Danish swear words
Moving to Denmark as an expat offers a fascinating journey into a culture known for its hygge, progressive values, and, perhaps surprisingly, a unique approach to cursing. While Danish might not be as famously creative with its expletives as languages like Hungarian or Polish, it certainly has a penchant for invoking the devil and a few other choice words in everyday swearing.
Danish swearing is relatively straightforward. It’s blunt, direct, and often tied to expressions of irritation or dismissal.
Let’s dive into some of the most common Danish curse words and phrases that you might encounter or even find yourself using as you settle into life in Denmark.
You can also listen to the podcast episode below to hear the words and examples pronounced:
Danish swear words for frustration, anger and pain
Kraftedeme (Fucking, damn)
This strong expression is used to emphasize a point with intensity. It’s a combination of “kræft” (cancer) and “ædeme” (eating), though it’s best not to think too literally about the grim imagery.
Examples:
- “Det er kraftedeme for dårligt!” (“That’s fucking not good enough”)
- “Det mener du kraftedeme ikke” (“You don’t fucking mean that”)
- “Det er kraftedeme ulækkert” (“That’s fucking disgusting”)
For Helvede (For Hell’s sake / Goddamn it)
A go-to curse for expressing frustration or anger, akin to the English “For God’s sake.”
Examples:
- “For helvede, hvor er mine nøgler?” (“Goddamn it, where are my keys?”)
- “Av, for helvede! Det gjorde ondt” (“Outch, goddamn it. That hurt.”)
- “Kom nu for helvede!” (Come on, goddamn it”)
For Satan (For Satan’s sake / Damn it)
Similar to “for helvede,” but with a bit more diabolical flair. It’s often used when something goes wrong.
Examples:
- “For satan, det gør ondt!” (“Damn it, that hurts!”)
- “For satan, jeg glemte det igen!” (“Damn it, I forgot it again”)
- “Føj for satan, det lugter!” (Euw damn it, it smells”)
For Fanden (For the Devil / Damn it)
Another variation invoking the devil, used to express annoyance or anger.
Examples:
- “For fanden, hvorfor virker det ikke?” (“Damn it, why isn’t it working?”)
- “Hvorfor fanden har du ikke ringet til lægen endnu?” (“Why the hell haven’t you called the doctor yet?”)
- “Stop musikken for fanden” (“Stop the music goddamn it”)
Hold Kæft (Shut up)
A blunt way to tell someone to stop talking, often used in moments of frustration.
Examples:
- “Hold kæft og lad mig tænke!” (“Shut up and let me think!”)
- “Hold kæft, hvor er her flot!” (Shut up, how beautiful it is here”)
- “Han holder aldrig kæft” (“He never shuts up”)
Luk Røven (Shut your ass / Shut up)
Even more crude than “hold kæft,” this phrase is used to forcefully tell someone to be quiet.
Examples:
- “Luk røven, jeg gider ikke høre på dig mere!” (“Shut up, I don’t want to listen to you anymore!”)
- “Luk røven og lad os komme afsted” (“Shut up and let’s get going”)
- “Kan du ikke lukke røven med dine klager?” (“Can’t you shut up with your complaints?”)
Fuck Af (Fuck off)
Borrowed from English, this phrase is straightforward and typically used to tell someone to leave you alone.
Examples:
- “Fuck af med dig!” (“Fuck off!”)
- “Jeg sagde, at han skulle fucke af” (“I told him to fuck off”)
- “Fuck af med dine jokes” (“Fuck off with your jokes”)
Emphasizing in Danish with “Skide” and “Pisse”
In Danish, as in many languages, curse words and their milder cousins can be used not just to curse, but to add emphasis or intensity to a statement.
This is particularly common with words like “skide” (to shit), “pisse” (to piss) and “fucking,” which can amplify the impact of what you’re saying, whether you’re describing something fantastically good or disastrously bad.
You can technically use these amplifies with all verbs, but here’s a list of the most common ones (Please note that you can use ‘fucking’ instead of ‘skide’ or ‘pisse’ on any of them):
Skidegod/Pissegod (Really good)
- “Den nye restaurant i byen er skidegod. Du skal virkelig prøve deres pizza!”
- (“The new restaurant in town is really good. You absolutely have to try their pizza!”)
Skidedårlig/Pissedårlig (Really bad)
- “Filmen vi så i går var skidedårlig. Jeg kunne næsten ikke holde ud at se den færdig.”
- (“The movie we watched yesterday was really bad. I could barely stand to watch it till the end.”)
Skideirriterende/Pisseirriterende (Really irritating)
- “Det er skideirriterende, når folk afbryder mig midt i en samtale.”
- (“It’s really annoying when people interrupt me in the middle of a conversation.”)
Skidesjov/Pissesjov (Really fun/funny)
- “Den komiker vi så til showet i går var skidesjov. Jeg grinede hele aftenen.”
- (“The comedian we saw at the show last night was really funny. I laughed the whole evening.”)
Skidevigtig/Pissevigtig (Really important)
- “Det er skidevigtigt, at vi møder op til mødet i morgen.”
- (“It’s really important that we show up for the meeting tomorrow.”)
Skidedyr/Pissedyr (Really expensive)
- “Jeg købte en jakke, men den var skidedyr. Jeg er ikke sikker på, om det var det værd.”
- (“I bought a jacket, but it was really expensive. I’m not sure if it was worth it.”)
Skidelækker/Pisselækker (Really hot/delicious)
- “Maden på den nye restaurant var skidelækker, og tjeneren var også pisselækker”
- (“The food at the new restaurant was really delicious, and the waiter was also really hot!”)
Skidehyggelig/Pissehyggelig (Really good time)
- “Jeg havde en skidehyggelig fødselsdag med mine venner”
- (“I had a great birthday with my friends”)
Skidekedelig/Pissekedelig (Really boring)
- “Mødet i morges var skidekedeligt. Jeg kunne næsten ikke holde mine øjne åbne.”
- (“The meeting this morning was really boring. I could barely keep my eyes open.”)
Skidesur/Pissesur (Really angry)
- “Hun blev skidesur, da hun fandt ud af, at vi havde glemt hendes fødselsdag.”
- (“She got really angry when she found out we had forgotten her birthday.”)
The Mysterious ‘sgu’
In Danish colloquial speech, the word “sgu” is one of the most prevalent and versatile expressions that can crop up in various conversations. It’s a term that informally reinforces or emphasizes a statement, often with a lightly humorous or relaxed tone. Although technically a swear word, it’s relatively mild and used in many contexts without being offensive.
“Sgu” originates from a contraction of “så Gud,” and while historically it may have carried a religious undertone, in modern usage, it has shed this connotation.
Here are some examples of how “sgu” is typically used in everyday Danish:
- “Han er sgu god til at spille guitar!” (“He’s really good at playing the guitar!”)
- “Det var sgu da en overraskelse at se dig her!” (“It’s quite a surprise to see you here!”)
- “Jeg mener det sgu, vi skal nok klare det!” (“I really mean it, we’re going to make it!”)
- “Det er sgu en fantastisk idé!” (“That’s really a fantastic idea!”)
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