When talking about places like a school, Danes often use prepositions like 'på' (on/at) or 'i' (in). For example, you might hear 'Jeg går på skole' (I go to school) or 'Mine børn er i skole' (My children are in school).
Remember that 'skole' is a common noun, so it's not capitalized unless it's at the beginning of a sentence. Danish nouns also have grammatical gender, and 'skole' is a common gender noun.
You'll often encounter 'skole' in compound words too, such as 'folkeskole' (public primary school) or 'gymnasieskole' (high school).
§ What does 'skole' mean?
The Danish word 'skole' (pronounced: skoh-leh) is a noun and it means 'school' in English. It's a very common word, so you'll hear and see it often. Just like in English, 'skole' refers to an institution where children and young people receive education. It can also refer to the building itself, or the period of time spent attending school.
- DEFINITION
- An institution for educating children, or the building where this education takes place.
§ When do people use 'skole'?
You use 'skole' in many of the same contexts you would use 'school' in English. It's used for all levels of education, from primary to secondary school, and even for some higher education institutions, though 'universitet' (university) is more common for those. You'll hear it when people talk about:
- Going to school
- Picking up children from school
- The school year
- School subjects
- School buildings
It's a straightforward word, but understanding its nuances in different phrases is key.
Jeg går i skole hver dag. (I go to school every day.)
Hvor ligger din skole? (Where is your school located?)
Min søn starter i skole næste år. (My son starts school next year.)
You'll also find 'skole' used in compound words, just like 'school' is in English. For example, 'skolebørn' means 'school children', and 'skolelærer' means 'school teacher'. Learning these compound words will help you expand your Danish vocabulary quickly.
De har mange skolebørn i klassen. (They have many school children in the class.)
Min kone er skolelærer. (My wife is a school teacher.)
So, whether you're talking about attending an educational institution or the place where learning happens, 'skole' is the word you'll use. It's foundational vocabulary for anyone learning Danish.
§ Mistakes people make with 'skole'
Alright, let's talk about 'skole'. It means 'school', simple enough, right? Well, not always. Even for A1 learners, there are a few common pitfalls that can trip you up. Danish is a straightforward language, but like any language, it has its quirks. Let's look at how to avoid sounding unnatural when you use 'skole'.
§ Using 'på skole' vs. 'i skole'
This is probably the biggest one. In English, you go 'to school'. In Danish, you often go 'i skole'. It’s not 'på skole' for the general act of attending school. 'På' often implies being *on* the premises, or *at* a specific type of school for a specific purpose, but for the general attendance, it's 'i'.
- Wrong
- Jeg går på skole hver dag. (Literally: I go on school every day.)
- Right
- Jeg går i skole hver dag. (I go to school every day.)
Mine børn starter i skole til august.
Hint: My children start (at) school in August.
When would you use 'på skole' then? You'd use it if you're talking about being *at* a particular school, perhaps for a visit or a specific event, or if you're specifying the *type* of school.
Vi var på skolen til forældremøde.
Hint: We were (at) the school for a parent-teacher meeting.
Han går på handelsskole.
Hint: He goes (to) business school.
§ Plural of 'skole'
Another common error for beginners is with the plural form. 'Skole' is an 'en' word (common gender). The plural is 'skoler'. Don't overthink it and add unnecessary letters or endings.
- Wrong
- Der er mange skolen i byen. (There are many school in the city.)
- Right
- Der er mange skoler i byen. (There are many schools in the city.)
De har gode skoler i den kommune.
Hint: They have good schools in that municipality.
§ Definite form of 'skole'
When you want to say 'the school', you attach the article directly to the noun. For 'skole', it becomes 'skolen'.
- Wrong
- En skole er stor. (A school is big. - If you meant 'The school is big'.)
- Right
- Skolen er stor. (The school is big.)
Skolen lukker klokken fire.
Hint: The school closes at four o'clock.
§ Talking about 'school' generally vs. a specific school
In Danish, when you're talking about 'school' as an institution or a general concept (like 'school is important'), you'll often use 'skole' without an article, or the definite form 'skolen'. It depends on the nuance.
- When you mean 'school' as the abstract concept or the system:
Skole er vigtig for alle børn.
Hint: School is important for all children.
- When referring to the school system or general institution of education:
De danske skoler har et godt ry.
Hint: The Danish schools have a good reputation.
Just pay attention to how Danish speakers use it, and you'll get the hang of it. It's often about context, just like in English.
