Danish for house viewings
For anyone moving to Denmark and looking for a house to live in: arrange a fremvisning, ask about the roof, damp and heating as you look round, request the reports on the house, talk about the price politely and go through the steps from contract to handover with the ejendomsmægler, the estate agent. Foreigners who don't live in Denmark usually may not buy a holiday home there, so this guide is about a house you will live in yourself. Every phrase comes with an English-friendly pronunciation.
Pronunciation in six rules
Written Danish often looks a little like English or German, but it sounds quite different, because many letters are swallowed. With these six rules even words like ejerskifteforsikring will come out so the agent understands you.
The soft d
After a vowel, d often sounds like the th in ‘this’: rådgiver (adviser) ≈ ‘RAWDH-gee-vuh’, skade (damage) ≈ ‘SKEH-dhuh’.
Swallowed endings
-er at the end of a word sounds like the a in ‘sofa’, and a final -e is just as weak: sælger (seller) = ‘SEL-yuh’, kælder (cellar) = ‘KEL-uh’, varmepumpe (heat pump) ≈ ‘VAH-muh-pom-puh’.
Silent letters
h before v is silent (hvornår, when, = ‘vaw-NAW’), d after l and n often is too (grundskyld ≈ ‘GRON-skewl’), and g likes to disappear: taget (the roof) ≈ ‘TEH-edh’, salg (sale) = ‘sal’.
æ, ø and å
æ is like the e in ‘bed’, ø like the vowel in British ‘fur’, å like the aw in ‘saw’: værdi (value) ≈ ‘vair-DEE’, købsaftale (purchase contract) ≈ ‘KURBS-ow-teh-luh’, år (year) = ‘aw’.
ej, v and y
ej and eg rhyme with ‘eye’: ejer (owner) ≈ ‘AI-uh’, vej (road) = ‘vai’, jeg (I) = ‘yai’. v is v, and y is an ee said with rounded lips, like the French u: bygget (built) ≈ ‘BEWG-edh’.
The r and the stød
r is made in the throat, and after a vowel it almost disappears, much as in southern British English: mægler (agent) ≈ ‘MAI-luh’, fjernvarme (district heating) ≈ ‘FYAIRN-vah-muh’. You don't need to master the little catch in the middle of some words, the stød; people will understand you without it.
In the transcriptions below the stressed syllable is in CAPITALS, syllables are joined with hyphens, words are separated by spaces and ‘·’ separates sentences. Read the r in ‘aw’, ‘air’ and ‘ur’ the British way, without sounding it. eh is a long e as in ‘bed’, ay as in ‘say’, ur the vowel in ‘fur’, ew an ee with rounded lips, aw as in ‘saw’, uh the a in ‘sofa’, ai rhymes with ‘eye’, ow as in ‘cow’, dh the th in ‘this’, sh as in ‘shop’ and y the y in ‘yes’. Danish has many sounds between the letters, so the transcription is an approximation.
Arranging a viewing
- Hej, jeg ringer om huset på Skovvej i Silkeborg.hai · yai RING-uh om HOO-sedh po SKOW-vai ee SIL-kuh-bawHello, I'm calling about the house on Skovvej in Silkeborg.
- Er huset stadig til salg?air HOO-sedh STAH-dhee til SALIs the house still for sale?
- Kan vi komme til en fremvisning på lørdag?kan vee KOM-uh til en FREM-vees-ning po LUR-dahCould we come to a viewing on Saturday?
- Kan du sende salgsopstillingen på mail?kan doo SEN-uh SALS-op-stil-ing-en po MAYLCould you email me the sales particulars?
- Jeg taler lidt dansk. Kan du tale lidt langsommere?yai TEH-luh lit DANSK · kan doo TEH-luh lit LANG-som-uh-uhI speak a little Danish. Could you speak a bit more slowly?
Questions as you look round
- Hvilket år er huset bygget?VIL-ket AW air HOO-sedh BEWG-edhWhat year was the house built?
- Hvornår blev taget skiftet?vaw-NAW bleh TEH-edh SKIF-tedhWhen was the roof replaced?
