Several languages ​​are spoken in the Kingdom of Denmark: Danish, Greenlandic, Faroese and German. However, only Danish is official for this country. Therefore, we should start with Danish, which is national for the Danes, and in which total spoken by more than five and a half million people. We will focus on him.

Danish

Wikipedia defines the Danish language as "the language of the Danes" and "one of the Scandinavian languages". And indeed it is. After all, it originates from the common Scandinavian proto-language, which gave rise to all other Scandinavian languages:

• Icelandic;
• Norwegian;
• Swedish;
• Gunti (Swedish dialect);
• Greenlandic;
• Faroese.

We'll talk about the last two later. Like all of the languages ​​listed, Danish belongs to the Germanic branch of Indo-European language family. Thanks to a common proto-language, Norwegians, Swedes and Danes can still understand each other.

As such Danish began to develop in the Middle Ages. Around this period he came under the influence of Low German dialects, which gave him a certain guttural quality. Later, starting from the 17th century, Danish began to be replenished with French and then English borrowings.

It should be noted that Danish has a lot of dialects, which are mainly spoken by Danes living in rural areas. Dialects differ in their lexical composition and grammatical structure. Here, perhaps, it is worth highlighting the Zealand dialect, which belongs to the group of so-called island dialects. After all, it was this dialect that formed the basis of literary Danish, which, by the way, was formed only in late XVIII century.

Despite certain similarities with other Scandinavian languages, Danish can be called the most flexible of them. During its development, it was most susceptible to changes, including phonetic ones. As a result, a situation has arisen where residents of other Scandinavian countries can easily understand written Danish, but may experience some difficulties when communicating orally with Danes. And it is precisely this flexibility of Danish that underlies the difficulties that people who study it face.

Over time, Danish's morphology became simpler and its structure became more and more similar to that of English. Consequently, modern Danish is analytical, like English.

The Danish alphabet has 29 letters and uses the Latin script. The only exceptions are three letters that are characteristic only of this language.

Danish cannot be called euphonious, although the Danes themselves consider it quite melodic. We can partly agree with them, because, oddly enough, it belongs to the vocal type languages. However, people hearing Danish for the first time will find it slow and even monotonous.

Besides Denmark itself, Danish is widely spoken in the following countries:

An interesting fact is that until the 40s of the 20th century, Danish was official in Iceland and Norway. In Iceland it is still compulsory to study from the sixth grade.

Greenlandic

Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. The indigenous population of these lands are the Greenlandic Eskimos or Inuit, whose number is about fifty-four thousand people. They are the ones who speak Greenlandic. In mainland Denmark, Greenlandic is spoken by about seven thousand inhabitants. It should be noted that Greenlandic speakers, when encountering, for example, new technologies, as a rule, do not make borrowings, but use roots already existing in the language to produce new words. However, on this moment Greenlandic already has many loanwords from Danish and English.

Faroese

Faroese is spoken in the Faroe Islands, which, like Greenland, are an autonomous region of the Kingdom of Denmark. Faroese is one of the least spoken languages ​​in Europe. According to the Faroese Bureau of Statistics, by 2018 the population of the Faroe Islands was approximately fifty thousand people, and almost all of them spoke Faroese as their native language.

It is important to note that about thirty thousand Faroese speakers live on the mainland, especially in the Copenhagen area. Thus, it can be argued that at least seventy-five thousand people can speak Faroese fluently, and only two-thirds of the speakers live in the Faroe Islands themselves.

Teaching in the Faroe Islands is conducted in two languages: Danish and Faroese. However, since the first for the Faroese is, in fact, foreign language, they speak it with a noticeable accent. But this, oddly enough, only strengthens their mutual understanding with speakers of other Scandinavian languages. And the reason for this has already been described above: after all, it was Danish, when compared with other Scandinavian languages, that underwent the greatest changes during its development.

German

German is official for the inhabitants of South Jutland, which was part of German Empire. Denmark received these territories after the Treaty of Versailles. This region is home to between fifteen and twenty thousand native German speakers. Although, it would be more correct to say that these people use the Schleswig dialect, which is quite different from classical German. It can also be argued that a German speaking ordinary German would have difficulty understanding a resident of South Jutland. However, this area of ​​the country attracts tourists from Germany more than any other.

