@@torbendinesen7121 I guess it's more about people feeling safe and secure in their surroundings - not having to worry about kids beings abducted. In UK and America it would be considered child neglect or outright illegal to leave kids outside like that. Actually there was an infamous case in New York, I believe, several years ago when a Scandinavian tourist was arrested for leaving her kid in the stroller outside a bar while she was having a drink. Everybody was outraged and vilified her for being a bad mother!
Stopping for red light is deeply imprinted in the danish culture, because that is the very first thing we learn as kids, when we start to take walks with the kindergarten or parents. As for the absence of “please”, we use another phrase that says “vil du være sød at. . . “ which means “would you be kind and. . . “ We don’t have a word that directly translate “please” like the danish word “hygge” is untranslatable to English. Hope that helped 😁
We do have a few versions of "please", but they are kind of situational. If you are asking for something to be handed or granted to you, i.e. "could you hand me the sugar, please" or "could I please have a new bike", the phrase is "må jeg bede om *what you're asking for*" possibly with "tak" at the end of the sentence: "må jeg bede om sukkeret, tak?". Literally "may I ask for the sugar, thank you". An alternative would be ending a sentence with: "hvis du vil være så venlig" (literally "if you would be so kind"). I'll grant you, that many people aren't particularly polite anymore. It used to be a bigger thing in the culture, but it's sort of faded over the last few decades. When I was a child (in the eighties) you would be expected to address people with "De", if you didn't know them well. Then it became address the elderly that way, because they expected it. And well, now here we are with "De" basically not being used at all.
Well the translation, if done directly without taking the situation into perspective would be "May I beg you for the sugar, thanks". "bede" or beg for something and ending the sentance with thanks is the normal way for a dane to say please
I was born in 81, and I don’t think I have used the formal “De” with more than 5 people in my entire life. I think that stuff started dying out a little earlier. At least in Aalborg, by the mid eighties it was incredibly uncommon.
@@jacobrichter I would normally agree with you, but if you search for the translation of "bede" the answer is "bede {vb.} EN to ask, to beg, to ask for, to pray" and the root of the word would be translated to beg
Actually, from my own driving, education more than a decade ago, Danish drivers are in fact stressed about someone crossing the street 200m ahead. There's no risk of hitting anyone, but having been a pedestrian in India... I can only say that we panic too easily. Anywhere else, netherlands or india, people just adapt. So the safest place to just cross the road may be in DK... but they'll be pissed.
Its also a bit from the German culture of following rules and order in things, offcourse Denmark as a small country has some influence from its neighbors.
Danes don't say "please" that much, but they say "thank you" all the time, far more than the French - "tak for mad", "tak for i dag", "tak for sidst", "selv tak"... on pourrait carrément dire que les Danois répondent du tak au tak !
The most likely thing to happen if a baby is "parked" outside a restaurant or shop is that if the baby starts crying and a person in the street hears it, they will open the door and call inside the shop/restaurant "the baby is awake!" The mother/father responds with an "ok, thank you" and goes out to their baby, while the person who happened to heard the awakening baby, continues on with their business🙂 Fresh air and a bit of "noise" is good for the baby. They fall asleep easier indoors and you dont have to whisper aso while they sleep😉
@@VonDutchNL Yes It's always at least 20 degress below the freezing point all year round here in Denmark. We are sadistic people who want our OWN babies to die from hypothermia. That's why we do it. Damn, what a stupid question! Educate yourself.
It's true. In Denmark red light means stop - even if there's no passing cars on the road xD I have visited countries where I pretty much was the only person left on the sidewalk waiting for the light to turn green. It's so weird to me when people don't really respect the rules and expect the cars to not run you over if you walk out in front of them.
The red light thing is something taught in school. We learn our kids to behave responsible in the traffic and stay safe. The parents also learned this when they were kids, so they also teach their kids this.
Very fun to see your viewpoints :) i am a dane and i was travelling as a backpacker in Australia and i am not used to use the word please, and so i thought i was being polite by asking “can i have” but i was not i found out and it took me some time to learn😂
The danish word for please is "vær så venlig at...", but we cut it out when we realise that it is the tone and not the word, that desinct between politeness and rudeness.
True, but often you could say 'tak' (thanks) as a substitute, as in "will you pass me the salt, thanks". I believe that to be very common, but you wouldn't really need to say it because it is implied as you stated.
I want to add, about not having a word for "please". We do use "Bede om" (some people pronounce it: Be' om) which is used to ask about things in a polite way. "Må jeg be' om remouladen?" (polite) instead of "Giv mig remouladen!" (impolite) - or in English: "May I have the dipping, please?" (polite) instead of "Give me the dipping!". Be' om is not as versatile in it's use as please, obviously.
Following the rules is in the best interest for everybody. The rules are there for a reason. If you’re meant to jaywalk, there wouldn’t be traffic lights. Why put up lights, if people didn’t take notice of them? The kids in stroller thing ... it really isn’t that wierd if you’re born into it. As part of our upbringing, we teust the society and the people who make it up.
Mostly the adherence to stopping for a red light, even if it's 3 in the morning and there's no cars in sight, is because it's taught in kindergartens. It's not as much cultural as it is just engrained in us from a very early age. Also as others have pointed out, we do have phrases that replaces 'please' it's just an inefficient way of communicating, so most of the time we don't ask nicely, because the end result is the same, we'll ask respectfully, but we won't say please.. well unless you're talking to your 90 year old grandmother. The really funny thing is that the phrases we do use, are actually mostly used to not ask in a nice way, as to command someone to do something like "vær så venlig at.." i guess we figured at some point that there is no more rude way of telling someone to do something than to ask nicely, but be mean about it, so we might say "be so kind" but we really mean "Do it or i'll have you take a long walk off a short pier". It's all in the tone really.
Some of these, the strollers and the obeying the rules, have to do with the Scandinavian culture of trust and responsibility. People will assume that you are trustworthy, but the "price" is that they also have to behave responsibly themselves. Follow rules etc. Mainly it works. Sometimes it fails badly, and someone succeeds in fooling the "gullible" Scandinavian. I believe that this cultural trait, while strong in Denmark, is even stronger in Norway.
Isnet the trust mostly directed at society as a whole? I don’t think it’s a one to one experience because at that level the trust is less thus people are more on guard.
Charisma Hornum-Fries I think it is more than that. People will let others into their buildings, if they claim to be bringing ads. We, freely give access codes to our phones, when we bring them in for repair. While we have all sorts of security procedures about calling people back, or not letting people in without ids, they are usually not followed. Denmark is a, security person's absolute nightmare. But it mainly works. And I believe people are mostly happier for it.
Amazing what a difference in US I assume that everyone including the government is untrustworthy, totally different life in Norwegian countries, this level of trust can not be achieved in US, in some parts people will not leave their homes without guns in their pockets ready to return fire on moment notice. Sad 😔but true
Margaux, it's funny to listen to 'non natives' impressions of Denmark 😄 Having lived abroad myself for decades, and now being used to use ''please' in every other sentence, I found that a 'reverse culture shock' as well 🤣 This with following rules... we do follow them, if and when they make sense to us, but in general, Danes have a very relaxed attitude to almost everything, including rules 😉 If you have not yet have the chance to read Piet Hein's books 'GRUK' (there are 3), I highly recommend you do. They are funny little poems, with a tongue-in-cheek twist, and they actually do say a lot about who we are, and our brand of humor. Here's one about rules: Hvor er dog Danmark dejligt, her er intet absolut. Noget er forbudt, og noget meget strengt forbudt. Men altid er der lig'som underfundigt føjet til: Naturligvis untagen, hvis de meget gerne vil.
Hi Margaux. Great video, thank you! I was raised in Denmark but live in the U.S. I have noticed so many cultural differences since moving away, and you are so right about all the things you are pointing out. I would love to add that there are words we use for the French word "vous," but we mainly only use this formal approach when speaking to elderly people or royal figures. We would then use the words, "De," "Dem," "Deres," and "I." For example: "Har De fundet Deres plads, Hr. Jensen?" and "Nej, det var ikke Dem jeg talte om" or "Hvordan har I det idag?" osv. About being direct and rude, this is something so Danish they don't even notice it themselves. I have found most other cultures to be much more polite. I think we as Danes are very aware of being fake and superficial. That is something Danes hate with a passion. So, they cut all the polite formalities and cut straight to the point. Treating others with raw honesty is a way of respecting others in Denmark. But in the U.S., sharing your unsolicited opinion may be seen as overstepping and is sometimes considered rude, whereas in Denmark, you are almost rude if you keep your opinion to yourself because you are seen as having something to hide. Danes easily feel they cannot trust a person who seems to hide their opinions. All the best to you! Thanks for a nice video.
Crossing when it is red. It has nothing to do with fines - but I do not want kids to see me doing that. I will happily jaywalk in the evening, when there are no kids on the street. As for the kids outside - kidnappings are VERY rare and should a pram be stolen, the cops will drop what they are doing and look for the dark Odder pram.
