Learn some common Danish idioms
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Intro |
|---|
| Michael: What are some common Danish idioms? |
| Anna: And how are they used? |
| Michael: At DanishClass101.com, we hear these questions often. Imagine the following situation: Karen Lee hears an idiom she is unfamiliar with. She asks her neighbor, Simone Skou, "What does "there is no cow on the ice" mean?" |
| Karen: Hvad betyder "der er ingen ko på isen"? |
| Dialogue |
| Karen: Hvad betyder "der er ingen ko på isen"? |
| Simone: Det betyder "der er ingen problemer." |
| Michael: Once more with the English translation. |
| Karen: Hvad betyder "der er ingen ko på isen"? |
| Michael: "What does "there is no cow on the ice |
| "mean?" |
| Simone: Det betyder "der er ingen problemer." |
| Michael: "It means "no problem."" |
Lesson focus |
| Michael: In this lesson, we'll talk about idiomatic expressions, or |
| Anna: idiomatiske udtryk. |
| Michael: Idiomatic expressions, or idioms for short, are expressions with a meaning that's very different from the individual words that compose them. We use idioms if we want to convey what would be a long message using as few words as possible. A good example for this is "a piece of cake," which in English means that something is very easy. It's important to learn idioms when studying a new language like Danish, as they provide a window into better understanding a culture and its people. |
| Michael: Let's take a closer look at the dialogue. |
| Do you remember how Karen Lee said "What does "there is no cow on the ice |
| " mean?" |
| Anna as Karen Lee: Hvad betyder "der er ingen ko på isen"? |
| Michael: Now let's take a look at our second sentence. |
| Do you remember how Simone Skou says "It means "no problem."" |
| Anna : Det betyder "der er ingen problemer." |
| Michael: There are many expressions in Danish that make no complete sense in English and some other languages. The expression "there is no cow on the ice" is just one of them. In Danish, this is a reassuring idiom that means there's nothing you should worry about. It makes perfect sense if you live in a country like Denmark where it's illegal to walk on frozen lakes, fjords, and waterways. Whether there's a cow or a human involved, when there's anyone standing on ice, complications can be expected to happen soon enough. |
| Michael: Cows are not the only animals that are featured in Danish idioms, however. There are horses too, particularly in the expression, |
| Anna: Klap lige hesten |
| Michael: which literally means "Pat the horse." This is somewhat similar to the expression "Hold your horses," which means wait a moment. When someone tells you to just pat the horse, it means that you should relax for a moment and think things through, especially when you're about to burst out of stress or pressure. Speaking of bursting, this idiom is perfect advice to someone who says, |
| Anna: Så falder der brænde ned |
| Michael: which translates to "Firewood is going to fall down." When someone uses this phrase, it means they are so angry, they are about to explode. |
| [Summary] |
| Michael: In this lesson, you've learned that idiomatic expressions, or |
| Anna: idiomatiske udtryk |
| Michael: are expressions with a figurative meaning used to help the speaker better get their message across. |
| Expansion |
| Michael: So far, we have covered a few idiomatic expressions commonly used in Danish. Why don't we look at some more Danish idiomatic expressions? Let's start with: |
| Anna: Jeg har det som blommen i et æg |
| Michael: which means "I feel like the yolk inside an egg." An egg yolk may seem fragile and vulnerable but that's not what this idiom means. When someone says they feel like an egg yolk, what they really mean is that they feel comfortable and self-fulfilled. A seemingly opposite expression is, |
| Anna: Jeg ligger vandret i luften |
| Michael: which doesn't talk about being comfortable at all. It literally means "I'm lying horizontally in the air," and means that someone is incredibly busy and couldn't afford to take a break. But people who work hard deserve a rest, right? When you see someone who could take a breather, you can say to them, |
| Anna: Spis lige brød til |
| Michael: which means "Have some bread with that." It's something you would say to someone who looks like they really need to take a break from all the hard work they're doing. Now, you can't expect everybody to simply say they'll take a break soon, especially if they really need the money. In fact, if you tell them to take it slow, they might even reply with, |
| Anna: Jeg har ikke en rød reje |
| Michael: which means "I don't have a red shrimp," or "I'm broke." And if you ask these same people to lend you some money, you can expect them to say, |
| Anna: De penge kan du kigge efter i vejviseren |
| Michael: or "You can look for your money in the yellow pages," which is an idiom for "No, I don't have any money to lend you." I would understand, especially if you're borrowing money to buy something that you can't afford, or if "it costs the tip of an airplane," or, |
| Anna: Det koster spidsen af en flyvemaskine |
| Michael: This is an idiom to describe that something is too expensive. |
| Cultural Insight |
| Michael: Many Danish idiomatic expressions have animals in them. This goes back to the more pastoral days in Danish-speaking countries. So far, you've learned about cows walking on ice and the importance of patting your horses, but there's more, such as this one: |
| Anna: Det blæser en halv pelikan |
| Michael: This means "It blows half a pelican," which means it's extremely windy outside or that a storm seems to be brewing. Another one is, |
| Anna: Så er den ged barberet |
| Michael: which translates to "Now, the goat has been shaved." This is something you would say when a problem has been solved or a task you've been working on has been completed. |
Outro |
| Michael: Do you have any more questions? We're here to answer them! |
| Anna: Farvel! |
| Michael: See you soon! |
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