#danish proverbs

Some of the most normal and funniest proverbs and phrases in the danish language

Sorry If not all of them is from Denmark. Also, feel free to correct me if Im wrong.

Hvor intet vover, intet vinder

‘Nothing dared, nothing gained’

Sometimes you have to take a chance, otherwise you won’t ever gain something.

Man skal smede, mens jernet er varmt

‘You have to wrought the iron, while its still hot’

When the moment is there, anything can be accomplished, do not hesitate.

Fej for din egen dør, før du fejer for andres

‘Sweep your own doorstep, before you sweep others’

Be sure you are flawless before you point out the faults of others.

Kært barn har mange navne

‘Beloved child, goes under many names’

If something is well-liked, there will be a lot of versions of it.

Nød lærer nøgen kvinde at spinde

‘Distress teaches naked woman to spin’

One's ability to find solutions are increased if you are in a problematic situation.

Man kan ikke både blæse og have mel i munde

‘You can’t blow and have flour in your mouth at the same time’

You can’t always have it all. Sometimes you have to choose.

Den, der ler sidst ler bedst

‘He who laughs last, laughs best’

People are often quick to make false claims / solutions, but they will be revealed in time so that the person who comes with real claims / solutions win.

Der er ikke rust på et nyttigt redskab

‘There is no rust on a useful tool’

If something is usefull, it will be used and not fade away.

For mange kokke fordærver maden

‘Too many cooks, spoil the food’

When a group of people can't agree on solution.

Når katten er ude, danser musene på bordet

‘When the cat is away, the mice dance on the table’

When authority is gone, expelled rashness.

Utak er verdens løn

‘Ingratitude is the world's salary’

You can not always expect gratitude for your efforts.

Tomme tønder buldrer mest

‘Empty barrels make most noise’

The ignorant talk, just to get heard.

Man skal ikke kaste med sten, når man selv bor i glashus

‘One should not throw stones, if one lives in glass house’

Treat others as you want to be treated.

Some of the most normal and funniest proverbs and phrases in the danish language

Sorry If not all of them is from Denmark. Also, feel free to correct me if Im wrong.

Ingen arme, ingen småkager

‘No arms, no cookies’

People will not help you get the things you want.

Hellere en sild i sengen, en tre torsk i nettet

‘Rather a herring in the bed, than three cods in the net’

In danish a herring is also the word for a hot woman. Rather a hot woman in your bed than food on the plate.

Brændt barn skyr ilden

‘Burned child is afraid of fire’

You remember unpleasant incidents, and try to avoid them in the future.

Hvor kragerne vender

‘Where the crows turn around’

That something is so far from civilization that not even the crows fly there.

Gå ikke over åen efter vand

‘Do not cross the river, to get water’

Said, when a person solves a problem in a way that is unnecessarily complicated.

Lige børn leger bedst

‘Children who are alike, gets along the best’

One should stick to his own social class. (Some adds ‘but crooked children are having more fun’ since ‘lige’ is directly translated to ‘straight’)

På et hængende hår

‘On a hanging hair’

If something is just about to go wrong but doesn’t, it was on a hanging hair.

Den ved bedst hvor skoen trykker, som har den på

‘The person who knows best where the shoe pinches, has it on’

Means that you shouldn’t assume how it is for people or working classes, that you know nothing about.

Man må kravle, før man kan gå

‘You have to crawl before you can walk’

You can’t pick something up, and expect to be good at it, you need to learn it first.

Træde i spinaten

‘Stepping in spinach’

If you’ve done something wrong, you stepped in spinach.

Du skal ikke købe katten i sækken

‘Don’t buy a cat in a sack’

Don’t buy something you haven’t seen, since you probably will get cheated.