English

Separately, I would like to mention one interesting misconception. Some people believe that English is one of the official languages ​​of Denmark. This is wrong. Really, English is quite popular in this country. It is taught in all schools, and almost all Danes speak English to some degree. After all, English is the most important international language, second only to Chinese in popularity. So why should Denmark be an exception? English is as popular here as in the rest of the world, especially among young people. But this, of course, does not make it the state, much less the national, language in this Scandinavian country.

brief information

For most tourists, Denmark is the birthplace of the storyteller Hans Christian Andersen and his Little Mermaid. There is, of course, a great deal of truth in this. However, Denmark lives not only by Andersen's fairy tales. From Danish beer to great sandy beaches, this country has hundreds of other things and places to keep any traveler interested. True, we recommend relaxing on Danish beaches only in July-August, when the sea off the coast of Denmark warms up well.

Geography of Denmark

Denmark is located on the Jutland Peninsula in Scandinavia, in northern Europe. In the south, Denmark borders Germany. Denmark also includes many islands, including Zealand, Funen, Falster and Lolland. In addition, Denmark owns the Faroe Islands North Atlantic and the island of Greenland North America. The straits Öresund, Skagerrak and Kattegat separate Denmark from neighboring Sweden. General area Denmark is 43,094 square kilometers.

Almost 12% of Denmark's territory is covered by forests. The most high peak in this country there is the Iding Skovhoy hill, whose height reaches 173 meters.

Capital

The capital of Denmark is Copenhagen, which is now home to more than 550 thousand people. Archaeologists claim that human settlement on the site of modern Copenhagen already existed in the 12th century.

Official language in Denmark

The Danes speak Danish, it is the official language in Denmark and belongs to the Scandinavian languages.

Religion

More than 80% of Danes are Lutherans (Protestants). However, only about 3% of Danes go to church every week.

Government of Denmark

Denmark is a constitutional monarchy in which the head of state, according to the Constitution, is the King.

Executive power in Denmark belongs to the Prime Minister and the Cabinet of Ministers, and legislative power belongs to the unicameral parliament, the Folketing, consisting of 179 deputies.

Climate and weather

The climate in Denmark is temperate, with mild winters and not very warm summers. The average annual air temperature is +8.6C. In January and February, the average air temperature is 0C, and in August - +15.7C. The average annual precipitation is 712 mm.

Sea in Denmark

Denmark is washed in the west by the North Sea, and in the south by the Baltic Sea. The seas off the Danish coast warm up well in July and August, making these months an excellent time for swimming.

Rivers and lakes

Denmark has many small rivers and lakes. The largest Danish rivers are Gudeno, Storra and Varde. As for the lakes, Arese on the island of Zealand and Forup on the Jutland Peninsula should be highlighted.

History of Denmark

Denmark was inhabited by people approximately 12,500 years ago. In the era Ancient Rome The inhabitants of Denmark maintained trade contacts with the Romans.

Since the 8th century AD Danish Vikings, along with their colleagues from Sweden and Norway, begin to colonize Europe, even reaching Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Newfoundland.

If the Norwegian and Swedish Vikings went on campaigns to the Baltic countries, Russia, Ukraine and further to Constantinople, then the interests of the Danes extended to England, Ireland, France and Italy. In 965 Denmark became a Christian country.

In 1397, Denmark entered into a personal union with Sweden and Norway, thus gaining power over all of Scandinavia. In 1536, after the so-called During the Count's War, Denmark became a Lutheran country.

After Napoleonic Wars early XIX century, Denmark was forced to transfer control of Norway to its eternal rival Sweden. In 1849, Denmark became a constitutional monarchy, and in 1864, after defeat in the war with Prussia, the Danish monarchy was forced to agree to the separation of Schleswig and Holstein from it.

During World War II, Denmark was captured by German troops.

In October 1945, Denmark was admitted to the UN, in 1949 this country became a member of the NATO bloc, and in 1973 - the EEC.

Danish culture

The Danes began to show interest in their folklore from the 19th century, when the rise of national identity. Nowadays, Danish folklore consists of fairy tales, legends, music, dances, songs, folk beliefs and traditions.

Denmark is famous for its fairy tales and their legendary master Hans Christian Andersen. Andersen drew his inspiration from Danish folk tales and legends. Central figure in Danish folklore is Nisse, a kind of brownie, a symbol of Christmas. It is believed that every farm's attic (or barn) has its own Nisse. The Danes feed Nisse porridge with butter, otherwise it is believed that he begins to cause minor troubles.

In addition, various elves, trolls, goblins and gnomes are constant heroes of Danish fairy tales.

However, Denmark is famous not only for the fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen, but also for its talented scientists. The most famous of them are the philosopher Søren Kierkegaard and the physicist Niels Bohr.

