Help and emergencies in Danish
The words you hope to never need. Play the ten Danish words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 10 Danish phrases in this lesson
- Hjælp!yelp
- Help!
- Ring efter en lægering EF-tah en LAY-eh
- Call a doctor
- Politipo-lee-TEE
- Police
- Apotekah-po-TEK
- Pharmacy
- Hospitalhos-pee-TAL
- Hospital
- Jeg er faret vildyai air FAH-ret VEEL
- I'm lost
- Jeg har det ikke godtyai har day IK-eh GOT
- I don't feel well
- Den er blevet stjåletden air BLEH-veth STYAW-let
- It was stolen
- Det er en nødsituationday air en NURTH-see-too-a-shohn
- It's an emergency
- Lad mig værela mai VAIR
- Leave me alone
The silent h makes it "yelp", which is memorable. For calm requests: "kan du hjælpe mig?" (can you help me?), though English works fine in any emergency here.
The emergency number is 112. For urgent but non-emergency care in Copenhagen, call 1813 first; showing up unannounced at an ER is not how the Danish system works.
Non-emergency number 114. Danish police are approachable and speak English. Denmark is one of the safest countries in the world; your most likely report is a stolen bicycle.
Fewer and more regulated than in southern Europe; look for the stylized A. Basic painkillers are also sold in supermarkets. Pharmacists speak English and advise readily.
Also called sygehus (SOO-eh-hoos), literally "sick house", outside Copenhagen. Emergency treatment is free for everyone, including visitors.
Danes will help instantly and in English. Central Copenhagen is small and walkable; being truly lost takes some effort, which is reassuring.
Useful at a pharmacy. Point and add "det gør ondt her" (day gur ONT hair), it hurts here. That plus pointing is a complete medical history.
Combine: "min cykel er blevet stjålet", my bicycle was stolen, statistically the most useful version of this sentence in Denmark. Report online or at any station for the insurance paper.
The emergency number is 112. "Det haster" (day HAS-tah), it's urgent, is the shorter thing to say.
Firm and clear. Danes respect personal space, so this is rarely needed.