undskyld
Sorry / Excuse Me (Undskyld)
Undskyld is the standard Danish word for apologizing for minor mistakes or getting someone's attention. It functions like both 'I'm sorry' and 'Excuse me' in English.
How It Works
In Danish, undskyld is the 'Swiss Army knife' of politeness. It is used in four primary ways:
- Getting Attention: Use it to start a question with a stranger, like 'Excuse me, where is...?'
- Physical Navigation: Use it when you need to get past someone in a crowd.
- Minor Apologies: Use it if you bump into someone, make a small mistake, or arrive a few minutes late.
- Asking for Repetition: Use it with a rising tone (Undskyld?) if you didn't hear what someone said.
Pronunciation Tip: The 'd' is silent. The 'y' is a front rounded vowel; to make this sound, shape your mouth to say 'ee' (as in 'see'), but round your lips tightly as if you were going to whistle. It is similar to the German 'ü'.
It is important to distinguish undskyld from other 'sorry' words. While undskyld is for when you are at fault, beklager is more formal (often used by businesses), and jeg er ked af det is used for genuine sadness or sympathy (like hearing bad news).
Examples (5)
- Undskyld, hvor er stationen?
Excuse me, where is the station?
Word by Word: Excuse, where is the station?
Used here as a polite opener to ask a stranger for directions.
- Undskyld, det var min fejl.
Sorry, that was my mistake.
Word by Word: Excuse, it was my fault.
Used to take responsibility for a small error.
- Undskyld, må jeg komme forbi?
Excuse me, may I get past?
Word by Word: Excuse, may I come past?
A standard way to ask someone to move so you can pass them.
- Undskyld?
Sorry? / Pardon?
Word by Word: Excuse?
Used with a rising intonation when you didn't hear what someone said and need them to repeat it.
- Undskyld mig, jeg skal gå nu.
Excuse me, I have to go now.
Word by Word: Excuse me, I shall go now.
Adding 'mig' (me) makes it slightly more specific, often used when leaving a conversation or a table.
Common Mistakes
Using 'undskyld' to express sympathy for someone's loss.
Undskyld, at din hund døde.Jeg er ked af at høre, at din hund døde.'Undskyld' implies you are asking for forgiveness for something you did. For sympathy, use 'jeg er ked af det' (I am sorry/sad about it).
Pronouncing the 'd' at the end of the word.
und-skyldun-skylThe 'd' in 'undskyld' is silent in modern Danish. Pronouncing it makes the word sound very foreign.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To use 'undskyld' effectively, you should be familiar with basic polite social interactions and how to frame simple questions, as this word often serves as a prefix to inquiries or a response to social errors.
- hvorWhere
The pattern 'undskyld' is frequently used to introduce questions, particularly those starting with 'hvor' (where) when asking for directions or information.
Level 1 - Polite Expressions
Understanding general polite expressions provides the necessary social context for using 'undskyld' as both an apology and a polite attention-getter.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- takThanks (Tak)
Tak (thanks) is often used alongside undskyld to maintain politeness in requests.
Level 1 - Command Form
Undskyld is grammatically the imperative (command) form of the verb 'undskylde'.
Level 2 - mig/dig/ham/hendeObject Pronouns Singular
The object pronoun 'mig' is sometimes added to 'undskyld' for specific emphasis.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice undskyld in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Danish lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