Kitchen

The main products of Danish cuisine are fish, seafood, meat, potatoes, cheese, and dairy products. The Danes claim that their cuisine is the best among all Scandinavian countries. Perhaps this is actually true, given the thriftiness of the Swedes, the somewhat strange tastes of the Norwegians and the Finnish passion for fish and seafood.

The traditional Danish sandwich is smørrebrød, which Danes eat every day. This butter sandwich is made with the most with different fillings. The most delicious smørrebrød is with small Danish shrimp, lemon and dill.

For tourists in Denmark, we recommend trying the local meatballs (frikadeller), roast pork with crust (flæskesteg) and kogt torsk (cod dish with mustard sauce), as well as roast pork with red cabbage (flæskesteg med rødkål) and roast lamb (lammesteg). .

Danish chefs make excellent fish dishes - herring, salmon, flounder, cod, mackerel, etc.

As for alcohol, the Danes prefer Carlsberg and Tuborg beer, as well as local vodka “Akvavita”.

Archaeologists claim that beer was brewed on the territory of modern Denmark 2,800 years ago. There are now more than 100 in Denmark breweries. On average, each Dane drinks 80 liters of beer annually.

Sights of Denmark

Curious tourists will be surprised and fascinated by small Denmark. This country has preserved a lot of different sights, starting with early Middle Ages. The top ten best Danish attractions, in our opinion, include the following:

1. Kronborg Castle in Helsingor
2. Øresund Bridge connecting Denmark and Sweden
3. Legoland amusement park in Billund
4. Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen
5. Monument to the Little Mermaid in Copenhagen
6. Round Tower in Copenhagen
7. Fredensborg Castle near Lake Esrum
8. Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen
9. Gothic Cathedral in Roskilde
10. Tivoli Amusement Park

Cities and resorts

The most big cities in Denmark - Aarhus, Odensei, and, of course, Copenhagen.

Despite the fact that Denmark is located in Scandinavia, numerous vacationers flock to the coast of this country in July and August. The water on the Danish coast warms up well during these months, and there is good conditions for swimming. Moreover, the beaches in Denmark are sandy and also very beautiful.

Souvenirs/shopping

Traditionally, the Scandinavian countries include Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Hearing the names of these countries, we immediately imagine Vikings and medieval castles. Our imagination paints us pictures of the most beautiful winter landscapes. I also remember that in modern world Scandinavian states are famous for their high level life. But here’s the question: “What languages ​​are spoken in Denmark, Sweden and Norway?” Many of us will hesitate to answer it. Well, let's find out.

Languages ​​of Denmark

Let's take a moment to immerse ourselves in the atmosphere of the Danish kingdom. Cute toy-like houses, good-natured residents with their peaceful hygge culture, as well as picturesque lakes, fresh sea air and beautiful Danish castles. Amazing!

What language is spoken in Denmark? The answer is obvious - in Danish, one of the Scandinavian languages. He is official language states. It is also common in Northern Germany and Iceland. In total, it is spoken by about 5.7 million people.

What other language is spoken in Denmark? In addition to Danish, the country has several official minority dialects. These include: German, Greenlandic and Faroese.

German is spoken in Southern Denmark - this territory was previously part of Germany, but in 1919, as a result of the Treaty of Versailles, it passed to the Kingdom of Denmark. Greenlandic is currently the only official language of Greenland (this territory, although it belongs to Denmark, is autonomous). As for the Faroese language, it is the main language for the population of the Faroe Islands (which is also an autonomous region of the Danish Kingdom).

Languages ​​of Sweden

So, we have found out what language is spoken in Denmark, and now we can move on to Sweden. The official language for this country is Swedish, which is considered native by about 90 percent of the state's population.

There are also several regional dialects here. These include the Elfdalian dialect (another name is Dalecarlian), the Gutnian dialect (speaking about 5-10 thousand people), the Jämtlandic dialects (although there is still debate as to whether they are dialects of Swedish or Norwegian) and the Scanian dialect .

Languages ​​of Norway

Having found out what languages ​​are spoken in Denmark and Sweden, let's move on to Norway. The situation here is quite unusual. The fact is that the official language of the state - Norwegian - has two forms at once. The most popular is “bokmål” (from Norwegian - “book language”), its other name is “riksmål” (“state language”).

IN late XIX century, in contrast to the classic Bokmål, another form was created called “lannsmål” (“rural language” or “country language”), it is also often called “Nynorsk” (translated as “New Norwegian”). Nynorsk was formed on the basis of rural Norwegian dialects with an admixture of medieval Old Norse, its creator is the philologist Ivar Andreas Osen.

