Vi ses.

Vi means we.

In this expression, we means you and I or we all. So even though English usually says see you, Danish uses we because the idea is we will see each other.

Because ses is a special -s form of the verb at se (to see).

• ser = see / sees in the normal active sense
• ses = often be seen or see each other, depending on context

In Vi ses, ses has the meaning see each other. So the whole phrase is literally closer to we see each other than to English see you.

Because Danish is not copying the English structure word for word.

English See you is a fixed goodbye expression. Danish uses a different structure: Vi ses = we’ll see each other.

So the you is already included in the idea of we.

Grammatically, it is present tense.

But in meaning, it usually refers to the future: a future meeting. This is very common in Danish. English does something similar in short expressions.

So Vi ses literally looks present, but in real use it usually means something like:

• See you
• We’ll see each other
• See you later, depending on context

Yes, absolutely.

Even though vi means we, it can still be said to one person, because we means you and I.

So:

• to one person: you and I will see each other
• to several people: we will all see each other

Danes use it when saying goodbye, especially when they expect to see the person again.

It is very common:

• with friends
• with coworkers
• with classmates
• at the end of a casual conversation
• at the end of a message or email, if the tone is informal or friendly

It is not something you say when you first meet someone. It is a leaving expression.

It is mostly neutral to informal.

It is very natural in everyday Danish and works well in many normal situations. It is friendly and common, but not usually very formal.

If you want something more formal or more traditional, Danish may use expressions like På gensyn.

So Vi ses is a good everyday choice.

A simple English-friendly approximation is:

vee sess

A few notes:

• Vi sounds roughly like English vee
• ses sounds roughly like sess
• the e in ses is short, more like the vowel in set than the vowel in see

This is only an approximation, but it is good enough for a beginner.

Yes. Very often, Danish adds a time expression.

For example:

• Vi ses i morgen = See you tomorrow
• Vi ses senere = See you later
• Vi ses snart = See you soon
• Vi ses på mandag = See you on Monday

So Vi ses can stand alone, or you can make it more specific.

They are all goodbye expressions, but they feel a bit different.

• Vi ses = See you; friendly, everyday, often used when you expect to meet again
• Farvel = Goodbye; more general, sometimes more final
• På gensyn = Until we meet again / Goodbye; often a bit more formal or traditional

In many everyday situations, Vi ses sounds warmer and more natural than Farvel.

Not necessarily.

It can mean:

• you already know you will meet again
• you expect to meet again
• you are simply ending the conversation in a friendly way

So it does not always mean there is a fixed appointment. Sometimes it is just the natural Danish equivalent of English see you.

Yes.

It is very common in:

• text messages
• chats
• informal emails
• social media messages

For example, you might end a message with Vi ses i morgen or just Vi ses.

In very formal writing, you would usually choose a different closing.