Ways to say it
| Danish | IPA |
|---|---|
| flot | |
| smuk | /smok/ |
Both words are used to describe an attractive appearance. Flot is highly versatile. While it describes a person as handsome or good-looking, it can also mean 'great' or 'nice' when describing things like a car, a performance or a handsome amount of money. For a more formal way to say someone is attractive or appealing, you might use Tiltrækkende. In very informal settings, someone might use Lækker, which translates to 'delicious' or 'hot'.
Which one should you use?
Smuk implies a more classical or aesthetic beauty, whereas flot is a more common, colloquial way to say someone is good-looking or handsome in a modern sense. Additionally, smuk can be used for both men and women to mean 'beautiful', while flot is frequently used for men.
Did you know?
- The word smuk shares an unexpected ancestor with the English word 'smug'. They both trace back to a root meaning 'to crawl' or 'to creep'.
- Unlike some languages that have strictly gendered words for 'handsome' and 'beautiful', smuk is used universally for any gender.
Examples in context
- Han er meget smuk.He is very handsome.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of smuk to say someone is handsome.Tatoeba #1826855 by danepo, translation #400911 by CK
- Han er høj og smuk.He's tall and handsome.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of smuk to describe someone as tall and handsome.Tatoeba #1945895 by danepo, translation #1944046 by Spamster
- Tom er en flot fyr.Tom is a handsome guy.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of flot in the phrase 'flot fyr' to mean a handsome guy.Tatoeba #2466887 by danepo, translation #2462687 by CK
- Wow, du er en virkelig flot fyr/lækker/veldrejet.Wow, you're a really good-looking guy/handsome/hunky.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Freja and Noah are looking at a photo of a celebrity.
- FrejaSe lige ham der!Look at him!
- NoahJa, han er virkelig flot.Yes, he is really handsome.
- FrejaHan er en flot fyr, er han ikke?He is a handsome guy, isn't he?
- NoahDet er han helt sikkert.He definitely is.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “handsome” translations and entries smuk, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries smuk, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
