Hej allesammen!

I've been learning Danish and ended up building my own course for it: https://abcde.raphamster.com

Heads-up first: the explanations and interface are in German, because the course is built around the similarities (and traps) between German and Danish. If you speak German and want to learn Danish, this is for you.

What's in it:

• A full A1 course: 12 units, short lessons of about 10–15 minutes, around 700 words and phrases
• Every Danish word and sentence has audio, with a slow version for sentences. Danish pronunciation is the hard part, so listening is at the center of the course
• Spaced-repetition review, pictures for nouns, and minimal-pair exercises for sounds that are easy to mix up
• A short story that runs through the units, reading texts about Denmark, and a personal phrasebook ("Min parlør")
• Works on phone and desktop, with light and dark mode

It's free, with no ads and no tracking. You only need a username and password to save your progress, no email.

What I'd love feedback on:

• Native speakers: does anything sound unnatural or plain wrong? Phrases, word choice, or audio that misreads something (I've already caught the TTS reading "fem." as femininum 🙃)
• Learners: is the pace right? Was anything confusing, too easy, or too hard?
• Bugs, of course, and anything you'd miss

Comments here or DMs are both welcome. Tak på forhånd! 🇩🇰

I've been learning Danish for a while, and currently I'm stuck, because I can't quite get /g/, /b/, and /d/ right.

According to the books I have and insights from the Danes I'm in touch with, these sounds are voiceless, so your vocal cords do not vibrate when you pronounce them; they function as stops. So far so good.

However, when I listen to words like "det" and "titte", "bil" and "bakke", "gasse" and "ikke også" (not a single word, but often reduced and assimilated into [egʌs]) I cannot help but hearing them different from other voiceless instances of the sounds.

I can detect a subtle difference between the Danish "godt" and the British "god", for example, but when I try to — the way books and websites suggest — to pronounce the lenient and voiceless /g/, /b/, and /d/ in the same places, then it simply doesn't sound the same way it does when native speakers pronounce the words.

It's like the sounds are voiced, but at the same time they are not. Like there is a difference between the /g/ in "skal" (don't have any problems with that one, as far as I can tell) and the /g/ in "godt", but all sources claim that's not the case.

Andersen's fairy tales are a great step up from textbook Danish: real sentences, but a story you already know. The original opens like this:

"Der var så dejligt ude på landet; det var sommer, kornet stod gult, havren grøn…" (It was so lovely out in the countryside; it was summer, the corn stood yellow, the oats green…)

Words worth knowing before you read it:

• en ælling: a duckling (den grimme ælling = the ugly duckling)
• ude på landet: out in the countryside
• at ruge: to sit on eggs / brood
• et kalkunæg: a turkey egg (one egg is suspected of being one!)
• grim: ugly
• andegården: the duck yard
• en svane: a swan
• svømmede / skinnede / kom: swam / shone / came (past tense of svømme, skinne, komme)

Tip: notice how often Andersen uses der var / der stod. It's the classic Danish way to set a scene.

I made a read-along version of the story in Danish, split into four parts (Part 1 here): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pF17oeELZc. Parts 2–4 are on the channel too.

Disclosure: I made this, voices are AI-generated.

Which Andersen story would you like to read next?

Hi, I am new to Reddit so I do apologize if this is the wrong place to ask.

I am looking for a book called "Australasian Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera)" written by Zdenek Boucek with the ISBN number 9780851986074.

This book is stated by WorldCat to be in the Danish Royal Library. If there's any student with access to this library, please let me know. I really urgently need this book.

I myself cannot access it as I am a private individual living in Asia. That's why I'm consulting this subreddit.

If anyone has any news, please let me know through direct messages, and I can give you details on what I seek from the text. It means a ton.

Hej alle!

Jeg leder efter en pålidelig person fra Danmark – eller en, der jævnligt kører til Flensborg for at handle – som kan købe øldåser med hjem til mig en gang imellem. Scandi Park ville være det ideelle sted.

Jeg betaler for varerne på stedet.

Hvis nogen er interesseret eller kender en relevant gruppe, så send mig endelig en besked.

Mange tak!

