Language/Danish/Vocabulary/Telling-Time

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Danish → Vocabulary → 0 to A1 Course → Numbers, Dates, and Time → Telling Time

Introduction

In this lesson, we will explore the topic of telling time in Danish. Being able to tell time is an essential skill for everyday life and communication. Whether you need to schedule appointments, catch a train, or simply ask for the time, knowing how to express time accurately in Danish will greatly enhance your language skills. In this comprehensive lesson, we will cover everything from basic vocabulary and expressions for telling time to more advanced concepts such as different parts of the day and regional variations. By the end of this lesson, you will have a solid understanding of how to tell time in Danish and be able to confidently use this skill in various contexts.

Basic Vocabulary and Expressions

Before we dive into the specifics of telling time, let's start by learning some basic vocabulary and expressions related to time in Danish. These words and phrases will be the building blocks for our understanding of telling time.

Vocabulary

Here are some essential Danish words related to time:

Danish	Pronunciation	English
tid	[teed]	time
minut	[mee-noot]	minute
time	[toh-meh]	hour
dag	[dah]	day
uge	[oo-geh]	week
måned	[moh-ned]	month
år	[ohr]	year

Expressions

Now, let's learn some common expressions used to ask and tell the time in Danish:

Danish	Pronunciation	English
Hvad er klokken?	[vahd air kloh-ken]	What time is it?
Den er ...	[den air ...]	It is ...
om morgenen	[ohm mohr-geh-nen]	in the morning
om formiddagen	[ohm for-mee-dah-gen]	in the late morning
om middagen	[ohm mee-dah-gen]	at noon
om eftermiddagen	[ohm ef-ter-mee-dah-gen]	in the afternoon
om aftenen	[ohm af-ten-en]	in the evening
om natten	[ohm nat-ten]	at night

Examples

Let's see these vocabulary and expressions in action in some example sentences:

• Hvad er klokken? (What time is it?)
• Den er tolv. (It is twelve.)
• Den er et minut over tolv. (It is one minute past twelve.)
• Den er kvart over tolv. (It is a quarter past twelve.)
• Den er halv et. (It is half past twelve.)
• Den er kvart i et. (It is a quarter to one.)
• Den er et minut i et. (It is one minute to one.)
• Den er præcis et. (It is exactly one o'clock.)

Hours and Minutes

Now that we have learned the basic vocabulary and expressions, let's dive deeper into telling time in Danish. Like in many other languages, Danish has a 24-hour clock system, which means that the hours are counted from 0 to 23. However, it is also common to use the 12-hour clock system, especially in spoken language. In this section, we will explore both systems and the specific vocabulary and expressions used for hours and minutes.

Telling the Hours

When telling the hours, you have two options: using the 24-hour clock system or the 12-hour clock system. Let's start by looking at the vocabulary and expressions for the 24-hour clock system:

Danish	Pronunciation	English
nul	[noohl]	zero
ét	[et]	one
to	[toh]	two
tre	[treh]	three
fire	[fee-reh]	four
fem	[fem]	five
seks	[seks]	six
syv	[sooh]	seven
otte	[oh-teh]	eight
ni	[nee]	nine
ti	[tee]	ten
elleve	[el-leh-veh]	eleven
tolv	[tohlv]	twelve
tretten	[treh-ten]	thirteen
fjorten	[fyor-ten]	fourteen
femten	[fem-ten]	fifteen
seksten	[seks-ten]	sixteen
sytten	[soo-ten]	seventeen
atten	[aht-tehn]	eighteen
nitten	[neet-tehn]	nineteen
tyve	[too-veh]	twenty
enogtyve	[eh-noh-too-veh]	twenty-one
toogtyve	[toh-too-veh]	twenty-two
treogtyve	[treh-oh-too-veh]	twenty-three
fireogtyve	[fee-reh-oh-too-veh]	twenty-four

In the 24-hour clock system, you simply state the number of the hour followed by the word "time". For example, "kl. 15" means "15:00" or "3:00 PM".

Now, let's explore the vocabulary and expressions for the 12-hour clock system:

Danish	Pronunciation	English
midnat	[meed-naht]	midnight
nul	[noohl]	zero
et	[et]	one
to	[toh]	two
tre	[treh]	three
fire	[fee-reh]	four
fem	[fem]	five
seks	[seks]	six
syv	[sooh]	seven
otte	[oh-teh]	eight
ni	[nee]	nine
ti	[tee]	ten
elleve	[el-leh-veh]	eleven
tolv	[tohlv]	twelve
middag	[mee-dahg]	noon

In the 12-hour clock system, you state the number of the hour followed by either "AM" or "PM". For example, "kl. 3 om eftermiddagen" means "3 PM" or "15:00".

Telling the Minutes

When telling the minutes, you can simply state the number of minutes after the hour. For example, "kl. 15:05" is "fem minutter over tre" (five minutes past three) in Danish. Here are some examples of how to express different minutes:

Minutes	Danish	Pronunciation	English
:00	lige	[lee-geh]	exactly
:01	et minut over	[et mee-noot oh-ver]	one minute past
:05	fem minutter over	[fem mee-noot-ter oh-ver]	five minutes past
:10	ti minutter over	[tee mee-noot-ter oh-ver]	ten minutes past
:15	kvart over	[kvar oh-ver]	a quarter past
:20	tyve minutter over	[too-veh mee-noot-ter oh-ver]	twenty minutes past
:30	halv	[halv]	half
:40	tyve minutter i	[too-veh mee-noot-ter ee]	twenty minutes to
:45	kvart i	[kvar ee]	a quarter to
:50	ti minutter i	[tee mee-noot-ter ee]	ten minutes to
:55	fem minutter i	[fem mee-noot-ter ee]	five minutes to

Combine the vocabulary and expressions for hours and minutes to tell the time in Danish. For example, "kl. 14:30" is "halv tre" (half past two) in Danish.

