--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Danish is a different language, even…" description: "\"Danish is a different language, even though Danish people understand Swedes, and very few Swedes understand Danish.\" — Joel Kinnaman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/314/joel-kinnaman-4273_danish_danish-is-a-different-language-even-thou_774635.jpg" --- # Danish is a different language, even though Danish people… ![“Danish is a different language, even though Danish people understand Swedes, and very few Swedes understand Danish.” quote by Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/314/joel-kinnaman-4273_danish_danish-is-a-different-language-even-thou_774635.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/314/joel-kinnaman-4273_danish_danish-is-a-different-language-even-thou_774635.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/314/joel-kinnaman-4273_danish_danish-is-a-different-language-even-thou_774635.jpg) > “Danish is a different language, even though Danish people understand Swedes, and very few Swedes understand Danish.” [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Danish and Swedish are distinct languages; mutual intelligibility is limited despite geographic proximity. **In simple terms:** Danish differs from Swedish; limited mutual understanding. Key Takeaway Respect linguistic differences. Themes language culture mutual intelligibility Mood educational informative Type cultural analytical When to use this quote - travel - business - education - media consumption Key Concepts linguistics regional identity communication barriers Questions to Reflect On - How does language shape identity? - What strategies aid cross-language communication? A Different Perspective Assuming similarity can cause miscommunication. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [In 'A Royal Affair' I had to learn to act like a queen and learned Danish. It's so much different to act in another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alicia-vikander/in-a-royal-affair-i-had-to-learn-to-act-like-a-queen-and-learned/) [Alicia Vikander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alicia-vikander/) > [He who does not understand a joke, he does not understand Danish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-brandes/he-who-does-not-understand-a-joke-he-does-not-understand-danish/) [Georg Brandes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-brandes/) > [A lot of people who live in Denmark will understand Danish but not necessarily speak it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-bier/a-lot-of-people-who-live-in-denmark-will-understand-danish-but-not/) [Susanne Bier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-bier/) > [In 2007 and 2008, the first two Danish ships were hijacked. I started to research it. I've had the idea of writing in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobias-lindholm/in-2007-and-2008-the-first-two-danish-ships-were-hijacked-i-started/) [Tobias Lindholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobias-lindholm/) > [If anything, I've thought of myself as Scandinavian. Particularly, Danish. We spoke English at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-philip/if-anything-i-ve-thought-of-myself-as-scandinavian-particularly/) [Prince Philip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince-philip/) > [I'm not a great fan of monarchy in general, but I have to say the Danish monarchy is closer to the people; it's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/i-m-not-a-great-fan-of-monarchy-in-general-but-i-have-to-say-the/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [With millions of family wage manufacturing jobs lost since 2001, we need an energy bill that takes bold action to tap into American ingenuity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-inslee/with-millions-of-family-wage-manufacturing-jobs-lost-since-2001-we/) [Jay Inslee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-inslee/) > [I don't feel that I'm strictly Danish; I don't feel that my sense of humor is strictly Danish or my human sensibility is strictly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-bier/i-don-t-feel-that-i-m-strictly-danish-i-don-t-feel-that-my-sense-of/) [Susanne Bier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-bier/) > [I've talked a lot about the discipline and high, high skills of the British actors as seen from my Danish point of view. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lone-scherfig/i-ve-talked-a-lot-about-the-discipline-and-high-high-skills-of-the/) Lone Scherfig > [I have good genes. My father is Danish and my mother is Irish and Native American. They both have good skin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-madsen/i-have-good-genes-my-father-is-danish-and-my-mother-is-irish-and/) [Virginia Madsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-madsen/) > [It wasn't until a year later, when a young woman with Danish pastries on either side of her head knelt down in front of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-pegg/it-wasn-t-until-a-year-later-when-a-young-woman-with-danish-pastries/) [Simon Pegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-pegg/) > [To know only one thing well is to have a barbaric mind: civilization implies the graceful relation of all varieties of experience to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-graves/to-know-only-one-thing-well-is-to-have-a-barbaric-mind-civilization/) [Robert Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-graves/) > [I'd come to believe