Ways to say it
| Danish | IPA |
|---|---|
| lækker | /lɛkər/ |
| liflig | |
| velsmagende | /ˈvelˌsmæˀjənə/ |
| smagfuld |
In Danish, there are several ways to describe something that is pleasing to the taste. While lækker is a very common way to describe delicious food, it can also be used to describe people as attractive or 'hot'. Although smagfuld contains the word for taste, it is almost always used to mean 'tasteful' in terms of aesthetics or decor.
Which one should you use?
While lækker means delicious when talking about food, it is also very commonly used to describe people as attractive or 'hot'. In contrast, velsmagende is a more formal and descriptive way to say something tastes good, often used in written reviews or formal settings.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective lækker changes its ending based on the gender of the noun it describes: lækker for common gender (en) and lækkert for neuter gender (et). When describing a neuter noun like 'mad' (food) in a predicate, you use the form lækkert. The plural form of lækker is lækre.
How do you pronounce it?
/lɛkər/
Did you know?
- The word lækker was borrowed into Danish from Middle Low German, showing the deep historical influence of German trade languages on Danish vocabulary.
- When you use the neuter form lækkert as an exclamation, it often functions like the English 'Yum!', describing the sensation of the food rather than the food itself.
- The Danish adjective liflig is an older, more poetic way to describe something delicious, often evoking a sense of something being 'lively' or 'full of life'.
Examples in context
- Det ser lækkert ud.This looks delicious.This sentence shows how to use the form lækker in a predicate.Tatoeba #10262989 by danepo, translation #2253732 by CK
- Denne appelsin er velsmagende.This orange is delicious.This sentence uses the form velsmagende to describe a piece of fruit.Tatoeba #2008554 by danepo, translation #882674 by CK
- Karryretten var meget velsmagende.The curry was very delicious.This sentence uses the form velsmagende to describe a curry dish.Tatoeba #13359303 by danepo, translation #792568 by ryanthewired
- Denne ret smager dejligt.This dish tastes delicious.
- Måltidet var virkelig skønt.The meal was truly delicious.
- Denne kage smager lækkert!This cake tastes delicious!
- Denne ret ser virkelig mundvandsfremkaldende ud!This dish looks really mouth-watering!
- Disse kødboller er utroligt saftige og smagfulde.These meatballs are incredibly juicy and flavorful.
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Freja and Lucas are eating dinner at home.
- FrejaLucas, er maden ikke lækker?Lucas, isn't the food delicious?
- LucasJa, den er virkelig lækker, Freja.Yes, it is really delicious, Freja.
- FrejaJeg er glad for, at du kan lide den.I am glad that you like it.
- LucasDu er en fantastisk kok.You are a fantastic cook.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “delicious” translations and entries lækker, velsmagende, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lækker, velsmagende, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