Both forms of Norwegian are now equal, although the first is much more popular and is considered the main one for 85-90 percent of the country's population. As you can see, the history of the Norwegian language is truly confusing and ambiguous. And besides it, the state also has minority dialects, such as Southern, Northern, Lulesaam, Kven and Gypsy.

Do they speak English in Scandinavian countries?

Most Scandinavians are very familiar with English. Many of them are actively watching American movies and TV series, dubbing is not used. Also, residents of Norway, Sweden and Denmark love to travel and have many opportunities for this. Of course, knowing English helps them a lot when traveling.

So if you want to communicate with representatives of the Scandinavian countries, it is not at all necessary to learn all the languages ​​spoken in Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

Linguistic features of the state

The Kingdom of Denmark is located in the southern part of Scandinavia, occupying the Jutland peninsula and adjacent islands. The Kingdom of Denmark also includes the Faroe Islands and Greenland. The country's population is about 5.7 million people.

The standard of living is very high. In 2013, researchers named Danish residents the most happy people in the world. So the kingdom looks quite promising as a country of proposed migration. At the same time, a deeper acquaintance with Danish realities raises many questions, including the question of what language Denmark speaks.

There are not many countries in Europe in which the languages ​​spoken do not correspond to the names of the states. Actually, it was the linguistic community that for the most part divided humanity into nations, which subsequently united into states.

In Denmark, the majority of residents speak Danish, the national language of the Danes.

It belongs to the Scandinavian subgroup of the Germanic branch of Indo-European languages.

At the same time, part of the country's population speaks German, Faroese and Greenlandic. In particular, German is characteristic of Southern Denmark, where ethnic Germans live, Greenlandic is predominant in mainland Denmark, and Faroese is the official language in the Faroe Islands. Moreover, almost the entire population of the country speaks fluent English. This gives reason to think about what is the main language in Denmark.

There is no special law declaring Danish the official language of the Kingdom of Denmark. However, on the question of which language is the official language in Denmark, the opinion of the descendants of the harsh Vikings is adamant: the only official language of the country is Danish.

Interestingly, in neighboring Iceland, Danish is a compulsory language to study in school from the sixth grade onwards.

The Danish language originates from an ancient common Scandinavian dialect. From it came the Swedish, Norwegian, Faroese and Icelandic languages. However, residents of Scandinavia have difficulty understanding the spoken language of the Danes: the fact is that when they pronounce words, they “swallow” a large number of letters

In addition, in certain regions of the country there are different dialects of Danish, which are so unique that residents of the north of the country have difficulty understanding the spoken language of residents of the capital. For this reason, according to our former fellow citizens who lived in Denmark for a long time, the Danes prefer to watch national television with Danish subtitles.

Residents of the country prefer to communicate with foreigners, even those who have learned Danish, in English, since the accent of migrants seems incomprehensible to them.

Although English is widely used as a lingua franca in Copenhagen and other populated areas countries and almost all residents of this state speak English fluently; they do not use it in everyday life.

Speaking about what language is spoken in Copenhagen, it should be noted that it was here that the literary language, called standard Danish (rigsdansk), which is based on dialects that have developed in the vicinity of the capital of the state.

Thus, the answer to the question of which language is the official language in Denmark is unequivocal - exclusively Danish. Without learning it, you will almost certainly not be able to get a job in this country.

Danish dialects and minority languages

The linguistic situation in Denmark is characterized by the presence of several dialects, as well as their own dialects of the indigenous peoples living in this country. Actually, there are two such adverbs:

• Faroese language, spoken by the population of the Faroe Islands;
• Greenlandic language, the widespread use of which is the answer to the question of what language is spoken indigenous people Greenland - Eskimos.

The Danish language has four dialects. In addition to the dialect characteristic of the residents of Copenhagen and its environs, there are the following:

• Jutlandic - on the Jutland Peninsula, splitting into southern, western and eastern Jutlandic dialects;
• insular - distributed on the southern Danish islands and the islands of Zealand and Funen;
• eastern - common on the island of Bornholm, which was once part of Sweden (this dialect in Sweden is called South Swedish).

Schleswing dialect

The southern part of Denmark along the German border was once part of the Duchy of Schleswig-Holstein. For many centuries there was a struggle for these lands between Denmark, Germany and Russia.

Russia's participation is explained by the fact that one of the Dukes of Holstein-Gottorp is known as the Russian Emperor Peter III. Ultimately, part of the lands of the duchy went to Denmark, so the original German population who remained on them uses the Schleswig dialect in everyday life.

Faroe islands

Formally, the Faroe Islands, having broad autonomy, are part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and all residents of the islands know the Danish language. At the same time, the population, ethnically different from the main part of Denmark, communicates in everyday life in the Faroese dialect, which belongs to the North Germanic language group and is the least widespread in Europe, which, however, is not in danger of extinction.

