When we went out to do the shopping last week, I took some pictures of signs. I am thankful the Danish language has quite a few words that are similar in English, and that they also have incorporated many English words into their language. I am also grateful that except for a few extra vowels, the alphabet and numbers are basically the same.
This sign says "It takes only 5 minutes..." The store is letting you know that you don't have to wait in long lines here. Actually, this is because the store is small and only carries the basics, but if the basics are all you want to get, it's a good place to shop.
This is a sign that's in the elevator if you park underground at Føtex. It is reminding you to set the time indicator in your car. Each car in Denmark has a little "clock" on the inside windshield, and you are required to indicate the time you arrived on the clock. Many places allow you to park for an hour or two free, but you have to let them know when you arrived. There is an enforcement person who comes around checking, and if your timer is over the time, you will get a ticket. Yes. We do forget sometimes! Thankfully, we have been spared a ticket. God is gracious!
This is aisle five in Føtex. Honestly, I am not sure what that first word means! It is a compound word. "Sur" means sour, and "varer" means wares, so it probably means pickled stuff and other condiments like that. Maybe a Danish person can help me out here? "Saucer" means sauces, and "krydderier" means spices.
Hey! Cookie shop! You can figure that out, right? "Kager" means cake. "Friskbagt" is fresh baked. Pea Hater and I have no business even LOOKING in this section!
That's your Danish lesson for the day, folks! Did you find it interesting? I have noticed some interesting things about living in a nation which speaks a language different from my mother tongue.
* If I have been speaking/reading/listening to a lot of Danish, and then try to play a spelling game in English like Scramble or Pathways on Facebook, I mix some Danish words in there, and that slows me down! * I often cannot remember how to sing certain songs in English anymore. * If I am going to call a repairman, doctor, etc. who may not speak English with me, I have to look up words I don’t know, and might need to use in my Danish dictionary so I have them on hand. * In a store, I speak Danish to the clerk, and they speak Danish back to me, but I can’t understand what they said! Embarrassing! * Often, in a store, I speak Danish to the clerk, and she, upon hearing my not-so-great Danish accent, speaks English back to me! * Sometimes, when I speak English, I use Danish grammar and it comes out weird. * Sometimes, when I speak Danish, I use English grammar, and it comes out weird. My husband says I speak “Danglish!” * I listen to something in Danish and think I understand it, but have missed just enough to have understood it as the exact opposite to what it actually is! (Did that make sense?) * At about 10 PM, my ability to understand Danish seems to just stop, and my brain goes numb. * I rejoice when I find a book at the second hand in English. It’s even nicer if it is a decent book that I would like to read. * Imagine – you buy hair color, get a new prescription, a bill comes in the mail, you buy a newspaper or magazine, see an ad, whatever -- and it is all in a language you don’t understand. When we first moved here, that happened all the time. Now – not so much.
It is so easy to get in a rut and become very comfortable with what you are used to, isn’t it? But there is nothing challenging about that. I am glad I am pressed, challenged and shoved out of my comfort zone. It keeps me learning, and it keeps me depending on God! That's not a bad place to be.
Is God challenging you to step out of your comfort zone in some area? Are you still making excuses? If you are, you’re missing out on a great opportunity to learn and grow.
Thank you for sharing, the lesson, I love learning languages
In Christs Love
Michelle~
We should get those car clocks here in the US...it would help clear space in our huge parking lots.
cool! learning is great.. :)
Fascinating! I love seeing those words in other languages that I can recognize, even if I don't know the language. Of course, most of the time I can only recognize them if they're written, not spoken!
Here in Indonesia we have a lot of words that come from English. We also have a lot of words that come from Dutch, since Indonesia was a Dutch colony for many years. Often I have no idea that the word came from Dutch until I see something that's in Dutch (which happens quite often here - there's lots of Dutch missionaries who have Dutch books, magazines, etc) and I realize, Oh! That word came from Dutch!
From what I see of your Danish, it seems like it has some in common with Dutch, too. Also German. Is that right or am I just smoking something?
@junglewife - Yes. You are right. Danish is a Germanic language. I can figure out some written Dutch since I know Danish, but spoken Dutch? No way! There are also similar words to Danish in Norwegian, Swedish, and old, old Scottish.
Enjoyed the Danish. I think of Garrison Keillor when I think of Denmark. I'm glad I'm not a spider too! Lol.
I love the "Danglish" part! LOL! I can't imagine being thrown into a world where I don't know the language. Yes....depending on God for even the practical things is where we should live! Enjoyed the humor!
Thanks for the Danish lesson -- now I know a couple of words in Danish and a couple in German -- does that make me bilingual? Or is it trilingual since I speak English!! I enjoyed the post -- it's always interesting to see and hear about a different place!