I understand that you were shocked about babies left alone outside , and when i became a mom myself to my wonderful son , people always told me that it was good for their immune system to sleep outside in the daytime , but i was scared to let him sleep outside , so i walked around whit him in his stroller when he should has his naps in the daytime , sometimes 6 hours , because he couldn't fall sleep inside at the daytime , but we were living in a flat with an area that belongs to the building , and we had a big balcony , so one day i started to let him sleep right down in front of our balcony , even at the winter , but he had plenty of winter clothing on and a duvet , and so on , and ALL the time i sat at the balcony and looked at him , CONSTANTLY , and as soon he started to move , i was running down to check if he was about to wake up , and i also went down and checked on him , despite that i could see him all the time from the balcony , but leaving him outside a shop , or a restaurant or other places , no, no , i would never do that . Yes we have a word for please ( unskyld eller unskyld mig - excuse me ) vild du være sød / venlig ( would you be kind ) , Tak ( thank you ) and so on . I have wright it before : No we don't say things straightforward , not us that are raised properly , and the most Danish are polite , so no ,i think that you have met some very angry types or people that were very stressed , or some of the people that were not raised properly . Thank you and have a wonderful day yourself and your love ones .
I Think our Way of “please” is to ask😅 So in stead of: “Do this please”, we will ask - but without “please”. Like: Will you do this? Do you have the time tomorrow? Do you want to help me with weekend? Would it be okay if -? Would you mind doing this? I hope it makes sence😅 To me this is what i do when i and others are Trying to be polite🤗🙏🏽
The polite phrases in danish use the verb 'bede'. 'Jeg vil gerne bede om...' 'I'd like to ask for...'or 'Må jeg bede dig om at...' ,.= 'May I ask you to...'.
Denmark flat? Ah, you're kidding! The first time my wife flew across Denmark, she was chocked how flat it is! As for the other issues: strollers left unattended, speaking out your mind etc - you're not alone! Lots of foreigners say the same. Thanks for sharing. You should stay in DK - you'd make a terrific ambassador to attract more people to Denmark
Nice video.. nice info... I'm so keen to learn about other cultures. Not much surprised about info because I assumed that Scindenifian countries have so much in common... 🌺👌🏻
Hi Margaux, the peninsula of Denmark is relatively flat, but it does have hilly areas in Northern Jutland. It is a whole different situation in the Faroe Islands and Greenland, where the hills and mountains are quite impressive. :)
@@AFrenchWomanLivingInDenmark Just remember that the Faroes is not Denmark and we are not Danish, we just, by chance, ended under Danish rule...a colony they didn`t give a f... about until the British invaded us during WW2.
@@Sijadav Well if you are so ungrateful you could start by giving us the money back we spend on drilling all your tunnels and stop going here for a free education.
All of this is completely correct! Danes dont cross the street on a red light, because... you will be hit by a truck! We dont use the phrase "De" because you only use it to people of high status, and we dont acknowledge hight status. We leave our babies outdoors, because its healthy, and if anybody would try to hurt them, the baby would kick their teeths in (vikings...). Denmark is so flat, that Norwegians refer to Denmark as a" hole", And we speak our mind, because that is just easier for everybody. Nice video!
Nice video! Also a dane, I think you were right on the money. Those were some very "Danish" cultural aspects you touched upon. I do follow you, in regards to the distinct lack of mountains!! It is almost pathetic how flat Denmark is...not much to do about it😁
The red light thing because it make mee and other persons feel safe. When we all follow the rulles, 😉then we Can leave the babie outside, sleeping. ( sorry for my bad english 😊)
Jaywalking: Living in Copenhagen. We bike a lot. Mostly as an alternative to comuting by car. It's not uncommon that I go 30 kmph on the bikelane (yes, dedicated lanes for bikes!). At that speed, my breakingpower and reactiontime to jaywalking is quite limited. Being run into by me, my bike and whatever apparel I bring, is easily 90 kg. At 30 kmph. That will really hurt both of us. So please ( :) ) tourists and foringers not aquinted to cyclist traffic patterns. Don't jaywalk in Denmark! Great vid, by the way..
It is more common to be polite when you get further out in the country - Have a good day and thank you - we will be brought up with there. So it's also an addiction I've been through. I say it now regardless, we do not need to change good habits ♥
We actually do have a word for please. We will say "be' om". Which come from the word "bede om". Like you could say "Må jeg bede om smørret". Which translates to "Could i please have the butter" or more roughly to "Could you please pass me the butter". :)
Not really Julie, i will agree with "be´om" is the closest we have to please and in Danish it functions as please, but the correct translation to "Må jeg bede om smørret" is "Can I Ask for the butter", there is no please in there, BUT to a dane, saying "må jeg bede om smørret" its the same as asking "could i please have the butter". So it is correct that there actually is no danish word for please, but the way we use other words like "bede om" is the "same thing" to danish ppl. essentially it´s not what we say, it´s how we say it ;-)
From what I understand, baby outside in the stroller is normal across Scandinavia - even quite often in sub zero winter temperatures. Re the politeness built into the French language, that disappears in French speaking parts of West Africa where the French dialect is far more direct.
Regarding "mountains", It's funny too - the highest is as you said Ejer Bavnehøj/the hill of Ejer Baune, where as the second highest is given the grand name of Himmelbjerget/the sky mountain lol
I think the closest thing Danish has to "please" might be either "venligst" or "bede om". "Venligst" translates pretty directly into "please", but it is fairly formal. In my experience, I've pretty much only heard it spoken during fine dinners with extended families, and even then, only from a handful of people: "Vil du venligst række mig kartoflerne?" ("will you please pass the potatoes?"). "Venligst" can also be used in a negative fashion in the same way that "please" can in English: Vil du venligst gå din vej?" ("will you please leave?"). Of course, there exists many other ways of wording those sentences, some more casual than others, and every person will have their own preference for choice of words. Generally a sentence with "venligst" will come across as a little more old-fashioned, but to some also a little more "orderly" and "proper". "Bede om" (lit: "to ask for") is mostly used by children in the same way that "please" is used by children to beg for ice cream, although people will also use it at the dinner table when asking for something to be passed: "må jeg bede om kartoflerne?" ("may I ask for the potatoes"). The takeaway from all of this is that if a Dane says "thank you", it's almost always because they mean it and consciously want to let you know that they appreciate what you did.
The first time I visited Beijing, I went out for a walk. When I reached a crossing I waited for green as all Danes would do, a lot of Chineese people were standing there too. I waited for a long time looking at the surroundings, the 6 lanes of cars and keeping an eye on the light. After a while I realized that I was all by myself and everyone else has crossed 😂🤣😂.
There is a kids song called "Red man stand, Green man walk". Or something like that. Most kids may have heard that in the kindergarden. I did. So it is put into the heads of danes from a very early age. Maybe thats why? Personally I respect the red light, if there are cars nearby, or a lot of other people around me. Especially kids. If there are no cars, and no people, I don't care. However, if I am in a hurry, I don't care so much.
Everywhere in Europe those things are teached since the kindergarten to kids so I don't think that's the reason .I think generally people abroad don't take crossing a redlight so seriously as long as they are sure that no car is coming ,why waiting there, especially when you are late for work or whatever. Anyway I appreciate how diligent you danes are and i wish other countries were like you too. You have a lot to teach.
I’m Danish no stop sign nor a red light will ever stop me, but if there are traffic of course i will stop and wait for it to pass, but by definition any red light stop sign i will not if it’s only the sign light
I feel good in this country. I passed 10 days with my daughter and her family. It remember me to my home country. They have a lot in common besides the Lakritz....
When i was 10 we went on holliday to Dublin Ireland. I was so shocked with all the jay-walking, and surprised none of them got run over. It surgests a cultural thing more than a punishment thing, even if amplified by beeing a child. Never really thought about not having a direct word for please, guess the phrase "vær venlig" translates to "be kind". But used as a motivator and not on it's own. Like: "Be kind and do the dishes". Instead of "please do the dishes".
the lack of fake apologies for being nice is kinda shocking for me as well because in our culture (Iranian) we're attached to those nice words which by the way i'd say is way too much and I like the Danish way. but for the first time i phone called my University assistance and out of courtesy i said sorry to bother you and she was like don't be sorry to call me. it was quite weird at first because I didn't know what she means hehe.
Leaving kids outside is healthy for them. They get fresh air and sleep better during the day. THOUGH if the day is foggy, if it freezes more than -10 degrees C or there is direct sunshine on the spot with the child, they are NOT left there. A shady calm spot, not too cold or too hot is where the pram is left. AND there is an adult keeping an eye on the spot constantly and an open window or door to listen in on the child. If there are insects the pram is covered with a net and in the rain there is a waterproof covering too. (Or a roof over the pram). Two of my three children have slept outside, the youngest was asthmatic and could not very often.
