Danish and Dutch: 28 words that are the same
Among the two thousand words each language uses most, these are written identically and carry the same meaning in both. If you have one of the two, this is the part you do not have to learn.
A shared word is not proof of a shared root. Two languages can land on the same spelling by borrowing from a third — that is all tren and bomba are — and a word that looks the same can still be said quite differently. What this list is good for is the head start.
| Word | In English | Danish | Dutch |
|---|---|---|---|
| derda /ˈdɛːˀr/nl /dɛr/ | there | #19 | #1,450 |
| jada /ja/nl /jaː/ | yes | #35 | #44 |
| komda [ˈkʰʌm]nl /kɔm/ | to come | #49 | #78 |
| alleda /alə/nl /ˈɑ.lə/ | all | #59 | #207 |
| opda [ˈʌb]nl /ɔp/ | up | #61 | #18 |
| dagda /daːˀɣ/nl /dɑx/ | day | #120 | #149 |
| halloda /halɔ/nl [ɦɑˈlöʊ̯] | hello | #267 | #226 |
| dagenda /ˈdaːˀən/nl /ˈdaːɣə(n)/ | day | #529 | #339 |
| meningda [ˈmeːneŋ]nl /ˈmeː.nɪŋ/ | an opinion | #543 | #1,458 |
| eneda /ˈeːnə/nl /ˈeː.nə/ | one | #774 | #818 |
| dateda /deɪt/nl /deːt/ | a date | #1,029 | #1,544 |
| glasda /ˈɡlas/nl /ɣlɑs/ | glass | #1,102 | #1,257 |
| hotelda /hoˈtɛlˀ/nl /ɦoːˈtɛl/ | hotel | #1,243 | #848 |
| procentda [pʁ̥oˈsɛnˀd̥]nl /proːˈsɛnt/ | percent | #1,322 | #1,433 |
| professorda /pʁoˈfɛsɐ/nl /ˌproːˈfɛ.sɔr/ | professor | #1,330 | #1,185 |
| tanteda /ˈtandə/nl /ˈtɑn.tə/ | aunt | #1,401 | #1,118 |
| kilometerda /kiloˈmeːˀdɐ/nl /ˈkiloːˌmeːtər/ | kilometre | #1,418 | #1,283 |
| succesda /sykse/nl /sykˈsɛs/ | success | #1,582 | #791 |
| langeda /laŋə/nl /ˈlɑŋə/ | long | #1,605 | #747 |
| rapportda /ʁɑˈpɒːd/nl /rɑˈpɔrt/ | a report | #1,634 | #1,569 |
| afstandda /avstanˀ/nl /ˈɑf.stɑnt/ | distance | #1,723 | #1,282 |
| parkda /paːrk/nl /pɑrk/ | park | #1,797 | #1,094 |
| senatorda /seˈnaːtɒ/nl /seːˈnaːtɔr/ | senator | #1,826 | #1,805 |
| weekendda [ˈviːˌɡ̊ɛnˀd̥]nl /ˈʋikɛnt/ | weekend | #1,878 | #1,155 |
| prinsda /prenˀs/nl /prɪns/ | prince | #1,905 | #1,660 |
| kunstda [ˈkʰɔnˀsd̥]nl /kʏnst/ | art | #1,927 | #1,732 |
| talentda /talɛnt/nl /taːˈlɛnt/ | talent | #1,952 | #1,849 |
| restaurantda [ʁɛsd̥oˈʁɑŋ]nl /rɛstoːˈrɑnt/ | restaurant | #1,972 | #1,376 |
The speaker plays the voice the LangX app uses for that language — synthesised, not a native speaker, so treat it as a guide.
The overlap is the easy part.
The rest comes from using it with someone who speaks it.