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DANISH WORD OF THE DAY

Danish word of the day: Dygtig

Today’s word of the day is usually a compliment, but be careful not to use it in the wrong context.

What is dygtig? 

Dygtig can mean a variety of things including skilled, talented, capable, clever, competent or hard-working. In phrases like Ej, hvor er du dygtig! (Wow, you’re so clever!) it’s a compliment.

You can use it on its own, in the same way as you might say in English “you’re such a hard-worker!” or (to a child) “good girl/boy!”. But it usually refers to an action of some sort, whether that’s a job or a specific task.

It is often used before a noun to highlight that someone is skilled in a particular role or capacity, so you could say:

Vores dygtige medarbejdere står klar til at hjælpe dig

Our capable staff are ready to assist you

Hun er en dygtig forfatter

She is a talented author

Han er en dygtig far

He is a good dad

Hun er en dygtig målmand

She is a skilled goalkeeper

Han er en dygtig ansat

He is a competent/skilled employee

The last and the first of these examples can be difficult to translate directly, because they might refer to someone being highly qualified, skilled, experienced or just ‘good’ at their job, depending on context.

For example, it’s common for a company or organisation to refer to vores dygtige medarbejdere in promotional material. Here, the dygtig is more of a vague compliment than a reference to the level of skills or qualification the staff have.

Why do I need to know dygtig? 

When combined with the preposition til and a verb or noun, on the other hand, dygtig can very specifically praise someone’s talent or skill (dygtighed), such as is hvor er du dygtig til dansk (you’re so good at Danish).

It can also be turned into an adverb by adding “t”: han spillede dygtigt (he played well).

A related verb is the irregular du, (not to be confused with du when it means “you”). At du til noget means to be suitable or functional for a purpose: min mobil duer ikke længere means “my phone has stopped working”.

Dygtig is not without controversy. Some people argue that it can be patronising when used about an adult, since it is best translated as “aren’t you good!” and is most often associated with parents or teachers talking to children (or even pet-owners talking to their dogs), rather than peer to peer conversations. So it’s a word where you need to pay close attention to context. 

With that said, if someone tells you you’re virkelig dygtig til dansk (very good at Danish), it is in all likelihood a sincere compliment – even if you’ve lived here for more than long enough to have learned the language.

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DANISH WORD OF THE DAY

Danish word of the day: Varmebølge

Here's a Danish word to use when complaining about the hot weather.

Danish word of the day: Varmebølge

What is varmebølge?

Varmebølge means “heatwave” in Danish.

Varme means “heat” or “warmth”, and bølge means “wave”, so it’s an easy translation. You’ll sometimes hear hedebølge used too, using another Danish word for “heat”. The word varme is the more common of the two, and can be used in situations where you might say either “heat” or “warmth” in English. Hede, on the other hand, implies a more extreme type of heat.

For example, the Danish words for “hot water bottle” and “central heating” both use varme rather than heat (varmedunk and centralvarme or just varmen, respectively) and “hot weather” is varmt vejr but the phrase i kampens hede means “in the heat of the battle”. 

Why do I need to know varmebølge?

While the above terms – varmebølge and hedebølge – are synonyms on first glance, there’s an important difference.

Denmark’s national meteorological agency, DMI, defines a varmebølge as a three-day period on which the average highest temperature is over 25 degrees Celsius.

For a hot spell to qualify as a hedebølge, on the other hand, the average highest temperature for the three days in question must exceed 28 degrees Celsius

People from southern parts of Europe might consider either type of Danish heatwave to feel more like regular summer weather – and perhaps this helps explain why extreme weather in southern regions in recent years, related to climate change, has led to speculation Denmark could become an increasingly popular summer destination for foreign holidaymakers.

The phrases also reveal a little about how Denmark’s climate influences language and the way Danes talk about the weather.

READ ALSO: Five Danish phrases you only hear in summer

While almost everyone gets quickly tired of long spells of cool, wet summer weather – like those seen during most of June 2024 – it also doesn’t take much for Danes to begin longing for more moderate temperatures to return once it heats up.

Anything over around 24-25 degrees Celsius is likely to be considered for meget (“too much”) what I would consider a regulation summer temperature of 26 degrees might be described as denne forfærdelige varme (“this dreadful heat”).

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