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Your First 200 Essential Danish Words for Beginners

Your First 200 Essential Danish Words for Beginners

Diving into a new language can feel overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be! The key to building confidence and making rapid progress is to start with a strong foundation of essential vocabulary. If you're ready to explore the beautiful Danish language, you've come to the right place.

At WordWise, we believe in making language learning accessible and fun. That's why we've curated a list of over 200 crucial Danish words that will give you a significant head start. These aren't just random words; they're the building blocks for everyday conversations, understanding basic texts, and navigating life in Denmark.

Ready to expand your vocabulary and unlock the secrets of Danish? Let's get started!


Your First Steps: Core Vocabulary

We'll begin with some fundamental categories that are essential for any beginner, giving you immediate tools for basic communication.

Numbers: Counting Your Way to Fluency

Knowing your numbers is indispensable for everything from telling time to shopping. Let's start with the basics.

Numbers 1-20

Practice counting from one to twenty with these essential Danish numbers.

0

nul

zero

1

en

one

2

to

two

3

tre

three

4

fire

four

5

fem

five

6

seks

six

7

syv

seven

8

otte

eight

9

ni

nine

10

ti

ten

11

elleve

eleven

12

tolv

twelve

13

tretten

thirteen

14

fjorten

fourteen

15

femten

fifteen

16

seksten

sixteen

17

sytten

seventeen

18

atten

eighteen

19

nitten

nineteen

Numbers 21-100 (and beyond!)

Once you've mastered the basics, you'll find the pattern for larger numbers quite intuitive! Get ready to count higher.

20

tyve

twenty

30

tredive

thirty

40

fyrre

forty

50

halvtreds

fifty

60

tres

sixty

70

halvfjerds

seventy

80

firs

eighty

90

halvfems

ninety

100

hundrede

hundred

1K

tusind

thousand

1M

million

million

Colors: Adding Vibrancy to Your Danish

Describe the world around you with these basic color terms. Adding colors to your vocabulary helps you express yourself more vividly.

hvid

white

sort

black

🔴

rød

red

🔵

blå

blue

🟡

gul

yellow

🟢

grøn

green

🟣

lilla

purple

🟤

brun

brown

🟠

orange

orange

🌸

lyserød

pink

guld

gold

🌑

sølv

silver

☁️

grå

grey, gray

Animals: Meet the Danish Fauna

Learn to name some common animals – a fun way to expand your vocabulary and connect with nature in Danish!

🐶

hund

dog

🐱

kat

cat

🐴

hest

horse

🐮

ko

cow

🐷

gris

pig

🐦

fugl

bird

🐟

fisk

fish

🐭

mus

mouse

🦊

ræv

fox

🐇

kanin

rabbit

🐻

bjørn

bear

🐼

panda

panda

🐨

koala

koala

🐘

elefant

elephant

🐢

skildpadde

turtle

🦒

giraf

giraffe

🦆

and

duck

🕷️

edderkop

spider


Everyday Essentials: Words for Daily Life

These words will help you in common situations, from greetings to talking about your surroundings. Master these for smoother daily interactions.

People and Family: Who's Who in Danish

Learn the words for people and family members. These are crucial for introducing yourself and understanding others.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

familie

family

🧔

mand

man, husband

👩

kvinde

woman, wife

👦

dreng

boy

👧

pige

girl

👶

barn

child

👨‍🦳

far

father, dad

👩‍🦳

mor

mother, mom

👴

bedstefar

grandfather

👵

bedstemor

grandmother

🧑‍🦰

bror

brother

👩‍🦱

søster

sister

🧑

ven

friend

👥

folk

people, folks

🙋

person

person

Common Objects & Places: Navigating Your Day

Expand your vocabulary with words for everyday objects and places. This section helps you describe your environment and get around.

🏠

hus

house, home

🏢

bygning

building

🏫

skole

school

🏪

butik

shop, store

🛣️

vej

road, way

🌆

by

city, town

🌳

træ

tree

💧

vand

water

☀️

sol

sun

☁️

sky

cloud

📚

bog

book

🖊️

pen

pen

📱

telefon

phone, telephone

🔑

nøgle

key

🚗

bil

car

Food & Drink: Essential for Eating Out (or In!)

