Ønske means "to wish" or, in a more formal register, "to want." It is the word you reach for when you want to sound polite and considered, when you wish someone a happy birthday, or when you say what you'd like to receive. The two things English learners most need to master are the reflexive ønske sig (for wishing for a thing) and knowing when ønske is too formal and vil gerne have is the natural choice.
Principal parts
Ønske is a regular weak verb of the -ede class — clean and predictable.
| Infinitive | Present | Past | Past participle | Imperative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (at) ønske | ønsker | ønskede | ønsket | ønsk! |
Ønske as "wish / want" (formal)
In its basic use, ønske means "wish" or a polite "want." With an infinitive it takes at; with a clause it takes at as well.
Jeg ønsker at tale med den ansvarlige.
I wish to speak with the person in charge. (formal)
Vi ønsker, at alle skal føle sig velkomne.
We want everyone to feel welcome.
Hvad ønsker du til din fødselsdag?
What do you want for your birthday?
This last example shows the everyday use: Hvad ønsker du? is a natural, slightly warm way to ask what someone would like.
The reflexive: ønske sig (wish for something)
When you wish for a thing — something you hope to get — Danish uses the reflexive ønske sig. The reflexive pronoun matches the subject: mig, dig, sig, os, jer, sig.
Jeg ønsker mig en ny cykel.
I'm wishing for a new bike. / I'd like a new bike.
Hun ønsker sig fred og ro.
She wishes for peace and quiet.
Hvad ønsker du dig i julegave?
What do you want as a Christmas present?
The reflexive is what makes the wish yours: ønske en cykel would mean wishing a bike upon someone or something, while ønske sig en cykel means I would like to receive one. For the broader pattern, see reflexive verbs and the reflexive pronoun sig.
Ønske someone something: greetings
Ønske is the standard verb for wishing someone well. The pattern is ønske + person + thing (no preposition).
Jeg ønsker dig tillykke med fødselsdagen!
Happy birthday! (lit. I wish you congratulations on the birthday)
Vi ønsker jer en rigtig glædelig jul.
We wish you a very merry Christmas.
Han ønskede mig held og lykke med eksamen.
He wished me good luck on the exam.
Common collocations
- ønske sig
- noun — wish for / would like (to receive)
- ønske nogen tillykke — congratulate someone
- ønske nogen god jul / godt nytår / god rejse — wish someone a merry Christmas / happy new year / a good trip
- ønske held og lykke — wish good luck
- et ønske — a wish (the noun); efter ønske — as desired / to order
- højt ønske — a dear/strong wish
Det var hans højeste ønske at se havet en sidste gang.
It was his dearest wish to see the sea one last time.
The register trap: ønske vs vil gerne have
Here is the practical insight English speakers most need. Ønske corresponds to "wish," and like "wish" it is more formal and more written than everyday wanting. In ordinary speech, Danes usually say vil gerne have ("would like to have") rather than ønsker.
| ønske (formal / written) | vil gerne have (everyday speech) |
|---|---|
| Jeg ønsker en kop kaffe. — stiff, almost ceremonial | Jeg vil gerne have en kop kaffe. — natural at the café |
| letters, forms, speeches, customer service | shops, friends, family, daily life |
Jeg vil gerne have en kop kaffe, tak.
I'd like a cup of coffee, please. (natural in a café)
Kunden ønsker at annullere sin bestilling.
The customer wishes to cancel their order. (formal, written)
So: use ønske sig freely for wishing for gifts, and ønske for greetings and formal contexts — but switch to vil gerne have when you're just ordering or asking for something in daily life. For that everyday verb, see ville have.
The counterfactual wish: jeg ville ønske, (at)...
English "I wish I were rich" is a wish about something that isn't true — a counterfactual. Danish does not use plain ønske for this. It uses ville ønske (literally "would wish"), followed by a clause whose verb sits in the past tense to mark the unreality, just as English uses "were" / "had."
Jeg ville ønske, jeg havde mere tid.
I wish I had more time.
Han ville ønske, han aldrig havde sagt det.
He wishes he had never said it.
The at that introduces the clause is usually dropped in speech (Jeg ville ønske, jeg var hjemme), but it is never wrong to keep it. The key is the backshifted verb: havde, var, kunne — present-tense har, er, kan would turn it into a plain statement of fact. This is the construction to reach for whenever you mean "if only..." about the present.
Common mistakes
❌ Jeg ønsker en cykel til min fødselsdag.
Incorrect for 'I'd like to receive one' — the reflexive sig is missing.
✅ Jeg ønsker mig en cykel til min fødselsdag.
I'd like a bike for my birthday.
❌ Jeg ønsker mig en øl, tak.
Unnatural — too formal for ordering; use vil gerne have.
✅ Jeg vil gerne have en øl, tak.
I'd like a beer, please.
❌ Jeg ønsker tale med chefen.
Incorrect — at is missing before the infinitive.
✅ Jeg ønsker at tale med chefen.
I wish to speak with the boss.
❌ Vi ønsker til jer en god rejse.
Incorrect — no preposition; the person comes right after the verb.
✅ Vi ønsker jer en god rejse.
We wish you a good trip.
❌ Hun ønsker mig en hund.
Wrong meaning — this wishes a dog upon her; for 'she wants one' use the reflexive.
✅ Hun ønsker sig en hund.
She wishes for a dog.
❌ Jeg ønsker, jeg havde mere tid.
Incorrect for a counterfactual wish — use ville ønske, not plain ønske.
✅ Jeg ville ønske, jeg havde mere tid.
I wish I had more time.
A short dialogue
— Hvad ønsker du dig til jul? — Egentlig bare lidt fred og ro.
— What do you want for Christmas? — Honestly just a bit of peace and quiet.
— Jeg skal til eksamen i morgen. — Held og lykke! Jeg ønsker dig alt det bedste.
— I've got an exam tomorrow. — Good luck! I wish you all the best.
Key takeaways
- Ønske is a regular weak verb: ønsker / ønskede / ønsket.
- Use the reflexive ønske sig to wish for something you'd like to receive: Jeg ønsker mig...
- Use ønske + person + thing for greetings: ønske dig tillykke, ønske jer god jul.
- For a counterfactual wish ("if only..."), use ville ønske
- a clause with a backshifted past-tense verb: Jeg ville ønske, jeg havde mere tid.
- Ønske is formal/written. In everyday speech, prefer vil gerne have for plain wanting.
Now practice Danish
Reading grammar gets you part of the way. The exercises are where it sticks — free, no signup needed.
Start learning Danish→Related Topics
- Vil haveA1 — Full reference for vil have ('to want something'). Principal parts of the fixed ville have construction, why vil have means WANT and not the English future 'will have', the polite softener vil gerne have, and the contrast between jeg vil have en kaffe and jeg får en kaffe.
- Reflexive VerbsA2 — Inherently reflexive Danish verbs that always need sig/mig/dig — glæde sig, skynde sig, sætte sig, føle sig, gifte sig, more sig, lægge sig — and how they differ from reciprocals.
- The Reflexive Pronoun SigA2 — Danish sig is the 3rd-person reflexive (singular and plural) used when the object refers back to the subject; learn the full mig/dig/sig/os/jer set, sig selv vs hinanden, and the inherently reflexive verbs.
- Blive færdigB1 — How to use blive færdig ('to finish, get done'), why it takes være in the perfect, and how it differs from the transitive gøre færdig, afslutte, and slutte.