False friends are words in two languages that look or sound similar but have completely different meanings.

Danish and English share Germanic language roots.

This means they have many false friends that trip up new language learners.

Misunderstanding these words can lead to very confusing or embarrassing situations.

Learning to recognize them early will greatly improve your Danish comprehension.

Here are the most common Danish and English false friends to keep in mind.

Gift

The Danish word gift has two very different meanings.

It translates to either “married” or “poison” in English.

It doesn’t mean a present.

If you want to talk about giving someone a gift in Danish, you should use the word gave.

Fart

This is usually the first false friend English speakers laugh at when visiting Denmark.

The word fart in Danish simply means “speed” or “pace”.

It has absolutely nothing to do with flatulence or passing gas.

You’ll frequently see signs saying fartkontrol on the highway.

This simply means there’s a speed check or a speed camera ahead.

Kok

This is another word that frequently causes English speakers to giggle.

The word kok in Danish translates to “chef” or “cook”.

It’s a completely innocent profession title.

If you want to compliment the person who made your meal at a restaurant, this is the word you use.

Eventuelt

This word looks exactly like the English word “eventually”.

However, eventuelt actually means “possibly” or “optionally” in Danish.

If you want to say “eventually” in Danish, you should use the phrase på et tidspunkt or the word omsider.

Aktuel

The word aktuel doesn’t mean “actual”.

It translates to “current”, “relevant”, or “topical” in English.

You’ll often see it used in the news to describe current events.

If you need to say “actual” or “actually”, you should use the Danish word faktisk.

Fabrik

It’s very easy to mistake the word fabrik for the English word “fabric”.

In Danish, fabrik means “factory”.

If you’re talking about textiles or clothing material, the correct Danish word is stof.

Barn

The word barn in Danish refers to a person, not a place for farm animals.

It simply means “child”.

If you need to talk about an actual barn on a farm, you should use the Danish word lade.

Slut

This word often shocks English speakers when they see it for the first time.

In Danish, slut just means “end” or “finished”.

You’ll see it at the end of Danish movies, books, and fairy tales.

It has no negative or inappropriate connotations in the Danish language.

Summary table of false friends

Here’s a quick reference chart to help you remember these common false friends.