Whether you're visiting Denmark or just want to talk about your favorite meals, these food and drink words are indispensable.

🍎

æble

apple

🍌

banan

banana

🍞

brød

bread

🧀

ost

cheese

🥩

kød

meat

🥛

mælk

milk

kaffe

coffee

🍵

te

tea

💧

vand

water

🍺

øl

beer

🍷

vin

wine

🍽️

mad

food

🍳

æg

egg

🍚

ris

rice

🥕

grøntsager

vegetables

Days of the Week & Time: Keeping Track

Mastering days and time is fundamental for scheduling and planning. Never miss an appointment again!

☀️

dag

day

🌙

nat

night

time

hour

🗓️

uge

week

📅

måned

month

🗓️

år

year

🗓️

mandag

monday

🗓️

tirsdag

tuesday

🗓️

onsdag

wednesday

🗓️

torsdag

thursday

🗓️

fredag

friday

🗓️

lørdag

saturday

🗓️

søndag

sunday

🌅

morgen

morning

🌆

aften

evening

🕛

nu

now

🔜

snart

soon

🕒

tid

time


Action & Description: Verbs and Adjectives

Now let's add some dynamism and detail to your Danish! Verbs let you talk about actions, and adjectives help you describe things.

Verbs: The Power of Action

These essential verbs will help you construct simple sentences and express what people are doing.

🗣️

tale

to speak, to talk

🚶

to walk, to go

🏃

løbe

to run

🍽️

spise

to eat

🍷

drikke

to drink

😴

sove

to sleep

📖

læse

to read

✍️

skrive

to write

👀

se

to see, to look

👂

høre

to hear

💭

tænke

to think

🤔

vide

to know

❤️

elske

to love

👍

lide

to like

👋

komme

to come

🚪

åbne

to open

🔒

lukke

to close

💡

lære

to learn

give

to give

💸

købe

to buy

Adjectives: Describing the World

Add detail and nuance to your conversations with these descriptive words. Adjectives make your Danish much more expressive.

😊

glad

happy, glad

😢

trist

sad

😠

vred

angry

👍

god

good

👎

dårlig

bad

⬆️

stor

big, large

⬇️

lille

small, little

🆕

ny

new

🕰️

gammel

old

💯

mange

many, much

🤏

few

🥵

varm

warm, hot

🥶

kold

cold

💪

stærk

strong

👶

svag

weak

smuk

beautiful, pretty

👹

grim

ugly

rigtig

right, correct, true

forkert

wrong, incorrect

hurtig

fast, quick


Connecting Ideas: Essential Connectors

Connectors are the glue that holds sentences together, making your speech flow naturally. Learn these to link your thoughts smoothly.

og

and

➡️

men

but

👉

eller

or

🤔

fordi

because

👉

so, then

dog

however, though

🤔

derfor

therefore

også

also, too

🕒

når

when

🤔

hvis

if

🕒

før

before

🕒

efter

after

🕒

siden

since, ago

🕒

mens

while


More Useful Words: Expanding Your Horizon

Beyond the absolute essentials, this category will deepen your vocabulary and prepare you for more specific conversations.

Professions: What Do You Do?

Learn to talk about different jobs and professions. This is great for meeting new people and understanding their lives.

👨‍🏫

lærer

teacher

🧑‍⚕️

læge

doctor, physician

👩‍💻

ingeniør

engineer

👨‍🍳

kok

chef, cook

🧑‍🌾

landmand

farmer

👮

politibetjent

police officer

🧑‍🎨

kunstner

artist

🧑‍💼

kontorassistent

office worker, clerk

🔬

forsker

scientist, researcher

🛒

sælger

salesperson


Your Danish Journey Starts Now!

Congratulations! You've just learned over 200 essential Danish words. This list is a fantastic starting point, but remember that consistency is key to true fluency.

Ready to take your Danish learning to the next level?

Download the WordWise app today and unlock interactive exercises, personalized flashcards, and smart repetition features designed to help you master these words and many more. With WordWise, you can:

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We're excited to be a part of your Danish learning adventure. Keep practicing, keep exploring, and soon you'll be conversing confidently in Danish!

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