Tak for sidst.

They usually say it when they meet or speak to someone again after a previous meeting.

So you would not normally say it during the original visit itself. You say it the next time you see the person, call them, or message them.

Typical situations:

• seeing a friend again after dinner together
• starting a phone call after meeting someone recently
• writing a follow-up message after a social event

It often has a warm, friendly feeling, as if you are acknowledging that the last time together was pleasant.

It is very much a fixed expression in Danish.

Learners often want to analyze it word by word, but it is best to learn it as a whole phrase. Danes immediately recognize it as a standard thing to say after a previous meeting.

Because it is idiomatic, it may sound slightly odd if you try to rebuild it in a more literal way.

Because sidst and sidste do different jobs in Danish.

• sidst is usually an adverb, meaning something like last or most recently
• sidste is usually used before a noun, as in sidste gang meaning the last time

In Tak for sidst, Danish uses the adverb form sidst. This is one reason the phrase feels a bit idiomatic and fixed.

Compare:

• Tak for sidst = the set phrase
• sidste gang = last time

More or less, yes.

In Danish, tak for ... is a very common pattern meaning thanks for ...

Examples:

• Tak for hjælpen = thanks for the help
• Tak for mad = thanks for the food
• Tak for i dag = thanks for today
• Tak for sidst = thanks for the last time we met

So even if the whole phrase is idiomatic, the tak for ... part is very regular.

It is generally neutral to friendly.

You can use it with:

• friends
• family
• neighbors
• colleagues
• acquaintances

It can also work in polite professional situations, especially if the previous meeting was pleasant and not too stiff.

That said, in a very formal business context, some people might choose something more specific, such as:

• Tak for mødet
• Tak for sidst og tak for et godt møde

So Tak for sidst is not rude or slangy, but it does usually carry a bit of human warmth.

Yes, absolutely.

It is very common in:

• text messages
• emails
• chat messages
• social media messages

For example, you might begin a message with Tak for sidst if you are writing to someone after meeting them recently.

In writing, it often works especially well as an opening line before the rest of the message.

A few natural replies are:

• Selv tak = thanks to you too / likewise
• Det var hyggeligt = it was nice
• I lige måde = likewise
• Tak, det var godt at ses = thanks, it was good to see you

If you want a safe, simple reply, Selv tak works well in many situations.

Mostly, but not only.

It is especially common after:

• dinners
• visits
• parties
• coffee meetings
• casual get-togethers

But it can also be used after:

• a work meeting
• a networking event
• a class
• a shared activity

The key idea is not just that you met, but that you are referring back to that previous occasion in a polite or friendly way.

Tak for sidst refers to the last time you were together, without saying exactly when that was.

Tak for i går means thanks for yesterday, so it is specifically about something that happened yesterday.

So:

• use Tak for i går when the event was yesterday
• use Tak for sidst when you want the more general expression about the previous meeting

If yesterday was the last time you met, either could make sense, but Tak for i går is more specific.

Usually near the beginning.

It often works like a greeting-plus-comment at the start of an interaction:

• when you first see the person
• in the opening of a phone call
• at the beginning of a message

That is because you are referring back to your previous meeting before moving on to the new conversation.

It is much less common as a closing line.