Danish expressions quiz
Your textbook never taught you these.
Could you keep up on the street, at a party, on a date or at the bakery? Let’s see how many of these you’d catch.
10 expressionsbeginner to advancedabout 2 minutesno sign-up
Word for word: “there’s no cow on the ice”
So what does it really mean? Tap an answer to start.
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Danish expressions quiz
The 10 expressions in this quiz
Word for word, they make no sense. Here’s what people in Denmark actually mean by them.
Der er ingen ko på isen
BeginnerWord for word: “there’s no cow on the ice”
No need to worry
Vi skal nok nå toget, der er ingen ko på isen. We’ll make the train, no need to worry.
Fine at workdet koster det hvide ud af øjnene
BeginnerWord for word: “it costs the white out of your eyes”
It costs a fortune
En lejlighed i København koster det hvide ud af øjnene. A flat in Copenhagen costs a fortune.
Fine at workHold da op!
BeginnerWord for word: “hold then up!”
Wow, no way
Hold da op, hvor er her mange mennesker! Wow, there are so many people here.
Fine at workgå over åen efter vand
IntermediateWord for word: “to cross the stream to fetch water”
To do things the hard way
Du behøver ikke tage helt ind til byen, der er en bager lige om hjørnet. Hvorfor gå over åen efter vand? You don’t need to go all the way into town, there’s a bakery round the corner. Why do things the hard way?
Fine at worktage benene på nakken
IntermediateWord for word: “to take your legs on your neck”
To run for it
Da vi så bussen komme, tog vi benene på nakken. When we saw the bus coming, we ran for it.
With friendsKlap lige hesten!
IntermediateWord for word: “just pat the horse!”
Calm down, easy now
Flytte sammen? Klap lige hesten, vi har kun været på tre dates. Move in together? Calm down, we’ve only been on three dates.
With friendsskyde papegøjen
IntermediateWord for word: “to shoot the parrot”
To hit the jackpot
Hun fik lejligheden med udsigt over havnen. Hun har virkelig skudt papegøjen. She got the flat overlooking the harbour. She’s really hit the jackpot.
Fine at workdet er ikke så ringe
AdvancedWord for word: “it’s not so poor”
That’s actually pretty good
Nyt job og kun fire arbejdsdage om ugen. Det er ikke så ringe. A new job and only four working days a week. That’s pretty good.
Fine at workså kan han lære det
AdvancedWord for word: “then he can learn it”
Serves him right
Han ville ikke tage en jakke med, og nu fryser han. Så kan han lære det. He wouldn’t bring a jacket and now he’s freezing. Serves him right.
With friendsdet er hip som hap
AdvancedWord for word: “it’s hip as hap (rhyming nonsense)”
It makes no difference
Pizza eller burger? Det er hip som hap for mig. Pizza or burgers? It makes no difference to me.
With friends
Questions
Are these expressions still used?
Yes, every day. The quiz leaves out anything dated or crude, and every answer tells you where it’s safe to say: fine at work, with friends, or best avoided.
Why does the quiz go from beginner to advanced?
The first three are common and you’ll hear them early on. The last three need nuance, like sarcasm or mood, which is where most learners lose the thread.
What do I get if I unlock the 15?
A free deck with all 25 expressions, added for you when you finish setting up: the 10 from the quiz (the ones you missed first, each with its example), then the 15 new ones. Every card has audio and comes back for review just before you’d forget it.
Danish sounds nothing like it’s written. Will that matter here?
It’s the classic hurdle. Every expression in your deck comes with audio, so you learn how it sounds, not just how it’s spelled.