For the vast majority of residents of the Faroe Islands, this language is their mother tongue: it is taught in all educational institutions, publish books, publish newspapers, broadcast radio and television. However, a large number of Danes living on the islands prefer to speak Danish.

Greenland

The island of Greenland is also formally part of the Kingdom of Denmark, enjoying broad autonomy. Answering the question about what is the official language in Greenland, it should be noted that it is Greenlandic, which was recognized as such in 2009.

It belongs to the group of Eskimo-Aleut dialects and is native to 85% of the island's population. Previously, Danish was the second official language on the island, so the vast majority of Greenland residents also speak it. Therefore, when talking about what language is spoken in Greenland, it should be borne in mind that they mainly communicate in Greenlandic, but also in Danish and English, since there are also plenty of Danes there.

Other popular languages

Due to living in the country there is quite a large ethnic group Germans, as well as the efforts made by the country's government, German and English are extremely popular in Denmark.

English

As already noted, most of the Danish population speaks English. A particularly high percentage of people those who know the language Dickens, among the urban population and young people who are actively studying him in schools. In addition, it should be taken into account that the largest group of migrants arrived in Denmark from the United States.

German

The language of Goethe and Schiller is extremely widespread in Denmark. There are approximately 20,000 ethnic Germans living in Southern Jutland, of which 8,000 use German in Denmark every day.

General language group and the annexation of part of the Duchy of Schleswig-Holstein to the state contributed to the fact that many residents of the country know German. Therefore, if you speak German, almost every second Dane will be able to understand you.

Language courses in Denmark

If you decide to come to Denmark for a long time, you will definitely need to obtain a long-term national visa and residence permit. In addition, you will have to learn Danish, especially if you plan to stay and work there. For this purpose, a whole network of language courses has been organized in the country.

Those who have already completed their studies are advised, if possible, to choose courses in Copenhagen: there the dialect is more correct and understandable, the level of teaching is higher, and the material equipment is better.

If you are going to this country as a student, you have the opportunity to choose which language you will study in Denmark.

For example, there are about 700 English-language educational programs in the country.

What languages ​​are spoken in Denmark?

The official language in Denmark is Danish, one of the languages ​​of the Germanic group. Indo-European family, within this group is part of the North Germanic, East Norwegian group. In theory it is very similar to the Norwegian Bokmål (“bokmål” book version Norwegian language) and on Swedish language, and is well understood by speakers of these languages, especially in written form.

However, its sounds are more influenced by the guttural German language and differ from the melodic northern languages. Understanding spoken Danish can be problematic for those who only speak Swedish or Norwegian. It is also distantly related to Icelandic and Faroese.

English is popular in Denmark

English is widely spoken in Denmark, although the very young generation and older people over 65 years old will not be able to communicate with you in this language. In Danish schools, children begin learning English in third grade, and lessons in the language usually continue until students finish high school.

But you can also study English at universities in Denmark. In this sense, it is worth mentioning that Denmark is perhaps one of the few countries in the world where you will not get a few points in your favor. If you try to say a few words to them native language. The Danes are very impatient with people who are not fluent in Danish.

So, with the exception of a couple of words like “Tak” (“thank you”) or “Undskyld mig” (meaning “sorry”). Which you can say in Danish, it's better to speak in English language. If you are trying to speak Danish and your interlocutor switches to English, do not think that he feels sorry for you or wants to humiliate you by condescending to a language that you understand better.

True, this can bring a slight discomfort to the conversation, because it will be periodically interrupted while the interlocutor flips through his dictionary in his head, trying to find the English equivalent of the Danish word. You may also encounter a somewhat strange English grammar, especially among the very young or adult generations.

An interesting fact is that in Danish there is no equivalent for the word "please", so sometimes it can seem that the Danes are a little rude. But they don't do this on purpose, it's just the result of their direct translation from Danish to English.

German language in Denmark

Many Danes also speak German, and it is widely spoken in areas that attract tourists from Germany. Mainly West Coast Jutland, the southern part of the island of Funen and nearby islands. Such as Langeland and Ærø, as well as southern Jutland.

Along the southern border with Germany there is a native German-speaking minority, and on the opposite side of the border there is a small community of Danish speakers. Somewhat common and French, but since the Danes do not have any close contacts with the French, their knowledge of this language fades into the background.

