Small words that steer a conversation
Spoken Danish is full of short words that show how you feel about what was just said. They usually come first, before the sentence itself.
| word | what it signals |
|---|---|
| jamen | you object or protest: "but …, well …" |
| tja | you hesitate, you are not sure |
| javel | you have understood, or you accept an order |
| du godeste | surprise or shock: "good heavens" |
| But you said so yesterday! | Jamen, det sagde du jo i går! |
| Well, that may be. | Tja, det kan godt være. |
Jamen is ja + men written as one word. It does not mean "yes, but": it opens an objection, often with jo later in the sentence.
Eller ej
eller ej is "or not" at the end of a question or an om-clause. Ej is an old word for ikke, and today it lives on mainly in this phrase.
| I don't know whether he is coming or not. | Jeg ved ikke om han kommer eller ej. |
Skidt, fatte and en smule
skidt is the informal word for "bad": Det går skidt (things are going badly), Han har det skidt (he feels bad). Skidt med det! means "never mind!"
fatte is everyday speech for forstå, mostly in the negative: Jeg fatter det ikke!
en smule is "a little bit", a softer lidt:
| The coffee is a bit too strong. | Kaffen er en smule for stærk. |
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