Does Pea Hater speak Danish? Are there more Danish or English speaking people in your church? It looks like a hard language to learn but I have heard that English is hard to learn. I can see why English would be difficult since the rules don't make much sense. I have never lived where I would be one the minority instead of one of the majority. That would sure be a humbling experience. Hey, that would be a very good experience for people that are prejudice about other nationalities wouldn't it?
It all reminds me of the Tower of Babel (sp?).
Have a great week Mae!
I think so. Yesterday one of the decons came to me and asked me to be church clerk! But I said yes. I want the experience, and I want to serve our Lord!
I changed my name, in case I forgot to tell you and Mr. Peas. It is now sez_who_sez_you. Thanks to a stalker, I had to change my dear Mother Moonie.
Loved the Danish lesson! I hope there's more of them! :) Love ya! Tracy
Yeah! Is Chuck up? I like my bacon and chocolate separate!
that is interesting and I would be so lost at my age.
@txmom - Pea Hater has a hard time hearing and processing the language. His Danish is er... not so good. He reads it pretty well! I think Danish is REALLY hard because so many of the sounds are hard for me. I cannot, for the life of me, make my tongue DO some of that stuff! LOL! I read someplace that if you have spoken the same language for many years, your tongue muscles kind of "freeze" and you have trouble pronouncing sounds in another language. I'm not sure it is true, but I do know learning a new language when you are over 50 is very difficult for me. I seem to have a Teflon brain! There is so much to UNlearn, too. I taught reading/phonics to children for years, and now, none of that applies. Anyway -- it is interesting! I would say about 85-90% of our church speaks Danish, but they also speak English. We are an international church, and services are translated for people. When hubby preaches, it is translated into Danish. When a Dane preaches, it is translated into English.
A fun post -- it's always interesting to see signs and stores in other languages! I like the idea of the car clock -- but I wonder if it wouldn't be abused here, as are so many things!
I enjoyed your Danish lesson (I'm going to pass it on to my daughters- one of them seems to enjoy learning languages). I'd be looking for English books too though (and looking for more of those cookie signs! Well, maybe I better not do that too much!)
HAHA I needed to read this for I am experiencing the exact thing except in Arabic. And I do the whole comprehending thing too (about understand the opposite) Usually when anyone hears me speak arabic they laugh and call their friends near by and ask me to repeat it again.
I speak some German, some Spanish, and English. Imagine the strange sentences I construct when tired??!!!!
Jesse goes between Spanish and English and has the same occasional vocabulary block!
In your second picture, it was interesting to note that "2-timer" means something completely different in English!!!!!
@cherylyn_p - Timer means hours. I never thought of it that way 2 timer! Ha! Funny!
Fascinating post. Do some more like it! I can pretend I'm traveling!
I just spent a month studying abroad in Denmark, and I was also lucky that some things were very easy to translate, sans dictionary. (I was also lucky that almost everyone spoke at least a little English, lol)
The first night we were there, we asked our program director how to say "Hi" in Danish and he jokingly made a really big deal, saying it was really difficult and stuff... We found it really funny after he told us what it actually was.
" Friskbagt" - cool!
I completely understood "cookie shop" - who knew I could pick up the language that easily? : D
@ashiri7016 - I hope you were able to learn the proper accent required for saying Hi in Danish! LOL! Where in Denmark were you staying? Were you offered a liver paste sandwich?
Hej Mae. Det er sjovt at læse om dine erfaringer med det danske sprog. Survarer - you are right in your translation of that. I have forwarded it to Debs. I think she will say yes and amen to many of your thoughts. Kærlig hilsen Kirsten
Thanks for the Danish lessons complete with pictures, that was a neat touch....your observations were really good too especially about Pea Hater stating you speak Danglish!
ryc, So glad He is in control...thanks for your prayers for Debbie, will keep you updated. Blessings! Mike
Hmm.. not sure I learned much, except that I still stink in learning new languages (hahaha). But as for your post.. God called me to step out of my comfort zone sometime ago.. and it seems I am more outside the box than in. But for me.. that is a good thing.
It is a compound word. "Sur" means sour, and "varer" means wares, so it probably means pickled stuff and other condiments like that. Maybe a Danish person can help me out here? "Saucer" means sauces, and "krydderier" means spices.
Comments (31)
Thank you for sharing, the lesson, I love learning languages
In Christs Love
Michelle~
We should get those car clocks here in the US...it would help clear space in our huge parking lots.
cool! learning is great.. :)
Fascinating! I love seeing those words in other languages that I can recognize, even if I don't know the language. Of course, most of the time I can only recognize them if they're written, not spoken!
Here in Indonesia we have a lot of words that come from English. We also have a lot of words that come from Dutch, since Indonesia was a Dutch colony for many years. Often I have no idea that the word came from Dutch until I see something that's in Dutch (which happens quite often here - there's lots of Dutch missionaries who have Dutch books, magazines, etc) and I realize, Oh! That word came from Dutch!
From what I see of your Danish, it seems like it has some in common with Dutch, too. Also German. Is that right or am I just smoking something?
