Two small words that sound similar but mean very different things.
Welcome!
Many Danish learners confuse at and og because they sound similar when spoken quickly.
But their meanings are completely different:
- at → “to” (used before verbs)
- og → “and” (used to connect words or sentences)
Once you understand this difference, many Danish sentences will become much clearer.
1️⃣ “Og” — Means “And”
The word og simply means and.
It connects words, phrases, or sentences.
Examples:
Jeg drikker kaffe og te.
I drink coffee and tea.
Hun taler dansk og engelsk.
She speaks Danish and English.
Vi går i parken og spiser frokost.
We go to the park and eat lunch.
Think of og as the Danish version of and.
2️⃣ “At” — Means “To” (Before Verbs)
The word at is used before verbs in their infinitive form.
Examples:
Det er svært at forstå.
It is difficult to understand.
Hun prøver at tale dansk.
She tries to speak Danish.
Here, at works like English “to”.
3️⃣ A Simple Way to Remember
Ask yourself this question:
Are you connecting things together?
→ Use og
Example:
kaffe og te
Are you talking about an action (a verb)?
→ Use at
Example:
at lære
4️⃣ A Very Common Mistake
Learners sometimes write:
❌ Jeg vil og lære dansk
This is incorrect.
Correct:
✅ Jeg vil lære dansk
or
✅ Jeg vil prøve at lære dansk
Remember: og = and, not to.
🎯 Practice Time
Choose at or og.
1️⃣ Jeg vil ___ lære dansk.
2️⃣ Hun drikker kaffe ___ te.
3️⃣ Det er svært ___ forstå.
4️⃣ Vi går ud ___ spiser middag.
Answers
1️⃣ at
2️⃣ og
3️⃣ at
4️⃣ og
👍 Tip from Freja
If the word comes before a verb, it is usually at.
If the word connects two things, it is og.