Guide de prononciation
- pronouncing the 'e' at the end as a full vowel instead of a schwa sound
Grammaire à connaître
Danish nouns have grammatical gender (common or neuter). 'Skole' is a common gender noun, so it takes the indefinite article 'en'.
en skole (a school)
To make a common gender noun definite, attach '-en' to the end of the word.
skolen (the school)
To form the plural of many common gender nouns, you add '-er' to the indefinite form.
skoler (schools)
To make a plural noun definite, you add '-ne' to the plural indefinite form.
skolerne (the schools)
Possessive pronouns come before the noun and agree in gender and number. For 'skole', you'd use 'min', 'din', 'hans/hendes/dens/dets', 'vores', 'jeres', 'deres'.
min skole (my school)
Exemples par niveau
Min datter elsker at gå i skole hver dag.
My daughter loves to go to school every day.
Possessive pronoun 'Min' (my) agrees with the feminine noun 'datter' (daughter).
Jeg har en vigtig aftale på skolen i morgen.
I have an important appointment at the school tomorrow.
'På skolen' means 'at the school', using the definite form of 'skole'.
Hvilken skole går dine børn på?
Which school do your children attend?
'Går på' is a common phrasal verb meaning 'attend' (a school).
Efter sommerferien starter de i en ny skole.
After the summer holiday, they start at a new school.
'I en ny skole' means 'in a new school', indicating the institution.
Læreren på den lokale skole er meget venlig.
The teacher at the local school is very kind.
'På den lokale skole' specifies the location of the teacher.
De byggede en ny skole i vores by sidste år.
They built a new school in our town last year.
The past tense 'byggede' (built) is used for an action completed in the past.
Skole er vigtigt for børns udvikling og fremtid.
School is important for children's development and future.
Here, 'skole' is used in a general sense, referring to education.
Kan du huske din første dag i skole?
Can you remember your first day at school?
'Første dag i skole' is a common phrase for 'first day at school'.
Pratique dans la vie réelle
Contextes réels
Going to school
- Jeg går i skole.
- Børnene går i skole.
- Går du i skole?
Talking about a school building
- Skolen er stor.
- Min skole er gammel.
- Hvor er skolen?
Talking about school subjects/activities
- Vi har dansk i skolen.
- Efter skole spiller jeg fodbold.
- Hvad laver du i skolen?
School holidays
- Skolen har ferie.
- Hvornår starter skolen igen?
- Jeg elsker ferie fra skole.
Attending school
- Jeg er i skole.
- Han er ikke i skole i dag.
- De er glade for at være i skole.
Amorces de conversation
"Går du i skole, eller arbejder du? (Do you go to school, or do you work?)"
"Hvad er dit yndlingsfag i skolen? (What is your favorite subject in school?)"
"Hvordan var din første dag i skole? (How was your first day at school?)"
"Er der en god skole i nærheden af dig? (Is there a good school near you?)"
"Hvad laver du normalt efter skole? (What do you usually do after school?)"
Sujets d'écriture
Beskriv din ideelle skole. Hvad ville du lære? (Describe your ideal school. What would you learn?)
Tænk tilbage på din egen skolegang. Hvad var dit bedste minde fra skolen? (Think back to your own schooling. What was your best memory from school?)
Hvilke tre ting ville du ændre ved skolen, hvis du kunne? (What three things would you change about school if you could?)
Skriv en kort historie om en elevs første dag i en ny skole. (Write a short story about a student's first day at a new school.)
Hvad er vigtigst at lære i skolen, udover de akademiske fag? (What is most important to learn in school, besides academic subjects?)
Teste-toi 18 questions
Jeg går i ___ hver dag. (I go to ___ every day.)
The sentence is about daily attendance, and 'skole' (school) fits the context of 'go to' and 'every day'.
Min søster elsker sin nye ___. (My sister loves her new ___.)
The sentence indicates affection for a new place of learning. 'Skole' (school) is the appropriate choice.
Hvor ligger din ___? (Where is your ___ located?)
This question asks for the location of an institution where one learns. 'Skole' (school) is the correct answer.
Børnene leger i gården på ___. (The children play in the yard at ___.)
Children typically play in the yard at 'skole' (school) during breaks.
Han er elev på en stor ___. (He is a student at a big ___.)
A student (elev) attends a 'skole' (school).
Vi har mange bøger i vores ___. (We have many books in our ___.)
Schools (skole) are places where many books are kept for learning.
This sentence structure is common in Danish: Subject + Verb + Prepositional Phrase (i skole) + Time expression.
The infinitive 'at gå' follows 'elsker', and 'i skole' means 'to school'.
In Danish, the demonstrative pronoun 'Den' (that/the) can precede the noun 'skole' (school).
In Danish, the possessive pronoun usually comes before the noun it modifies. The verb 'er' (is) follows the subject 'skole'.
The phrase 'gå i skole' means 'to go to school'. 'Hver dag' means 'every day' and typically comes at the end of the sentence.
'På skolen' (at the school) introduces the location. The verb 'lærte' (learned) comes after the subject 'jeg' (I).
/ 18 correct
Perfect score!
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