@junglewife - Yes. You are right. Danish is a Germanic language. I can figure out some written Dutch since I know Danish, but spoken Dutch? No way! There are also similar words to Danish in Norwegian, Swedish, and old, old Scottish.
Enjoyed the Danish. I think of Garrison Keillor when I think of Denmark.
I'm glad I'm not a spider too! Lol.
I love the "Danglish" part! LOL! I can't imagine being thrown into a world where I don't know the language. Yes....depending on God for even the practical things is where we should live!
Enjoyed the humor!
Thanks for the Danish lesson -- now I know a couple of words in Danish and a couple in German -- does that make me bilingual? Or is it trilingual since I speak English!!
I enjoyed the post -- it's always interesting to see and hear about a different place!
Does Pea Hater speak Danish? Are there more Danish or English speaking people in your church? It looks like a hard language to learn but I have heard that English is hard to learn. I can see why English would be difficult since the rules don't make much sense. I have never lived where I would be one the minority instead of one of the majority. That would sure be a humbling experience. Hey, that would be a very good experience for people that are prejudice about other nationalities wouldn't it?
It all reminds me of the Tower of Babel (sp?).
Have a great week Mae!
I think so. Yesterday one of the decons came to me and asked me to be church clerk!
But I said yes. I want the experience, and I want to serve our Lord!
I changed my name, in case I forgot to tell you and Mr. Peas. It is now sez_who_sez_you. Thanks to a stalker, I had to change my dear Mother Moonie.
Loved the Danish lesson! I hope there's more of them! :) Love ya! Tracy
Yeah! Is Chuck up? I like my bacon and chocolate separate!
that is interesting and I would be so lost at my age.
@txmom - Pea Hater has a hard time hearing and processing the language. His Danish is er... not so good. He reads it pretty well!
I think Danish is REALLY hard because so many of the sounds are hard for me. I cannot, for the life of me, make my tongue DO some of that stuff! LOL! I read someplace that if you have spoken the same language for many years, your tongue muscles kind of "freeze" and you have trouble pronouncing sounds in another language. I'm not sure it is true, but I do know learning a new language when you are over 50 is very difficult for me. I seem to have a Teflon brain! There is so much to UNlearn, too. I taught reading/phonics to children for years, and now, none of that applies. Anyway -- it is interesting! 
I would say about 85-90% of our church speaks Danish, but they also speak English. We are an international church, and services are translated for people. When hubby preaches, it is translated into Danish. When a Dane preaches, it is translated into English.
A fun post -- it's always interesting to see signs and stores in other languages! I like the idea of the car clock -- but I wonder if it wouldn't be abused here, as are so many things!
I enjoyed your Danish lesson (I'm going to pass it on to my daughters- one of them seems to enjoy learning languages). I'd be looking for English books too though (and looking for more of those cookie signs! Well, maybe I better not do that too much!)
HAHA I needed to read this for I am experiencing the exact thing except in Arabic. And I do the whole comprehending thing too (about understand the opposite)
Usually when anyone hears me speak arabic they laugh and call their friends near by and ask me to repeat it again.
I speak some German, some Spanish, and English. Imagine the strange sentences I construct when tired??!!!!
Jesse goes between Spanish and English and has the same occasional vocabulary block!
In your second picture, it was interesting to note that "2-timer" means something completely different in English!!!!!
@cherylyn_p - Timer means hours. I never thought of it that way 2 timer! Ha! Funny!
Fascinating post. Do some more like it! I can pretend I'm traveling!
I just spent a month studying abroad in Denmark, and I was also lucky that some things were very easy to translate, sans dictionary. (I was also lucky that almost everyone spoke at least a little English, lol)
The first night we were there, we asked our program director how to say "Hi" in Danish and he jokingly made a really big deal, saying it was really difficult and stuff... We found it really funny after he told us what it actually was.
" Friskbagt" - cool!
I completely understood "cookie shop" - who knew I could pick up the language that easily? : D
@ashiri7016 - I hope you were able to learn the proper accent required for saying Hi in Danish! LOL! Where in Denmark were you staying? Were you offered a liver paste sandwich?
Hej Mae.
Det er sjovt at læse om dine erfaringer med det danske sprog.
Survarer - you are right in your translation of that.
I have forwarded it to Debs. I think she will say yes and amen to many of your thoughts.
Kærlig hilsen
Kirsten
Thanks for the Danish lessons complete with pictures, that was a neat touch....your observations were really good too especially about Pea Hater stating you speak Danglish!
ryc, So glad He is in control...thanks for your prayers for Debbie, will keep you updated.
Blessings!
Mike
Hmm.. not sure I learned much, except that I still stink in learning new languages (hahaha). But as for your post.. God called me to step out of my comfort zone sometime ago.. and it seems I am more outside the box than in. But for me.. that is a good thing.
Blessings
Phil