Everything You Need To Learn Danish
Danish is spoken by 5.3 million people, mostly in Denmark and the northern territories of the Faroe Islands and Greenland.
This North Germanic/Scandinavian language is closely related to Norwegian, Swedish, and German as well as English, which has large influence on it due to its proximity and previous control over the area.
Danish has a relatively simple grammar, with no case marking and a straightforward structure. Word order is generally Subject-Verb-Object as in English. This means that, for native English speakers, a lot of Danish grammar will feel familiar, and the language is said to be one of the easiest for English speakers to learn.
Though Danish, Norwegian and Swedish are linguistically similar, they are all distinct languages in their own right, but similar enough that learning one of them will make it much easier to understand another without ever having studied it.
The good news for learners is that there are lots of resources available to help you learn Danish. We’ve listed several of them below.
Danish Langugae Learning Books
Learning Danish with books is a popular option for language learners, especially because there are so many available.
Many of these Danish study books use a variety of teaching methods, including accompanying audio, grammar explanations, and exercises to practice the language, thereby helping to hone all of your language skills.
A Danish dictionary is a must-have for language learners at any level, and you’ll find yourself referring to it often as you advance in the language.
If you’re interested in building your Danish vocabulary in a fun, natural way, you might consider picking up a Danish word search/puzzle book that you can while away the hours with.
Danish Children’s Books
Another great way to learn Danish is through children’s books. These can be a good (and fun!) place for beginners to start because the stories are written in simple language, using shorter words and commonly used vocabulary.
You’ll find that Danish stories written for children have a writing style that’s very approachable, which essentially takes the chore out of reading foreign texts. Danish kids’ books often have plenty of illustrations to aid in comprehension, too.
Many of the books in this list are bilingual English-Danish, meaning that both the Danish and English texts are printed in the same book, making it easy to follow along with the story without the need for a dictionary.
Danish Fiction
At some point, you’ll want to read more challenging content, which is when it’s time to hit the Danish adult fiction section.
Danish books written for adults are often longer and more complex than the children’s titles, so it’ll take some time before you feel comfortable with them. They’ll be difficult to understand at first, and you’ll constantly be looking up words, but by the end, you’ll have a much stronger command of the language.
Danish Digital Courses
Learning Danish through an e-course is another great option for language learners, especially those who prefer audiovisual learning to book study.
Danish digital courses usually focus on audio instruction created by native Danish speakers, and their goal is to get students speaking the language from day one – i.e. they’re concerned with practical application.
Udemy’s Danish course uses video instruction and offers 27 hours of study at an extremely affordable price. There’s also the ability to use the course across any device, have lifetime access to future updates, and be a part of a large community of users who you can bounce ideas off and gain motivation from.
Pimsleur’s Danish courses are entirely audio, and comprise lessons which build on one another to help students advance in the language. These courses are good for beginners, featuring plenty of vocabulary and dialogue-building opportunities to get students comfortable with Danish.
DANISH UDEMY COURSES
DANISH AUDIO COURSES
Pimsleur Danish Conversational Course - Level 1 Lessons 1-16 CD: Learn to Speak and Understand Danish with Pimsleur Language Programs (1)
Danish Products
Here you’ll find products to make learning and/or using the Danish language easier. Danish alphabet blocks are great for those teaching Danish to their children. Kids can use them to spell out all of the new Danish words they learn.
Uncle Goose Danish Blocks - Made in The USA
$42.95