there was no food more depressing than Danish, a pastry that seemed stale upon arrival](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/i-d-come-to-believe-there-was-no-food-more-depressing-than-danish-a/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [Under the constitution, as the Danish queen I am bound to the Lutheran faith, but that does not exclude people of other faiths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margrethe-ii-of-denmark/under-the-constitution-as-the-danish-queen-i-am-bound-to-the-lutheran/) [Margrethe II of Denmark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margrethe-ii-of-denmark/) > [“The idea of a sandwich as a snack goes back to Roman times. Scandinavians perfected the technique with the Danish open-faced sandwich, or smorroebrod,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deedee-stovel/the-idea-of-a-sandwich-as-a-snack-goes-back-to-roman-times/) DeeDee Stovel ## More by Joel Kinnaman > [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [I've followed Gary Oldman his whole career... I've watched the movies he's directed, like 'Nil by Mouth' - I've seen that five times!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-ve-followed-gary-oldman-his-whole-career-i-ve-watched-the-movies-he/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [We are all a unique person with everyone we meet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/we-are-all-a-unique-person-with-everyone-we-meet/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [I've hurt people unnecessarily when it was about my own insecurities. But you have to make those mistakes to become a better person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-ve-hurt-people-unnecessarily-when-it-was-about-my-own-insecurities/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [I was a Swedish guy who listened to Too Short.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-was-a-swedish-guy-who-listened-to-too-short/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [We don't know why we are here and . . . our role in the universe, and the thought of an infinite universe. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/we-don-t-know-why-we-are-here-and-our-role-in-the-universe-and-the/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [I miss Swedish meatballs, but you can get them pretty much anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-miss-swedish-meatballs-but-you-can-get-them-pretty-much-anywhere/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [The north of Sweden is very socialist and poor. They feel left out and despise Stockholm in many ways because Stockholm has become new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/the-north-of-sweden-is-very-socialist-and-poor-they-feel-left-out-and/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [I feel like I've got the best job in the world. I just feel so fortunate to get paid to be a kid and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-feel-like-i-ve-got-the-best-job-in-the-world-i-just-feel-so/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [Moving in is almost a bigger step than getting married.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/moving-in-is-almost-a-bigger-step-than-getting-married/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [An amateur can be great in front of the camera, but you need an education to get on stage where you have full control…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/an-amateur-can-be-great-in-front-of-the-camera-but-you-need-an/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [You're not able to do a lot of projects because you don't have a name. I wanted to get my movies to come over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/you-re-not-able-to-do-a-lot-of-projects-because-you-don-t-have-a-name/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [I'm a physical actor in that I start with a physical sketch of the character. I find it easier to find inspiration from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-m-a-physical-actor-in-that-i-start-with-a-physical-sketch-of-the/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [I love watching Samuel L. Jackson do anything, but for me, Gary Oldman is the grandmaster of the game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-love-watching-samuel-l-jackson-do-anything-but-for-me-gary-oldman/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [When I first came to the States, I thought I had a perfect American accent, and then I was abruptly becoming aware that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/when-i-first-came-to-the-states-i-thought-i-had-a-perfect-american/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) [Explore all 113 Joel Kinnaman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) ## More Danish quotes > [“The idea of a sandwich as a snack goes back to Roman times. Scandinavians perfected the technique with the Danish open-faced sandwich, or smorroebrod,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deedee-stovel/the-idea-of-a-sandwich-as-a-snack-goes-back-to-roman-times/) DeeDee Stovel > [Under the constitution, as the Danish queen I am bound to the Lutheran faith, but that does not exclude people of other faiths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margrethe-ii-of-denmark/under-the-constitution-as-the-danish-queen-i-am-bound-to-the-lutheran/) [Margrethe II of Denmark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margrethe-ii-of-denmark/) > [I'd come to believe there was no food more depressing than Danish, a