English living in Århus 27 years and I agree Just check the comments below You forgot to mention how they believe everything Danish is the best in the world Still love living here though 🏴
@@markwalmsley9868 I agree with you.. We Danes are proud of our small county and everything that comes with it.. We look to other countries and compare ourselves to them (like USA or Russia) but to be honest, I firmly believe We actually have so much to be proud of.. Denmark is doing great in every aspect!! So I don't see that big of a problem with our pride?!- \\..Maybe that's just me though..//✿｡ଓ
You are not the only one looking after the kid, we all looking after each other. So the mom knows if someone takes the kid, everyone else will try to stop him/her. - its the same with the red light. We dont want to make a bad example, especially in front of kids.. because we dont like others to yell at us for being a bad person. If we are alone, we will just cross 😅
I was a Copenhagen taxidriver for 14 years. Rest assured, not all danes respect the red and green ligths. There seem to be a switch that turn their brains of when they are sitting on a bicycle. Once a customer of mine (who refused to use the seatbelt) broke her nose, hitting the dashboard, when a girl on a bike took the red light and i had to hit the brakes. Of course the biker found it necessary to flip the bird and shout "taxasvin" before she went on, unharmed. There is also a thing called "taxagrønt". This means that the cab will continue even though the trafficlight is yellow and almost red. But this is Copenhagen. On the countryside it is different. Now i live in, what in The capitolarea, is refferred to as "udkantsdanmark". Here i have been a taxidriver too. And here things are as you describe them....
Merci/ thank you - Tak - Mange tak - tak skal du have: Please - må/kan jeg bede om - vil du være så venlig at. The stroller thing made my laugh, never really thought about it its just so normal here :D
We do have polite sentences but they might be difficult to understand language wise but it depends on your personality and context how much you use those. I find it easy as I’ve lived in countries where ‘please’ is used everyday but do some find it difficult.
The first point. I once saw a video of an American in Denmark and he also mentioned how we wait for the lights to turn green. Even in the middle of the night, he once saw someone waiting for the green man during the night, only for peeing on a building once he got over to the other side. But he didn't jaywalk.
I believe we follow rules because we are conscious about how good rules usually benefit everyone. I don't like people getting in my way, so in turn I try avoiding getting in the way of other people. However, make no mistake, there is an underlying understanding, that rules _can_ be broken, if there is a good reason for it. Jaywalking because you are in a hurry is not a good reason. You should have started out earlier. (I believe we are also notoriously precise with times, appointments, etc.) If you do it because you need to catch a bus, which is a bit ahead of schedule, and the next one isn't due for maybe an hour, it could be a reason. The Danish poet Piet Hein wrote this about Danes and rules: "Hvor er dog Danmark dejligt, her er intet absolut. Noget er forbudt, og noget meget strengt forbudt. Men altid er der li'som underfundigt føjet til: Naturligvis undtagen hvis De meget gerne vil". (Denmark is so nice, nothing here is absolute. Some things are forbidden, some things even strictly so. But always it is kind of implicitly added "except of course if you really would like to do it anyway.") I think it rings true; because we usually follow the rules, we can be flexible about them in some circumstances. It also helps that we are fairly homogeneous, so we all mostly agree on what the rules are. Basically: be nice, don't be a nuisance or bother other people, and if someone is having a problem that you can easily help with, like a parent getting on or off a bus with a stroller, or even more serious problems that you are capable of helping with, even if it might be inconvenient (say someone suffers a stroke, or there is an accident, and you have some first aid skills) you offer your help as a matter of course. Regarding lost wallets: in Denmark we are so rich, that even our poor pay taxes, so stealing (and begging) is not necessary, in addition to being against the rules. (It's not nice!)
If you walk ower red light in denmark, the fine is DKK 1,000, but if you walk ower red light and a car has to slow down quickly so its not gowing to hit you, the fine will be DKK 1,500, so probably mostly because we comply with it
What are you talking about? There's not one word that translate directly from please. But there's sentencing to make up for it. Like "Må jeg bede om" And "tak" literally means thanks or thank you. I use those words multiple times every single day.
@@tobimobiv1 Thank you for showing me how friendly the Danes are. "What are you talking about?" is not a polite way to ask someone what they are saying. Here are 2 examples of were Danes need lessons on courtesy. When driving in a car, you stop to let another driver to proceed. Dose the driver ever say thank you, no never. The other is in shops, very few Danes can be bothered to say thank you to the person sitting at the checkout. You say there are words for please and thank you but, they are very rarely used.
I´m surprised that you speak english so well without a trace of an accent as I have heard a majority of native french people have. As a native dane i don´t find our country so unique as compared to other countries but that´s due to the fact that I take all the stuff for granted that foreigners find awesome here.
My mom is from Germany so i have been exposed to other sounds than just french maybe that’s why it’s a bit easier for me than my friends for example that are from 100% french family 🙂
Concerning the flatness and higest point. Apart from really small states, I think Denmark has the lowest high point. I mean where else would you find a state with sub 200 meter higest point? Apsrt from places like the Maldives etc. 😗
I've lived in Denmark 3+ years, I would have put 1: smoking... in petrol stations, not seen one explode yet.. yet.. and pubs, like the UK in the 90s ! 2: ignoring roundabouts, whoever gets there fastest wins 3: Handball, world championships was just drunk people and a sport that was intense.. and seemed random 4: drunks... sheesh the Danes love a beer, dark beer, light beer, beer 5: Everyone speaks English, until they don't, hard to argue with Mr Traffic Warden when he suddenly does not Snakke Engelsk (and language school is not fun) love you crazy Danes, this is a great country, the most friendly closed people eve. Tak for i dag
Its not the first time that someone moving to denmark have talked about babyes sleeping out side, and its a bit odd "you dont do that???" really? well what do you do hire a securety guard? The baby is just sleeping. Well diffrent cultures that is the magic of the world.
I find it a bit strange that some people are so surprised about the "no word for please"-thing. You don't have one word for it in French either ! The French say "s'il vout plaît" and the Danes say "vær så venlig" or "vær venlig" - I don't think that many languages use only one word. The English do, the Germans do (bitte) - anyone else ?
Fair enough! Maybe I should have phrased it differently 😊 Politeness is not used as much on an every day , face to face context here in Denmark. This is something that I had to adjust with my partner who rarely says “please”, “thank you”, “sorry” etc Whereas in French we use those words all the time and really take politeness to the next level with anyone you meet 😊
@@AFrenchWomanLivingInDenmark I think I get what you mean, but in my mind (maybe because I'm Danish), it will, I think, quite easily, become superficial so that one say "please" just to say please. Of course it's a bit different with "sorry" BUT, what I don't like about "sorry" is, when it's used for "just" giving an apology, when what's really neaded, is for the person to change behavior. Hope you see my point whether you agree or not ! 🙂
About the crosswalks, it's about respect for the others in the traffic, to protect each other. As for the directness, I thought it was ubiquitous, universal even, I found out that not all cultures are as outspoken and direct the hard way, by pissing off a few people while in the UK and Germany. I learned that it's actually a bit rare.
Well I the case of , children sleeping outside, that is the way to grow up here, after all, we are Vikings 😂 Our children learn from very small, to be outside in all kind of weather, all year long. Second of all, we don’t say please, often, that is true, I’ll don’t think we have a true word for that in my country , besides thanks or in danish TAK 😉🇩🇰🙏
Hvis du/ De vil være så venlig , not very common . Rules following: think it’s culturel. I visited Paris once, most cars had dents and were honking, instead of following the traffic rules. Not likely in Denmark.
And here i am as a dane thinking that 95% of people here beat around the bush or keep silent instead of saying it as it is. Anyway glad you like it here.
I don't know what the traffic lights are like in France. In the London waiting for the lights to change takes foreeeever. In Denmark a lot of research has gone into figuring out how long the lights can be red before people feel bored and stop caring. And when new traffic lights are put up, they do mathematical modelling to make sure as many people as possible will follow the rules as possible while still allowing traffic to flow freely. Even after traffic lights are up, they will do spot tests collecting statistics so they may continue to optimise the timing of the lights.
@@AFrenchWomanLivingInDenmark It's the same in Czech Republic, they've only 2 seconds traffic light. Folks have to run to cross the road & drivers (they) don't have patience to wait for pedestrians (folks crossing the riad). 'twas my worse experience ever (Oct. 2009) as a tourist in Prag. My son was only 11 months that time & we've to run with the baby trolley & my son to cross the road during because the traffic lights was only 2 seconds. Well, keep safe everyone!
@@AFrenchWomanLivingInDenmark Why wow? 'twas my worse experience in Prag. I think we've much better system or rules here in Denmark. I'm not a Dane, but I lived here in Denmark for 18 yrs., 1 month & 17 days & know more about Denmark, the culture & much more. I speaks their language excellent (study their language 2003- 2006) & works in one of the hospital & a part time in a nursing home. Well, keep safe!
Yeah, good old flat Denmark. Sometimes the weather is annoying as fuck (sorry) Sometimes, everything is so expensive its actually unbelievable, so that is why we are going to Germany to get things less expensive xD.
