goddag
/ɡoˈdaːˀɣ/
goddag is the Danish way to say good day.
goddag is a greeting used between sunrise and sunset. It is typically used when entering a shop or a professional setting to acknowledge a person politely.
Meaning: greeting between sunrise and sunset (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word goddag is a compound of god (good) and dag (day).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
goddag is a relatively formal greeting. In contrast, hej is the much more common, informal way to greet people in Denmark and can be used at any time of the day.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡoˈdaːˀɣ/
Did you know?
- While goddag is polite, using it too often in casual settings can actually make you seem socially distant or even slightly cold to Danes.
- While goddag is the formal greeting, Danes often use the short dav as a very casual shorthand for goddag in rural areas or among friends.
- Unlike the English 'good day' which can sometimes be used as a sharp way to end a conversation, 'goddag' is almost strictly used as a beginning greeting.
Examples in context
- Goddag. Hvad ønsker du?Good day. What do you want?This sentence shows how to use goddag when asking someone what they want.Tatoeba #2530398 by danepo, translation #2310291 by Gulo_Luscus
- Goddag! Hvordan går det?Good day, how are you?This sentence shows how to follow goddag with a question about how someone is doing.Tatoeba #5175857 by danepo, translation #415678 by blay_paul
- Goddag.Good day.This sentence shows the use of goddag as a simple greeting.Tatoeba #1793288 by danepo, translation #1844755 by wwkudu
- Goddag! Hvordan har du det?Good day! How are you?
- Hej! Jeg har det godt, tak! Og dig?Hello! I am doing well, thanks! And you?
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofie and Lucas meet on the street during the day.
- SofieGoddag, Lucas!Good day, Lucas!
- LucasGoddag, Sofie. Hvordan går det?Good day, Sofie. How is it going?
- SofieDet går fint, tak.It is going well, thanks.
- LucasHvor er det godt at høre.That is good to hear.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good day” translations and entries goddag, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
