ja tak
/ja tak/word by word
The English phrase "yes please" is translated into Danish as ja tak.
ja tak is a polite way to accept an offer or agree to something.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of ja (yes) and tak (thanks).
Which one should you use?
While ja tak is used to accept an offer, you should use nej tak to politely decline one.
How do you pronounce it?
/ja tak/
Did you know?
- In some contexts, a Danish person might say nej tak even if they actually want the item, as a form of modest politeness before being offered a second time.
- One historical origin of tak comes from the Middle Low German word 'tacke', which meant a 'twig' or 'branch'.
- Danes often use tak as a way to signal the end of a conversation or a transaction, similar to how 'cheers' is used in some English dialects.
Examples in context
- "Vil du have te?" "Ja tak!""Would you like some tea?" "Yes, please."This example shows how to use ja tak when responding to an offer of tea.Tatoeba #2493764 by danepo, translation #2493192 by shadyray601
- Vil du have mere te?
Ja tak.Would you like more tea?
Yes please. - Skal jeg hælde mere øl op til dig?
Ja tak, det siger du ikke nej til!Should I pour more beer for you?
Yes please, you don't say no to that! - Vil du have en kop mere?
Jeps, tak. Du er altid god til at lave kaffe!Do you want another cup?
Yes please. You always make great coffee! - Ja tak, det vil jeg gerne have.Yes please, I would like that.
- Vil du have lidt mere kage? Ja tak!Would you like some more cake? Yes please!
Example conversation
Lucas is offering Freja some cake.
- LucasVil du have et stykke kage, Freja?Would you like a piece of cake, Freja?
- FrejaJa tak, det ser lækkert ud!Yes please, it looks delicious!
- LucasSkal du have flødeskum på?Do you want whipped cream on it?
- FrejaNej tak, det er fint uden.No thank you, it is fine without.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (ja, tak) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ja, tak, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