It is called a false hill. Reason is that the slope is so little you are barely moving up. The whole terrain is pushed up. Other places in Denmark is more majestic. The top of Sky mountain overlooks a big lake, so you get a feeling of being up where the clouds are. That you can access Sky mountain from the other side in a wheel chair unassisted is irrelevant. The highest "real" hill is Aborrebjerg on the island of Møn. Here you go from the beach and straight up 143 meters.
i think it also has to do with the fact we learn trafic rules as children in school. atleast at my school we would, i think it solidifies it in our brains so we most of the time dont even think about breaking them, cause thats just not what you do.
A funny thing I saw once where som foringer who didn't care for the red light and where nearl jaywalking. They laught at those who where waiting and then they where nearly hit by a bicykle. Thats also a reason to stop for the red light if you don't know how it is in Denmark ;-) For me it's the 700,- to 1000,-
Waiting for the light to turn green is a cultural thing. It's like we all agreed on that is what you do. Maybe it's some sort of respect for the rules and "honoring" the rules. I am not sure.
on the top of my head i cant think of one situation in my 38 years, where a child has been taken from their stroller ^^ And when it comes to "red, green light" its true for the most part... Dont know why. - And year! were a pretty direct people! If you ask "how are you doing"?... People are gonna tell how their doing. Also if its bad things... (thats a very personal, direct question) That's the one thing all english talking people say quite often I've come to experience.
I will say that I am like you, even though I’m danish, I always have and always will be fearful when it comes to babies being left on the sidewalk next to restaurants or so 😇 I never have done that with my child and I never would 😇
The polite terms in Danish don't translate well. It's more often "may I ask for XYZ", rather than "I'll have XYZ, please." Often, though, Danish people will just say "XYZ" and expect the waiter or other service deliverer to take that as a mere transaction of information, rather than a polite conversation. We CAN come across as pretty rude. Especially when we attempt foreign languages - which we often do as you probably know. I went for a vacation to Cyprus with a friend and he kept getting annoyed at my English because I kept saying "please" and "thank you" in every other sentence when speaking to waiters etc. - and I kept trying to tell him that it's basically how you're NOT rude in most languages other than Danish. As for the "du/tu" and "De/Vous" differentiation... Using the informal is basically perfectly polite, because that's what almost all of us post-1950s Danes grew up with. Other rules if you meet the Queen, of course, but apart from that it's fine.
The reason why we don't cross the street when the light is red is that danish drivers expect that nobody will cross the street then. So if you want to stay alive in Denmark, then you should be very cautious if passing for red light.
I think it's just laziness to follow the red light. It's easier to just wait than to dodge cars. Some even follow the red light when no cars are around. That's a bit silly. Many Danish people are descendants of vikings. They didn't say please :) It's actually a bit rude to use the words "tak" (thank you), and "vil du være så venlig" (would you kindly), when asking for something. It's like a policeman asking for your drivers licence, making it harder to decline the request. But I love going to England and France where people are much more polite in their language. Even though it's more or less automatic behaviour, it still feels like people care more. It also makes people more polite in other situations, like noticing who arrived first at the bus stop etc.
The Danish people are for the most part dependent on the system. They abide to the rules and in return they get a sense of security. For instance: on most of our small hills there are actually railing on the paths preventing you falling in the “abyss” of 10 meters depth. We’re used to this level of safety. In some way it’s good. In some way we forget to take responsibility for our own actions and rely to much on the system. If you are a conscious person you can dismiss the rules. But only if you have fully understood the intention of the rules and the considerations to be taken to the people around you. I always wait for the green light if there’s a child waiting somewhere as well. Because of the educational effect. But if there’s no child waiting, and there’s not a single vehicle in sight I just cross the road no matter the colour of the light. Danes are really lousy in saying “please” and being formally polite. By now the staff in the supermarkets has begun being formally polite whishing everybody a “nice day” but that’s something that we have adopted from the world around us. Probably because the sales go up because of it. Ten years ago it was not common in Denmark. In South Africa people are extremely formally polite and I actually think that it is preventing a lot of hostility in the multicultural society. I think that we should try to improve this here. Especially in these times where things are going a little bit astray on social media sometimes. You don’t feel like starting a fight when you are entitled “sir” or “this nice gentleman”. You’re right about Danes going straight to the point.
I get a bit sad and annoyed when people that are not Danish say we are not polite in Denmark. The reason vi don´t have a word for "please" is because our politeness is built in, in our sentences, our language. We are polite, but it is in the manner we constuct a sentence. Try watching Robe Trotting, they talk about this very topic in one of there episodes.
Fun to hear what someone from another country notice about Denmark. A fun little thing about the "pancakeness" of Denmark is that we also have a hill which is about 150 meters tall, named "Himmelbjerget" = "The Mountain of Heaven". :) What does that tell about Danes? That we are optimistic or delusional? :)
Oh, and by the way, as someone who teaches foreigners Danish allow me to put my "language coaching hat" on for a moment: We use "venligst" sort of as "please", e.g. "Vil du venligst give mig en kage" = "Would you please give me a cake".
I like the way the rules are respected in Denmark. I would like them to be respected the same way in the country of my origin. As for the bikes standing here and there in the high quantity, we always joke with my husband, that they would not be standing that long in Warsaw.- Poland, where I come from, they would have been certainly stolen .-)) You said about all those polite and 'diplomatic' words, You were used to say in France. The same in Poland, we are used to thank for each even small thing we are given, or the favor we experience. That was shocking to my husband, to whom I was so appreciated , saying 'thank You' - in his opinion - ' far too many times'. That's the difference - I still do, my hubby laughs, each time I do :-))...and yes, Denmark is the very safe country. I love that safety very much.
Can't even send your children to school in America without worrying about them getting kidnapped or shot. No more kids going out to play. Be thankful you live in a beautiful safe country.
The directness, to me it both saves time so say the things the are instead of beating around the Bush, also if you don't do it to me it quickly becomes very superficial.
I, as a Dane, is actually very proud of the fact that we can leave our kids in the stroller outside
Yes that's for sure, since no one wants anyone else's kids.
@@torbendinesen7121 I guess it's more about people feeling safe and secure in their surroundings - not having to worry about kids beings abducted. In UK and America it would be considered child neglect or outright illegal to leave kids outside like that. Actually there was an infamous case in New York, I believe, several years ago when a Scandinavian tourist was arrested for leaving her kid in the stroller outside a bar while she was having a drink. Everybody was outraged and vilified her for being a bad mother!
I olso a Dane 🇩🇰
If a child goes missing in Denmark, the whole emergency response is put in place to find them + 5 million people looking for the child.
Including helicopters in the air, the call-in of extra police force from neighboring precints and the whole big show!
if that happens most of the region goes into emergency mode full red alert
He's not wrong
The crosswalk and rule thing is cultural to me. I never thing about fines.. its just the right way to do it. A system only works if we believe in it.
Absolute!
TRUTH - I couldn't agree more if I were paid to! :)
is some thing wee learn as kids.. savety first.. an it just stick with us.. 😀
Stopping for red light is deeply imprinted in the danish culture, because that is the very first thing we learn as kids, when we start to take walks with the kindergarten or parents.
As for the absence of “please”, we use another phrase that says “vil du være sød at. . . “ which means “would you be kind and. . . “
We don’t have a word that directly translate “please” like the danish word “hygge” is untranslatable to English. Hope that helped 😁
We do have a few versions of "please", but they are kind of situational. If you are asking for something to be handed or granted to you, i.e. "could you hand me the sugar, please" or "could I please have a new bike", the phrase is "må jeg bede om *what you're asking for*" possibly with "tak" at the end of the sentence: "må jeg bede om sukkeret, tak?". Literally "may I ask for the sugar, thank you". An alternative would be ending a sentence with: "hvis du vil være så venlig" (literally "if you would be so kind").
I'll grant you, that many people aren't particularly polite anymore. It used to be a bigger thing in the culture, but it's sort of faded over the last few decades. When I was a child (in the eighties) you would be expected to address people with "De", if you didn't know them well. Then it became address the elderly that way, because they expected it. And well, now here we are with "De" basically not being used at all.
Thank you for this very interesting information !! 😃👍🏻✨
Well the translation, if done directly without taking the situation into perspective would be "May I beg you for the sugar, thanks". "bede" or beg for something and ending the sentance with thanks is the normal way for a dane to say please
@@leif8630 “bede” isn’t beg. To beg is “tigge”, at least in modern Danish.
I was born in 81, and I don’t think I have used the formal “De” with more than 5 people in my entire life. I think that stuff started dying out a little earlier. At least in Aalborg, by the mid eighties it was incredibly uncommon.
@@jacobrichter I would normally agree with you, but if you search for the translation of "bede" the answer is "bede {vb.}
EN
to ask, to beg, to ask for, to pray" and the root of the word would be translated to beg
I respect the red light because i dont wanna get run over._.
Same here.
i often walk over for red, if there are no cars :D
@@fedepede04.. Me too.