Traveling the world or looking for a place to permanent residence, you need to be sure that if necessary - make an order in a cafe, buy groceries, find out how to get to this or that place, explain to the taxi driver where to take you - local residents they will understand you. Typically, residents of the CIS countries study English, German, and less often French or Spanish at school: this allows them to hope that they will be able to somehow communicate at an everyday level with the residents of the majority European countries. But is it? Let's figure out what language is spoken in Denmark.

Linguistic features of the state

The Kingdom of Denmark is located in the southern part of Scandinavia, occupying the Jutland peninsula and adjacent islands. The Kingdom of Denmark also includes the Faroe Islands and Greenland. The country's population is about 5.7 million people.

The standard of living is very high. In 2013, researchers named Danish residents the happiest people in the world. So the kingdom looks quite promising as a country of proposed migration. At the same time, a deeper acquaintance with Danish realities raises many questions, including the question of what language Denmark speaks.

There are not many countries in Europe in which the languages ​​spoken do not correspond to the names of the states. Actually, it was the linguistic community that for the most part divided humanity into nations, which subsequently united into states.

In Denmark, the majority of residents speak Danish, the national language of the Danes.

It belongs to the Scandinavian subgroup of the Germanic branch of Indo-European languages.

At the same time, part of the country's population speaks German, Faroese and Greenlandic. In particular, German is characteristic of Southern Denmark, where ethnic Germans live, Greenlandic is predominant in mainland Denmark, and Faroese is official in the Faroe Islands. Moreover, almost the entire population of the country speaks fluent English. This gives reason to think about what is the main language in Denmark.

There is no special law declaring Danish the official language of the Kingdom of Denmark. However, on the question of which language is the official language in Denmark, the opinion of the descendants of the harsh Vikings is adamant: the only official language of the country is Danish.

Interestingly, in neighboring Iceland, Danish is a compulsory language to study in school from the sixth grade onwards.

The Danish language originates from an ancient common Scandinavian dialect. From it came the Swedish, Norwegian, Faroese and Icelandic languages. Nevertheless, residents of Scandinavia have difficulty understanding the spoken language of the Danes: the fact is that when pronouncing words, they “swallow” a large number of letters.

In addition, in certain regions of the country there are different dialects of Danish, which are so unique that residents of the north of the country have difficulty understanding the spoken language of residents of the capital. For this reason, according to our former fellow citizens who lived in Denmark for a long time, the Danes prefer to watch national television with Danish subtitles.

Residents of the country prefer to communicate with foreigners, even those who have learned Danish, in English, since the accent seems incomprehensible to them.

Although English is widely used as a language of interethnic communication in Copenhagen and other populated areas of the country, and almost all residents of this state are fluent in English, they do not use it in everyday life.

Speaking about what language is spoken in Copenhagen, it should be noted that it was here that the literary language called standard Danish (rigsdansk) was formed, which is based on the dialects that developed in the vicinity of the capital of the state.

Thus, the answer to the question of which language is the official language in Denmark is unequivocal - exclusively Danish. Without learning it, you will almost certainly not be able to get a job in this country.

Danish dialects and minority languages

The linguistic situation in Denmark is characterized by the presence of several dialects, as well as their own dialects of the indigenous peoples living in this country. Actually, there are two such adverbs:

• Faroese language, spoken by the population of the Faroe Islands;
• Greenlandic language, the widespread use of which is the answer to the question of what language is spoken by the indigenous population of Greenland - the Eskimos.

The Danish language has four dialects. In addition to the dialect characteristic of the residents of Copenhagen and its environs, there are the following:

• Jutlandic - on the Jutland Peninsula, splitting into southern, western and eastern Jutlandic dialects;
• insular - distributed on the southern Danish islands and the islands of Zealand and Funen;
• eastern - common on the island of Bornholm, which was once part of Sweden (this dialect in Sweden is called South Swedish).

Schleswing dialect

The southern part of Denmark along the German border was once part of the Duchy of Schleswig-Holstein. For many centuries there was a struggle for these lands between Denmark, Germany and Russia.

Russia's participation is explained by the fact that one of the Dukes of Holstein-Gottorp is known as the Russian Emperor Peter III. Ultimately, part of the lands of the duchy went to Denmark, so the original German population who remained on them uses the Schleswig dialect in everyday life.

Faroe islands

Formally, the Faroe Islands, having broad autonomy, are part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and all residents of the islands know the Danish language. At the same time, the population, ethnically different from the main part of Denmark, communicates in everyday life in the Faroese dialect, which belongs to the North Germanic language group and is the least widespread in Europe, which, however, is not in danger of extinction.

