dreng
/ˈdrɛŋˀ/common gender
The Danish word for boy is dreng.
dreng is used to refer to a male child. If you want to use more informal terms, you might use Fyr to mean a guy or Knægt to mean a lad or youngster.
Meaning: male child (noun)
Which one should you use?
While dreng is the standard term, Fyr functions as an informal way to say guy and Knægt is an informal way to say lad.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To specify a particular boy, use the definite form drengen (the boy). For multiple boys, use the definite plural form drengene (the boys). To indicate possession for multiple boys, you can use drenges (boys').
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈdrɛŋˀ/
Did you know?
- In its original Old Norse form, a dreng was actually a term used to describe a 'young warrior'.
- While dreng is the standard term, using knægt to describe a boy can sometimes sound patronizing or imply the person is behaving like a small child.
- The term knægt is often used in maritime contexts or in historical stories to refer to cabin boys or apprentices.
Examples in context
- Er du en dreng?Are you a boy?This sentence is useful for asking if someone is a dreng.Tatoeba #11915069 by danepo, translation #11899494 by CK
- Vær en god dreng!Be a good boy.This sentence is useful for telling someone to be a good dreng.Tatoeba #2347917 by danepo, translation #1649019 by Spamster
- Hvem er den dreng?Who is that boy?This sentence is useful for asking who a specific dreng is.Tatoeba #6910494 by danepo, translation #67978 by CK
- Se den unge dreng der spiller fodbold.Look at the young boy playing soccer.
- Alle børnene, både pigerne og drengene, trives i skolen.All the children, both the girls and the boys, thrive in school.
- Kan du se den lille knægt, der leger med sine legetøjsbiler?Can you see the little lad playing with his toy cars?
- 107 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mette and Mads are talking about their neighbor's son.
- MetteHar du set den lille dreng?Have you seen the little boy?
- MadsJa, jeg så drengen tidligere.Yes, I saw the boy earlier.
- MetteEr han en sød dreng?Is he a sweet boy?
- MadsHan er en fantastisk dreng.He is a fantastic boy.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “boy” translations and entries dreng, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dreng, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