Actually, from my own driving, education more than a decade ago, Danish drivers are in fact stressed about someone crossing the street 200m ahead. There's no risk of hitting anyone, but having been a pedestrian in India... I can only say that we panic too easily. Anywhere else, netherlands or india, people just adapt. So the safest place to just cross the road may be in DK... but they'll be pissed.
It's no fun to get crushed by a car, speaking from experience!
The reason we don't jaywalk is because we're never really in that much of a hurry.
^ This - not worth it (ticket or getting run over is not worth the 15~ seconds wait).
Its also a bit from the German culture of following rules and order in things, offcourse Denmark as a small country has some influence from its neighbors.
@@danielschmidt787 That´s right!
Danes don't say "please" that much, but they say "thank you" all the time, far more than the French - "tak for mad", "tak for i dag", "tak for sidst", "selv tak"... on pourrait carrément dire que les Danois répondent du tak au tak !
That's so greattt
The most likely thing to happen if a baby is "parked" outside a restaurant or shop is that if the baby starts crying and a person in the street hears it, they will open the door and call inside the shop/restaurant "the baby is awake!" The mother/father responds with an "ok, thank you" and goes out to their baby, while the person who happened to heard the awakening baby, continues on with their business🙂 Fresh air and a bit of "noise" is good for the baby. They fall asleep easier indoors and you dont have to whisper aso while they sleep😉
That’s amazing 😲😃👍🏻!
That’s mind blowing I am shocked . You guys are amazing
@@mroldnewbie true👍
Isn't it to cold tho
@@VonDutchNL Yes It's always at least 20 degress below the freezing point all year round here in Denmark. We are sadistic people who want our OWN babies to die from hypothermia. That's why we do it. Damn, what a stupid question! Educate yourself.
It's true. In Denmark red light means stop - even if there's no passing cars on the road xD I have visited countries where I pretty much was the only person left on the sidewalk waiting for the light to turn green. It's so weird to me when people don't really respect the rules and expect the cars to not run you over if you walk out in front of them.
The red light thing is something taught in school. We learn our kids to behave responsible in the traffic and stay safe. The parents also learned this when they were kids, so they also teach their kids this.
Very fun to see your viewpoints :) i am a dane and i was travelling as a backpacker in Australia and i am not used to use the word please, and so i thought i was being polite by asking “can i have” but i was not i found out and it took me some time to learn😂
The danish word for please is "vær så venlig at...", but we cut it out when we realise that it is the tone and not the word, that desinct between politeness and rudeness.
Or "bede om"
True, but often you could say 'tak' (thanks) as a substitute, as in "will you pass me the salt, thanks". I believe that to be very common, but you wouldn't really need to say it because it is implied as you stated.
Helt enig, vi har masser af høffelighedsfraser. Vi bruger dem bare ikke så ofte:-)
be' om
Polite gestures mostly come off as self-absorbed and patronizing
I want to add, about not having a word for "please". We do use "Bede om" (some people pronounce it: Be' om) which is used to ask about things in a polite way. "Må jeg be' om remouladen?" (polite) instead of "Giv mig remouladen!" (impolite) - or in English: "May I have the dipping, please?" (polite) instead of "Give me the dipping!". Be' om is not as versatile in it's use as please, obviously.
I have lived in the USA for many years. Never became used to the falseness of the way Americans used the word LOVE.
Following the rules is in the best interest for everybody. The rules are there for a reason. If you’re meant to jaywalk, there wouldn’t be traffic lights. Why put up lights, if people didn’t take notice of them?
The kids in stroller thing ... it really isn’t that wierd if you’re born into it. As part of our upbringing, we teust the society and the people who make it up.
Mostly the adherence to stopping for a red light, even if it's 3 in the morning and there's no cars in sight, is because it's taught in kindergartens. It's not as much cultural as it is just engrained in us from a very early age. Also as others have pointed out, we do have phrases that replaces 'please' it's just an inefficient way of communicating, so most of the time we don't ask nicely, because the end result is the same, we'll ask respectfully, but we won't say please.. well unless you're talking to your 90 year old grandmother.
The really funny thing is that the phrases we do use, are actually mostly used to not ask in a nice way, as to command someone to do something like "vær så venlig at.." i guess we figured at some point that there is no more rude way of telling someone to do something than to ask nicely, but be mean about it, so we might say "be so kind" but we really mean "Do it or i'll have you take a long walk off a short pier". It's all in the tone really.
Some of these, the strollers and the obeying the rules, have to do with the Scandinavian culture of trust and responsibility. People will assume that you are trustworthy, but the "price" is that they also have to behave responsibly themselves. Follow rules etc. Mainly it works. Sometimes it fails badly, and someone succeeds in fooling the "gullible" Scandinavian. I believe that this cultural trait, while strong in Denmark, is even stronger in Norway.
Isnet the trust mostly directed at society as a whole? I don’t think it’s a one to one experience because at that level the trust is less thus people are more on guard.
Charisma Hornum-Fries I think it is more than that. People will let others into their buildings, if they claim to be bringing ads. We, freely give access codes to our phones, when we bring them in for repair. While we have all sorts of security procedures about calling people back, or not letting people in without ids, they are usually not followed. Denmark is a, security person's absolute nightmare. But it mainly works. And I believe people are mostly happier for it.
@@mvoetmann1
Absolute!
Amazing what a difference in US I assume that everyone including the government is untrustworthy, totally different life in Norwegian countries, this level of trust can not be achieved in US, in some parts people will not leave their homes without guns in their pockets ready to return fire on moment notice. Sad 😔but true
Margaux, it's funny to listen to 'non natives' impressions of Denmark 😄 Having lived abroad myself for decades, and now being used to use ''please' in every other sentence, I found that a 'reverse culture shock' as well 🤣
This with following rules... we do follow them, if and when they make sense to us, but in general, Danes have a very relaxed attitude to almost everything, including rules 😉
If you have not yet have the chance to read Piet Hein's books 'GRUK' (there are 3), I highly recommend you do. They are funny little poems, with a tongue-in-cheek twist, and they actually do say a lot about who we are, and our brand of humor.
Here's one about rules:
Hvor er dog Danmark dejligt, her er intet absolut.
Noget er forbudt, og noget meget strengt forbudt.
Men altid er der lig'som underfundigt føjet til:
Naturligvis untagen, hvis de meget gerne vil.
Thank for your comment and your recommendation! 😃😊👍🏻☀️
Hi Margaux. Great video, thank you! I was raised in Denmark but live in the U.S. I have noticed so many cultural differences since moving away, and you are so right about all the things you are pointing out. I would love to add that there are words we use for the French word "vous," but we mainly only use this formal approach when speaking to elderly people or royal figures. We would then use the words, "De," "Dem," "Deres," and "I." For example: "Har De fundet Deres plads, Hr. Jensen?" and "Nej, det var ikke Dem jeg talte om" or "Hvordan har I det idag?" osv. About being direct and rude, this is something so Danish they don't even notice it themselves. I have found most other cultures to be much more polite. I think we as Danes are very aware of being fake and superficial. That is something Danes hate with a passion. So, they cut all the polite formalities and cut straight to the point. Treating others with raw honesty is a way of respecting others in Denmark. But in the U.S., sharing your unsolicited opinion may be seen as overstepping and is sometimes considered rude, whereas in Denmark, you are almost rude if you keep your opinion to yourself because you are seen as having something to hide. Danes easily feel they cannot trust a person who seems to hide their opinions. All the best to you! Thanks for a nice video.
Thanks so much for the interesting feedback! 😃
Crossing when it is red. It has nothing to do with fines - but I do not want kids to see me doing that. I will happily jaywalk in the evening, when there are no kids on the street. As for the kids outside - kidnappings are VERY rare and should a pram be stolen, the cops will drop what they are doing and look for the dark Odder pram.
If the kid is still in there. Sure. Otherwise I’m pretty sure they won’t do a thing.
Love your videos 💙💭❤
I understand that you were shocked about babies left alone outside , and when i became a mom myself to my wonderful son , people always told me that it was good for their immune system to sleep outside in the daytime , but i was scared to let him sleep outside , so i walked around whit him in his stroller when he should has his naps in the daytime , sometimes 6 hours , because he couldn't fall sleep inside at the daytime , but we were living in a flat with an area that belongs to the building , and we had a big balcony , so one day i started to let him sleep right down in front of our balcony , even at the winter , but he had plenty of winter clothing on and a duvet , and so on , and ALL the time i sat at the balcony and looked at him , CONSTANTLY , and as soon he started to move , i was running down to check if he was about to wake up , and i also went down and checked on him , despite that i could see him all the time from the balcony , but leaving him outside a shop , or a restaurant or other places , no, no , i would never do that . Yes we have a word for please ( unskyld eller unskyld mig - excuse me ) vild du være sød / venlig ( would you be kind ) , Tak ( thank you ) and so on . I have wright it before : No we don't say things straightforward , not us that are raised properly , and the most Danish are polite , so no ,i think that you have met some very angry types or people that were very stressed , or some of the people that were not raised properly . Thank you and have a wonderful day yourself and your love ones .
