How many words are in this list?

This page gives 100 Danish words on “Politeness and small talk”. The full topic holds 129 in the KoKo app: 51 at the easy level, 45 at the medium level and 33 at the hard level.

Which words should I start with?

With level 1: these are the easiest words of the topic. Move on to level 2 once they come to you without thinking, then to level 3.

How can I remember this Danish vocabulary?

By seeing each word again at longer and longer intervals, just before you forget it: that is spaced repetition. The KoKo app does it for you and tells you each day which words to review.

Can I print this list or save it as a PDF?

Yes. The “Print the list” button at the top of the page opens your device’s print dialog: choose to save as PDF to keep the 100 words and their translation, with nothing else around them.

Danish vocabulary: greetings and polite phrases

Hello, thank you, please, sorry, see you soon: the polite Danish phrases for greeting, thanking and starting a conversation.

Here are 100 Danish words on “Politeness and small talk”, translated into English and sorted from easiest to hardest.

Level 1: easy 39 words

Danish	English
efter dig	after you
skål	cheers
held og lykke	good luck
godnat	good nightWhen parting to go to sleep
farvel	goodbye
tillykke med fødselsdagen	happy birthday
godt nytår	happy New Year
hav en god aften	have a good eveningWhen leaving someone early in the evening
goddag	helloGreeting on arrival, during the day
hej	hiInformal greeting
hvordan siger man	how do you say
jeg ved det ikke	I do not know
jeg forstår det ikke	I do not understand
det gør ikke noget	it does not matter
hold ud	keep it up
føl dig hjemme	make yourself at home
kan jeg hjælpe dig	may I help you
nej	no
intet problem	no problem
ingen årsag	not at all
selvfølgelig	of course
okay	okay
et øjeblik	one moment
vi ses senere	see you shortly
vi ses snart	see you soon
så meget desto bedre	so much the better
undskyld	sorryApology
tak	thank you
det er synd	that is a pity
lære hinanden at kende	to get acquainted
præsentere	to introduce
præsentere sig	to introduce oneself
til næste gang	until next time
pas på	watch out
hvad betyder	what does it mean
noget nyt	what is new
med fornøjelse	with pleasureEnthusiastic acceptance
ja	yes
selv tak	you are welcomeEveryday use

Level 2: medium 35 words

Danish	English
undskyldning	apology
de bedste ønsker	best wishes
samtale	conversation
kunne du	could you
diskussion	discussion
taler du engelsk	do you speak English
god appetit	enjoy your meal
undskyld mig	excuse me
lev vel	farewell
følg med mig	follow me
god bedring	get well soon
godaften	good eveningGreeting on arrival, from late afternoon onwards
håndtryk	handshake
god weekend	have a good weekend
hjælp mig	help me
jeg vil gerne have	I would like
præsentation	introduction
invitation	invitation
glædelig jul	merry Christmas
langsommere	more slowly
pyt	never mind
vær så venlig	please
rart at møde dig	pleased to meet you
bebrejdelse	reproach
tusind tak	thanks a million
hvor sødt af dig	that is kind
undskylde	to apologise
henvende sig til nogen	to approach someone
hilse	to greet
invitere	to invite
ønske	to wish
modtagelse	welcomeNoun, the act of receiving someone
hvor ærgerligt	what a shame
hvad hedder du	what is your name
det var så lidt	you are welcomeFormal register

Level 3: hard 26 words

Danish	English
tillad mig	allow me
pinlig tavshed	awkward silence
kom ind	come in
trøst	comfort
kompliment	compliment
opmuntring	encouragement
tiltale med De	formal address
hilsen	greeting
hallo	helloOn the phone, when picking up
vent lidt	hold on
uhøflig	ill mannered
misforståelse	misunderstanding
kondolerer	my condolences
fornøjelse	nice to meet you
vent venligst	please hold on
høflighedsfrase	polite formula
høfligt	politely
høflighed	politeness
gentag	repeat
grovhed	rudeness
sid ned	sit down
lykønske	to congratulate
forstyrre	to disturb
afbryde	to interrupt
kysse på kinden	to kiss on the cheek
sige du	to use informal address

Mini quiz

5 words from this page, picked at random. Find their translation.

Frequently asked questions

How many words are in this list?: This page gives 100 Danish words on “Politeness and small talk”. The full topic holds 129 in the KoKo app: 51 at the easy level, 45 at the medium level and 33 at the hard level.
Which words should I start with?: With level 1: these are the easiest words of the topic. Move on to level 2 once they come to you without thinking, then to level 3.
How can I remember this Danish vocabulary?: By seeing each word again at longer and longer intervals, just before you forget it: that is spaced repetition. The KoKo app does it for you and tells you each day which words to review.
Can I print this list or save it as a PDF?: Yes. The “Print the list” button at the top of the page opens your device’s print dialog: choose to save as PDF to keep the 100 words and their translation, with nothing else around them.