Questions & Answers about Goddag! Er lægen her?
Why does the word for doctor end in -n (lægen)?
In Danish, you don't usually put a separate word for 'the' in front of a noun. Instead, you attach it to the end of the word. En læge means 'a doctor', and adding the -n to the end makes it lægen, which means 'the doctor'.
Why is the verb er at the start of the sentence?
Just like in English, you form a yes/no question in Danish by starting with the verb. You swap the normal statement order (Lægen er her - The doctor is here) to ask a question (Er lægen her? - Is the doctor here?).
When is it appropriate to use goddag?
Goddag translates directly to 'good day' and is a polite, slightly formal greeting. You can use it safely with strangers, like at a clinic, usually from late morning until late afternoon. For informal situations, Danes mostly just say hej.
How is goddag pronounced?
The first 'd' in goddag is usually silent, and the second one is a 'soft d' (which sounds a bit like the 'th' in the English word 'the'). In everyday speech, the whole word sounds much closer to 'go-DAY'.