Danishspeaking

Danishspeaking refers to the ability to speak Danish, a North Germanic language that is the dominant language of Denmark. The term describes both native speakers and learners who have acquired Danish as a second language. Outside Denmark, Danish is used by communities in Greenland, by the Danish minority in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, and among Danish expatriates and immigrant communities around the world.

Danish has several regional dialects. Standard Danish (rigsdansk) is based largely on the Copenhagen area and is used in national media, education, and official contexts. Other regional varieties include Jutlandic and Zealand Danish, with differences in pronunciation, intonation, and some vocabulary. The language is closely related to Norwegian and Swedish, and its written form is mutually intelligible to some extent with Norwegian Bokmål and Swedish, though spoken Danish often requires careful listening for non-native speakers due to pronunciation and the characteristic stød.

Writing and official status: Danish uses the Latin alphabet with the letters æ, ø, and å. It is the official language of Denmark and the primary language taught in schooling and used in government, media, and public life. In Greenland, Danish is widely used in administration and as a second language alongside Greenlandic languages; in immigrant communities, Danish is often studied as a second language. Danish is considered a thriving, non-endangered language with active literacy, media, and cultural production.