The 10 Best Danish Podcasts For Danish Learners

Learning Danish can incorporate numerous methods and resources. Books, film, even music are the traditional media for learning new words and expressions.

But why not try the ever-expanding universe of Danish podcasts? Easily available and, for the most part, very budget-friendly, these can be a great way of building your Danish skills.

Some of them are in English, and tend to be about things that are useful, or just plain fun, to know, when you are a foreigner in Denmark.

Others are in Danish, and are included here to let you hear the Danish language, and explore the culture and history of this tiny country.

There are plenty of others out there, but in this post you'll discover the Danish podcasts I would recommend you to start out with as a Danish learner.

Below you'll find the Danish podcasts covered in this post. You can jump straight to the one you're most interested in, or keep scrolling to read the whole article.

1. DanishClass101

As far as podcasts for learning a language are concerned, DanishClass101 is a real classic.

And for a reason; this hub contains a large library of episodes and other resources, aimed at all levels of learning, though with emphasis on beginners.

The episodes, here known as lessons, focus on different things related to the Danish language, and will typically start out with some casual chatting between the two hosts.

This makes for a nice, informal atmosphere in the podcasts, that won’t leave you feeling as if you are at school, despite the name.

The dialogue is broken down afterwards, line by line with translations. The hosts go over Danish grammar points of interest and some cultural aspects of Denmark.

The whole shebang is complemented by lesson notes, word lists etc, which can be very useful, especially if you seek to improve your Danish pronunciation and vocabulary.

Some of these lessons are even in video format. But to be honest, that doesn’t add much to your learning experience.

In case you feel like splashing some cash, you can also have your own Danish teacher. This will give you a personalised plan to follow, according to your wants and needs.

This will also provide you with personal feedback and comments, as well as answer the questions you might have. A true privilege, for those willing and able to pay.

2. How To Live In Denmark

Entirely spoken in English, How To Live In Denmark is made by American Kay Xander Mellish, a former journalist with ABCNews.com and Dow Jones/the Wall Street Journal. 

She has been living in Denmark for several years, even obtaining a dual citizenship. Apart from writing books, she runs a blog and a podcast, both called ”How to live in Denmark”.

Here she specialises in the peculiarities and oddities that foreigners encounter in Denmark, whether at work, rest or play.

Taking point of departure in both her own experiences, as well as inputs from her speeches and courses, she looks at a variety of things in her podcasts.

Among the episode titles, you’ll find things like:

• The Non-Drinker’s Guide to Danish Christmas Parties
• Making Danish Friends: A few tips based on experience
• April Fool’s in Denmark, and the rough game of Danish humour
• Danes and Authority: The giant penis on the wall, or how to deal with Danish civil servants
• Danes and Vikings, plus: Two words to use to get Danish people to do what you want

There are more than a hundred episodes out there, each 5-6 minutes long, as it is still being updated once a month.

They mainly tackle how you deal situations as an international in Denmark, but this naturally leads her to discuss aspects of history and language as well.

And though these can be serious matters, don’t expect academic sociology lectures: she’s very aware not to bore her audience, and everything is delivered in a light-hearted, though observant, tone. Well worth a try.

3. Simple Danish Podcast

Simple Danish Podcast is a podcast in Danish only that's aimed at people learning the language as newbies.

This means, of course, slower and more clearly spoken, so that beginners can follow along.

It aims to bridge the gap between basic and advanced Danish. And it does work rather well, while being done entirely in Danish.

This podcast was created by a Danish gentleman who married a woman from abroad, and reflects the most important issues they met along the way.

His spouse decided to learn Danish, and the podcast goes through the generous, if it can be called that, trouble she has gone through, in this endeavour.

Expect Danish spoken in a delightfully slow and comprehensible way. It's quite a fun listen, and is very much about everyday life and common situations.

The episodes deal with topics such as kindergartens in the forest, how to argue in Danish (if you absolutely must), and what the Danes prefer to eat. 

So, no saving the world here, but a lot to learn in a nice way if you want to know how Danes discuss the weather, or go about the ghosts and ghouls at Halloween. And how to write your CV in Danish.