I Think our Way of “please” is to ask😅 So in stead of: “Do this please”, we will ask - but without “please”. Like:
Will you do this?
Do you have the time tomorrow?
Do you want to help me with weekend?
Would it be okay if -?
Would you mind doing this?
I hope it makes sence😅 To me this is what i do when i and others are Trying to be polite🤗🙏🏽
The polite phrases in danish use the verb 'bede'. 'Jeg vil gerne bede om...' 'I'd like to ask for...'or 'Må jeg bede dig om at...' ,.= 'May I ask you to...'.
Denmark flat? Ah, you're kidding! The first time my wife flew across Denmark, she was chocked how flat it is! As for the other issues: strollers left unattended, speaking out your mind etc - you're not alone! Lots of foreigners say the same. Thanks for sharing. You should stay in DK - you'd make a terrific ambassador to attract more people to Denmark
Thank you for sharing your experiences in Denmark, it seems to be such a beautiful place! Subscribed:)
Nice video.. nice info... I'm so keen to learn about other cultures. Not much surprised about info because I assumed that Scindenifian countries have so much in common... 🌺👌🏻
I think we just like following rules, I have never heard of anybody getting a fine for jaywalking in DK.
Neither have I seen nobody getting a fine for not following these rules. And I am 76 years old :-)
The thing about speaking your mind is actually is because we are not acusing, but either trying to understand you or make you understand them
Hi Margaux, the peninsula of Denmark is relatively flat, but it does have hilly areas in Northern Jutland. It is a whole different situation in the Faroe Islands and Greenland, where the hills and mountains are quite impressive. :)
Yes ! I would love to go visit the Faroe Islands one day! 🤩
@@AFrenchWomanLivingInDenmark Just remember that the Faroes is not Denmark and we are not Danish, we just, by chance, ended under Danish rule...a colony they didn`t give a f... about until the British invaded us during WW2.
@@Sijadav Well if you are so ungrateful you could start by giving us the money back we spend on drilling all your tunnels and stop going here for a free education.
All of this is completely correct! Danes dont cross the street on a red light, because... you will be hit by a truck! We dont use the phrase "De" because you only use it to people of high status, and we dont acknowledge hight status. We leave our babies outdoors, because its healthy, and if anybody would try to hurt them, the baby would kick their teeths in (vikings...). Denmark is so flat, that Norwegians refer to Denmark as a" hole", And we speak our mind, because that is just easier for everybody. Nice video!
Nice video! Also a dane, I think you were right on the money. Those were some very "Danish" cultural aspects you touched upon.
I do follow you, in regards to the distinct lack of mountains!! It is almost pathetic how flat Denmark is...not much to do about it😁
Se på den lyse side: Holland er gennemsnitlig 3 meter under havoverfladen, medens Dk er gennemsnitlig 3 meter over havoverfladen, lol.
The red light thing because it make mee and other persons feel safe. When we all follow the rulles, 😉then we Can leave the babie outside, sleeping.
( sorry for my bad english 😊)
Jaywalking: Living in Copenhagen. We bike a lot. Mostly as an alternative to comuting by car. It's not uncommon that I go 30 kmph on the bikelane (yes, dedicated lanes for bikes!). At that speed, my breakingpower and reactiontime to jaywalking is quite limited. Being run into by me, my bike and whatever apparel I bring, is easily 90 kg. At 30 kmph. That will really hurt both of us. So please ( :) ) tourists and foringers not aquinted to cyclist traffic patterns. Don't jaywalk in Denmark!
Great vid, by the way..
It is more common to be polite when you get further out in the country - Have a good day and thank you - we will be brought up with there. So it's also an addiction I've been through. I say it now regardless, we do not need to change good habits ♥
We actually do have a word for please. We will say "be' om". Which come from the word "bede om". Like you could say "Må jeg bede om smørret". Which translates to "Could i please have the butter" or more roughly to "Could you please pass me the butter". :)
Not really Julie, i will agree with "be´om" is the closest we have to please and in Danish it functions as please, but the correct translation to "Må jeg bede om smørret" is "Can I Ask for the butter", there is no please in there, BUT to a dane, saying "må jeg bede om smørret" its the same as asking "could i please have the butter".
So it is correct that there actually is no danish word for please, but the way we use other words like "bede om" is the "same thing" to danish ppl.
essentially it´s not what we say, it´s how we say it ;-)
@@MaglorDK I would argue that could I have the butter would translate into "må jeg få smørret"
From what I understand, baby outside in the stroller is normal across Scandinavia - even quite often in sub zero winter temperatures.
Re the politeness built into the French language, that disappears in French speaking parts of West Africa where the French dialect is far more direct.
Regarding "mountains", It's funny too - the highest is as you said Ejer Bavnehøj/the hill of Ejer Baune, where as the second highest is given the grand name of Himmelbjerget/the sky mountain lol
😂
I think the closest thing Danish has to "please" might be either "venligst" or "bede om".
"Venligst" translates pretty directly into "please", but it is fairly formal. In my experience, I've pretty much only heard it spoken during fine dinners with extended families, and even then, only from a handful of people: "Vil du venligst række mig kartoflerne?" ("will you please pass the potatoes?").
"Venligst" can also be used in a negative fashion in the same way that "please" can in English: Vil du venligst gå din vej?" ("will you please leave?").
Of course, there exists many other ways of wording those sentences, some more casual than others, and every person will have their own preference for choice of words. Generally a sentence with "venligst" will come across as a little more old-fashioned, but to some also a little more "orderly" and "proper".
"Bede om" (lit: "to ask for") is mostly used by children in the same way that "please" is used by children to beg for ice cream, although people will also use it at the dinner table when asking for something to be passed: "må jeg bede om kartoflerne?" ("may I ask for the potatoes").
The takeaway from all of this is that if a Dane says "thank you", it's almost always because they mean it and consciously want to let you know that they appreciate what you did.
Thanks for your feedback! 😊👍🏻
The first time I visited Beijing, I went out for a walk. When I reached a crossing I waited for green as all Danes would do, a lot of Chineese people were standing there too. I waited for a long time looking at the surroundings, the 6 lanes of cars and keeping an eye on the light. After a while I realized that I was all by myself and everyone else has crossed 😂🤣😂.
There is a kids song called "Red man stand, Green man walk". Or something like that. Most kids may have heard that in the kindergarden. I did. So it is put into the heads of danes from a very early age. Maybe thats why?
Personally I respect the red light, if there are cars nearby, or a lot of other people around me. Especially kids. If there are no cars, and no people, I don't care. However, if I am in a hurry, I don't care so much.
Everywhere in Europe those things are teached since the kindergarten to kids so I don't think that's the reason .I think generally people abroad don't take crossing a redlight so seriously as long as they are sure that no car is coming ,why waiting there, especially when you are late for work or whatever. Anyway I appreciate how diligent you danes are and i wish other countries were like you too. You have a lot to teach.
I’m Danish no stop sign nor a red light will ever stop me, but if there are traffic of course i will stop and wait for it to pass, but by definition any red light stop sign i will not if it’s only the sign light
I feel good in this country. I passed 10 days with my daughter and her family. It remember me to my home country. They have a lot in common besides the Lakritz....
You are so right 🤣🙌🇩🇰
Nr. 3 and 5 i often see when watching what chock people about Denmark, and 5 yeah we dun beat around the bushes :)
When i was 10 we went on holliday to Dublin Ireland. I was so shocked with all the jay-walking, and surprised none of them got run over. It surgests a cultural thing more than a punishment thing, even if amplified by beeing a child.
Never really thought about not having a direct word for please, guess the phrase "vær venlig" translates to "be kind". But used as a motivator and not on it's own. Like: "Be kind and do the dishes". Instead of "please do the dishes".
the lack of fake apologies for being nice is kinda shocking for me as well because in our culture (Iranian) we're attached to those nice words which by the way i'd say is way too much and I like the Danish way. but for the first time i phone called my University assistance and out of courtesy i said sorry to bother you and she was like don't be sorry to call me. it was quite weird at first because I didn't know what she means hehe.
Leaving kids outside is healthy for them. They get fresh air and sleep better during the day. THOUGH if the day is foggy, if it freezes more than -10 degrees C or there is direct sunshine on the spot with the child, they are NOT left there. A shady calm spot, not too cold or too hot is where the pram is left. AND there is an adult keeping an eye on the spot constantly and an open window or door to listen in on the child. If there are insects the pram is covered with a net and in the rain there is a waterproof covering too. (Or a roof over the pram). Two of my three children have slept outside, the youngest was asthmatic and could not very often.
English living in Århus 27 years and I agree
Just check the comments below
You forgot to mention how they believe everything Danish is the best in the world
Still love living here though 🏴
What?! Are you saying that something Danish isn't?! I am shocked and horrified that you could even suggest such a thing!
