mål
/mɔːl/neuter
The English word 'goal' is mål in Danish.
mål refers to a result one is attempting to achieve, such as an abstract objective or an aim. It is also used to describe a physical target that one aims at, or a score/goal in sports. Common collocations include sætte sig et mål (to set a goal), nå ens mål (to reach one's goal) and arbejde hen imod et mål (to work towards a goal).
Meaning: result one is attempting to achieve (noun)
Which one should you use?
While mål can mean a goal in sports, it is also the word used for 'target' in the sense of a physical mark one aims at.
How does it change in a sentence?
mål is a neuter noun. The definite singular form is målet (the goal), and the definite plural form is målene (the goals).
How do you pronounce it?
/mɔːl/
Did you know?
- The Danish word mål is a linguistic double agent. It descends from two different Proto-Germanic roots: one meaning 'speech' and another meaning 'measurement'.
- In Danish, the word mål can also refer to a 'meal' or a specific time, a connection that stems from the Old Norse root for 'time'.
- In a legal context, mål can relate to a 'case' or a 'matter' being discussed in court, stemming from its root meaning of 'speech'.
Examples in context
- Han nåede sit mål.He attained his goal.This sentence shows how to use mål to describe attaining a goal.Tatoeba #8752260 by danepo, translation #389159 by CK
- De nåede deres mål.They reached their goal.This sentence demonstrates reaching a goal with the word mål.Tatoeba #1132425 by danepo, translation #389168 by CK
- Hvad var deres mål?What was their goal?This sentence uses mål to ask about a specific goal.Tatoeba #8762614 by danepo, translation #4494795 by CK
- Jeg har et mål om at lære dansk inden årets udgang.I have a goal of learning Danish by the end of the year.
- Mit formål med at studere dansk er at kunne kommunikere med de lokale.My goal in studying Danish is to be able to communicate with the locals.
- Jeg vil opnå flydende danskI want to achieve fluent Danish
- Jeg vil læse en dansk bog hver måned i et årI want to read a Danish book every month for a year
- 14 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mette and Lucas are discussing their professional ambitions.
- MetteHar du et klart mål med arbejdet?Do you have a clear goal with your work?
- LucasJa, mit mål er at blive leder.Yes, my goal is to become a manager.
- MetteDet er et rigtig godt mål.That is a really good goal.
- LucasTak, jeg arbejder hårdt på det.Thanks, I am working hard on it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “goal” translations and entries mål, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mål, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