- Er der problemer med fugt i kælderen?air dair pro-BLAY-muh medh FOGT ee KEL-uh-enAre there any problems with damp in the cellar?
- Hvordan bliver huset opvarmet? Fjernvarme eller varmepumpe?vaw-DAN BLEE-uh HOO-sedh OP-vah-medh · FYAIRN-vah-muh EL-uh VAH-muh-pom-puhHow is the house heated? District heating or a heat pump?
- Hvad er energimærket?va air en-uh-GEE-mair-kedhWhat is the energy rating? (The energimærke runs from A to G.)
- Hvor stor er grunden?vaw STOH air GRON-enHow big is the plot?
A parcelhus or villa is a detached family house, a rækkehus a terraced house, an ejerlejlighed an owner-occupied flat and an andelsbolig a share in a housing co-operative.
Reports and running costs
- Kan jeg få tilstandsrapporten og elinstallationsrapporten?kan yai faw TIL-stans-rah-paw-ten oh EL-in-sta-la-SHOHNS-rah-paw-tenCould I have the condition report and the electrical report?
- Betaler sælger halvdelen af ejerskifteforsikringen?beh-TEH-luh SEL-yuh HAL-deh-len ah AI-uh-skif-tuh-fuh-sik-ring-enDoes the seller pay half of the change-of-ownership insurance?
- Hvad er den månedlige ejerudgift?va air den MAW-nedh-lee-uh AI-uh-oodh-giftWhat are the monthly costs of ownership?
- Hvor meget er grundskyld og ejendomsværdiskat om året?vaw MAI-edh air GRON-skewl oh AI-en-doms-vair-dee-skat om AW-edhHow much are the land tax and the property value tax a year?
- Er der en grundejerforening? Hvad koster kontingentet?air dair en GRON-ai-uh-fuh-ay-ning · va KOS-tuh kon-ting-GEN-tedhIs there a homeowners' association? How much is the membership fee?
The tilstandsrapport (condition report) and the elinstallationsrapport (electrical installation report) are prepared by approved experts. The ejerskifteforsikring, change-of-ownership insurance, covers hidden defects that are not in the report. Grundskyld and ejendomsværdiskat are the two annual taxes on the land and the property.
Talking about the price politely
- Er der mulighed for at forhandle prisen?air dair MOO-lee-hedh fuh at fuh-HAN-luh PREE-senIs there any room to negotiate on the price?
- Hvor længe har huset været til salg?vaw LENG-uh hah HOO-sedh VAIR-udh til SALHow long has the house been on the market?
- Vi kan godt lide huset, men prisen er over vores budget.vee kan got LEE HOO-sedh · men PREE-sen air OW-uh VAW-os bew-SHETWe really like the house, but the price is over our budget.
- Vil sælger overveje et lavere bud?vil SEL-yuh OW-uh-vai-uh et LAH-vuh-uh BOODHWould the seller consider a lower offer?
- Følger hvidevarerne med?FUL-yuh VEE-dhuh-vah-uh-nuh MEDHAre the kitchen appliances included?
- Vi skal lige tænke over det.vee ska LEE TENG-kuh OW-uh dehWe need to think about it.
Contract, lawyer and bank
- Vi har en køberrådgiver, der gennemgår papirerne.vee hah en KUR-buh-rawdh-gee-vuh dair GEN-em-gaw pah-PEER-uh-nuhWe have a buyer's adviser who is going through the paperwork.
- Vi skriver kun under med advokatforbehold.vee SKREE-vuh kon ON-uh medh adh-vo-KAT-fuh-beh-holWe'll only sign subject to our lawyer's approval.
- Hvornår løber fortrydelsesretten ud?vaw-NAW LUR-buh fuh-TREW-dhel-ses-rat-en OODHWhen does the right of withdrawal run out?
- Hvornår skal udbetalingen betales?vaw-NAW ska OODH-beh-teh-ling-en beh-TEH-lesWhen is the deposit due?
- Hvornår kan vi overtage huset?vaw-NAW kan vee OW-uh-teh-uh HOO-sedhWhen can we take possession of the house?
