Wikijunior:Languages/Danish

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Languages

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What writing system(s) does this language use?

Danish uses all 26 letters in English, plus the letters Æ, Ø, and Å. The letters c, q, w, x, and z are only used in words that are not of Danish origin, however.

How many people speak this language?

About 6 million people speak Danish, making it the 103rd highest language in number of speakers.

Where is this language spoken?

Danish is mostly spoken in Denmark, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, the European Union, and the Nordic Council.

What is the history of this language?

Danish ultimately comes from a language called Old Norse. Eventually, this language splitted into two languages: Old West Norse, which would turn into Norwegian and Icelandic, and Old East Norse, which turned into Swedish and Danish. Eventually, Old East Norse evolved into the Danish we know today.

Who are some famous authors or poets in this language?

The most famous Danish author is probably Hans Christian Andersen. He made stories such as The Little Mermaid and The Ugly Duckling.

Christiern Pedersen is also known for translating the Bible's Old Testament into Danish.

Søren Kierkegaard a 19th-century Danish philosopher and theologian.

What are some basic words in this language that I can learn?

Danish	English
Hej	Hi
Godmorgen	Good morning
Goddag	Good afternoon (good day)
Godaften	Good evening
Hvordan går det?/Hvordan har du det?	How are you?
Det går fint./Jeg har det fint.	I am fine.
Jeg hedder...	My name is...
Farvel/Hej hej	Goodbye!
Vi ses imorgen!	See you tomorrow!
Jeg elsker dig	I love you

What is a simple song/poem/story that I can learn in this language?

Der er et yndigt land (The Danish national anthem)

Danish	English
Der er et yndigt land, det står med brede bøge nær salten østerstrand Det bugter sig i bakke, dal, det hedder gamle Danmark og det er Frejas sal Vort gamle Danmark skal bestå, så længe bøgen spejler sin top i bølgen blå	There is a lovely country with spreading, shady beeches Near the salty Baltic beach Its hills and valleys gently roll, its name is old Denmark, And it is Freya's hall Our old Denmark shall remain as long the beech reflects its top in the blue waves

References

1. The English Wikipedia.