@@Sigart I’m shocked that I dared to speak the truth
How dare I I must punish myself severely
Well,beliving that your country has the best to offer is normal I guess, happens all over the world. In Our case, it just happens to be true also..😊
@@ingerlarsen8135 keep believing 💪👍
@@markwalmsley9868 I agree with you.. We Danes are proud of our small county and everything that comes with it.. We look to other countries and compare ourselves to them (like USA or Russia) but to be honest, I firmly believe We actually have so much to be proud of.. Denmark is doing great in every aspect!! So I don't see that big of a problem with our pride?!- \\..Maybe that's just me though..//✿｡ଓ
You are not the only one looking after the kid, we all looking after each other. So the mom knows if someone takes the kid, everyone else will try to stop him/her.
- its the same with the red light. We dont want to make a bad example, especially in front of kids.. because we dont like others to yell at us for being a bad person. If we are alone, we will just cross 😅
Yeah, Denmark is flat as a pan cake, but when you cycle, you always do so in headwind ... always.
i'd say sidewind, I also live at the bottom of a hill which seems mountainous in winter when cycling :D I leased a car
...and that's what I really like in Denmark :-) I hate mountains :-))
So frickin trueee!!
I never heard about anyone being fined for jaywalking in Denmark, it is mainly a cultural thing.
You should make a video about how crazy, we dans are about our coffee and pastries. love #vikingchef
Yes! 😄Thanks for the recommendation😃👍🏻
The traffic law says you can Cross the road 20meters from the traffic light post if you look both ways before you cross the road.
I was a Copenhagen taxidriver for 14 years. Rest assured, not all danes respect the red and green ligths. There seem to be a switch that turn their brains of when they are sitting on a bicycle. Once a customer of mine (who refused to use the seatbelt) broke her nose, hitting the dashboard, when a girl on a bike took the red light and i had to hit the brakes. Of course the biker found it necessary to flip the bird and shout "taxasvin" before she went on, unharmed. There is also a thing called "taxagrønt". This means that the cab will continue even though the trafficlight is yellow and almost red. But this is Copenhagen. On the countryside it is different. Now i live in, what in The capitolarea, is refferred to as "udkantsdanmark". Here i have been a taxidriver too. And here things are as you describe them....
Wow what a story 😳 thanks for your comment 😃✨ yes i guess Copenhagen is different from other parts of the country 😊🇩🇰
Merci/ thank you - Tak - Mange tak - tak skal du have: Please - må/kan jeg bede om - vil du være så venlig at. The stroller thing made my laugh, never really thought about it its just so normal here :D
We do have polite sentences but they might be difficult to understand language wise but it depends on your personality and context how much you use those. I find it easy as I’ve lived in countries where ‘please’ is used everyday but do some find it difficult.
I never left my kids outside a store unattended, i'm danish and had 3 kids, someone doing this in Copenhagen is even shocking to me,
The first point. I once saw a video of an American in Denmark and he also mentioned how we wait for the lights to turn green. Even in the middle of the night, he once saw someone waiting for the green man during the night, only for peeing on a building once he got over to the other side. But he didn't jaywalk.
😂
Fine video.
:-)) Love
I believe we follow rules because we are conscious about how good rules usually benefit everyone. I don't like people getting in my way, so in turn I try avoiding getting in the way of other people. However, make no mistake, there is an underlying understanding, that rules _can_ be broken, if there is a good reason for it. Jaywalking because you are in a hurry is not a good reason. You should have started out earlier. (I believe we are also notoriously precise with times, appointments, etc.) If you do it because you need to catch a bus, which is a bit ahead of schedule, and the next one isn't due for maybe an hour, it could be a reason.
The Danish poet Piet Hein wrote this about Danes and rules:
"Hvor er dog Danmark dejligt, her er intet absolut.
Noget er forbudt, og noget meget strengt forbudt.
Men altid er der li'som underfundigt føjet til: Naturligvis undtagen hvis De meget gerne vil". (Denmark is so nice, nothing here is absolute. Some things are forbidden, some things even strictly so. But always it is kind of implicitly added "except of course if you really would like to do it anyway.")
I think it rings true; because we usually follow the rules, we can be flexible about them in some circumstances. It also helps that we are fairly homogeneous, so we all mostly agree on what the rules are. Basically: be nice, don't be a nuisance or bother other people, and if someone is having a problem that you can easily help with, like a parent getting on or off a bus with a stroller, or even more serious problems that you are capable of helping with, even if it might be inconvenient (say someone suffers a stroke, or there is an accident, and you have some first aid skills) you offer your help as a matter of course.
Regarding lost wallets: in Denmark we are so rich, that even our poor pay taxes, so stealing (and begging) is not necessary, in addition to being against the rules. (It's not nice!)
Thanks for your feedback! Very interesting 😃👍🏻
If you walk ower red light in denmark, the fine is DKK 1,000, but if you walk ower red light and a car has to slow down quickly so its not gowing to hit you, the fine will be DKK 1,500, so probably mostly because we comply with it
The reason there are no words for please and thank you is, they don’t need them. They would be never used.
What are you talking about? There's not one word that translate directly from please. But there's sentencing to make up for it. Like "Må jeg bede om"
And "tak" literally means thanks or thank you. I use those words multiple times every single day.
@@tobimobiv1 Thank you for showing me how friendly the Danes are. "What are you talking about?" is not a polite way to ask someone what they are saying. Here are 2 examples of were Danes need lessons on courtesy. When driving in a car, you stop to let another driver to proceed. Dose the driver ever say thank you, no never. The other is in shops, very few Danes can be bothered to say thank you to the person sitting at the checkout. You say there are words for please and thank you but, they are very rarely used.
I´m surprised that you speak english so well without a trace of an accent as I have heard a majority of native french people have. As a native dane i don´t find our country so unique as compared to other countries but that´s due to the fact that I take all the stuff for granted that foreigners find awesome here.
My mom is from Germany so i have been exposed to other sounds than just french maybe that’s why it’s a bit easier for me than my friends for example that are from 100% french family 🙂
Concerning the flatness and higest point. Apart from really small states, I think Denmark has the lowest high point. I mean where else would you find a state with sub 200 meter higest point? Apsrt from places like the Maldives etc. 😗
I've lived in Denmark 3+ years, I would have put
1: smoking... in petrol stations, not seen one explode yet.. yet.. and pubs, like the UK in the 90s !
2: ignoring roundabouts, whoever gets there fastest wins
3: Handball, world championships was just drunk people and a sport that was intense.. and seemed random
4: drunks... sheesh the Danes love a beer, dark beer, light beer, beer
5: Everyone speaks English, until they don't, hard to argue with Mr Traffic Warden when he suddenly does not Snakke Engelsk (and language school is not fun)
love you crazy Danes, this is a great country, the most friendly closed people eve. Tak for i dag
I don't know what the fine for crossing a red light is. I just don't do it because my parents raised me not to.
Its not the first time that someone moving to denmark have talked about babyes sleeping out side, and its a bit odd "you dont do that???" really? well what do you do hire a securety guard? The baby is just sleeping. Well diffrent cultures that is the magic of the world.
Kids in France sleep inside that’s all 🤷🏼♀️
The fine for crossing when its red, is 700 kr. i tested it...
Never hear of any being fined for J-walk. we just learn it as kids and culture
I find it a bit strange that some people are so surprised about the "no word for please"-thing. You don't have one word for it in French either !
The French say "s'il vout plaît" and the Danes say "vær så venlig" or "vær venlig" - I don't think that many languages use only one word. The English do, the Germans do (bitte) - anyone else ?
Fair enough!
Maybe I should have phrased it differently 😊
Politeness is not used as much on an every day , face to face context here in Denmark.
This is something that I had to adjust with my partner who rarely says “please”, “thank you”, “sorry” etc
Whereas in French we use those words all the time and really take politeness to the next level with anyone you meet 😊
@@AFrenchWomanLivingInDenmark I think I get what you mean, but in my mind (maybe because I'm Danish), it will, I think, quite easily, become superficial so that one say "please" just to say please.
Of course it's a bit different with "sorry" BUT, what I don't like about "sorry" is, when it's used for "just" giving an apology, when what's really neaded, is for the person to change behavior.
Hope you see my point whether you agree or not ! 🙂
About the crosswalks, it's about respect for the others in the traffic, to protect each other. As for the directness, I thought it was ubiquitous, universal even, I found out that not all cultures are as outspoken and direct the hard way, by pissing off a few people while in the UK and Germany. I learned that it's actually a bit rare.
i am danish, what do you want to know? :)
i live in viborg in a town from midtjylland :)
Well I the case of , children sleeping outside, that is the way to grow up here, after all, we are Vikings 😂
Our children learn from very small, to be outside in all kind of weather, all year long.
Second of all, we don’t say please, often, that is true, I’ll don’t think we have a true word for that in my country , besides thanks or in danish TAK 😉🇩🇰🙏
Hvis du/ De vil være så venlig , not very common . Rules following: think it’s culturel. I visited Paris once, most cars had dents and were honking, instead of following the traffic rules. Not likely in Denmark.
And here i am as a dane thinking that 95% of people here beat around the bush or keep silent instead of saying it as it is.
