How to Say Thank You in Danish

Thank You Is a Single Short Word

Tak is correct with shop staff or a stranger you stop for directions. It carries no formality of its own, so it can be used with anyone.

Danish Has No Word for Please

Tak is used where English would say please. En kop kaffe, tak means "a cup of coffee, please", and adding it is what makes the request polite.

Saying Tak to an Offer Means Yes

If someone offers you something and you answer tak, you have accepted it. To refuse, say nej tak, "no thanks". Ja tak is the fuller way to accept.

The Usual Reply to Tak

The most common reply is selv tak, "thanks yourself". Det var så lidt, "it was so little", is just as usual.

• Mange tak

  MAHNG-uh TAK

  Many thanks. A step warmer than tak, and common in shops.

• Tusind tak

  TOO-sin TAK

  A thousand thanks, for a kindness rather than a purchase.

• Tak skal du have

  TAK skal doo HA

  Thank you very much. An everyday phrase, and more often said than written.