50 phrases to help you get by in a Danish-speaking office

If you work in a Danish-speaking office in Denmark, you might sometimes feel excluded when colleagues are deep in conversation – even if they make an effort to switch to English when you are around.

Danes are known to have a high level of English proficiency, but most still generally prefer to communicate in Danish.

With this in mind, it can be advantageous to be able to use Danish in the office. This can hold true if you are in the process of learning the language to fluency, but also if you just want to know a few phrases to ease your transition and soften the communication barrier.

Read on to find a range of useful Danish vocabulary for the workplace, ranging from basic greetings to office jargon and socializing norms.

Picking the right greeting

Greetings can set the tone for the day and build connections with your colleagues.

Danes are creatures of habit, so using the right greeting or greeting in a given situation – passing someone in the hallway, entering a meeting room, or starting your workday – can go a long way.

• Hello – Hello
• Hey, hey – Hi there/goodbye
• Hi everyone – Hello, everyone
• How is it going? – How’s it going?
• How are you? – How are you doing?
• Welcome to – Welcome
• Good morning – Good morning
• Good afternoon – Good afternoon
• Good evening – Good evening

Introductions

Making a positive first impression is essential for a successful career in any work environment, and Danish offices are no exception.

The following phrases can be used in various contexts to confidently introduce yourself or engage with new colleagues.

• My name is Mark – My name is Mark
• My name is Mark – My name is Mark
• Nice to meet you – Good to meet you
• This is Mark – This is Mark
• What is your name? – What’s your name?
• What was your name? – What did you say your name was?
• It was nice meeting you – It was a pleasure to meet you
• I look forward to cooperating with you – I look forward to working with you
• Are you new here? – Are you new here?

Advertising

Polite responses and expressions

Politeness is a cornerstone of effective office communication and small polite expressions make a difference even in Denmark, where communication is often more direct than in other cultures.

All of the following can come in handy in a range of different situations in the workplace.

• Thanks – Thank you
• Thank you very much – A thousand thanks
• Many thanks — Many thanks
• Yes, thank you – Yes, please
• No, thanks – Well, thank you
• Of course – Of course
• No problem – No problem
• It was a pleasure – It was a pleasure
• Please – Please (written communication only)
• Excuse me – Excuse me
• Sorry – I apologize
• Well done — Well done
• It’s a good job — That’s a good piece of work

Advertising

Key office terminology and expressions

A shared understanding of office terminology and expressions can reinforce your confidence in a professional setting.

Danish workplaces have their own office jargon. Much of it might be borrowed from English, but you will also find it helpful to understand some Danish phrases which are generally only used in the office or other work environments.

• Workplace – Workplace. Use it like this: My workplace has an open office — My workplace has an open office layout.
• A meeting – A meeting. Use it like this: We need to schedule a meeting — We need to plan a meeting / Let’s arrange a meeting with management — Let’s arrange a meeting with management.
• We will have to work together to find a solution — We need to collaborate to solve this
• Do you have time for a video call? — Do you have time for a conference call?
• Let’s discuss the strategy further — Let’s continue to discuss the strategy
• Are you up to the task? – Are you up for taking on this task?
• What is the schedule for today? – What’s the schedule for today?
• What is the time horizon for that? — What kind of timescale are we looking at for this to be finished?
• Let’s just park it for now — Let’s revisit this at a later time
• Now we’re going off on a tangent — We seem to have become sidetracked

Advertising

Phrases you should use when socialising

It’s fair to say that socializing norms are different at Danish workplaces compared to other countries. Colleagues tend to be less spontaneous about when they see each other outside of work and are focused on ensuring healthy work-life balance by spending the vast majority of their after-work time at home.

That said, work socializing does still occur within set contexts and plays an important role in creating bonds with colleagues.

• Lunch break – Lunch break
• Shall we have lunch together? – Shall we eat lunch together?
• Are you coming to the end of the summer holidays? – Are you coming to the get together to mark the start of the summer holidays?
• We hold Friday bar in week 37 – There will be drinks in the office after work on Friday August 12th
• Did you have a good weekend? – How was your weekend?
• Do you have any exciting plans for the weekend? – Do you have any exciting plans for the weekend?
• Shall we have a four-night beer together on Friday in three weeks? – Should we go for a beer after work on Friday in three weeks’ time?
• We should do a team-building event soon – We should organize a team-building event soon
• It was nice to meet you outside the office – It was nice to meet you outside the office.