When you learn a new language, it is important to remember that you cannot translate everything literally! I realize we have different "sayings" in English than we have in Danish, but as I learn more and more, I discover that many Danish phrases are complete nonsense! I cannot understand them (but of course, the sayings in English make COMPLETE sense! LOL) In fact, I asked Mads each saying to find out if they are common in Denmark, og he knew them all! See if you are better at understanding than I am ...
Den kun udtryk jeg forstår (fordi vi siger den samme ting på engelsk).
The only saying I understand (because we say the same thing in English).
1. Han har sommerfugle i maven.
He has butterflies in his stomach.
Betydning: Han er spændt og lidt nervøs.
Meaning: He is excited and/or nervous.
Har sjov med disse... Have fun with these...
2. Han har det som blommen i et æg.He has it like a yolk in an egg.
3. Han tog benene på nakken.
He took his legs on the back of his neck. 4. Han har taget billetten.
He has taken the ticket.
5. Der er ingen ko på isen.
There are no cows on the ice.
Og nu.... betydningerne (i henhold til danskerne!)
And .... the meanings (according to the Danes!)
2. Han har det rigtigt godt! (HVAD?!?! Så jeg ønsker at være en blomme?)
He has it so easy! (WHAT?!?! So I wish to be an egg yolk?)
3. Han løb sin vej. (med hans ben omkring hans hals??!! LOL)
He ran like hell! (with his legs wrapped around his neck??!! LOL)
4. Han er død. (i Texas, siger vi "han købte farmen!")
He is dead. (in Texas, we say "he bought the farm!")
5. Alt er i orden. (Er de alvorlige?!)
Everything is as it should be. (Are they serious?!)
Husker du denne BLOG?
Jeg har en ny ting til min list:
Du ved jeg har boet i Danmark for langt til når du modtager en SMS fra mig der siger: "Liv er rigtigt godt fordi jeg kørte lige ved en frossen sø og så IKKE KOER på den!" :o) Nye sprog er så sjove!!
Do you remember this BLOG POST?
I have a new thing for my list:
You know I have lived in Denmark for too long when you receive an SMS from me that says: "Life is great because I just drove by a frozen lake and did not see ANY COWS on it!" :o) New languages are so fun!!
8 comments:
Ooh now I remember how fun it was to learn about these sayings. I remember a particular one called:
at have en høne at plukke
(to have a chicken to pluck the feathers?)
meaning that there's a need to talk to someone seriously about a problem. I went home and practiced that to my boyfriend and found that his face was as white as a sheet and said "WHAT???"
LOOOOOOOL
Danish proverbs
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Danish_proverbs
List of tongue-twisters in Danish http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/List_of_tongue-twisters#Danish
Ooh I absolutely love these Danish phrases. I am writing the ones you have shared on a proper whiteboard so I can memorize them and use them during social occasions :)
Okay...those are officially ...interesting! Thanks for sharing.
Oh! And meant to tell you welcome to the 30 club!! We have been waking up to 27 to 30 degree mornings for almost two weeks. Granted, it does not stay that way all day, but dang, it sure is cold in the morning!!
Love ya!!
Here's some more sayings, all about shoes:
1) "stå op før fanden får sko på" » get up at an ungodly hour - He had to get up at an ungodly hour today
2) "gå i for små sko" » be small-minded - People in this village have always been small-minded
3) "stille træskoene" » pop one's clogs (pawn one's clogs).
"han har stillet træskoene" means he has passed away.
Fab! I love the one about no cows on the ice. HA!
Love your blog! Thanks for sharing all that info.
I was checking out another site before with some danish sayings, but they didn't have it in original language, just translated to english. Do u happen to know any of those?
http://www.worldofquotes.com/proverb/Danish/10/index.html
Would be interesting to see them in danish.
My favorite is "A sluge kamelen"
Direct translation = to swallow the camel
I think it's similar to "bite the bullet" in English
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