Dansk
Danish
Germanic
Also known as: Danish, Dansk
Danish (dansk) is a North Germanic language and the national language of Denmark; it is also widely taught and used for some official purposes in the Faroe Islands and Greenland, whose principal official languages are Faroese and Greenlandic respectively. Together with Norwegian and Swedish, it forms the mainland Scandinavian group, with substantial but uneven mutual intelligibility that is often greater in writing. Standard Danish uses the Latin alphabet with æ, ø, and å, and its official orthography is maintained by the Danish Language Council. Its grammar has verb-second order in main clauses, two grammatical genders, and definite suffixes on nouns. Danish phonology includes extensive vowel contrasts and reduction, while stød is a prosodic feature involving glottalization or voice quality; it is not the same as the separate “soft d” sound.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Danish
Wi-Fi
Sources
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Germanic
| Meaning | Danish | Norwegian | Norwegian Nynorsk | Swedish | Old Norse | Faroese | Low German |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | vand /vanˀ/ | vann /vɑnː/ | vatn /vɑːtn/ | vatten /vatːɛn/ | vatn /vɑtn/ | vatn /vahtn/ | Water /vɑːtɐ/ |
| Fire | ild /ilˀ/ | ild /ilː/ | eld /ɛld/ | eld /ɛld/ | eldr /eldr/ | eldur /ɛltʊɹ/ | Füer /fyːɐ/ |
| Sun | sol /soːˀl/ | sol /suːl/ | sol /suːl/ | sol /suːl/ | sól /soːl/ | sól /sɔuːl/ | Sünn /zʏn/ |
| Moon | måne /mɔːnə/ | måne /moːnə/ | måne /moːnə/ | måne /moːnɛ/ | máni /mɑːni/ | máni /mɔaːnɪ/ | Maan /maːn/ |
| Star | stjerne /ˈsdjɛɐ̯nə/ | stjerne /ˈstjæːɳə/ | stjerne /ˈstjæːɳə/ | stjärna /ˈɧæːɳa/ | stjarna /ˈstjarna/ | stjørna /ˈtʃœdna/ | Steern /steːrn/ |
| Night | nat /nad/ | natt /nɑtː/ | natt /nɑtː/ | natt /natː/ | nótt /noːtː/ | nátt /nɔtː/ | Nacht /naxt/ |
| Rain | regn /ʁɑjˀn/ | regn /rɛjn/ | regn /rɛjn/ | regn /rɛŋn/ | regn /rɛɣn/ | regn /rɛɡn/ | Regen /ˈreːɡn̩/ |
| Snow | sne /sneːˀ/ | snø /snøː/ | snø /snøː/ | snö /snøː/ | snjór /snjoːr/ | kavi /ˈkɛaːvɪ/ | Snee /sneː/ |
| Wind | vind /venˀ/ | vind /vɪnː/ | vind /vɪnː/ | vind /vɪnd/ | vindr /vindr/ | vindur /ˈvɪndʊr/ | Wind /vɪnt/ |
| Earth | jord /joːɐ/ | jord /juːr/ | jord /juːr/ | jord /juːrd/ | jörð /jœrð/ | jørð /jœɹd/ | Eer /eːɐ/ |