Anyway glad you like it here.
Dont cross the road, when the red light is lit - because I repsect the law, but more important then you dont get run over :)
I don't know what the traffic lights are like in France. In the London waiting for the lights to change takes foreeeever. In Denmark a lot of research has gone into figuring out how long the lights can be red before people feel bored and stop caring. And when new traffic lights are put up, they do mathematical modelling to make sure as many people as possible will follow the rules as possible while still allowing traffic to flow freely. Even after traffic lights are up, they will do spot tests collecting statistics so they may continue to optimise the timing of the lights.
Wow thanks, very interesting! In France they’re not that long but people cross anyway, cultural i think 🤷🏼♀️
@@AFrenchWomanLivingInDenmark
It's the same in Czech Republic, they've only 2 seconds traffic light. Folks have to run to cross the road & drivers (they) don't have patience to wait for pedestrians (folks crossing the riad). 'twas my worse experience ever (Oct. 2009) as a tourist in Prag. My son was only 11 months that time & we've to run with the baby trolley & my son to cross the road during because the traffic lights was only 2 seconds. Well, keep safe everyone!
@@alethlumagbasboniol4473 🤯🤯🤯 wow!
@@AFrenchWomanLivingInDenmark
Why wow? 'twas my worse experience in Prag. I think we've much better system or rules here in Denmark. I'm not a Dane, but I lived here in Denmark for 18 yrs., 1 month & 17 days & know more about Denmark, the culture & much more. I speaks their language excellent (study their language 2003- 2006) & works in one of the hospital & a part time in a nursing home. Well, keep safe!
@@alethlumagbasboniol4473 “wow” for the story you mentioned with your child 😲
Yeah, good old flat Denmark. Sometimes the weather is annoying as fuck (sorry)
Sometimes, everything is so expensive its actually unbelievable, so that is why we are going to Germany to get things less expensive xD.
It is called a false hill. Reason is that the slope is so little you are barely moving up. The whole terrain is pushed up.
Other places in Denmark is more majestic. The top of Sky mountain overlooks a big lake, so you get a feeling of being up where the clouds are. That you can access Sky mountain from the other side in a wheel chair unassisted is irrelevant.
The highest "real" hill is Aborrebjerg on the island of Møn. Here you go from the beach and straight up 143 meters.
i think it also has to do with the fact we learn trafic rules as children in school. atleast at my school we would, i think it solidifies it in our brains so we most of the time dont even think about breaking them, cause thats just not what you do.
We also say “må jeg be om” for please. well… i guess it’s The same as Can i have but like, we use it like please
A funny thing I saw once where som foringer who didn't care for the red light and where nearl jaywalking. They laught at those who where waiting and then they where nearly hit by a bicykle. Thats also a reason to stop for the red light if you don't know how it is in Denmark ;-) For me it's the 700,- to 1000,-
I live in Dk and the most shocking thing is how much is difficult to make new friends (danish friends)
I gave up, used Tinder :D
Hi, is it possible for one to apply for permanent residency after being on a 3 month visa?
Hi ! No you need to live in Denmark for 4 (or 5🤔) consecutive years to apply for permanent residency 🙂
Okay thank you
Im danish but i live in uganda my dad is from denmark ❤
Waiting for the light to turn green is a cultural thing. It's like we all agreed on that is what you do. Maybe it's some sort of respect for the rules and "honoring" the rules. I am not sure.
on the top of my head i cant think of one situation in my 38 years, where a child has been taken from their stroller ^^ And when it comes to "red, green light" its true for the most part... Dont know why.
- And year! were a pretty direct people! If you ask "how are you doing"?... People are gonna tell how their doing. Also if its bad things... (thats a very personal, direct question) That's the one thing all english talking people say quite often I've come to experience.
I will say that I am like you, even though I’m danish, I always have and always will be fearful when it comes to babies being left on the sidewalk next to restaurants or so 😇 I never have done that with my child and I never would 😇
The polite terms in Danish don't translate well. It's more often "may I ask for XYZ", rather than "I'll have XYZ, please."
Often, though, Danish people will just say "XYZ" and expect the waiter or other service deliverer to take that as a mere transaction of information, rather than a polite conversation. We CAN come across as pretty rude. Especially when we attempt foreign languages - which we often do as you probably know.
I went for a vacation to Cyprus with a friend and he kept getting annoyed at my English because I kept saying "please" and "thank you" in every other sentence when speaking to waiters etc. - and I kept trying to tell him that it's basically how you're NOT rude in most languages other than Danish.
As for the "du/tu" and "De/Vous" differentiation... Using the informal is basically perfectly polite, because that's what almost all of us post-1950s Danes grew up with. Other rules if you meet the Queen, of course, but apart from that it's fine.
Thanks for your feedback! 😃👍🏻
@@AFrenchWomanLivingInDenmark Also: I liked the video! You're not wrong about it. :-)
The reason why we don't cross the street when the light is red is that danish drivers expect that nobody will cross the street then. So if you want to stay alive in Denmark, then you should be very cautious if passing for red light.
Well, non, we have the "Himmelbjerget" and that is where the rainbow bridge "Bifrost" ends, it's the only gate to Valhalla! 😉😛
I think it's just laziness to follow the red light. It's easier to just wait than to dodge cars.
Some even follow the red light when no cars are around. That's a bit silly.
Many Danish people are descendants of vikings. They didn't say please :)
It's actually a bit rude to use the words "tak" (thank you), and "vil du være så venlig" (would you kindly), when asking for something. It's like a policeman asking for your drivers licence, making it harder to decline the request.
But I love going to England and France where people are much more polite in their language. Even though it's more or less automatic behaviour, it still feels like people care more. It also makes people more polite in other situations, like noticing who arrived first at the bus stop etc.
The Danish people are for the most part dependent on the system. They abide to the rules and in return they get a sense of security.
For instance: on most of our small hills there are actually railing on the paths preventing you falling in the “abyss” of 10 meters depth. We’re used to this level of safety. In some way it’s good. In some way we forget to take responsibility for our own actions and rely to much on the system.
If you are a conscious person you can dismiss the rules. But only if you have fully understood the intention of the rules and the considerations to be taken to the people around you. I always wait for the green light if there’s a child waiting somewhere as well. Because of the educational effect. But if there’s no child waiting, and there’s not a single vehicle in sight I just cross the road no matter the colour of the light.
Danes are really lousy in saying “please” and being formally polite. By now the staff in the supermarkets has begun being formally polite whishing everybody a “nice day” but that’s something that we have adopted from the world around us. Probably because the sales go up because of it. Ten years ago it was not common in Denmark.
In South Africa people are extremely formally polite and I actually think that it is preventing a lot of hostility in the multicultural society. I think that we should try to improve this here. Especially in these times where things are going a little bit astray on social media sometimes. You don’t feel like starting a fight when you are entitled “sir” or “this nice gentleman”.
You’re right about Danes going straight to the point.
Thank you for your feedback 😊
I get a bit sad and annoyed when people that are not Danish say we are not polite in Denmark.
The reason vi don´t have a word for "please" is because our politeness is built in, in our sentences, our language. We are polite, but it is in the manner we constuct a sentence. Try watching Robe Trotting, they talk about this very topic in one of there episodes.
Fun to hear what someone from another country notice about Denmark. A fun little thing about the "pancakeness" of Denmark is that we also have a hill which is about 150 meters tall, named "Himmelbjerget" = "The Mountain of Heaven". :) What does that tell about Danes? That we are optimistic or delusional? :)
Oh, and by the way, as someone who teaches foreigners Danish allow me to put my "language coaching hat" on for a moment: We use "venligst" sort of as "please", e.g. "Vil du venligst give mig en kage" = "Would you please give me a cake".
Both? 😃😂 hahaha
And thank you for your comment ! 😊✨
@@AFrenchWomanLivingInDenmark Yes, maybe! :)
I like the way the rules are respected in Denmark. I would like them to be respected the same way in the country of my origin. As for the bikes standing here and there in the high quantity, we always joke with my husband, that they would not be standing that long in Warsaw.- Poland, where I come from, they would have been certainly stolen .-)) You said about all those polite and 'diplomatic' words, You were used to say in France. The same in Poland, we are used to thank for each even small thing we are given, or the favor we experience. That was shocking to my husband, to whom I was so appreciated , saying 'thank You' - in his opinion - ' far too many times'. That's the difference - I still do, my hubby laughs, each time I do :-))...and yes, Denmark is the very safe country. I love that safety very much.
Thanks for your feedback and interesting about Poland 😃😊👍🏻
Can't even send your children to school in America without worrying about them getting kidnapped or shot. No more kids going out to play.
Be thankful you live in a beautiful safe country.
It's 2.000 kroner for passing a red light in a motorized vehicle + a point on your license.
1.000 if it's on a bicycle.
700 if it's on foot.
Thanks for this information! 🙂👍🏻
The directness, to me it both saves time so say the things the are instead of beating around the Bush, also if you don't do it to me it quickly becomes very superficial.