Greetings And Farewells
Use Hej to say hello and Hej hej to say goodbye. Use time-specific greetings like Godmorgen (morning) or Godaften (evening) for a more polite touch.
How It Works
Danish social interaction is characterized by a flat hierarchy, meaning you can use the same basic greetings with a friend, a shopkeeper, or a boss.
Greetings (Hello):
- Hej: The universal 'hi'. It is the most common way to start a conversation.
- Hejsa: A cheerful, informal variant of 'hej'.
- Dav / Davs: Casual, slightly old-fashioned greetings.
- Godmorgen: Used until approximately 10:00 AM. By 10:30 AM, speakers usually switch to 'Hej' or 'Goddag'.
- Goddag: Used from late morning until late afternoon. Unlike English 'Good day', this is strictly a greeting, not a farewell.
- Godaften: Used from 6:00 PM onwards.
Farewells (Goodbye):
- Hej hej: The standard casual way to say goodbye. While doubling the word is a strong convention for farewells, a single 'hej' can also be used.
- Hav en god dag: 'Have a good day'. This is the natural farewell equivalent to 'Goddag'.
- Farvel: A neutral, slightly more formal 'goodbye'.
- Vi ses: 'See you'. The verb uses a reciprocal -s suffix to imply 'we see each other'. This is reserved for people you expect to see again; use 'Farvel' or 'Hej' with strangers.
- Godnat: 'Goodnight'. Used only when someone is going to bed or leaving for the night; never as a greeting.
Cultural Note: While English speakers often use 'How are you?' as a greeting, the Danish equivalent Hvordan går det? is a genuine question. Only ask it if you have time to listen to the answer!
Examples (6)
- Hej! Hvordan går det?
Hi! How is it going?
Word by Word: Hi! How goes it?
A very common, friendly way to start a conversation with someone you know.
- Godmorgen, har du sovet godt?
Good morning, did you sleep well?
Word by Word: Good morning, have you slept well?
Godmorgen is used until approximately 10:00 AM. After this, Danes usually switch to Hej or Goddag.
- Det var hyggeligt, hav en god dag!
It was nice, have a good day!
Word by Word: It was cozy, have a good day!
While 'Goddag' is a greeting, 'Hav en god dag' is the standard way to say goodbye during the day.
- Hej hej, vi ses i morgen!
Bye bye, see you tomorrow!
Word by Word: Hi hi, we see-each-other in tomorrow!
Vi ses is used when you have a specific plan or expectation to meet the person again.
- Godaften, velkommen til.
Good evening, welcome.
Word by Word: Good evening, welcome to.
Godaften is used as a polite greeting after 6:00 PM.
- Hejsa! Davs med dig.
Hi there! Hello to you.
Word by Word: Hi-there! Hello with you.
Hejsa is a cheerful variant, while Dav or Davs is a casual, slightly old-fashioned greeting.
Common Mistakes
Using 'hej hej' to say hello.
Hej hej! Jeg hedder Peter.Hej! Jeg hedder Peter.In Danish, 'hej' is hello, but 'hej hej' is almost exclusively used for goodbye.
Writing time-of-day greetings as two words.
God morgenGodmorgenGreetings like Godmorgen, Goddag, and Godaften are written as single compound words.
Using 'Goddag' as a farewell.
Tak for i dag, goddag!Tak for i dag, hej hej!Unlike the English 'Good day', the Danish 'Goddag' is only used when arriving, not when leaving.
How It Connects
Related Patterns
- Informal Address With Du
Danish greetings are usually paired with the informal 'du' (you) because of the egalitarian culture.
Level 1 - hvordanHow
Used in the common follow-up question 'Hvordan går det?' (How is it going?).
Level 1 - -s (reciprok)Reciprocal S-Verbs
Explains the -s ending in 'vi ses', which indicates a mutual action (seeing each other).
Level 4 - om morgenen/om aftenenTimes of Day (Om + Definite)
Explains how to talk about times of day in general, which relates to when specific greetings are used.
Level 2 - Polite Expressions
Greetings are often followed by polite phrases like 'velkommen' (welcome) or 'hyggeligt' (nice/cozy).
Level 1
Practice Greetings And Farewells in Bubblegum
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