1000 Words

Learn Danish – start with the 1000 most important words

Around 1000 words are enough to understand roughly 85% of everyday speech. That is exactly what 1000 Words focuses on: instead of endless grammar tables, you first learn the Danish vocabulary you will actually meet in real life – nouns, verbs, adjectives and full sentences, each with translation, example sentence and audio.

Learn the way that fits your day: as a video to read along, as an audiobook for your commute or for falling asleep, as an ebook, or with the built-in vocabulary trainer that shows you every word again at the scientifically optimal moment (spaced repetition). Everything is available on the website and in the free app for iOS and Android.

You will start with everyday Danish words like the food (maden), the drink (drikken), the cup (koppen) — the vocabulary that appears most often in real conversations.

A taste: Danish vocabulary with example sentences

EnglishDanishExample sentence
the foodmadenThe food is delicious.
Maden er lækker.
the drinkdrikkenI want a drink.
Jeg vil have en drink.
the cupkoppenThe cup is full.
Koppen er fuld.
the bottleflaskenThe bottle is empty.
Flasken er tom.
the platetallerkenenThe plate is clean.
Tallerkenen er ren.
the spoonskeenI use a spoon.
Jeg bruger en ske.
the forkgaflenI eat with a fork.
Jeg spiser med en gaffel.
the knifeknivenThe knife is sharp.
Kniven er skarp.
the breakfastmorgenmadenI eat breakfast.
Jeg spiser morgenmad.
the lunchfrokostenWe have lunch at noon.
Vi spiser frokost klokken tolv.
the dinneraftensmadenThey eat dinner together.
De spiser aftensmad sammen.
the breadbrødetI buy bread.
Jeg køber brød.
the buttersmørretI put butter on the bread.
Jeg putter smør på brødet.
the cheeseostenI eat cheese.
Jeg spiser ost.
the milkmælkenI drink milk.
Jeg drikker mælk.
the coffeekaffenI drink coffee in the morning.
Jeg drikker kaffe om morgenen.
the teateenI like tea.
Jeg kan godt lide te.
the juicejuicenI drink juice.
Jeg drikker juice.
the sodasodavandenI drink soda.
Jeg drikker sodavand.
the ricerisenI eat rice.
Jeg spiser ris.

The 100 most important Danish words →

The 100 most important Danish verbs →

The 100 most important Danish adjectives →

The 100 most important Danish phrases →

Essential Danish verbs & adjectives

to borrowat låne
to buyat købe
to cleanat gøre rent
to closeat lukke
to cookat lave mad
to doat gøre
to drinkat drikke
to eatat spise
to findat finde
to getat få

Danish sentences for beginners

She is my friendHun er min veninde
They have fun togetherDe har det sjovt sammen
We eat lunch togetherVi spiser frokost sammen
She smiles a lotHun smiler meget
He tells funny jokesHan fortæller sjove vittigheder
I visit my friendsJeg besøger mine venner

How you learn Danish with 1000 Words

🎬 Learning videos

Every word narrated and illustrated – read along and repeat.

🎧 Audiobooks

All vocabulary as audio – including a 3x repetition version, perfect for listening before you fall asleep.

📖 Ebooks & PDFs

All words and sentences to look up and read offline.

🧠 Vocabulary trainer

Spaced-repetition system like flashcards – reviews exactly when you need them.

📝 My Words

Type your own words – AI translates them, adds example sentences and the trainer practises them with you.

✨ AI stories

Short stories built from the words you already know, with audio and tap-to-explain.

📴 Offline mode

Download Premium content and keep learning without internet.

Frequently asked questions

How many words do I need to understand Danish?

With the 1000 most frequent words you understand about 85% of everyday spoken language. That is why 1000 Words focuses exactly on this core vocabulary – organized into nouns, verbs & adjectives and full sentences.

Does learning Danish while sleeping really work?

Research shows the brain consolidates previously learned material during sleep. Our audiobooks with triple repetition are made for this: listen in the evening, relax, and anchor what you learned. Read more in our article on learning while you sleep.

Is 1000 Words free?

Yes, getting started is free: parts of the videos and audiobooks, the vocabulary trainer, the matching game and previews of all content. Premium unlocks everything – including downloads for offline mode.

Who is 1000 Words for?

For beginners and returners (level A1–B1) who want to build a usable Danish vocabulary fast – without grammar overload, with audio.

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