Can you learn Danish

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Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2013 8:03 am

Headache anyone.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24175429

Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2013 8:18 am

No you can't. Not even the Danish themselves can speak it.

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

It's all Greek to me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7UmUX68KtE

Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2013 3:50 pm

^^You owe me a keyboard, PF. Laughing

EDIT:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Qj8PhxSnhg

Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 3:06 am

Anglophones are too lazy to learn any language. It would be amazing if they learned another language to fluency.

Danish is one of those cool laidback languages that only people with a VIP stage pass to all the exclusive parties are allow to speak. In fact we often isolate English speakers by speaking Danish behind their backs because they simply aren't cool enough or cultured for that matter (but is another story).
It's that language cooler than German because many people can't pronounce it. Laughing

Norwegian and Swedish are much more beautiful and easier to pronounce. But it would still be amazing for an Anglophone to become fluent in a language other than English, just saying. Wink

But in all seriousness best wishes to everyone who is diligently learning these languages. Very Happy

Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 9:51 am

^Some of us were never given the chance to learn another language other than English and that was hard enough for me after the illness I had before I started school.

Our schools now a days, give the pupils a much greater choice on what language they wish to learn.

It's not so much as being lazy, but finding a good teacher to teach the language is what holds a lot of people back as well as the cost, people have not got the time or money to learn another language or go on holiday, now you hear stories that they are forced to rely on food banks just to stop going hungry.

If you had understood the article you would have seen that the author had moved to Denmark because of her husband's job and that was why she was trying to learn the language, good for her I say.

Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 6:06 pm

Fo'andles: I'm being sarcastic here. I know quite a few Anglophones who do speak a number of different languages fluently. Yeah, I saw that that's why I added: "But in all seriousness best wishes to everyone who is diligently learning these languages." Because I for one know not many people make the effort to learn Scandinavian languages at all. This also refers to girl in the article (which I read, but thanks for making that assumption. Rolling Eyes

) too.

Also you don't need lessons in school to become fluent in a language. There are so many resources on the internet that can help you do it on your own. But that's another conversation for another time.

Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 8:57 pm

I love the old tales, I'm sitting next to a book containing Snorii Sturluson's work. I dip in and out occasionally, but want to study it further when there's time - that might give a good starting point for pronunciation of the Scandinavian text - I was always a fan of Thor and Loki in the comic's as a child.

Just saying for anyone who's interested. Very Happy

Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 4:57 am

Dr Mike wrote:

No you can't.

Sure you can. It's easy to do in three simple steps.

Step 1: learn Swedish.
Step 2: Boil a potato about the size of your mouth.
Step 3: Stuff the hot potato in your mouth and start speaking Swedish. Try not to scream too much.

Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 5:32 am

Of course, I forgot about the fill your mouth way. I usually use porridge though. But it doesn't help you understand the bloody thing, only to speak it.

Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 6:16 am

Duckling wrote:

Step 1: learn Swedish.

Who in their right mind would do that?!?

Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 12:02 pm

^^
Ask <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnish_parliament">these twits</a>. They come up with all sorts of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandatory_Swedish">weird ideas.</a>

Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2013 4:57 pm

Danish is easy...

Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2013 12:16 am

Some ramblings from a Feller who loves to Moider the English Language!!!!!
OR
Tundering Jeezus I likes this Thread! How she cuttin’ dere b’y?

I have tried to learn other languages but am either too lazy or too stupid or have had lousy teachers or I was a bad student....Let's see I started French in Kindergarten (Hey is that a German Word?) and carried on for thirteen or so years but Je ne Pas Parlez Francais. I grew up in a Ukrainian family and I learned Nasdrovie and some other similar words plus a Special Bonus saying which I think is Racist but it loses so much in translation it makes no sense to this Dunderhead...uh what else? Oh yeah I recognize many Scandinavian and Germanic words because they trickled into the English language plus I studied Old Norse and Middle English in University and some Greek and Latin just because someone said I had to.
Now I commend (Envy actually/Nah I'm Jealous!!!) anyone who can speak, read, comprehend multiple languages but I cannot and never will. I did try but I am also lazy/stupid/took a lot of shots to the head plus menus come in English when requested.