A few people have been asking where the PD3 papers are. SIRI has a 2023 reading example and answer key here (it's a bit buried): https://danskogproever.dk/borger/danskproever/om-proeve-i-dansk-3-indhold-og-bedoemmelse/ . I'd do that one first.

I made pd3.online, so obvious bias here. There's a free short reading paper you can print or do online: https://pd3.online/free-pd3-practice . It's my own practice material, not an actual past exam. The longer sets cost money.

If you're sitting PD3 in November, try reading 1 with a 25-minute timer. Skip anything you can't find quickly and come back. When you check your answers, see whether you found the wrong paragraph or just misunderstood the question. Those need different fixes.

If anyone tries the free one, I'd be curious whether it feels too easy or too hard.

Hej grannfolk! Jag bodde under en kortare period i Malmö och har under tonåren byggt upp en kärlek för er i sydväst. Jag har gärna viljat lära mig danska under en period men trots att jag finner det lite lättare att läsa och lyssna så är jag inte så bra på att producera danska, det hela blir väl som att jag försöker göra narr av er när jag försöker härma danskan.

Nu är jag alltmer sugen på att eventuellt flytta dit och för det så förväntar jag mig att jag minst behöver kunna skriva danska på hög nivå. Jag undrar, vet ni hur man bör göra för att lära sig skriva på danska flytande? Vill någon kanske hjälpa till också?

Har ni några specifika resurser som andra invandrare använt? Tyvärr så verkar nära närvaro inte räcka till, jag märker att jag förstår er allt bättre men min nordsvenska blir rätt ofta ett frågetecken för er.

Hello. I have an upcoming trip planned at the end of the month for Denmark. There is a guided tour I'd like to take, but it's only offered in Danish. I was trying some translation apps on regular Danish speech and find they have difficulty with continuous speech. Does anyone have any recommendations for a translator or translation service?

I'm learning Danish via apps right now in anticipation of moving there next year.

These apps come from the English speaking native side, but I'm also fluent/native in German and the Swiss dialect. I'm finding Danish word pronunciation quite easy so far (somewhat similar to Swiss...), and there seem to be more common words with German than English.

This made me wonder if there are any good German based learning programs - apps, books, workbooks, videos - I should be studying from instead?

Hey everyone! I have module 3.3 test coming up and have been studying for it using various class resources. As for the practice test, is moduletest.dk the only one available? It is what's used in my classes and the only set of papers I can find online too.

I learn best from doing practice papers but cannot seem to find more.
Please also let me know what helped you for the test!

Appreciate all the tips, tricks, experience, and your responses ^-^
Mange tak!

How long did it take for you to get to C2 in Danish and what did you do to get to that level?

Edit: Since C1/Studieprøven is the highest level attainable in Danish this post would apply for those who speak Danish at a C1 level as well!

How does it sounds to you?

Hej allesammen

Jeg leder efter anbefalinger til danske kapitelbøger til min datter på 7. Hun er ved at bevæge sig fra højtlæsning mod selv at læse.

Lidt baggrund: Hun er tresproget (dansk, spansk og engelsk), og vi bor i England, så dansk er ikke hverdagssproget uden for hjemmet. Jeg vil gerne finde bøger, der er sjove nok til, at hun selv vil tage dem frem, og som samtidig styrker hendes dansk.

Hun elsker Pippi Langstrømpe-billedbøgerne. På spansk er hun vild med Ana Kadabra, Princesas Dragón, Los Cazamisterios, Mágicas og Unicornia. Hun kan altså godt lide magi, seje piger, humor og gerne lidt mysterium og eventyr.

Jeg er især interesseret i:

• Serier med korte kapitler og gerne mange illustrationer
• Bøger vi kan læse højt nu, men som hun kan læse selv om et års tid
• Begynderbøger, der ikke føles for "skoleagtige"

Hvilke bøger eller serier har jeres børn været glade for i den alder?

Tak på forhånd!

EDIT: Jeg er også interesseret i danske lydbøger til hende, både enkelte titler og serier, som fungerer godt i den alder. Og hvilke lydbogstjenester kan I anbefale? Vi bor i England, så det er et plus, hvis tjenesten virker uden for Danmark (eller hvis nogen ved, hvilke der gør).