Parts of the Day

In addition to telling the specific time, Danish also has specific expressions for different parts of the day. These expressions are commonly used to indicate whether an event or activity is taking place in the morning, afternoon, evening, or at night. Let's explore the vocabulary and expressions for different parts of the day in Danish.

Vocabulary

Here are the Danish words for different parts of the day:

Danish	Pronunciation	English
om morgenen	[ohm mohr-geh-nen]	in the morning
om formiddagen	[ohm for-mee-dah-gen]	in the late morning
om middagen	[ohm mee-dah-gen]	at noon
om eftermiddagen	[ohm ef-ter-mee-dah-gen]	in the afternoon
om aftenen	[ohm af-ten-en]	in the evening
om natten	[ohm nat-ten]	at night

Examples

Here are some examples of how to use these expressions in sentences:

• Jeg står altid tidligt op om morgenen. (I always wake up early in the morning.)
• Vi spiser frokost om formiddagen. (We have lunch in the late morning.)
• Solen er på sit højeste om middagen. (The sun is at its highest at noon.)
• Jeg arbejder ofte sent om eftermiddagen. (I often work late in the afternoon.)
• Vi går altid en tur om aftenen. (We always take a walk in the evening.)
• Jeg kan ikke sove om natten. (I can't sleep at night.)

Regional Variations

It is worth noting that there may be some regional variations in the usage or understanding of certain expressions related to telling time in Danish. These variations can be influenced by factors such as dialects, cultural differences, or historical reasons. For example, in some regions, the expression "om middagen" (at noon) may be used to refer to the early afternoon instead. Similarly, the expression "om formiddagen" (in the late morning) may be used more broadly to indicate the time between breakfast and lunch. These regional variations add richness to the Danish language and provide insight into the diverse cultural landscape of Denmark.

Exercises

Now that we have covered the vocabulary, expressions, and cultural aspects of telling time in Danish, it's time to put your knowledge into practice. Here are some exercises to help you apply what you have learned:

1. Translate the following times into Danish:

  a) 9:15 AM
  b) 2:30 PM
  c) 7:45 PM
  d) 11:10 PM

2. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate expressions for different parts of the day:

  a) Jeg spiser altid morgenmad ___.
  b) Jeg tager en lur ___.
  c) Vi holder fest ___.
  d) Solen går ned ___.

3. Write a short paragraph describing your daily routine, including the times and parts of the day.

Solutions

1. a) kl. 09:15

  b) kl. 14:30
  c) kl. 19:45
  d) kl. 23:10

2. a) om morgenen

  b) om eftermiddagen
  c) om aftenen
  d) om aftenen

3. Jeg står altid tidligt op om morgenen. Efter morgenmaden, går jeg en tur i parken. Om formiddagen arbejder jeg på mit kontor. Kl. 12 spiser jeg frokost. Om eftermiddagen har jeg ofte møder. Kl. 17 slutter jeg arbejdet og går hjem. Jeg laver aftensmad om aftenen og hygger mig med familien. Om natten går jeg i seng kl. 23.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully completed the lesson on telling time in Danish. You have learned the basic vocabulary and expressions for telling time, as well as how to express different parts of the day. You have also explored regional variations in the usage of these expressions. By practicing the exercises, you have had the opportunity to apply what you have learned and solidify your understanding. Keep practicing and using your newfound knowledge in real-life situations to further improve your Danish language skills. Velkommen til at lære mere dansk! (Welcome to learning more Danish!)

Table of Contents - Danish Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Introduction to Danish Alphabet and Pronunciation

• Danish Alphabet
• Pronunciation Basics

  ---

Everyday Phrases and Greetings

• Greetings and Introductions
• Common Phrases

  ---

Basic Sentence Structure and Word Order

• Subject-Verb-Object
• Questions and Negations

  ---

Numbers, Dates, and Time

• Numbers 1-100
• Days, Months, and Seasons
• Telling Time

  ---

Nouns and Articles

• Definite and Indefinite Articles
• Plurals and Possessives

  ---

Family, Relationships, and Occupations

• Family Members
• Relationships
• Occupations

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Adjective Forms and Agreement
• Comparatives and Superlatives
• Adverbs

  ---

Food, Drinks, and Dining

• Food and Drinks
• Dining Out

  ---

Verbs and Tenses

• Regular Verbs
• Irregular Verbs
• Modal Verbs

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Travel Vocabulary

  ---

Danish Culture and Traditions

• Holidays and Celebrations
• Danish Customs and Etiquette

Sources

• Telling Time in Danish - Everything You Need to Know
• How To Tell The Time In Danish
• #1 Expert Guide To Dates And Time In Danish - Ling App

Other Lessons

• Clothes
• How to Say Hello and Greetings
• Colors
• Days, Months, and Seasons
• Animal
• Modes of Transportation
• At the Post Office
• Travel Vocabulary
• House and Home

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