evening.
- Hear the pronunciation of God morgen here. The "r" is uvular, similar to that of French and German, while the pitch is ascending at the end.
- Hear the pronunciation of God eftermiddag here.
- Hear the pronunciation of God aften here.
- Listen to the pronunciation of Goddag here.
Step 4. Learn informal greetings
To ask someone "How are you doing?" Say 'Hva så?. It is recommended to use it with friends, acquaintances with whom you have more confidence and people who hold a similar social position to yours. For example, it is generally not recommended to use it with a grandmother, although this depends a lot on the relationship.
Hear the pronunciation here. Remember that the pitch is ascending at the end
Step 5. Enjoy
Du må hygge dig! Once you have mastered the main greetings and the most commonly used phrases to interact in a friendly manner, you will be able to delve into new social interactions with other Danish speakers. This way you will have the opportunity to hone your language skills and get to know other cultures.
Hear the pronunciation here
Method 2 of 2: Have a Typical Conversation
Step 1. Consider a common interaction
The following conversation contains the main forms of greetings and interaction. In the next steps we will go through every single word to help you learn the pronunciation.
- Claus: Hej! - "Hey!"
- Emmy: Goddag! - "Hello!"
- Claus: Hvordan har du det? - "How are you?"
- Emmy: Fint, tak. Hvad med dig? - "Well thanks and you?"
- Claus: Det går godt! - "Everything good!"
Step 2. Learn to pronounce Hej!. This is the greeting most used by native speakers. Although it is considered informal and is used for friends or younger people, it can also be aimed at individuals who play a higher role on the social ladder and the elderly.
- Listen to the pronunciation here and remember that this word has an ascending intonation.
- If you say Hej twice in a row, you will turn it into an informal greeting that you can use when parting with someone (like "Bye bye!").
- When you answer the phone, you use the Hallo greeting (pronunciation) more.
Step 3. Say Goddag
This greeting is pronounced in two short syllables. The second is accented and ascending. The first "d" is silent, while the syllable dag has a pronunciation very similar to that of the English word day ("day"). By comparison, in English this word is pronounced clearly, with the syllables well pronounced, while the Danes tend to mumble it. Make sure you listen to a native speaker to understand and master pronunciation.
Hear the pronunciation here
Step 4. Ask Hvordan har du det?. After the first greeting, it is likely that you want to continue talking, perhaps asking your interlocutor how he is. In Danish, the prefix hv precedes interrogative words such as "how" and "what". The h is silent and, when pronounced, this word seems much shorter than the written version. However, make sure you listen to it well in this slowed down example - you'll see it become much clearer.
- Hear the pronunciation here.
- Du means "you". If you want to show respect, or if you are targeting an older person or someone who has a higher social role, use De.
Step 5. Reply Fint, tak. Hvad med dig ?. The "i" in fint is short (hear the pronunciation here). Tak means "Thank you" (hear the pronunciation here). Listen to the pronunciation of Hvad med dig here. The Danish "r" is similar to the German or French one, it is therefore uvular and should be pronounced by making the back of the tongue come into contact with the uvula. Note that med is a short syllable within this sentence, less emphasized than the words Hvad and dig.
Hear the pronunciation of the entire sentence here
Step 6. Conclude the interaction by answering Det går godt
This is an informal expression for "All right". As happens in Italian, it is normal to give such an answer, rather than speaking in the first person and saying "I'm fine, thanks". In Danish culture, informal and easy-going ways of doing things are welcome, so expressing yourself in this way in a humble and unassuming tone will help you settle in more easily.
Hear the pronunciation here. Make sure you carefully examine the audio samples to understand it well
Advice
- Listening to podcasts, films and Danish music is a passive and pleasant way to accustom your hearing to the sounds of the language.
- Remember that practicing helps improve accent and vocabulary.
- If you are planning to take a long vacation, study or work in Denmark, find out about free language courses for foreigners [1].