| Stone | sten /steˀn/ | stein /stæɪn/ | stein /stæɪn/ | sten /steːn/ | steinn /stɛinː/ | steinur /staiːnʊɹ/ | Steen /steːn/ |
| Mountain | bjerg /bjɛrˀ/ | fjell /fjɛlː/ | fjell /fjɛlː/ | berg /bærj/ | fjall /fjɑlː/ | fjall /fjatl/ | Barg /barx/ |
| Sea | hav /hæw/ | hav /hɑːv/ | hav /hɑːʋ/ | hav /hɑːv/ | haf /hav/ | hav /hɛaːv/ | See /zeː/ |
| Mother | mor /moɐ̯ˀ/ | mor /muːr/ | mor /muːr/ | mamma /mamːa/ | móðir /moːðir/ | móðir /mɔuːɪɹ/ | Moder /moːdɐ/ |
| Father | far /fɑːˀ/ | far /fɑːr/ | far /fɑːr/ | pappa /papːa/ | faðir /fɑðir/ | faðir /fɛaːjɪɹ/ | Vader /fɑːdɐ/ |
| Daughter | datter /ˈdadɐ/ | datter /ˈdatːər/ | dotter /ˈdɔtːər/ | dotter /ˈdɔtːɛr/ | dóttir /doːttir/ | dóttir /ˈdœhtɪɹ/ | Dochter /dɔxtɐ/ |
| I | jeg /jɑ/ | jeg /jæɪ/ | eg /eːɡ/ | jag /jɑːɡ/ | ek /ek/ | eg /eː/ | ik /ɪk/ |
| You | du /du/ | du /dʉː/ | du /dʉː/ | du /dʉː/ | þú /θuː/ | tú /tʉuː/ | du /duː/ |
| We | vi /vi/ | vi /viː/ | me /meː/ | vi /viː/ | vér /veːr/ | vit /viːt/ | wi /viː/ |
| Name | navn /nɑwˀn/ | navn /nɑʋn/ | namn /nɑmn/ | namn /namn/ | nafn /nafn/ | navn /naun/ | Naam /naːm/ |
| Person | menneske /ˈmenəsɡə/ | menneske /ˈmɛnːəskə/ | menneske /ˈmɛnːəskə/ | människa /ˈmɛnːɪɧa/ | maðr /maðr/ | menniskja /ˈmɛnːɪʃa/ | Minsch /mɪnʃ/ |
| Head | hoved /ˈhoːəð/ | hode /ˈhuːdə/ | hovud /ˈhuːvʉ/ | huvud /ˈhʉːvɵd/ | hǫfuð /ˈhɔvuð/ | høvd /hœtː/ | Kopp /kɔp/ |
| Eye | øje /ʌjə/ | øye /øjə/ | auga /æʉɡɑ/ | öga /øːɡa/ | auga /ɑuɣɑ/ | eyga /ɛiːja/ | Oog /oːx/ |
| Ear | øre /øːɐ/ | øre /øːrə/ | øyra /øːyra/ | öra /øːra/ | eyra /øyra/ | oyra /ɔiːra/ | Ohr /oːr/ |
| Nose | næse /ˈnɛːsə/ | nese /ˈneːsə/ | nase /ˈnɑːsə/ | näsa /ˈnɛːsa/ | nef /nɛv/ | nøs /nøːs/ | Nees /neːs/ |
| Mouth | mund /mɔnˀ/ | munn /mʉnː/ | munn /mʉnː/ | mun /mɵn/ | munnr /munːr/ | munnur /ˈmʊnːʊɹ/ | Muul /muːl/ |
| Tooth | tand /tˢanˀ/ | tann /tɑnː/ | tann /tanː/ | tand /tand/ | tǫnn /tɔnː/ | tonn /tɔnː/ | Tähn /tɛːn/ |
| Tongue | tunge /ˈtɔŋə/ | tunge /ˈtʊŋə/ | tunge /ˈtʉŋə/ | tunga /ˈtɵŋa/ | tunga /ˈtuŋɡa/ | tunga /ˈtʊŋɡa/ | Tung /tʊŋ/ |
| Hand | hånd /hɔnˀ/ | hånd /hɔnː/ | hand /hɑnd/ | hand /hand/ | hǫnd /hɔnd/ | hond /hɔnt/ | Hand /hant/ |
| Foot | fod /foˀð/ | fot /fuːt/ | fot /fuːt/ | fot /fuːt/ | fótr /foːtr/ | fótur /ˈfɔuːtʊɹ/ | Foot /fɔʊ̯t/ |
