How to speak Danish

Learning Danish is not as much of a time commitment as you might think. With Babbel, learning Danish online is easy, intuitive and under your control: learn at your own pace, choose the lessons you want, and review and practice vocabulary on the go. Danish is a close cousin to English, with thousands of words and grammar rules in common. Although mastering the very different accent and pronunciation can be difficult at first, Babbel’s online courses and mobile apps include speech recognition so you can quickly become comfortable with speaking. Read the guide below and then test your skills with a free Danish lesson.

Ways to learn Danish

There are several options available when learning how to speak Danish: hiring a private tutor, enrolling in a language course (in school or online), joining an exchange program, or practicing conversational Danish with a native speaker (a so-called tandem partner). All of these strategies can be effective, although some can be expensive, while classes and exchange programs are a huge time commitment. The fastest way to pick up Danish – and the biggest commitment by far – is still immersion. Moving to Denmark requires you to pick up the language in order to live day-to-day. This survival pressure usually produces fluency within a few months. If you do plan to immerse yourself in Danish, it’s not a bad idea to prepare beforehand with one of the methods mentioned above. And if you don’t have much spare time, an online program like Babbel may be your best bet.

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Tips for learning Danish

  • Read the news in Danish

  • Listen to Danish podcasts

  • Practice little and often

  • Be prepared to make mistakes in pronunciation

  • Start with useful words and phrases

  • Use an interactive learning app

Features of Babbel

  • Bite-sized Danish lessons on real-world topics

  • Words and phrases pronounced by native Danish speakers

  • Instant feedback on pronunciation with voice recognition technology

  • Personalised review dashboard to keep track of your learning progress

Unlock a new world

If delving into Danish language learning sparks your interest, you have plenty of options. Online courses present a convenient entry point for beginners. Another option involves enrolling in structured Danish language courses. For a more immersive experience, some individuals choose to visit Denmark. If you want to dip your toes into things at first, however, you can try a free Danish course right now.

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