The easiest way to learn Danish is to read and listen to short, easy Danish about things you already like, checking the translation when you need it. Danish you can mostly understand is called comprehensible input, and it keeps showing you the most common words and patterns, so you can leave grammar tables and long word lists for later. Below are the first steps in order, and some easy Danish to start with.
Is Danish Easy to Learn?
Danish is one of the easier languages for English speakers to learn, though following spoken Danish takes time. The U.S. Foreign Service Institute puts Danish in its first group, the languages closest to English, together with languages such as Dutch, Spanish and Swedish. Our guide to the fastest way shows how long it takes.
Three things make the start easier than it looks.
- An Alphabet You Already KnowDanish uses the 26 letters of English plus æ, ø and å, so you can read your first words right away.
- Words You Already KnowMany Danish words look like English ones, such as fisk (fish) and kaffe (coffee).
- Verbs That Don't ChangeA Danish verb keeps one form for every person, as in jeg spiser (I eat) and hun spiser (she eats).
What Is the Easiest Way to Start?
The easiest way to start is with greetings and other short Danish you enjoy, one small step at a time.
- Start With GreetingsBegin with words you can use right away, like hej (hi) and tak (thank you).
- Read About What You LoveRead short dialogues about food, music, or anything else you already enjoy.
- Listen While You ReadPlay the audio as you read, so each word's sound and spelling go together.
- Hide the TranslationKeep the English hidden, and check it only when a line stops you.
- Save a Few WordsSave only the few words you want to keep, and save each noun with its en or et.
- Say a Line Out LoudRead a line aloud whenever it feels fun, like a greeting you want to use.
Bubblegum is a language app for reading and listening to Danish at your level, with lessons that Poppy, its AI tutor, writes about the things you like. Words you save come back inside new lessons through Regenerative Review™, so reviewing them means reading more Danish.
What Makes Danish Feel Hard, and How Can You Make It Easier?
Four parts of Danish feel hard at first, and each one gets easier when you meet it again and again in easy Danish.
| What feels hard | The easy fix |
|---|---|
| Words that sound different from their spelling | Some letters are silent, like the h in hvem (who) and the d in lidt (a little). Hearing each word as you read it shows you how its spelling sounds. |
| Two words for "a" | Easy Danish shows you the same nouns many times, like en kop (a cup) and et glas (a glass), so each one starts to sound right with its en or et. |
| Numbers from fifty to ninety | Danish builds these numbers from twenties, so fifty is halvtreds. Easy dialogues use them in prices and ages, so they feel familiar before you learn how they are built. |
| Fast speech in shows | Listen to slow, clear audio made for learners first. Words you already know are much easier to catch in fast speech. |
What Is Easy Danish to Start With?
Easy Danish to start with is short and slow, and it is about something you enjoy.
| What | Why it's easy | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Duostories | Short stories about everyday moments come with audio and questions that check what you understood. | duostories.org |
| LingQ's Mini Stories | More than 60 short stories repeat the basic patterns of Danish, and you can listen as you read. | lingq.com |
| Dansk i ørerne | This podcast talks about life in Denmark in slow, clear Danish, with the text of each episode on its website, once you know some words. | danskioererne.dk |
| DR Ligetil | DR, Denmark's public broadcaster, writes this news in clear, simple Danish, and you can have hard words explained and articles read aloud. | dr.dk/ligetil |
If a new word shows up in almost every line, switch to something easier.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Danish pronunciation hard?
It takes a lot of listening, because Danish has many vowel sounds and a short catch in the throat called stød. Den Danske Ordbog, the dictionary of modern Danish, has audio for many of its words, so you can check how a word sounds before you say it.
Can I learn Danish just by watching Danish shows?
Not at the start, because most of an episode goes by too fast for a beginner to learn from. Shows help more once you can follow a simple conversation, especially with Danish subtitles on. DR puts its series and documentaries on DRTV, and many of DR's own programs can be watched from other countries after they air.
Which Danish app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Danish, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. For courses, tutors and speaking practice, see our comparison of Danish apps.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Danish and Norwegian alphabet (29 letters, ending in æ, ø and å)
- U.S. Department of State, Foreign Language Training (FSI language categories)
- Wikipedia: Danish grammar (verbs do not change for person; numbers above forty partly built on twenties; common and neuter nouns)
- Wikipedia: Danish orthography (h is silent before v, as in hvem; d is silent before t, as in lidt)
- Wikipedia: Danish phonology (stød)
- Duostories, Danish stories for English speakers
- LingQ, learn Danish online (Mini Stories)
- Dansk i ørerne
- DR Ligetil
- Den Danske Ordbog
