studerende
[sd̥uˈd̥eˀɐnə]common gender
The Danish word for student is studerende.
studerende refers to a person enrolled at a school, university or other educational institution. It is most commonly used to describe students in higher education, such as those at a university or college.
Meaning: person enrolled at a school, university or other education institution (noun)
Which one should you use?
While studerende is the standard term for higher education, the word elev is used specifically for students in primary and secondary education.
How does it change in a sentence?
studerende is an indeclinable noun, which means it does not change its form when used in the singular or plural. To express 'the student' in the singular, use the definite article den before the noun: den studerende. To express 'the students' in the plural, use the definite article de before the noun: de studerende.
Did you know?
- While studerende is the noun for 'student', it is grammatically a present participle. This means the word literally functions like the English phrase 'one who is studying'.
- The word elev for younger students comes from the Latin 'elevare', meaning 'to raise'. It reflects the historical view of education as raising a child to adulthood.
- In Denmark, the distinction between elev and studerende is so strict that calling a university student an elev can sound like you are treating them as a child.
Examples in context
- Tom er en forfærdelig studerende.Tom is a terrible student.This sentence illustrates how to describe a student's character using studerende.Tatoeba #7588761 by M1dx, translation #7582726 by CK
- Jeg er studerende, men det er han ikke.I am a student, but he isn't.This sentence shows how to use studerende when stating one's profession or status.Tatoeba #4532676 by danepo, translation #256687 by CK
- Han stjal en motorcykel fra en studerende.He stole a motorcycle from a student.This sentence demonstrates the use of studerende as an object in a sentence.Tatoeba #4483297 by danepo, translation #1835683 by Amastan
- Han er en studerende på Københavns Universitet.He is a student at the University of Copenhagen.
- Hun er en elev på en gymnasieskole.She is a student at a high school.
- Han er bare en skoleelev, men han er virkelig dygtig.He's just a student, but he's really talented.
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A cafe near the university where two friends are meeting.
- MikkelEr du stadig studerende?Are you still a student?
- SofieJa, jeg er studerende på universitetet.Yes, I am a student at the university.
- MikkelDet lyder spændende, Sofie.That sounds exciting, Sofie.
- SofieTak, Mikkel, det er meget sjovt.Thanks, Mikkel, it is very fun.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “student” translations and entries studerende, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