Yes I realize that Danish or 'The Icelander's Secret Language' is difficult but try English out for size. You see, most languages have a very formal structure and certain rules but English seems to have avoided such stipulations. Yeah arguments can be made for Grammar and Sentence structure (something I was never taught) but the fact remains that it is a Melting Pot for almost anything out there. Once upon a time my Yugoslavian Friend Danko had problems with the word close. If he is still with us I bet this isn’t resolved.

As we say in Newfie don’t stay where you’re to come where we’re at and we’ll learn you a new way o’ talkin’ over a Scurry an’ Scuff we will b’y!

OP

PS – I know Beer and Friend in American sign, can order a Large Pint in Russian (Point to the Tap and say BIG), make myself understood to Cree, Inuit and Mohawks. I also once knew Morse Code and had to learn it once again for reasons that I don’t feel like going into at the moment but have since forgotten it again…My Mexican Brother in law swore at me in Spanish after he fell out of my boat and I had a pretty good idea of what he was saying, Anya (a Chernobyl Baby) communicated with me just fine although we didn’t have many deep conversations BUT when I get cornered by my Scottish Relatives I am at a complete loss mainly because they are a bunch of Numpties I suppose…

PPS – This was a Fun exercise so Please do not take exception to any of my musings as it was not intended to be offensive to any one (anyone?) Oh well gotta get OOT and ABOOT now….

Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2013 7:49 am

Badgerbait wrote:

Danish is easy...

That's about as Danish as Tururut.

THIS is real danish:

Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2013 12:49 pm

A country I know a lot about. Very Happy

There's no need to learn Dansk because they nearly all speak impeccable English. If you know the Danish for beer and sausage you can survive. Though, a little German helps, as there is some (and I mean some) similarity.

The problem is, of which Danes are fully aware. Not many people people are going to learn a language spoken by 5.5 million, unless they have to, or really dig leggy blonds. Laughing

Posted: Thu Sep 26, 2013 8:17 am

^^Your linguistic imperialism is not cute. Notice how when a language dies, the culture dies along with it. Since English has NO culture, it can die without any serious repercussions. After all it's inferior half language that had sex with other languages and copy-pasted butchered pronunciations together and called it a language. Wink

Besides, most fellow Scandinavians and Dutchies suck at singing in English.

Peter, Björn and John being the worst offenders with their "Young folks" whistling song.

Posted: Thu Sep 26, 2013 9:05 am

Kokomeister wrote:

Besides, most fellow Scandinavians...

Your cultural imperialism is not cute. But fine! Be that way! We didn't want to be part of your stupid club anyway! We are very content with belonging to the much more cool "Nordic countries" club anyway. And once we are appointed its head, we kick all you out and replace you with Estonians. Estonians! Think about that! Evil or Very Mad

Posted: Thu Sep 26, 2013 11:02 am

^ Perkele, that's harsh!

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

^ It could be worse. Think Canadians.

Posted: Thu Sep 26, 2013 2:32 pm

[Uncle Jimbo] Canadians, Estonians, what's the difference? [/Uncle Jimbo]

Posted: Thu Sep 26, 2013 6:59 pm

As an Englishman I’m proud to say “Ik kan een beetje Nederlands praaten en lezen. In reality "Twee biertjes alstjeblieft of “Donder op Eikel" is all you really need to know. Laughing

The main problem with us Brits learning another language is once you have a go Johnnie Foreigner starts speaking in English so he can practise!

Posted: Thu Sep 26, 2013 7:10 pm

^ No, it's just because he can't understand a word of your gibberish.

Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 4:47 pm

Kokomeister wrote:

^^Your linguistic imperialism is not cute. Notice how when a language dies, the culture dies along with it.

Oi! You leave Americans out of this. Laughing

Posted: Fri Oct 04, 2013 7:55 am

@TD, I KNEW I'd come in this discussion. But yeah, I read finnish books and can sing a swedish drinking song while Denmark is a total mistery to me. Well, I once met a very pretty danish blonde and a friend from primary school had a danish mother, who, now that I come to think of it, was a real beauty.

By the way, doing German courses in Germany, I've met Americans and Irishmen, but not a single brit, 'cept a gal from Belfast. But that's not really Britain.