Is Danish hard to learn, or is it just a wrong impression? Learning any language always requires commitment and work, although some languages could be more challenging than others.
Danish is a Germanic language derived from the Old Norse, which was the common language spoken by the German people living in Scandinavia through the Viking era.
More than 6 million people speak Danish today, mainly in Denmark, with communities of Danish-speaking people spread across the world, mainly in Norway, Sweden, and even the United States. Let’s find out more about Danish.
Is Danish Hard To Learn For English Speakers?
The Danish language seems difficult to learn due to the pronunciation and the many vowels that could be challenging for beginners. However, Danish is not hard to understand for English speakers due to the many similarities.
English speakers have a significant advantage when studying Danish because English comes from the Germanic language family. The common origin is the reason for several similarities between the two languages, such as the grammar rules and the sentence structure.
English speakers would have an easier time learning other Scandinavian languages (Swedish, Finnish, and Norwegian) since they are close and come from North Germanic languages.
Similar words (meaning and sound) in two languages are called cognates. For example, English and Danish have many cognates, which makes it easy for native English speakers to learn words quickly.
Why Is Danish Hard To Learn For Some People?
Danish is not necessarily one of the hardest languages to learn. Learning Danish has unique challenges, such as the Danish pronunciation and some aspects of the grammar; however, with some practice, it is possible to gain Danish fluency and sound like a native speaker in a short time.
Danish is one of the Scandinavian languages that doesn’t have a word for “please,” so you have to find original ways or other words instead of “please.” In addition, Danes have another system of counting numbers, which could confuse those studying Danish at first.
The base of their counting system is 20 instead of 10, although one will get used to it with practice. However, most people do not consider Danish an easy language because of the silent letters and the vowel sounds.
The other thing that makes speaking Danish challenging is replicating and understanding the Danish sounds. Danish people are known to mumble a lot when they speak, making it difficult for foreigners to grasp danish words and phrases and reply correctly.
Is Danish Grammar Hard?
Danish is grammatically one of the easiest languages to learn. An English speaker could have an easier time, but others could say the same. There are nine verb forms in the Danish language, and the nouns are said in a way to differentiate the gender.
Like other languages, grammar has rules that must be memorized and practiced. However, the Danish language is not more complicated than the grammar of the other Scandinavian languages or languages in general.
How Long Does It Take To Learn Danish?
English native speakers need around 600 hours to speak fluently the language and add many words to their vocabulary to hold conversations. It is an estimation that can change depending on individual skills and whether or not there is the possibility to do a lot of practice.
Being familiar with how Danish people sound makes learning Danish even faster and easier. In addition, the possibility of traveling abroad to visit Denmark and practicing speaking and listening to certain words can be very beneficial.
Is Danish Harder Than Norwegian?
Danish is not more complicated than Norwegian, but it is a way to learn Scandinavian languages since they sound similar.
Most Scandinavian languages are similar in structure and sound. The language closest to Danish is Swedish, but since all the Scandinavian languages are descended from Old Norse, they are closely related and mutually intelligible.
In general, Danes can read and speak Norwegian and Swedish too, which makes all of those languages at the same difficulty level.
Is It Worth Learning Danish? Best Reasons!
Learning Danish can have its advantages. Although it is beneficial to learn the language when there is a reason for it, such as work or regular vacations, there are other advantages.
For example:
- If you know Danish, you will understand Swedish and Norwegian too
- You can watch top Danish movies in the original language
- Easy to learn for English speakers
- Essential when traveling to Denmark
- Understand the Danish culture
- Possibility of studying abroad
- Additional work opportunities
- Build up relationships with danish friends
If you want to add more words to your Danish vocabulary, you can also read Cheers In Danish and Thank you in Danish.
Learn Danish With Ling App!
Do you want to become fluent in Danish? If you’re going to gain Danish fluency and learn Danish numbers and common words, you can use Ling App!
Ling is a learning system in the form of an application that you can use from home or traveling on any mobile device. You can even learn how to pronounce words correctly! You can also take the opportunity to learn more languages by choosing between more than 60 options.
Ling App has lessons for beginners and advanced language learners! So no matter where you are, you can get to the next level.
You can check the free language blog to know more about another country’s culture, food, and language.
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