How to Translate "To Miss" into Danish: Pitfalls and False Friends

Last Updated: 1st of July 2025

Translating "Miss" into Danish: Navigating Nuances and Contexts

Ever tried translating "I miss you" into Danish and wondered why your Danish friend looked confused when you said "Jeg misser dig"? You're not alone! The English verb "to miss" is one of those deceptively tricky words that seems simple on the surface but opens up a linguistic maze once you dig deeper.

Here's the thing: "to miss" in English is like a Swiss Army knife – it's packed with different meanings that each need their own unique Danish expression. From the emotional ache of missing someone to narrowly dodging a falling object, English crams all of this into one little word. Danish? Not so much.

As a Freelance Danish translator who's spent years navigating the nuances between Germanic languages, I can tell you that this particular translation challenge trips up even experienced Danish learners. But that's exactly what makes it fascinating! In this post, I'll walk you through the different ways Danish handles what English calls "missing," and trust me – once you understand these distinctions, your Danish will sound infinitely more natural.

Watch Out for This False Friend!

Before we dive into the good stuff, let's tackle the elephant in the room: "at misse." I see this mistake constantly, and honestly, it makes perfect sense why it happens. You see "misse" and think, "Perfect! It looks just like 'miss' – problem solved!" But here's where Danish decides to be... well, Danish."At misse" has a much narrower scope than its English cousin. In Danish, you'll primarily hear it when someone misses a scheduled event, fails to catch transportation, or doesn't show up for something planned. Think "Jeg missede bussen" (I missed the bus) or "Hun missede mødet" (She missed the meeting).

What "at misse" absolutely won't do is express that emotional longing when you miss your grandmother's cooking or your childhood home. For that, Danish has entirely different expressions – which is exactly what we're about to explore.

The Different Translations of 'To Miss' into Danish

1. Failing to Grasp or Appreciate Fully

Sometimes, “miss” means failing to understand or see the larger importance of something. This can be used in conversations where someone may not fully comprehend a concept or is focused too much on the details, missing out on a broader understanding. Danish doesn’t use “miss” directly here, but expressions like ikke forstå (not understand) or ikke se hele billedet (not see the whole picture) capture this nuance:

• English: You’re missing the bigger picture. Danish: Du ser ikke hele billedet.

• English: They missed the point of the discussion. Danish: De forstod ikke pointen i/med diskussionen.

• English: I feel like I missed what you meant. Danish: Jeg føler, at jeg ikke forstod, hvad du mente.

2. Missing an Expected Result or Standard

In English, “miss” can also imply that something didn’t meet certain expectations or standards. This meaning is commonly found in professional contexts, especially when discussing performance or results that fall short. In Danish, terms like skuffe (disappoint) or ikke leve op til forventningerne (not live up to expectations) can be used to express this concept:

• English: The proposal missed our expectations. Danish: Forslaget levede ikke op til vores forventninger.

• English: The report missed several key points. Danish: Rapporten manglede flere vigtige punkter.

• English: They missed their target for sales this quarter. Danish: De nåede ikke deres salgsmål for dette kvartal.

3. Longing for Someone or Something

This isn't just any kind of missing. "Savne" carries real emotional weight. It's the word for when absence creates a genuine ache, when something or someone important is simply not there and you feel that emptiness. Think of it as the Danish equivalent of yearning or longing, but packed into one simple, powerful verb:

• English: I miss my hometown every time I travel abroad. Danish: Jeg savner min hjemby, hver gang jeg er i udlandet.

• English: She misses her family terribly. Danish: Hun savner sin familie enormt.

• English: Do you miss your old job? Danish: Savner du dit gamle job?

4. Missing Out on Events or Opportunities

When missing an event or a one-time opportunity, “gå glip af” expresses this idea of losing out or not participating:

• I missed the concert because I was sick. Jeg gik glip af koncerten, fordi jeg var syg.

• They missed the deadline to submit their application. De gik glip af fristen for at indsende deres ansøgning.

• Did you miss the big sale at the store? Gik du glip af udsalget i butikken?

5. Failing to Hear Something

Sometimes “miss” just means you didn’t catch something that was said. In Danish, this is simply “ikke høre” or “ikke forstå”:

• I’m sorry, I missed the beginning of what you said. Undskyld, jeg hørte ikke, hvad du sagde i starten.

• He missed my answer because he was distracted. Han hørte ikke mit svar, fordi han var distraheret.

• Did you miss the announcement in the speakers? Hørte du ikke meddelelsen i højttalerne?

6. Missing a Target

For situations where “miss” means failing to hit a target, Danish uses “ramme ved siden af” or “fejle”:

• She missed the bullseye by an inch. Hun ramte ved siden af målet med en tomme.

• The goalkeeper missed the ball.

  Målmanden ramte ved siden af bolden.

• He missed his shot at the basket. Han ramte ved siden af kurven.

7. Being Late or Missing a Bus/Other Transport

For being late or missing transportation, Danish uses “komme for sent”:

• I missed my train this morning. Jeg kom for sent til toget i morges.

• She missed her flight to London. Hun kom for sent/ sit fly til London.

• They missed the ferry by just two minutes. De kom for sent til færgen med kun to minutter.

9. Glemme Sine Replikker: Forgetting Lines in a Play

When an actor misses their lines, Danish uses “glemme sine replikker”:

• The actor missed his line in the middle of the scene. Skuespilleren glemte sin replik midt i scenen.

• She missed her cue in the school play. Hun glemte sin replik i skoleforestillingen.

• Did he forget his lines during the performance? Glemte han sine replikker under forestillingen?

A New Meaning to Cat Eyes?

In Danish, the verb at misse is a cute little word for squinting or blinking, usually because the light is just too bright. Picture someone stepping into dazzling sunshine and narrowing their eyes (de misser med øjnene). It actually comes from an old word meaning “to squint like a cat,” (knibe øjnene sammen som en kat) which is pretty fitting! So next time you’re blinking away in the sun, you can think of yourself as missende, just like a cat catching some rays.

A Quick Reality Check

Now, before you think I've covered every possible way to say "miss" in Danish – I haven't! The examples above represent the most common situations you'll encounter, but Danish (like any living language) has even more nuanced expressions for specific contexts. You might come across "undgå" when narrowly avoiding something, "overse" when overlooking details, or many other words adding their own distinct flavor. So what's the key takeaway? These core translations will handle about 90% of your "missing" needs, and understanding this foundation will help you recognize and adapt to new variations as you encounter them in real Danish conversations.

Summing Up What We Already Know: Context is Key!

Here's what I find fascinating about this whole "miss" situation: English crams all these different concepts into one overworked little word, while Danish gives each meaning its own space to breathe. It's like the difference between a cluttered drawer and a well-organized toolbox – Danish just makes more sense once you see the system.

Think about it: "savne" for emotional longing, "gå glip af" for missed opportunities, "ikke forstå" for failing to grasp something, "at misse" for missed appointments. Each one is perfectly calibrated for its specific context. Once you start thinking this way, you'll never want to go back to English's one-size-fits-all approach.

My advice? Stop trying to find the "Danish word for miss" because there isn't one – there are many, and that's exactly what makes your Danish sound natural and nuanced. Pay attention to what kind of "missing" you're actually talking about, and the right Danish expression will follow. Master these distinctions, and you'll not only avoid that confused look from Danish speakers – you'll start thinking like one. And trust me, that's when Danish really starts to click.

Want more insights into tricky Danish translations or Danish language learning? Check out my other posts on navigating the beautiful complexity of the Danish language.