| Heart | hjerte /jæɐ̯d̥ə/ | hjerte /ˈjæʈə/ | hjarte /jɑːrtə/ | hjärta /ˈjæʈːa/ | hjarta /hjɑrtɑ/ | hjarta /jaɹta/ | Hart /haɐt/ |
| Bone | knogle /ˈkʰnɔwlə/ | bein /bæɪn/ | bein /bæɪn/ | ben /beːn/ | bein /bɛin/ | bein /baiːn/ | Knaken /ˈknaːkən/ |
| Blood | blod /ploðˀ/ | blod /bluː/ | blod /bluː/ | blod /bluːd/ | blóð /bloːð/ | blóð /bloːʊ/ | Bloot /bloːt/ |
| Poop | lort /loɐt/ | bæsj /bæʃ/ | bæsj /bæʃ/ | bajs /bajs/ | drit /drit/ | kúkur /kʉːkʊr/ | Schiet /ʃiːt/ |
| Love | kærlighed /kʰæɐ̯liheð̠ˀ/ | kjærlighet /ˈçæːɭɪˌheːt/ | kjærleik /çæːrlɛik/ | kärlek /ɕæːɭɛk/ | ást /ɑːst/ | kærleiki /kɛaːɹlaiːtʃɪ/ | Leev /leːf/ |
| Tree | træ /tʁɛːˀ/ | tre /treː/ | tre /treː/ | träd /trɛːd/ | tré /treː/ | træ /tɹɛaː/ | Boom /boːm/ |
| Dog | hund /hunˀ/ | hund /hʉnː/ | hund /hʉnd/ | hund /hɵnd/ | hundr /hundr/ | hundur /hʊntʊɹ/ | Hund /hʊnt/ |
| Cat | kat /kʰæd̥/ | katt /kɑtː/ | katt /kɑtː/ | katt /katː/ | kǫttr /kɔtːr/ | ketta /tʃɛhta/ | Katt /kat/ |
| Fish | fisk /fesk/ | fisk /fɪsk/ | fisk /fɪsk/ | fisk /fɪsk/ | fiskr /fiskr/ | fiskur /ˈfɪskʊɹ/ | Fisch /fɪʃ/ |
| Bird | fugl /ˈfuˀl/ | fugl /fʉːɡl/ | fugl /fʉːl/ | fågel /ˈfoːɡɛl/ | fugl /fuɡl/ | fuglur /ˈfuːlʊɹ/ | Vagel /ˈfaːɣəl/ |
| Butterfly | sommerfugl /ˈsɔmɐfuːˀl/ | sommerfugl /ˈsɔmərfʉːl/ | sommarfugl /ˈsɔmɑrfʉːl/ | fjäril /ˈfjæːrɪl/ | fífrildi /fiːfrildi/ | firvaldur /ˈfɪɹvaldʊɹ/ | Sommervagel /ˈzɔmɐfaːɣəl/ |
| Egg | æg /ɛːɡ/ | egg /æɡ/ | egg /æɡ/ | ägg /ɛɡː/ | egg /ɛɡː/ | egg /ɛɡ/ | Ei /ai/ |
| Bear | bjørn /bjœɐ̯n/ | bjørn /bjœːɳ/ | bjørn /bjœːɳ/ | björn /bjœːɳ/ | bjǫrn /bjɔrn/ | bjørn /bjœɹn/ | Boor /boːr/ |
| Horse | hest /hɛsd̥/ | hest /hɛst/ | hest /hɛst/ | häst /hɛst/ | hestr /hestr/ | hestur /ˈhɛstʊr/ | Peerd /peːrt/ |
| House | hus /huːˀs/ | hus /hʉːs/ | hus /huːs/ | hus /hʉːs/ | hús /huːs/ | hús /huːs/ | Huus /huːs/ |
| Milk | mælk /mɛlˀɡ/ | melk /mɛlk/ | mjølk /mjœlk/ | mjölk /mjœlk/ | mjólk /mjoːlk/ | mjólk /mjɔulk/ | Melk /mɛlk/ |
| Honey | honning /ˈhɔneŋ/ | honning /ˈhɔnːɪŋ/ | honning /ˈhɔnːɪŋ/ | honung /ˈhoːnɵŋ/ | hunang /ˈhunɑŋɡ/ | hunangur /ˈhuːnaŋɡʊɹ/ | Honnig /ˈhɔnɪç/ |
| Salt | salt /salˀd/ | salt /sɑlt/ | salt /sɑlt/ | salt /salt/ | salt /salt/ | salt /salt/ | Solt /zɔlt/ |
| Wine | vin /viːˀn/ | vin /viːn/ | vin /viːn/ | vin /viːn/ | vín /viːn/ | vín /vʊin/ | Wien /viːn/ |
| Rice | ris /ʁiˀs/ | ris /riːs/ | ris /riːs/ | ris /riːs/ | — | rís /rʊis/ | Ries /riːs/ |
