ja/nej

Yes and No

Level 1

Danish uses three main words for yes and no: ja (yes), nej (no), and jo (yes, contradicting a negative). To sound natural, Danes usually add a short phrase like 'det er jeg' (it am I) after the token.

How It Works

In Danish, answering a simple question involves specific tokens and a standard short-answer structure to sound natural and polite.

1. The Three Tokens

  • Ja: Used to agree with a positive statement or question. (Er du sulten? Ja.)
  • Nej: Used to disagree with a positive question OR to agree with a negative question. (Er du ikke sulten? Nej. = No, I am not.)
  • Jo: Used specifically to contradict a negative question or statement. It means 'Yes, I actually am/do.' (Er du ikke sulten? Jo! = Yes, I am!)

2. The Short Answer Structure
To sound more natural, Danes often use a short answer tag: [Token], det [Verb] [Subject] (ikke).

  • If the main verb is være or have, repeat that verb. (Er du glad? Ja, det er jeg.)
  • If the main verb is a modal verb, repeat the modal. (Kan du svømme? Ja, det kan jeg.)
  • For all other verbs, use the pro-verb gøre (to do). (Spiser du kød? Nej, det gør jeg ikke.)

3. Word Order
Notice that the short answer uses the order det + verb + subject. This is a specific application of V2 word order where 'det' acts as a placeholder for the action mentioned in the question. To make the answer negative, simply add ikke at the end.

Examples (5)

  1. Er du glad? Ja, det er jeg.

    Are you happy? Yes, I am.

    Word by Word: Are you happy? Yes, that am I.

    A standard positive question using 'være'. The verb is repeated in the short answer.

  2. Har han en bil? Nej, det har han ikke.

    Does he have a car? No, he doesn't.

    Word by Word: Has he a car? No, that has he not.

    A negative answer to a positive question. 'Ikke' is added at the end of the short phrase.

  3. Taler du dansk? Ja, det gør jeg.

    Do you speak Danish? Yes, I do.

    Word by Word: Speak you Danish? Yes, that do I.

    Since 'tale' is a standard verb (not be/have/modal), we use 'gøre' in the short answer.

  4. Kan du svømme? Ja, det kan jeg.

    Can you swim? Yes, I can.

    Word by Word: Can you swim? Yes, that can I.

    Modal verbs like 'kan' are repeated in the short answer phrase.

  5. Kommer du ikke? Jo, det gør jeg!

    Aren't you coming? Yes, I am!

    Word by Word: Come you not? Jo, that do I!

    We use 'jo' because the question was negative ('ikke'). It contradicts the assumption that you aren't coming.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'ja' to answer a negative question.

    Er du ikke sulten? Ja, jeg er.
    Er du ikke sulten? Jo, det er jeg.

    In Danish, you must use 'jo' to say 'yes' if the question contains a negation like 'ikke'.

  • Using English word order in the short answer.

    Ja, jeg er.
    Ja, det er jeg.

    Danish requires the placeholder 'det' and the verb-subject inversion in short answers.

  • Using 'gøre' for 'to be' or 'to have'.

    Er du træt? Ja, det gør jeg.
    Er du træt? Ja, det er jeg.

    You can only use 'gøre' for general verbs. 'Være' and 'have' must be repeated.

How It Connects

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ja/nejLevel 1Yes and No

Learn This First

To use 'ja' and 'nej' in full short-answer sentences, you need to understand basic subject pronouns, the verb 'være', and how to negate a sentence with 'ikke'.

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Words in This Pattern

janejjo