https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Denmark in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Danish police and prosecutors use terminology in criminal investigations and trials which don’t always match up with words used in English-language systems. We explain the various terms in use. https://www.thelocal.dk/20230426/explained-what-do-the-danish-words-used-in-crime-investigations-mean Wed, 26 Apr 2023 15:04:27 +0200 explained-what-do-the-danish-words-used-in-crime-investigations-mean Learning a language is a minefield of embarrassment, frustration and potential rudeness. From struggling to get the gender right to wrestling with inverted word order, here are some of the perils of learning Danish. https://www.thelocal.dk/20240205/four-aspects-of-learning-danish-that-baffle-english-speakers-and-one-easy-one Mon, 05 Feb 2024 16:47:09 +0100 four-aspects-of-learning-danish-that-baffle-english-speakers-and-one-easy-one Danish has at least three different ways of expressing the English word "think": tænke, tro and synes. Learning when to use each of these words correctly is a good way to sound like a true Dane and to make sure your point gets across. https://www.thelocal.dk/20220818/how-to-think-in-danish-taenke-tro-or-synes Thu, 18 Aug 2022 17:24:30 +0200 how-to-think-in-danish-taenke-tro-or-synes On the face of it, it's a gamechanger: an AI Dane permanently in your pocket who never loses patience and switches to English. But do AI language tools actually work? And if so, which is the best? We'd love to hear about your experiences. https://www.thelocal.dk/20260408/tell-us-what-ai-language-tools-are-you-using-to-learn-danish Wed, 08 Apr 2026 13:04:06 +0200 tell-us-what-ai-language-tools-are-you-using-to-learn-danish Talking about family in Danish can be complicated. Discussing your relatives requires an in-depth knowledge of exactly how they are related to you, so it's time to start brushing up on your family history. https://www.thelocal.dk/20220411/how-to-talk-about-family-in-danish Mon, 11 Apr 2022 14:05:08 +0200 how-to-talk-about-family-in-danish Once you've learned the basics of Danish, listening to podcasts is one of the best ways of increasing vocabulary and speeding up comprehension. Here are some of the best podcasts out there for Danish learners. https://www.thelocal.dk/20220913/the-best-podcasts-for-learning-and-perfecting-your-danish Tue, 13 Sep 2022 12:44:25 +0200 the-best-podcasts-for-learning-and-perfecting-your-danish Denmark’s climate can give you a taste of all four seasons in the space of an afternoon, so it’s worth knowing the vocabulary you need to describe it. https://www.thelocal.dk/20240625/the-essential-vocabulary-for-talking-about-the-weather-with-danes Tue, 25 Jun 2024 17:05:08 +0200 the-essential-vocabulary-for-talking-about-the-weather-with-danes Work in an office? Look no further if you want to impress your Danish-speaking colleagues with these work-related phrases. https://www.thelocal.dk/20250724/50-phrases-to-help-you-get-by-in-a-danish-speaking-office Thu, 24 Jul 2025 11:44:13 +0200 50-phrases-to-help-you-get-by-in-a-danish-speaking-office Like English speakers, Danes absolutely love to use fake swear words – and you should too, as they sound gloriously quaint coming from the mouth of a foreigner. https://www.thelocal.dk/20250327/for-soren-how-to-not-swear-in-danish-while-feeling-like-you-are Thu, 27 Mar 2025 13:38:19 +0100 for-soren-how-to-not-swear-in-danish-while-feeling-like-you-are One of the most noticeable differences between Danish and English grammar is the flipped order of the subject and verb in certain sentences in Danish. So how do you know when to do it? https://www.thelocal.dk/20241203/danish-word-order-when-do-you-invert-the-subject-and-verb Tue, 03 Dec 2024 14:20:42 +0100 danish-word-order-when-do-you-invert-the-subject-and-verb Many learners of Danish find the two articles ‘en’ and ‘et’ a regular source of frustration because it’s hard to know which is the right one to use. But there are some good prompts that can help you make the correct choice. https://www.thelocal.dk/20241210/are-there-any-rules-for-using-en-and-et-in-danish Tue, 10 Dec 2024 16:41:10 +0100 are-there-any-rules-for-using-en-and-et-in-danish Writing letters may be a dying art to some extent, but the need to write a polite email or other message is still alive and well. What should you avoid in an email if you don't want to appear rude? https://www.thelocal.dk/20230823/how-to-write-a-polite-letter-or-email-in-danish Wed, 23 Aug 2023 15:23:12 +0200 how-to-write-a-polite-letter-or-email-in-danish If you are visiting your GP in Denmark or perhaps speaking to the on-call doctor, a few essential words will help you to converse effectively in Danish. https://www.thelocal.dk/20211011/five-essential-words-you-need-if-you-are-speaking-a-doctor-in-denmark Mon, 11 Oct 2021 20:19:39 +0200 five-essential-words-you-need-if-you-are-speaking-a-doctor-in-denmark Danish language experts have found at least 902 different words that can be used to describe someone as being intoxicated from alcohol – more than double the number that exist in English. https://www.thelocal.dk/20251017/stangstiv-danish-language-has-over-900-words-for-drunk Fri, 17 Oct 2025 18:31:55 +0200 stangstiv-danish-language-has-over-900-words-for-drunk One of the consequences of learning a foreign language is that some words end up slipping into your everyday English, whether intentionally or subconsciously. https://www.thelocal.dk/20230522/five-danish-words-i-now-use-in-english Mon, 22 May 2023 19:04:09 +0200 five-danish-words-i-now-use-in-english A report produced by several government ministries has made several recommendations to improve the existing system under which foreign nationals are taught Danish. https://www.thelocal.dk/20251209/danish-language-schools-offer-inconsistent-quality-and-outcomes-at-adult-lessons Tue, 09 Dec 2025 18:00:43 +0100 danish-language-schools-offer-inconsistent-quality-and-outcomes-at-adult-lessons When foreigners send their children to Danish schools, they often come back with a whole new vocabulary of playground slang, and you won't find it all in the dictionary. Here's our guide to the main terms. https://www.thelocal.dk/20250820/the-schoolyard-slang-you-will-need-to-understand-your-half-danish-kids Wed, 20 Aug 2025 18:28:11 +0200 the-schoolyard-slang-you-will-need-to-understand-your-half-danish-kids From e-Boks to fartkontrol, there are certain Danish words that can strike fear into your heart. https://www.thelocal.dk/20230509/five-danish-words-that-instantly-make-me-nervous Tue, 09 May 2023 18:39:16 +0200 five-danish-words-that-instantly-make-me-nervous Anyone who's attempted it will admit that the Danish language has its tricky aspects, but if you identify with most of the items in this article, you're well on your way to fluency. https://www.thelocal.dk/20251020/the-sure-signs-youve-mastered-the-danish-language Mon, 20 Oct 2025 17:45:41 +0200 the-sure-signs-youve-mastered-the-danish-language The Local Sweden's Deputy Editor, Becky Waterton, who speaks fluent Danish and Swedish (and understands Norwegian), gives her best tips for how to learn to understand the other Scandinavian languages if you already speak one of them. https://www.thelocal.dk/20230508/how-to-turn-the-scandinavian-language-you-are-learning-into-three Mon, 08 May 2023 19:32:28 +0200 how-to-turn-the-scandinavian-language-you-are-learning-into-three