How Long Does It Take to Learn Danish? An Honest Guide For Beginners

How long does it take to learn Danish? Well, how long does it take to dig a hole? It’s pretty fair to say that it would depend on how deep and wide you want it. The same goes for learning Danish.

Within a very short time, you’ll be able to introduce yourself and count to ten. However, if your aim is to discuss the intricacies of late medieval literature fluently, that's a whole other mountain to climb.

In this article, my point of departure is somewhere between those two poles. This means the stage where you can take part in everyday conversations, ask your way around, and have a basic understanding of the Danish world that surrounds you.

How quickly you reach this level obviously depends on several factors, such as having an “ear” for languages. But good old-fashioned motivation and determination are at least as, if not more important than “talent”.

In the following, we’ll look at how difficult (or not!) Danish is, and what you can do to speed up the learning process. Let's discover – how long does it take to learn Danish?

Danish Is Not Difficult At All

Assuming you're familiar with English, maybe even native, I have great news for you. Danish and English are fruits of the same Germanic language tree, so much of the vocabulary and basic sentence structure will likely ring a bell.

As a matter of fact, Germanic languages all stem from what is know as Proto-Germanic, which was spoken in Scandinavia and what is now Germany, back in the Iron Age.

Jolly times, I’m sure, but maybe not of great help as you struggle to get your tongue around Danish pronunciation.

Both Danish and English have a huge load of words derived from Old Greek and Latin, in particular. Think of words like ”situation”, which we got from Latin.

It's exactly the same in Danish, German, and French for that matter, though only the Danes stress the final syllable. That takes some getting used to, but is really not an unsurmountable task.

The English ”neighbour”, Danish nabo, is again derived from Proto-Germanic, with the meaning of ”near-dweller”. So if you consider the English ”near” and the Danish nær (”æ” being a contraction of ”a” and ”e”), our common ancestry becomes very obvious. 

Check out my post about Danish language history for more on these shared origins.

Things To Consider When Learning A New Language

Of course, you will have to consider which level you wish to reach.

Although intermediate (at least B1, ideally B2) is the point of departure, there's a difference between getting around as a tourist, and settling down to live and work in Denmark.

As a tourist, more or less anything goes, whereas a higher level is likely expected in a professional capacity. 

Another thing is how much time you can set aside for your studies. We all have things to do. There’s often a job to do, friends to see, groceries to get, a roof to fix, music to be heard, maybe even kids to take care of. The list goes on.

So set a reasonable time frame, and be aware, that language learning is not completely without a few tedious exercises. So keep up the motivation, and don’t stick too long with the things you find boring.

Learning a new language should be a rewarding, even pleasant, endeavour, not a punishment from above.

It’s a bit of a cliché, but you can actually learn how to learn. So what's your experience with learning languages?

If you've done it before, you have a great advantage. Your brain, with experience, will have found strategies to analyse and pick up foreign languages. Also, you'll know which learning methods of learning work for you.

So How Long Does It Take To Learn Danish, Really?

Time can vary, with all the prerequisites and different factors already mentioned. But if you have to come up with an estimation, the FSI is a good place to look.

FSI stands for Foreign Service Institute and as part of its work it teaches foreign languages to US government employees.

They rank languages into 5 categories, reflecting how difficult they are to the average learner. And lo and behold, Danish is in the first category, which is the group of languages that are considered the easiest to learn for English speakers. 

The next step is to estimate how many hours are required to reach ”Professional Working Proficiency” for each category.

And for category 1, the estimated time frame is 24-30 weeks, or 600-750 class hours. So now it’s a simple calculation. With 3 hours spent studying and practising a day, you’re looking at about half a year, right? Of course we know it’s not as simple as that.

Apart from each learner being unique, and the aspects already addresed, there are also both shortcuts and obstacles, that may shorten or prolong the learning process. Let’s have a look at those, starting with the latter.

Classic Obstacles And Tips On How To Beat Them

Be prepared that Danes will often begin to speak English to you, the moment they detect that you are not a native Dane (and they quickly will).

The truth is, Danes love to speak English, much to the regret of foreigners trying to learn Danish. In general, Danes speak English well, but nowhere near as well as they think. Danish friends tell me they have seen countless exchange students struggle with this.

The best thing is to tell people straight. It needn’t be confrontational, just a simple ”Please speak Danish to me now, and I’ll ask if there’s something I don’t get”. That way, you’ll appeal to their vanity, as they get to act as the benevolent language master for a while.

Do you feel inhibited? Afraid people will notice your Danish isn't perfect? Easier said than done, I know, but you really shouldn’t worry about that. It's just the fear villain talking. Nobody expects perfect Danish from any foreigner, and they will appreciate the effort.

It's flattering for a Dane whenever anyone takes an interest in their small language. And mind you, very few Danes speak 100% correct Danish. Mistakes are common, but they often go unnoticed, except by language nerds.

What To Do If You Lose Motivation To Learn Danish

The two points above refer to a situation where you interact, somehow, with other Danes. But I think particularly at home, by yourself, you might face the grave, existential obstacle: losing faith.

Negative thoughts and ideas might start to swarm your mind, like hornets to a jam jar. You start to feel you’re too old, it’s too difficult, you’ll never make it. It wears you down.

So what can you do about it? If time allows, then take a break from the chores. Let what you've already learned sink in, and enjoy your progress. At least give the more tedious parts, like Danish verb conjugation, a break for a bit.

Resort to some lighter means, like watching a Danish movie or listening to a song, even if the grammar villain tries to persuade you otherwise. Some of it is bound to stick. 

Focus on the goal you are about to achieve, and the reward and satisfaction it will bring you. Because I guarantee, you are neither too old nor too inept to learn Danish. If you put your mind to it, you will succeed.

Keep Danish Learning Fun

It’s no secret that language learning involves some repetition and exercises, that won't necessarily throw you to the floor laughing. That way of practising is both useful and necessary, when learning to master a new language. The trick is not to get caught up in it.

Your brain can turn into a stew, and it will associate your learning with something unpleasant. And then, if you’re anything like me, you'll start to come up with excuses to avoid studying.

Remember to intersperse the more intense exercises with something lighter, like watching an award-winning Danish TV-series, listening to Danish podcasts, or reading short stories in Danish.

The most important thing is to immerse yourself in Danish regularly. So don't let the inconsistency villain get to you!

Danes, as I’m sure many others with them, may tend to mumble, skip parts of words and generally be loose with their articulation. Unfortunately for language learners, filmmakers have aimed for a higher degree of realism during the last few decades.

Consequently, this loose articulation has since been replicated in movies and series, unlike the good old days when actors were taught to speak with a loud and clear diction. But hey, ”guess a word” could be your next drinking game!

In other words, by all means make sure that the process is enjoyable. With regular input of your new language, you'll pick it up sooner or later. So take your own good time, and enjoy the new world opening up for you.

Oh, and by all means, listen to music in the Danish language. Regardless of which genre you prefer, there is bound to be something you enjoy.

So, How Long Does It Take To Learn Danish?

So, how long does it take to learn Danish? If you've got plenty of time to devote to learning it, you could reach a conversational level in as little as six months according to the FSI.

But learning Danish isn't a race and as you've already seen, you'll probably need to go at a slower pace because you have other things to do.

But whatever pace you go at, if you follow the tips I've shared, you'll reach your Danish-learning goal, whether it's to visit fancy restaurants in Copenhagen, or study marine biology in Jutland. I wish you the best of luck on your trip.

By the way, if you want to speed up the Daish learning process while having fun, my top recommendation is Danish Uncovered where you learn Danish through a story, not rules. Click here for a free 7-day trial.