Electronics

1. mobiltelefon

   Mobile phone

   Usage

   In speech it is shortened to "mobil". The "telefon" in the Basic Nouns category is the general word covering landlines too

2. tablet

   Tablet

   Usage

   Danish simply borrowed the English word, unlike Swedish "surfplatta" or Norwegian "nettbrett", which coined native compounds

3. bærbar computer

   Laptop

   Usage

   Literally "portable computer"; in speech "bærbar" alone is enough. Show it when you want to ask a café for a socket

4. oplader

   Charger

   Usage

   "Jeg har glemt min oplader" — I forgot my charger. Same form as in the Basic Nouns category. Note the "op-" prefix, which Swedish "laddare" and Norwegian "lader" do not have

5. ladekabel

   Charging cable

   Usage

   EU rules mean new devices sold in Denmark all use USB-C, so asking for a "USB-C-kabel" works in any shop

6. powerbank

   Power bank

   Usage

   Used as the English word. Handy for a full day on a bike, or against the cold draining your phone in winter

7. rejseadapter

   Travel adapter

   Usage

   Denmark's own Type K socket has a differently shaped earth pin from the rest of Europe, but a round two-pin Type C plug fits fine. A Japanese plug will not, so bring an adapter. The supply is 230 V

8. stikkontakt

   Power socket

   Usage

   "Hvor er der en stikkontakt?" — where is there a socket? Long-distance trains and most cafés have one at every seat

9. batteri

   Battery

   Usage

   Covers both loose cells and built-in batteries. "Batteriet er dødt" — the battery is dead. Used batteries go in the collection box at the shop

10. wifi

    Wi-Fi

    Usage

    Written in lower case in Danish. Free and near-universal — cafés, libraries, even the trains

11. wifi-kode

    Wi-Fi password

    Usage

    The same word as in "Hvad er wifi-koden?" in the Internet & WiFi category. Danish says "kode" rather than "password", and it is often printed on your receipt

12. SIM-kort

    SIM card

    Usage

    Prepaid ones are also called "taletidskort" and are sold in supermarkets and kiosks. Danish mobile data is comparatively cheap

13. eSIM

    Usage

    Activated by QR code with no physical card. "Har I eSIM?" — do you offer eSIM?

14. hukommelseskort

    Memory card

    Usage

    For buying an SD card for a camera. It is a mouthful, so in a shop just say "SD-kort"

15. hovedtelefoner

    Headphones

    Usage

    Always plural. In-ear ones are "øretelefoner". Wireless is "trådløse hovedtelefoner"

16. kamera

    Camera

    Usage

    "Kan du tage et billede?" — could you take a picture?

17. lommelygte

    Torch / Flashlight

    Usage

    Literally "pocket lamp", and useful when it goes dark before four in the afternoon. Note that a bike light, "cykellygte", is a legal requirement

18. aircondition

    Air conditioning

    Usage

    Many Danish homes and hotels have none — a hot summer day is survived with open windows and a fan. Worth checking before you book

19. fjernbetjening

    Remote control

    Usage

    For asking at a hotel when you cannot find the one for the TV or the heating. Swedish and Norwegian build it differently, as "fjärrkontroll" and "fjernkontroll"

20. ventilator

    Fan

    Usage

    What to ask for in a room with no AC: "Har I en ventilator?"

21. køleskab

    Fridge

    Usage

    Literally "cooling cupboard". Use it when checking whether your accommodation has one. A freezer is a "fryser"

    Grammar Note

    Swedish spells it "kylskåp" and Norwegian "kjøleskap" — do not mix them up

22. fjernsyn

    Television

    Usage

    Literally "far-seeing", though people often just say "TV". Denmark subtitles foreign programmes rather than dubbing them

23. mikroovn

    Microwave

    Usage

    "Kan du varme den?" — could you heat this up? A shorter word than Swedish "mikrovågsugn" or Norwegian "mikrobølgeovn"

24. elkedel

    Electric kettle

    Usage

    Literally "electric kettle". Danish tap water is drinkable as it comes, so it is mostly for tea and coffee

25. vaskemaskine

    Washing machine

    Usage

    Danish apartment blocks often have a shared "vaskekælder" in the basement. A launderette is a "møntvaskeri", as in the Basic Nouns category. Swedish and Norwegian drop the final e: "vaskemaskin"

26. hårtørrer

    Hair dryer

    Usage

    "Har I en hårtørrer?" — is there a hair dryer? Japanese models often will not take 230 V, so check before plugging in

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