A question from a (beginning) Danish language learner
Is the greeting "Dav" used very often?
In what kind of context is this an appropriate greeting?
Is it used more commonly in rural areas?
Tak!
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19 replies
Finally a context for a dad joke, I've had laying around! What's sitting on the bottom of a bucket going "dav dav dav"? A spandauer
Can't recall having heard "Dav" used as a greeting for ages. I'm 40+ and been living in Copenhagen most of my life. I've heard "Godaw" once in a blue moon, when talking to people from Jutland
I had a feeling "Dav" might have uncommon or limited usage. What's amazing is that the language program/book I'm starting (Get Started in Danish) has "Dav" as the second word they teach, with the definition "Hello/Hi" and no other context. 😬
Tak!
I live in Aalborg and often start with 'godaw' so guess I am a stereotype 😅
Godaw Godaw 🙂
I think a lot of people answering here have not been in Jylland since it's quite common in some areas and circles. I feel like I've heard it myself quite a lot, so much so I do it myself now even after I moved to kbh.2 years ago.
This is good to know. If I ever get to visit Danmark, I’ll be in Jylland most of the time (where min morfars family is from). Tak for the help!
We use 'dav' in my family and I sometimes use it outside of that context, but I don't think I ever hear other people use it.
Tak!
I've heard people use it before but it's very rare. To the point where I'd say using it is more of a personal quirk rather than any group preference.
It's a casual greeting, usually only used among friends I'd say. It's a shortened version of "Goddag".
Tak!
It sounds like the usage of "Dav" in Danmark might be similar to the usage of "Howdy" here in the USA.
Yea that seems an apt comparison, though howdy makes me think of cowboys :P
Yeah, I can see that since it’s illegal to say “Howdy” anywhere east of the Mississippi River or in a non-rural area. 😉
I've grown up in a rural area, and while I associate dav/davs with old farmers or workers, I rarely hear them use it nowadays.
I occasionally use "davs" semi-ironically but it is definitely not the most common greeting. It's probably not a greeting you should use the first time you meet someone, or at a job interview, but it is fine (albeit a bit atypical) for greeting friends. Hej or hey are more common, and as a bonus, also much easier to pronounce for the average English speaker.
Thank you for your help!
I think it might be more about the circles you're in. I personally haven't heard or used it while living in various places in Jutland, albeit urban areas.
Might it be a greeting used by a certain generation or age group?
It may be used more often with rural people and/or 40+ but I don't have an anecdote to back it up. I'd probably wait til the rest of Feddit wakes up so you can get a bit more insight as I'm no expert.
Ok. Tak!