| Chocolate | chokolade /ɕoɡoˈlæːðə/ | sjokolade /ʃukuˈlɑːdə/ | sjokolade /ʃukuˈlɑːdə/ | choklad /ɕʊˈklɑːd/ | — | sjokuláta /ˈʃoːʰkʊlɔɑːʰta/ | Schokolaad /ʃokoˈlaːt/ |
| Iron | jern /jɛɐ̯n/ | jern /jæːɳ/ | jarn /jɑːɳ/ | järn /jæːɳ/ | járn /jaːrn/ | jarn /jaɳ/ | Iesen /ˈiːzn̩/ |
| Wheel | hjul /juːl/ | hjul /juːl/ | hjul /jʉːl/ | hjul /juːl/ | hjól /hjoːl/ | hjól /tʃɔuːl/ | Rad /raːt/ |
| Silk | silke /ˈsilɡə/ | silke /ˈsɪlkə/ | silke /ˈsɪlkə/ | silke /ˈsɪlkɛ/ | silki /silki/ | silki /ˈsɪltʃɪ/ | Sied /ziː/ |
| Book | bog /pɔˀw/ | bok /buːk/ | bok /buːk/ | bok /buːk/ | bók /boːk/ | bók /pɔuːk/ | Book /boːk/ |
| Eat | spise /sb̥iːsə/ | spise /spiːsə/ | eta /eːtɑ/ | äta /ɛːta/ | eta /etɑ/ | eta /eːta/ | eten /eːtn̩/ |
| Drink | drikke /dʁɛɡ̊ə/ | drikke /drɪkːə/ | drikka /drɪkːɑ/ | dricka /drɪkːa/ | drekka /drekːɑ/ | drekka /tɹɛhka/ | drinken /drɪŋkn̩/ |
| Sleep | sove /ˈsɔːu/ | sove /ˈsuːvə/ | sova /ˈsuːva/ | sova /ˈsuːva/ | sofa /ˈsova/ | sova /ˈsɔːva/ | slapen /ˈslaːpn̩/ |
| One | en /eːˀn/ | en /eːn/ | ein /ɛɪn/ | en /eːn/ | einn /ɛinː/ | ein /ain/ | een /eːn/ |
| Two | to /tˢoˀ/ | to /tuː/ | to /tuː/ | två /tvoː/ | tveir /tveir/ | tveir /tvaɪɹ/ | twee /tveː/ |
| Three | tre /tʁ̥æːˀ/ | tre /treː/ | tre /treː/ | tre /treː/ | þrír /θriːr/ | tríggir /ˈtɹʊdʒːɪɹ/ | dree /dreː/ |
| Four | fire /ˈfiːɐ/ | fire /ˈfiːrə/ | fire /ˈfiːrə/ | fyra /ˈfyːra/ | fjórir /fjoːrir/ | fýra /ˈfʊiɹa/ | veer /feːɐ̯/ |
| Five | fem /fɛmˀ/ | fem /fɛm/ | fem /fɛm/ | fem /fɛmː/ | fimm /fimː/ | fimm /fɪmː/ | fief /fiːf/ |
| Hundred | hundrede /ˈhunʁəðə/ | hundre /ˈhʉndrə/ | hundre /ˈhʉndrə/ | hundra /ˈhɵndra/ | hundrað /hundrɑð/ | hundrað /ˈhʊndɹa/ | hunnert /ˈhʊnɐt/ |
| Hello | hej /haj/ | hei /hɛɪ/ | hei /hɛɪ/ | hej /hɛj/ | heill /hɛilː/ | hey /hɛi/ | Moin /mɔɪn/ |
| Thank you | tak /tʰaɡ̊/ | takk /tɑkː/ | takk /tɑkː/ | tack /takː/ | þǫkk /θɔkː/ | takk /tʰahk/ | Dankschöön /daŋkʃøːn/ |
| Good | god /ɡoːˀ/ | bra /brɑː/ | god /ɡuːd/ | bra /brɑː/ | góðr /ɡoːðr/ | góður /kɔuːʊɹ/ | goot /ɡoːt/ |
| New | ny /nyːˀ/ | ny /nyː/ | ny /nyː/ | ny /nyː/ | nýr /nyːr/ | nýggjur /ˈnʊdʒːʊɹ/ | nee /neː/ |
| Red | rød /ʁœðˀ/ | rød /røː/ | raud /rœʉd/ | röd /røːd/ | rauðr /rɔuðr/ | reyður /ˈɹɛiːjʊɹ/ | root /roːt/ |
| White | hvid /viðˀ/ | hvit /ʋiːt/ | kvit /kviːt/ | vit /viːt/ | hvítr /hwiːtr/ | hvítur /kvʊiːtʊɹ/ | witt /vɪt/ |