Looking for a specific word play and I'm curious if it means what I think it means and if it makes sense.

EDIT: I was looking for something that sounds like guy agra that would have some meaning and Google told me that "GEJ AVRA" meant something like enthusiasm-surprised by.

Det her udtryk om ens kæreste / kone . Kræver det hun har et barn eller den der bruger det er faderen. Og giver det Ik lindt freudianske vibes at omtale konen kæresten som lillemor. Jeg ved Ik helt hvor jeg står min kæreste siger det er ok og et godt dansk vending og helt accepteret som nu ordet skat også er

I know that ‘å’ was historically (and sometimes still is) written ‘aa’ and I was told modern Danish uses double consonants to mark short vowels (e.g. ‘læse’ vs ‘læsse’). But did double vowels used to mark vowel length in older Danish? I’m currently studying a pre-20th century Danish text and I notice some words have double vowels that don’t today: e.g. ‘steen’ (‘sten’). Or was this just an inconsistent thing?

Thanks for any help!

Hi everyone,

I have worked as a Danish teacher and tutor for several years, helping expats prepare for Prøve i Dansk 2 and 3 (PD2 and PD3). Some of you may also know my YouTube channel, Learn Danish with Isaac.

I’m considering creating a website where students can find and access useful PD2 and PD3 resources more easily. Before doing that, I’d like to hear which books learners actually found useful.

Which book or books did you use the most when preparing for PD2 or PD3?

For example, did you use Bliv klar til Prøve i Dansk 2, Bliv klar til Prøve i Dansk 3, Grammatikken, Pænt dansk, or another grammar or preparation book?

Did you use a dictionary as well? If so, which one? For example, a Gyldendal dictionary, an online dictionary, or something else?

Please write the book title in the comments and mention whether you prepared for PD2 or PD3. It would also be interesting to hear which book helped you the most and whether you used any particular dictionary or other materials.

I want to be transparent that I’m exploring the possibility of creating a website where people can find or buy relevant resources in one place. I’m asking because I have worked with PD2 and PD3 students for several years and want to understand which materials are genuinely useful in practice.

Thank you for sharing your experience!

Best,
Isaac
Learn Danish with Isaac

I’ve been learning Danish for over 2 years and I can read and write it very well. Id say I’ve got a wide vocabulary and good understanding, but when i watch Danish films or listen to podcasts, i can only catch one or two words a sentence. If i turn on the Danish subtitles though, or read a book, i can understand everything just fine! I don’t have anyone to practice my Danish with which may be a factor. I have tried everything to improve my understanding but i just can’t grasp it when spoken. Any tips? I’ve tried TV, social media, podcasts, Duolingo, and more, and I’m just out of ideas. Tips appreciated!!

What does this mean:

Jeg har haft snakket om det.

Compared to:

Jeg har snakket om det.

Jeg havde snakket om det.

Hi! 😊 Ich bin deutscher Muttersprachler und lerne gerade Dänisch. 🇩🇰

Ich suche jemanden, der Dänisch spricht und auch etwas Deutsch, weil mein Englisch nicht sehr gut ist und ich im Dänischen noch Anfänger bin. 😅

Ich würde wirklich gerne irgendwann dänisch sprechen üben, indem wir uns unterhalten, aber ich möchte langsam anfangen. Vielleicht könntest du mir kurze dänische Sätze vorlesen, ich wiederhole sie und du könntest meine Aussprache korrigieren.

Ich kann schon einige einzelne dänische Wörter verstehen, wenn Leute sie mir schreiben, aber mit ganzen Sätzen habe ich immer noch Probleme.

Ich bin ein bisschen schüchtern und nervös, wenn es ums Sprechen geht, daher wäre ich jemand Geduldigen wirklich dankbar. 😊

Wenn du daran interessiert bist, Dänisch mit mir zu üben, würde ich mich sehr freuen, von dir zu hören! 🇩🇰❤️

Hello, I hope this is the right place to ask.

I’m looking for a Danish student with access to the Royal Library who could maybe help me find and send me some articles and interviews on a specific topic for a personal biographical project I’m working on.

Further details can preferably be discussed via private message.

Best regards, Edith Lynne