Denmark has no notary handling the sale. The purchase contract (købsaftale) is usually drafted by the seller's agent. If you sign with an advokatforbehold, your own lawyer checks the contract and you can withdraw at no cost if they do not approve it. Without that clause you still have the fortrydelsesret: you can withdraw within six working days, paying the seller 1 per cent of the purchase price.
Following up by email and phone
- Jeg skriver angående huset, vi så i lørdags.yai SKREE-vuh an-GAW-en-duh HOO-sedh · vee SAW ee LUR-dahsI'm writing about the house we saw on Saturday.
- Har du hørt noget fra sælger?hah doo HURT NOH-edh frah SEL-yuhHave you heard anything from the seller?
- Kan vi se huset igen sammen med en håndværker?kan vee SAY HOO-sedh ee-GEN SAM-en medh en HON-vair-kuhCould we see the house again with a builder?
- Tusind tak, jeg vender tilbage i morgen.TOO-sen tak · yai VEN-uh til-BEH-uh ee MAWNThank you very much, I'll get back to you tomorrow.
Good to know
Du with the agent too
Danish has a formal word for you, De, but it sounds old-fashioned or stiff. Danes say du to almost everyone, including the estate agent, the bank and the lawyer. That is why every phrase on this page uses du, and you can use them just as they are.
A home yes, a holiday home hardly ever
EU citizens who live or work in Denmark, or move there when they buy, can usually buy a year-round home (helårsbolig) as their main residence. A holiday home (sommerhus) is almost always ruled out if you don't live in Denmark, and you may not simply use a year-round home as a holiday home. Check your case with a Danish lawyer before you sign.
The agent works for the seller
The ejendomsmægler is usually paid by the seller and acts for them. Your own advokat or køberrådgiver checks the contract and the reports for you. The documents are in Danish; in the border region and in Copenhagen you will also find lawyers who speak German, and many speak English.
Read the papers before the viewing
Many agents put the sales particulars (salgsopstilling), the condition report and the energy certificate online in advance. If you read them first, you can ask about the points in the report as you look round. Many houses are also shown at an åbent hus, an open viewing with no appointment needed.
How buying property in Denmark works
Our sister project Heimweit has a step-by-step guide to buying property in Denmark: the process, the costs and the usual pitfalls.
A course for exactly your house purchase
A phrasebook can only guess what you're planning. In LingoTrip you tell it: viewing a house near Aarhus, moving to Southern Jutland with the family, buying a flat in Copenhagen for a new job. LingoTrip builds a course around exactly those conversations, from the first call to the agent to the handover, with audio, speech recognition and spaced review until the viewing.
Coming soon to the App Store and Google PlayFAQ
Won't the agent speak English anyway?
Almost always, yes. The contract, the reports and letters from the authorities are in Danish, though, and neighbours, tradespeople and the homeowners' association talk to each other in Danish. If you can say a few phrases, you find out more about the house and settle in faster.
Can I buy a house in Denmark as a foreigner?
As an EU citizen who lives or works in Denmark, or moves there with the purchase, and uses the house as your main residence, usually yes, without a permit. You confirm this with a declaration when the purchase is entered in the land register. A permit for a holiday home alone is almost never granted without a particularly strong connection to Denmark. The Civilstyrelsen decides case by case.
How long until I can manage a viewing in Danish?
For the phrases on this page, one to three weeks with a few minutes a day is enough. Understanding the answers takes longer, because spoken Danish swallows so many sounds. A course that practises exactly your viewings is a good start.
More phrasebooks: Italian for your holiday · Italian for trade fairs · Spanish for your holiday · Spanish at the doctor's with children · Greek for your holiday · Croatian for sailors · Portuguese for moving to Portugal · French for holiday home owners · Danish for your summer house · Dutch for working in the Netherlands · German for business trips · Turkish for meeting your partner's family · Polish for talking with your parent's carer · Swedish for studying in Sweden · Japanese for business meetings · Spanish for house viewings · French for house viewings · Italian for house viewings · Portuguese for house viewings