Basic Farewells: Hej hej and Vi ses
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'Hej hej' for a casual goodbye and 'Vi ses' when you expect to see the person again soon.
- Use 'Hej hej' as a friendly, informal goodbye to anyone.
- Use 'Vi ses' (We see each other) to imply a future meeting.
- Use 'Farvel' for a more formal or final goodbye.
Farewell Formation
| Phrase | Meaning | Context | Formality |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Hej hej
|
Bye bye
|
General
|
Informal
|
|
Vi ses
|
See you
|
Future meeting
|
Neutral
|
|
Farvel
|
Goodbye
|
Final/Formal
|
Formal
|
|
Vi tales ved
|
We'll talk
|
Phone/Chat
|
Neutral
|
Meanings
These are the standard, most common ways to end a conversation in Danish.
Casual Farewell
A friendly, lighthearted way to say goodbye.
“Hej hej!”
“Vi ses senere!”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Casual
|
Hej + hej
|
Hej hej!
|
|
Future
|
Vi + ses
|
Vi ses i morgen
|
|
Formal
|
Farvel
|
Farvel, hr. Jensen
|
|
Phone
|
Vi + tales + ved
|
Vi tales ved senere
|
|
Time-based
|
Vi ses + [time]
|
Vi ses i weekenden
|
Formalitätsspektrum
Farvel (Social)
Vi ses (Social)
Hej hej (Social)
Vi ses! (Social)
Danish Farewells
Casual
- Hej hej Bye bye
Future
- Vi ses See you
Formal
- Farvel Goodbye
Beispiele nach Niveau
Hej hej, vi ses!
Bye bye, see you!
Vi ses i morgen.
See you tomorrow.
Hej hej, tak for i dag.
Bye bye, thanks for today.
Vi ses senere.
See you later.
Hej hej, pas på dig selv.
Bye bye, take care.
Vi ses på mandag.
See you on Monday.
Hej hej, vi tales ved.
Bye bye, we'll talk soon.
Vi ses til festen.
See you at the party.
Det var hyggeligt, hej hej!
It was cozy, bye bye!
Vi ses nok i næste uge.
We'll probably see each other next week.
Hej hej, hav en god aften.
Bye bye, have a good evening.
Vi ses, når du kommer hjem.
See you when you get home.
Vi ses til det næste møde.
See you at the next meeting.
Hej hej, vi må ses snart.
Bye bye, we must meet soon.
Vi ses, så snart jeg er tilbage.
See you as soon as I'm back.
Hej hej, tak for hjælpen.
Bye bye, thanks for the help.
Vi ses til en kop kaffe en dag.
See you for a cup of coffee one day.
Hej hej, vi ses i weekenden.
Bye bye, see you in the weekend.
Vi ses, hvis alt går vel.
See you if all goes well.
Hej hej, det var dejligt at se dig.
Bye bye, it was lovely to see you.
Vi ses, når vi ses.
See you when we see each other.
Hej hej, vi må holde kontakten.
Bye bye, we must keep in touch.
Vi ses, såfremt planen holder.
See you, provided the plan holds.
Hej hej, tak for en uforglemmelig aften.
Bye bye, thanks for an unforgettable evening.
Leicht verwechselbar
Learners use 'Hej' for both.
Learners use 'Farvel' with friends.
Learners use 'Vi ses' on the phone.
Häufige Fehler
Hej
Hej hej
Vi se
Vi ses
Farvel to a friend
Hej hej
Hej hej hej
Hej hej
Vi ses i dag
Vi ses senere
Hej hej, farvel
Hej hej
Ses vi?
Vi ses
Farvel, vi ses
Vi ses
Hej hej, hr. Jensen
Farvel, hr. Jensen
Vi ses i morgen tidlig
Vi ses i morgen
Vi ses, når du har tid
Vi ses
Hej hej, min ven
Hej hej
Vi ses, min kære
Vi ses
Satzmuster
Hej hej, ___!
Vi ses ___.
Det var hyggeligt, ___.
Vi ses til ___.
Real World Usage
Hej hej! Vi ses senere.
Vi ses til koncerten!
Tak for i dag, farvel.
Tak, hej hej!
Farvel, vi ses næste år.
Vi ses i morgen!
Double it!
Don't be too formal
Use 'Vi ses'
Keep it short
Smart Tips
Use 'Hav en god dag' instead of 'Hej hej' for a polite touch.
Use 'Vi ses' to show you value the friendship.
Always end with 'Vi tales ved'.
Use 'Farvel' to maintain professional distance.
Aussprache
Hej hej
The 'j' is soft, like a 'y' in 'yes'.
Vi ses
The 'v' is soft, 'ses' sounds like 'sess'.
Friendly
Hej hej ↗
Upward inflection shows friendliness.
Einprägen
Eselsbrücke
Double the 'Hej' to say goodbye, 'Vi ses' means we will see.
Visuelle Assoziation
Imagine waving with two hands (Hej hej) to a friend who is walking away, then pointing to your eyes (Vi ses) to signal you will see them again.
Rhyme
Hej hej is the way to go, Vi ses when we meet, you know!
Story
You are at a cafe. You finish your coffee. You wave at the barista and say 'Hej hej'. You see your friend and say 'Vi ses' because you have a date later.
Word Web
Herausforderung
Say 'Hej hej' to your mirror or a friend today.
Kulturelle Hinweise
Danes are informal. 'Hej hej' is used everywhere.
Very casual, 'Vi ses' is used constantly.
Slightly more reserved, but 'Hej hej' is still standard.
Derived from the Old Norse 'heill' (healthy/whole).
Gesprächseinstiege
Hvornår ses vi?
Skal vi ses i morgen?
Vi ses til festen?
Vi ses snart, ikke?
Tagebuch-Impulse
Häufige Fehler
Test Yourself
How do you say goodbye to a friend?
Vi ___ i morgen.
Find and fix the mistake:
Hej, vi ses!
ses / Vi / i / morgen
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Which is best for a job interview?
Hej hej -> ?
Vi ___ ved i telefonen.
Score: /8
Ubungsaufgaben
8 exercisesHow do you say goodbye to a friend?
Vi ___ i morgen.
Find and fix the mistake:
Hej, vi ses!
ses / Vi / i / morgen
Match: 1. Hej hej, 2. Vi ses, 3. Farvel
Which is best for a job interview?
Hej hej -> ?
Vi ___ ved i telefonen.
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
No, 'Hej' is only for greetings. Use 'Hej hej' for goodbyes.
Not rude, but very formal. It can sound final.
It means 'we see each other'.
Use it when ending a phone call or chat.
Yes, in modern Denmark it is usually fine.
It is a reflexive verb meaning 'to see each other'.
Yes, like 'Hav en god dag' (Have a good day).
It is a polite way to end a conversation even if plans aren't firm.
Scaffolded Practice
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Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Adiós / Hasta luego
Danish uses 'Hej hej' for everything, while Spanish has more variety.
Au revoir / À bientôt
French has a stronger formal/informal divide.
Tschüss / Auf Wiedersehen
German has more regional variations for goodbye.
Sayounara / Mata ne
Japanese is much more sensitive to social hierarchy.
Ma'a salama
Arabic is more religious/spiritual in its farewells.
Zai jian
Chinese 'Zai jian' is more versatile than 'Vi ses'.
