Signification
Occurring for the first time.
Contexte culturel
Danes celebrate 'firsts' of the season, like the first 'koldskål' in summer or the first 'julebryg' (Christmas beer) in November. In Greenland (part of the Kingdom of Denmark), the first sunrise after the polar night is a massive cultural 'første gang' event. In a Danish workplace, admitting it's your 'første gang' doing a task is seen as a sign of professional honesty, not weakness. Using this phrase when visiting someone's home for the first time is a polite way to acknowledge the invitation.
The Comma Rule
Always put a comma after 'gang' if you follow it with a sentence starting with 'jeg', 'du', 'han', etc.
No 'The'!
Resist the urge to say 'den første gang'. It's the most common mistake for English speakers.
Signification
Occurring for the first time.
The Comma Rule
Always put a comma after 'gang' if you follow it with a sentence starting with 'jeg', 'du', 'han', etc.
No 'The'!
Resist the urge to say 'den første gang'. It's the most common mistake for English speakers.
Past Tense
Use 'Det var første gang' when telling stories. It makes your Danish sound much more narrative and natural.
Teste-toi
Fill in the missing words to say 'It is the first time I am in Denmark'.
Det ___ første ___, jeg er i Danmark.
We use 'er' for present tense and 'gang' for the occurrence.
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
Choose the natural Danish sentence:
Danish idioms of this type do not use the definite article 'den'.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Har du prøvet lakrids før? B: Nej, ___.
This is the standard response to being asked if you've tried something before.
Match the phrase to the situation.
You are at a concert for a band you've never seen before. What do you say?
This correctly identifies the specific new experience.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Danish vs English Structure
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesDet ___ første ___, jeg er i Danmark.
We use 'er' for present tense and 'gang' for the occurrence.
Choose the natural Danish sentence:
Danish idioms of this type do not use the definite article 'den'.
A: Har du prøvet lakrids før? B: Nej, ___.
This is the standard response to being asked if you've tried something before.
You are at a concert for a band you've never seen before. What do you say?
This correctly identifies the specific new experience.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
14 questionsIt's a fixed idiomatic expression. In Danish, certain time expressions drop the article to be more efficient.
Yes, but it's less common than the standard version. It sounds a bit more personal or emphatic.
'Gang' refers to an instance or occurrence (like 'one time'). 'Tid' refers to time as a concept or duration.
It's neutral. You can use it with your boss or your best friend.
You say 'Det er første gang i lang tid'.
Yes, if a subordinate clause follows (e.g., 'Det er første gang, jeg...').
No, for 'firstly' use 'for det første'.
Add 'aller-' to the front: 'Det er allerførste gang'.
It is common gender (en gang), but it doesn't matter much in this specific phrase.
It has a 'stød' (a slight catch in the throat) and a soft 'ng' sound.
Yes: 'Det bliver første gang, vi ses'.
The plural is 'gange' (e.g., mange gange).
Yes, Norwegian 'det er første gang' and Swedish 'det är första gången' are very similar, though Swedish uses the definite suffix.
In Danish, this sounds very 'Swedified' or non-native. Stick to 'første gang'.
Expressions liées
for første gang
similarFor the first time
sidste gang
contrastLast time
næste gang
builds onNext time
en gang til
similarOne more time
førstehåndsindtryk
specialized formFirst impression
alle gode gange tre
similarThird time's a charm
