Meaning
To waste money.
Cultural Background
Danes value 'økonomisk ansvarlighed' (economic responsibility). Wasting money is often seen as a lack of character or common sense. In the Nordic countries, there is a strong focus on the efficiency of the welfare state. People often use this idiom to criticize government waste. With the rise of 'subscription fatigue', this idiom is frequently used in Danish tech blogs and podcasts to describe unused digital services. Younger generations might use 'at fyre penge af' more often for partying, but they still use 'kaste penge ud af vinduet' for bad purchases.
Use 'smide' for extra naturalness
If you want to sound more like a native speaker in a casual setting, use 'smide' instead of 'kaste'.
Don't forget the 't'
Always say 'vinduet' (the window), never 'vindue' (a window).
Meaning
To waste money.
Use 'smide' for extra naturalness
If you want to sound more like a native speaker in a casual setting, use 'smide' instead of 'kaste'.
Don't forget the 't'
Always say 'vinduet' (the window), never 'vindue' (a window).
Political usage
If you are writing an essay about Danish politics, this is the perfect idiom to describe government inefficiency.
Test Yourself
Udfyld det manglende ord i sætningen.
Jeg har lige købt en telefon, der ikke virker. Det er som at kaste penge ud af ______.
Idiomet er 'at kaste penge ud af vinduet'.
Hvilken sætning bruger idiomet korrekt?
Vælg den rigtige sætning:
Vi bruger altid 'ud af' og 'vinduet' i bestemt form.
Match situationen med den rigtige reaktion.
Du betaler for et Netflix-abonnement, men du ser aldrig film.
At betale for noget, man ikke bruger, er spild af penge.
Hvad siger B?
A: Skal vi købe de her magiske bønner for 5000 kroner? B: Nej, ______.
B advarer mod at spilde penge på noget dumt.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Practice Bank
4 exercisesJeg har lige købt en telefon, der ikke virker. Det er som at kaste penge ud af ______.
Idiomet er 'at kaste penge ud af vinduet'.
Vælg den rigtige sætning:
Vi bruger altid 'ud af' og 'vinduet' i bestemt form.
Du betaler for et Netflix-abonnement, men du ser aldrig film.
At betale for noget, man ikke bruger, er spild af penge.
A: Skal vi købe de her magiske bønner for 5000 kroner? B: Nej, ______.
B advarer mod at spilde penge på noget dumt.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsNo, that's not a standard idiom. It's always the window.
It can be. It implies they are being stupid with their money. Use it carefully.
Usually, yes. For time, we say 'at spilde tiden'.
'Smide' is more common in speech, 'kaste' is more common in writing.
Yes, like buying a coffee you don't drink. But it's more common for larger 'wastes'.
There isn't one single idiom, but 'at få noget for pengene' is the closest positive equivalent.
Yes, 'penge' is always plural in Danish.
Yes, you can add possessive pronouns: 'Jeg kaster mine penge ud af vinduet'.
Very much so. It's a standard way to describe a bad ROI (Return on Investment).
It represents a point of no return where the money is gone into the public space.
Related Phrases
at fyre penge af
similarTo spend money quickly and extravagantly.
at smide penge efter noget
similarTo keep investing money in something that might not work.
at spare op
contrastTo save money.
at få noget for pengene
contrastTo get value for money.
