kok
/kɔɡ/
The Danish word for chef is kok.
kok refers to a head cook of an establishment such as a restaurant.
Meaning: head cook of an establishment such as a restaurant (noun)
Which one should you use?
In Danish, kok is the standard term for a cook or chef, whereas the word chef is a loanword used to mean a boss or manager.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of kok is kokke, and the definite form (the chef) is kokken.
How do you pronounce it?
/kɔɡ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the word chef in Danish to mean a head cook. However, in Danish, chef refers to a boss or a leader in any field.
Did you know?
- The Danish language uses kok to describe the profession, but the act of cooking is expressed with the verb at lave mad, which literally means 'to make food'.
- The Danish word kok looks like the English word 'cook', but it is actually a phonetic adaptation from the German word Koch.
- While an English speaker might use 'chef' to describe someone's professional title, a Dane uses chef to describe anyone in a position of authority, from a CEO to a football coach.
Examples in context
- Vi har en meget god kok.We have a very good chef.This sentence shows how to describe the quality of a kok.Tatoeba #5279347 by danepo, translation #5321697 by bluedragon123
- Kokken kom hen til vores bord.The chef came over at our table.This sentence demonstrates the use of the definite form kokken.Tatoeba #7316976 by danepo, translation #7306614 by Hybrid
- Vi har en fantastisk kok på vores restaurant.We have an amazing chef at our restaurant.
- Mød vores dygtige chefkok i aften på TV.Meet our talented executive chef tonight on TV.
- Han er en dygtig kok.He is a skilled chef.
Example conversation
Noah and Sofie are discussing the food at a dinner party.
- NoahMaden smager fantastisk, Noah.The food tastes fantastic, Noah.
- SofieTak, Sofie! Min far er en dygtig kok.Thanks, Sofie! My father is a skilled chef.
- NoahDet kan man virkelig smage.You can really taste that.
- SofieJeg skal spørge ham om opskriften.I will ask him for the recipe.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry kok, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries kok, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