For the vast majority of residents of the Faroe Islands, this language is their native language: it is taught in all educational institutions, books are published, newspapers are published, radio and television are broadcast. However, a large number of Danes living on the islands prefer to speak Danish.

Greenland

The island of Greenland is also formally part of the Kingdom of Denmark, enjoying broad autonomy. Answering the question about what is the official language in Greenland, it should be noted that it is Greenlandic, which was recognized as such in 2009.

It belongs to the group of Eskimo-Aleut dialects and is native to 85% of the island's population. Previously, Danish was the second official language on the island, so the vast majority of Greenland residents also speak it. Therefore, when talking about what language is spoken in Greenland, it should be borne in mind that they mainly communicate in Greenlandic, but also in Danish and English, since there are also plenty of Danes there.

Other popular languages

Thanks to the large ethnic group of Germans living in the country, as well as the efforts made by the country's government, German and English are extremely popular in Denmark.

English

As already noted, most of the Danish population speaks English. The percentage of people who know Dickens's language is especially high among the urban population and young people who actively study it in schools. In addition, it should be taken into account that the largest group of migrants arrived in Denmark from the United States.

German

The language of Goethe and Schiller is extremely widespread in Denmark. There are approximately 20,000 ethnic Germans living in Southern Jutland, with 8,000 of them using German on a daily basis in Denmark.

The common language group and the annexation of part of the Duchy of Schleswig-Holstein to the state contributed to the fact that many residents of the country know German. Therefore, if you speak German, almost every second Dane will be able to understand you.

Language courses in Denmark

If you decide to come to Denmark for a long time, you will definitely have to get a long-term national and. In addition, you will have to learn Danish, especially if you plan to stay and work there. For this purpose, a whole network of language courses has been organized in the country.

Those who have already completed their studies are advised, if possible, to choose courses in Copenhagen: there the dialect is more correct and understandable, the level of teaching is higher, and the material equipment is better.

If you are going to this country as a student, you have the opportunity to choose which language you will study in Denmark.

For example, there are about 700 English-language educational programs in the country.

55 facts about life in Denmark: Video

Denmark For most tourists, Denmark is the birthplace of the storyteller Hans Christian Andersen and his Little Mermaid. There is, of course, a great deal of truth in this. However, Denmark lives not only by Andersen's fairy tales.

From Danish beer to great sandy beaches, this country has hundreds of other things and places to keep any traveler interested. True, we recommend relaxing on Danish beaches only in July-August, when the sea off the coast of Denmark warms up well. Denmark is located on the Jutland Peninsula in Scandinavia, in northern Europe. In the south, Denmark borders Germany. Denmark also includes many islands, including Zealand, Funen, Falster and Lolland.

In addition, Denmark owns the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic and the island of Greenland in North America. The straits Öresund, Skagerrak and Kattegat separate Denmark from neighboring Sweden.

Where is Denmark? Capital, official language, population and currency of Denmark

So where is Denmark?

In the very north of Europe, in Scandinavia.

The country's borders are washed by the waters of the Northern and Baltic seas. By land it neighbors Germany, and by water it neighbors Norway and Sweden.

The area of ​​the country, including water expanses, is 700 thousand square meters.

km. Land occupies only 42 thousand square meters. km. The country's coastline is 7,300 km. This includes the numerous islands of Denmark. The country formally includes Greenland, but it has its own administration, which makes it independent. A special feature of the state is that it owns a large number of islands (about 400), of which 80 are inhabited. The largest island is Zealand. Many island parts are so close to each other that they are connected by bridges.

Language in Denmark

German is the official language of minorities in the territory of South Jutland in Southern Denmark. Greenlandic is the main language in Greenland, with more than 7,000 people speaking Greenlandic and throughout European Denmark.

In the Faroe Islands, the majority of the population speaks Faroese. English is widely spoken in Denmark, however, as you may have noticed, the smaller the European country, the more local residents are inclined to learn English.

In countries like Germany, France or Italy, people mostly ignore English, for example, even if they understand it a little, they will remain silent or speak only in their national official language, showing pride in their country and language.

According to some data, up to 86% of the population in Denmark can speak English comfortably, this is the highest figure among European countries, with the exception of, of course, Great Britain. More than half of the country's population also understands German.

All about the countries of the world 2015-2016.

Languages ​​of Denmark

Most Danes are also fluent in English, but the perception that it is a second language (i.e. used in Everyday life), is a fallacy.

German in Denmark German is the official language of minorities in the territory of Southern Jutland (in the region of Southern Denmark), which was part of the German Empire and passed to Denmark under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.

What language is spoken in Denmark?

Of course, German and Danish are closely related.