pastry that seemed stale upon arrival](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/i-d-come-to-believe-there-was-no-food-more-depressing-than-danish-a/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [To know only one thing well is to have a barbaric mind: civilization implies the graceful relation of all varieties of experience to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-graves/to-know-only-one-thing-well-is-to-have-a-barbaric-mind-civilization/) [Robert Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-graves/) > [It wasn't until a year later, when a young woman with Danish pastries on either side of her head knelt down in front of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-pegg/it-wasn-t-until-a-year-later-when-a-young-woman-with-danish-pastries/) [Simon Pegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-pegg/) > [I have good genes. My father is Danish and my mother is Irish and Native American. They both have good skin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-madsen/i-have-good-genes-my-father-is-danish-and-my-mother-is-irish-and/) [Virginia Madsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-madsen/) > [I've talked a lot about the discipline and high, high skills of the British actors as seen from my Danish point of view. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lone-scherfig/i-ve-talked-a-lot-about-the-discipline-and-high-high-skills-of-the/) Lone Scherfig > [I don't feel that I'm strictly Danish; I don't feel that my sense of humor is strictly Danish or my human sensibility is strictly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-bier/i-don-t-feel-that-i-m-strictly-danish-i-don-t-feel-that-my-sense-of/) [Susanne Bier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-bier/) > [A lot of people who live in Denmark will understand Danish but not necessarily speak it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-bier/a-lot-of-people-who-live-in-denmark-will-understand-danish-but-not/) [Susanne Bier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-bier/) > [With millions of family wage manufacturing jobs lost since 2001, we need an energy bill that takes bold action to tap into American ingenuity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-inslee/with-millions-of-family-wage-manufacturing-jobs-lost-since-2001-we/) [Jay Inslee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-inslee/) > [I'm not a great fan of monarchy in general, but I have to say the Danish monarchy is closer to the people; it's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/i-m-not-a-great-fan-of-monarchy-in-general-but-i-have-to-say-the/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [If anything, I've thought of myself as Scandinavian. Particularly, Danish. We spoke English at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-philip/if-anything-i-ve-thought-of-myself-as-scandinavian-particularly/) [Prince Philip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince-philip/) > [In 2007 and 2008, the first two Danish ships were hijacked. I started to research it. I've had the idea of writing in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobias-lindholm/in-2007-and-2008-the-first-two-danish-ships-were-hijacked-i-started/) [Tobias Lindholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobias-lindholm/) > [Scandinavian-Danish cuisine was something quite rustic, mostly known for pastries and smorgasbord cuisine, which in itself has become a joke.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-redzepi/scandinavian-danish-cuisine-was-something-quite-rustic-mostly-known/) [Rene Redzepi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-redzepi/) > [This is the first time Denmark has ever reached the World Cup finals, so this is the most significant moment in Danish history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-helm/this-is-the-first-time-denmark-has-ever-reached-the-world-cup-finals/) [John Helm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-helm/) Browse all 117 Danish quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Danish is a different language, even though Danish people understand Swedes, and very few Swedes understand Danish.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joel Kinnaman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/danish-is-a-different-language-even-though-danish-people-understand/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Danish" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/danish-is-a-different-language-even-though-danish-people-understand/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/314/joel-kinnaman-4273_danish_danish-is-a-different-language-even-thou_774635.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/314/joel-kinnaman-4273_danish_danish-is-a-different-language-even-thou_774635.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/314/joel-kinnaman-4273_danish_danish-is-a-different-language-even-thou_774635.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Danish is a different language, even though Danish people understand Swedes, and very few Swedes understand…” — Joel Kinnaman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Joel Kinnaman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Danish is a different language, even...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/danish-is-a-different-language-even-though-danish-people-understand/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/danish-is-a-different-language-even-though-danish-people-understand/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```