Signification
Requesting a slower pace of speech.
Contexte culturel
Danes are known for 'swallowing' the ends of words, which makes the language sound faster than it actually is. Asking to slow down is a standard part of learning Danish. In Greenlandic Danish, the pace might be slightly different, but the phrase remains just as useful for non-native speakers. Faroese people often speak Danish with a very clear accent, but they can still be fast! This phrase is universally understood there. The 'Sønderjysk' dialect is very distinct. Even if they slow down, you might still struggle, but it's the first step to understanding.
Add 'lidt'
Adding 'lidt' (a little) makes the request sound much more natural and less like a command.
Use Body Language
A small hand gesture (moving your hand down) while saying this helps the speaker understand your need immediately.
Signification
Requesting a slower pace of speech.
Add 'lidt'
Adding 'lidt' (a little) makes the request sound much more natural and less like a command.
Use Body Language
A small hand gesture (moving your hand down) while saying this helps the speaker understand your need immediately.
Don't just say 'Hvad?'
Saying 'Hvad?' (What?) can sound a bit blunt. 'Kan du tale langsommere?' is much more constructive.
Teste-toi
Fill in the missing word to ask someone to speak slower.
Kan du ____ langsommere?
'Tale' is the verb for 'to speak'.
Which sentence is the most natural way to ask a friend to slow down?
Choose the best option:
This uses the correct V2 question order and the comparative adverb.
Complete the dialogue.
A: [Speaks very fast Danish] ... B: Undskyld, jeg forstår ikke. ________?
The context of 'not understanding' leads naturally to asking for a slower pace.
Match the Danish phrase to its English meaning.
Match them up:
These are all essential survival phrases for learners.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesKan du ____ langsommere?
'Tale' is the verb for 'to speak'.
Choose the best option:
This uses the correct V2 question order and the comparative adverb.
A: [Speaks very fast Danish] ... B: Undskyld, jeg forstår ikke. ________?
The context of 'not understanding' leads naturally to asking for a slower pace.
Associez chaque element a gauche avec son pair a droite :
These are all essential survival phrases for learners.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
4 questionsNo, it is not rude at all. Danes are generally very helpful and will appreciate that you are trying to learn their language.
If they switch to English, you can say: 'Jeg vil gerne øve mit dansk, så kan vi tale dansk langsomt?' (I want to practice my Danish, so can we speak Danish slowly?).
'Tale' is slightly more formal/standard, while 'snakke' is more like 'chat'. You can use both, but 'tale' is very common in this phrase.
Yes, absolutely. It's better to ask for a slower pace than to misunderstand a work instruction.
Expressions liées
Hvad siger du?
similarWhat are you saying? / What did you say?
Kan du gentage det?
similarCan you repeat that?
Jeg forstår ikke.
builds onI don't understand.
Taler du engelsk?
contrastDo you speak English?