About 15 - 20 thousand ethnic Germans live in Southern Jutland, of whom about 8 thousand speak German or Schleswig, a dialect of the Low Saxon language, on a daily basis.

Moreover, for today's European reality it is an absolutely normal fact: the majority of Danes (58 percent) know German well enough to communicate in it.

By the way, in the same way, most of the inhabitants of Denmark speak another closely related language - English. But talking is one thing, but considering him family is completely different. Germans 15-20 thousand ethnic Germans living in the southern part of Denmark, near the border with Germany, consider German their native language. Historically, the Danes and Germans, as in many border areas, lived together for centuries.

It is known that upon ascending the throne, Peter planned to declare war on Denmark precisely because of the disputed territories. However, this country was very lucky: the conspirators put an end to the hapless emperor before his plans came true. Danish ethnic Germans speak the so-called Schleswig dialect of Low Saxon.

Denmark: languages

What languages ​​are spoken in Denmark However, its sounds are more influenced by the guttural German language and differ from the melodic Nordic languages, understanding spoken Danish can be problematic for those who speak only Swedish or Norwegian. It is also distantly related to Icelandic and Faroese.

English is widely spoken in Denmark, although the very young generation and older people over 65 years old will not be able to communicate with you in this language.

In Danish schools, children begin learning English in the third grade, and lessons usually continue until students leave high school. So except for a couple of words like “Tak” (thank you) or Undskyld mig (meaning “sorry”), which you can say in Danish, it is better to speak in English.

What languages ​​and dialects are spoken in Denmark?

When traveling around the world or looking for a place to live permanently, you need to be sure that if necessary - make an order in a cafe, buy groceries, find out how to get to this or that place, explain to the taxi driver where to take you - local the residents will understand you. Typically, residents of the CIS countries study English, German, and less often French or Spanish at school: this allows them to hope that they will be able to somehow communicate at the everyday level with the residents of most European countries. But is it? Let's figure out what language is spoken in Denmark.

The Kingdom of Denmark is located in the southern part of Scandinavia, occupying the Jutland peninsula and adjacent islands.

German language is official minority language in the territory South Jutland(in the region of Southern Denmark), which was part German empire and passed to Denmark under the terms of Versailles peaceful agreement.

About 15 - 20 thousand live in South Jutland ethnic Germans, of whom about 8 thousand everyday speaks German or Schleswig dialect Low Saxon language.

Schleswig dialect seriously is different from standard German and can with labor be understood by speakers standard German

Outside South Jutland German language used in St. Peter's Church in Copenhagen, on the site this church and church school. Faroese language Faroese, like Danish- one of the Scandinavian languages.

1. Denmark has very tasty baked goods. Moreover, even in the simplest 7/11 shops, which are found on almost every corner.

2. Danish pastries are so good that a kind of subculture has formed around them. Almost every Dane will tell you about their favorite buns, cakes, and where you can buy them.

3. Despite the passion for sweets, you won’t find people suffering from obesity. Probably thanks to the cult healthy image life.

4. Most Danes work from eight in the morning to four in the afternoon.

5. Most stores close between five and six in the afternoon, so if you want to buy something in time, you need to hurry. This mode of operation is dictated by taxes. The longer a store is open, the higher the tax rate.

Faroese language is the main language of the Faroe Islands, self-governing territory of the kingdom.

On Faroese the language is also spoken by Faroese immigrants in continental parts of Denmark.

Danish is part of the Germanic group of the Indo-European language family. Its closest “relatives” are English, German, Swedish, and Icelandic. All these languages ​​take roots from the ancient Teutonic language.

The Danish national language is divided into separate social and geographical dialects. Differences are observed in terms of intonation, tone, voice pitch, and pronunciation features. Speakers of some dialects may not understand each other at all.

Officially adopted second state language not in Denmark, but several languages ​​- English, German, French, Spanish and Russian - are taught at school. Most Danes speak English and German.

Foreigners complain that Danish is a difficult language to learn, since the same words and expressions can have completely different, sometimes even opposite, meanings - it all depends on intonation and context. In addition, the pronunciation of words does not always correspond to their spelling.

Greenlandic Greenlandic language is the main one spoken language 54 thousand Inuit living in Greenland, which, like Faroese island, self-governing territory. Near 7 thousand people speak Greenlandic in continental Denmark. Danish language In Russian...

In Danish Danish language(Danish dansk) - the language of the Danes, one of the Scandinavian languages languages. Mainly distributed in Denmark and northern Germany. Total number speakers - about 5.7 million Human. In "Albanian" In Danish. Hamlet knew for sure