Meaning
to buy a round of drinks.
Cultural Background
In traditional Danish 'bodegas', there is often a bell. If you ring it, you are signaling that you 'er en omgang' for the entire bar. Be careful—this can be very expensive! On the first Friday of November, Tuborg releases its Christmas beer. This is the ultimate night for 'omgange' in Denmark. Danes love playing 'Snyd' in bars. The loser of the game is almost always 'en omgang'. If you accept a drink from someone who 'var en omgang', it is considered very rude not to buy one back later. This is the 'social debt' of Danish drinking.
The 'Snyd' Strategy
If you play the dice game 'Snyd', always agree on who 'er en omgang' BEFORE the game starts to avoid arguments.
Don't be a 'Gratist'
A 'gratist' is someone who drinks the rounds others buy but never 'er en omgang' themselves. This is a quick way to lose Danish friends!
Meaning
to buy a round of drinks.
The 'Snyd' Strategy
If you play the dice game 'Snyd', always agree on who 'er en omgang' BEFORE the game starts to avoid arguments.
Don't be a 'Gratist'
A 'gratist' is someone who drinks the rounds others buy but never 'er en omgang' themselves. This is a quick way to lose Danish friends!
Coffee Rounds
You can use this for coffee too! 'Jeg er en omgang kaffe' is a very nice gesture in an office.
Test Yourself
Fill in the missing word to say 'I am buying a round'.
Bare rolig gutter, jeg er en ___!
'Omgang' is the idiomatic word for a round of drinks in Danish.
Which sentence is the most natural slang for 'Whose round is it?'
Hvilken sætning er mest naturlig?
In slang, we use 'være' (to be) to ask whose turn it is to buy.
Complete the dialogue.
A: 'Glassene er tomme.' B: 'Det er min tur. ___'
This is the perfect response when it's your turn to buy.
Match the phrase to the meaning.
Match 'Han er en omgang' with its likely meaning in a non-bar context.
Outside of a bar, this phrase often means someone is a 'handful'.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
When to be an Omgang
Celebration
- • Birthday
- • Promotion
- • New Job
Games
- • Dice
- • Darts
- • Cards
Practice Bank
4 exercisesBare rolig gutter, jeg er en ___!
'Omgang' is the idiomatic word for a round of drinks in Danish.
Hvilken sætning er mest naturlig?
In slang, we use 'være' (to be) to ask whose turn it is to buy.
A: 'Glassene er tomme.' B: 'Det er min tur. ___'
This is the perfect response when it's your turn to buy.
Match 'Han er en omgang' with its likely meaning in a non-bar context.
Outside of a bar, this phrase often means someone is a 'handful'.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsUsually no. For food, we say 'Jeg giver' or 'Jeg betaler'. 'Omgang' is specifically for drinks or repetitive turns.
It is always 'en omgang' (common gender).
Only if you are at an informal social event like a Christmas party. In the office, it's too casual.
You can still 'være en omgang'! You just buy whatever people are drinking, including sodas or water.
Yes, 'en omgang' implies one drink for every person currently at the table.
You can say 'Det er ikke min tur' or 'Jeg var en omgang sidst'.
Yes, it means a 'lap' (e.g., in swimming or running).
It means 'one more round' for everyone.
Yes, it is universal across the country, though 'bodega' culture is strongest in Copenhagen and Aarhus.
No, that sounds like you are the concept of the round itself. Use 'en'.
Related Phrases
at give en omgang
synonymTo buy a round
en omgang tæsk
contrastA beating
at tage en omgang til
builds onTo take another round
det er på husets regning
similarIt's on the house
at splejse
contrastTo split the bill