I suggest you scroll through the episodes, and find the ones you think could be useful for you.

4. DR – Radio Denmark

DR is like The BBC – the Danish version of The British Broadcasting Corporation – the biggest publicly funded collection of tv, radio and podcasts.

The sheer volume makes for a nice and diverse collection.

Their podcasts are all well produced, so you get a crystal clear and professional sound from trained journalists. And all kinds of Danish classics, if you’re interested.

Most importantly, this is where you can find just about anything musically, from classic to avantgarde jazz, intermixed with soul-pop and death metal.

But above all, it contains a huge number of podcast series, so whatever tickles your fancy, you should be able to find a few that suit you. I would like to list just a small handful here, with a few words to describe them.

5. Klog på Sprog

Klog på Sprog is an obvious choice, given this context. This series, which translates as ”Wise on Language”, deals specifically with the Danish language.

You can tune into episodes about topics such as language in prisons, management lingo, or how the political climate changes language.

6. Sara & Monopolet

Sara & Monopolet is an immensely popular podcast, with more than 450 episodes produced during the years. 

The concept is quite simple: A listener phones in with some personal dilemma, which is then discussed by a panel of Danish public figures.

To be honest, my Danish friends aren't huge fans, but it has been one of the most popular podcasts in the country for years.

7. Djævlen i Detaljen

Djævlen i Detaljen translates as ”The Devil in the Detail”, and is DR’s crime podcast.

So if murder, drug dealing, and other kinds of juicy criminal activity are your thing, this is the place to go.

You can hear stories of crimes and investigations, criminals and foul play, old and new, both national and from abroad.

8. Bibelen Leth Fortalt

If crime isn't your cup of tea, try Bibelen Leth Fortalt (The Bible Told Lightly).

The title is a pun on the name of the main host Kristian Leth, incidentally son of the film maker Jørgen Leth.

In this podcast, different stories from the Bible are picked up and discussed, highlighting various surprising aspects and conclusions.

This is not at all as painstakingly boring as it may sound.

Note that these episodes are by no means missionary or preachy, and you don’t have to be a believer to enjoy this podcast.

9. Let’s Talk About Denmark

Like to hear some English again? No problem. Let's Talk About Denmark focuses on Danish society in a more political, or sociological, way.

In clear and concise language, it covers topics such as:

• Danish architecture
• the welfare state
• Denmark’s position in the EU
• the way too famous ”hygge”
• and the renowned Danish (and Nordic) trust between people.

Probably most relevant to people wanting to move to Denmark, whether for a short or longer period, this podcast is filled with useful information on how this society works.

This podcast is less chitty-chatty than many of the other ones, and can appear a bit dry. Some actually prefer it like that!

Each episode lasts about half an hour, and there’s enough to learn, if you give it your precious time. Underlining it all is the question of why Danes are so damn happy, and if they actually really are.

10. What The Denmark

My final entry, What The Denmark, is also in English, but has a different feel and focus than the previous one.

This podcast is a bit more down to earth, and deals more with everyday situations.

The tagline is ”Decoding Danish Culture”, and the two hosts discuss things that may seem peculiar, or even odd, to a foreigner in the kingdom of Denmark.

As such, it deals with issues as different as

• how to date a Dane (and who wouldn’t?)
• Danish bacon
• the law of Jante
• Danish pronunciation (the famous potato in the mouth)
• and why it is considered polite to ignore people here.

It's all done in a rather tongue-in-cheek way, but the hosts and their guests have all lived in Denmark. And their experiences are by no means made up for comic purposes.

My Danish friends of course think that they sometimes stretch their points a bit, but it makes for an enjoyable and educational podcast. Recommended to anyone who plans to visit Denmark.

Danish Podcasts: Time To Start Listening

So there you have it, the 10 best Danish podcasts for learners.

There really is something for everyone in this list: from true crime, to Danish culture via podcasts designed specifically with Danish learners in mind.

So all that's left for you to do is to pick one of these Danish podcasts and start listening.

By the way, if you're not into podcasts but you want to listen to material at your level in Danish, then you can always listen to the audiobook version of short stories in Danish.