| Black | sort /sɒːˀd/ | svart /svɑʈ/ | svart /svɑrt/ | svart /svart/ | svartr /svartr/ | svartur /ˈsvaʂtʊɹ/ | swart /svart/ |
| Green | grøn /ɡʁœˀn/ | grønn /ɡrœnː/ | grøn /ɡrøːn/ | grön /ɡrøːn/ | grǿnn /ɡrøːnː/ | grønur /ˈɡrøːnʊr/ | gröön /ɡrøːn/ |
| Blue | blå /blɔːˀ/ | blå /bloː/ | blå /bloː/ | blå /bloː/ | blár /blaːr/ | bláur /ˈblɔaːɹʊɹ/ | blau /blaʊ/ |
| Cuckoo | gøg /ɡøˀj/ | gjøk /jøːk/ | gauk /ɡæʉk/ | gök /jøːk/ | gaukr /ˈɡɔukr̩/ | geykur /ˈtʃɛiːkʊr/ | Kukuk /ˈkuːkuk/ |
| Woof | vov vov /vɒu vɒu/ | voff voff /vɔf vɔf/ | — | voff voff /vɔf vɔf/ | — | voff voff /vɔfː vɔfː/ | — |
| Cock-a-doodle-doo | kykkeliky /kykəliˈkyː/ | kykeliky /kykəliˈkyː/ | — | kuckeliku /ˌkɵkːəliˈkʉː/ | — | — | — |
| Computer | computer /kʰʌmˈpʰj̊uːd̥ɐ/ | datamaskin /ˈdɑːtamaˌʃiːn/ | datamaskin /ˈdɑːtamaˌʃiːn/ | dator /ˈdɑːtɔr/ | — | telda /ˈtʰɛlda/ | Computer /kɔmˈpjuːtɐ/ |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi | wifi /ˈviːfi/ | wifi /ˈviːfi/ | wifi /ˈwiːfi/ | — | — | — |
| Sushi | sushi /ˈsuɕi/ | sushi /ˈsʉːʃi/ | sushi /ˈsʉːʃi/ | sushi /ˈsʉːɧi/ | skreið /ˈskreið/ | sushi /ˈsuːʃi/ | Sushi /ˈzuʃi/ |
| Tea | te /tˢeˀ/ | te /tʰeː/ | te /teː/ | te /tʰeː/ | — | te /tʰeː/ | Tee /teː/ |
| Coffee | kaffe /ˈkʰafə/ | kaffe /ˈkɑfːə/ | kaffi /ˈkɑfːi/ | kaffe /ˈkafːɛ/ | — | kaffi /ˈkafːɪ/ | Koffie /ˈkɔfi/ |
| Sugar | sukker /ˈsɔɡɐ/ | sukker /ˈsʊkːər/ | sukker /ˈsʊkːər/ | socker /ˈsɔkːɛr/ | — | sukur /ˈsuːkʊɹ/ | Sucker /ˈzʊkɐ/ |
| Orange | appelsin /ˌæbəlˈsiːˀn/ | appelsin /ɑpəlˈsiːn/ | appelsin /ɑpəlˈsiːn/ | apelsin /apɛlˈsiːn/ | — | appilsin /aʰpɪlˈsiːn/ | Apelsien /apəlˈziːn/ |
| Ninety-nine | nioghalvfems /ˈniɔhalˀfɛms/ | nittini /ˈnɪtːiˌniː/ | nittini /ˈnɪtːiˌniː/ | nittionio /ˈnɪtːiuˌniːu/ | níu ok níu tigir /niːu ɔk niːu ˈtiɣir/ | níggju og níti /nʊdʒːʊ ɔ nʊitɪ/ | negenunnegentig /ˈneːɡn̩ʊnˌneːɡn̩tɪç/ |
| Dopamine | dopamin /dopaˈmiːˀn/ | dopamin /dʉpaˈmiːn/ | dopamin /dʉpaˈmiːn/ | dopamin /dɔpaˈmiːn/ | — | Dopamin /doːpaˈmiːn/ | Dopamin /dopaˈmiːn/ |
| At sign | snabel-a /ˈsneˀbl̩æˀ/ | krøllalfa /ˈkrœlːɑlfɑ/ | krøllalfa /ˈkrœlːɑlfɑ/ | snabel-a /ˈsnɑːbɛlɑː/ | — | kurla /ˈkʰʊɭa/ | — |
| Internet laughter | lol /lʌlˀ/ | lol /lɔlː/ | — | haha /haha/ | — | — | — |
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