danois
/da.nwa/masculine
The French word for Danish is danois.
danois is the name of the Danish language. It can also serve as a masculine adjective meaning 'of Denmark'.
Meaning: language (name)
Which one should you use?
In English, the language and its adjective are capitalized, but in French, danois is not capitalized unless it is the first word in a sentence. Additionally, when referring to the people of Denmark, use the plural form les Danois with a capital letter.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to the Danish language as a noun, use the definite article le danois. As a masculine adjective, danois is used to describe masculine nouns, such as un fromage danois (a Danish cheese). To modify feminine nouns, use the feminine form danoise, such as in une culture danoise (a Danish culture).
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables: /da.nwa/.
Did you know?
- In French, the word danois is used to describe a specific type of pastry, but this treat is actually a variety of viennoiserie, meaning it is technically a 'Viennese' style of baking.
- If you are describing a woman from Denmark, you must change the word to danoise, adding an 'e' which fundamentally changes the pronunciation of the final syllable.
- In a French kitchen, if you see beurre danois on a menu, you are looking at 'Danish butter', where the adjective follows the noun, unlike English.
Examples in context
- Parles-tu le danois ?Do you speak Danish?This sentence is useful for asking if someone speaks danois.Tatoeba #8735046 by Micsmithel, translation #5871054 by mailohilohi
- J'aime la bière danoise.I like Danish beer.This sentence uses the adjective danois to describe a noun.Tatoeba #7695720 by Maxence, translation #7248372 by AlanF_US
- Le danois est une langue hideuse.Danish is an ugly language.This sentence uses the noun danois to refer to the language.Tatoeba #10687061 by AutoBot, translation #10687060 by AutoBot
- Je parle le danois.I speak Danish.
- J'adore la cuisine danoise.I love Danish food.
- J'apprends le danois pour mon voyage au Danemark.I am learning Danish for my trip to Denmark.
- Les pâtisseries danoises sont mes préférées !Danish pastries are my favorite!
- Mon ami parle le danois couramment.My friend speaks Danish fluently.
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Emma are discussing the languages they want to learn.
- HugoEmma, est-ce que tu apprends le danois ?Emma, are you learning Danish?
- EmmaNon, je préfère apprendre l'espagnol.No, I prefer to learn Spanish.
- HugoMoi, je trouve le danois très intéressant.Me, I find Danish very interesting.
- EmmaC'est vrai, mais c'est difficile.That's true, but it is difficult.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “danish” translations and entries danois, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
