Buying Prepaid Cell Phone Cards in Denmark

Learn how to buy and use a pre-paid telephone card

Dialogue

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Vocabulary

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Lesson Transcript

INTRODUCTION

While most people wouldn't or couldn't step outside without their cell phones, when visiting another country, sometimes it's a little too far for your local carrier. You can of course use your cell phone when you get to Denmark, but you have to pay very expensive charges. So if you feel like saving your money, the good old ways work like a charm.

But to help you out, in Denmark, you can buy prepaid phone cards for cell phones. These prepaid cell phone cards are sold in kiosks and phone company offices. These include a SIM card with PIN and PUK codes and of course a Danish phone number. You can insert the SIM card into your mobile phone and use it with a Danish number. How easy is that! That is what we will focus on in this lesson.

GRAMMAR POINT

The Danish expression for “prepaid cell phone card” is mobilt taletidskort. This is literally translated as “mobile speaking time card”.

Let’s break it down.

(slow) Mobilt taletidskort.

Once more:

Mobilt taletidskort.

The first word mobilt means “mobile”.

(slow) Mobilt.

Mobilt.

Next we have a composite word taletidskort which literally means “speak time card”.

(slow)Taletidskort

Taletidskort

The whole expression is:

Mobilt taletidskort.

Remember it refers to a SIM card that offers you access to a prepaid service. And most Danes just call it Taletidskort for short.

Therefore, in order to ask "Do you sell prepaid cell phone cards?" say.

Sælger I taletidskort?

Let’s break it down:

(slow) Sælger I taletidskort?

Once more:

Sælger I taletidskort?

The first word sælger is the present form of the verb “sell”.

(slow) Sælger.

Sælger.

Next we have the word I, in English “you”.

(slow) I.

Together they form the meaning of “do you sell”.

And in the end we have what you are looking for. In this case, “prepaid cell phone card”

(slow) Taletidskort.

Taletidskort.

Altogether, we have

(slow) Sælger I taletidskort?

Sælger I taletidskort?

Literally this means, “Do you sell speaking time cards?”

The answer to this will be “yes” (Ja) or “no” (Nej). If they do have the cards, you'll want to ask for one.

Let’s try to ask for one phone card.

Et taletidskort, tak.

(slow) Et taletidskort, tak.

This literally means “A speaking time card please”.

Once again:

Et taletidskort, tak.

New prepaid cell phone cards have different credits on them depending on the provider, and if they are running a campaign. But if you plan on using the phone more than the initial amount, you can charge your number. This can be done online nowadays, but you can also buy refills at kiosks - just make sure it is a kiosk that sells the carrier you have. In order to do that say:

Et optankningskort, tak.

(slow) Et optankningskort, tak.

The first words et , means “one”

(slow) Et.

Et.

Next we have the expression optankningskort which literally means “recharging card”.

(slow) Optankningskort .

Optankningskort .

At the end we have tak, the word for “thanks”.

Et optankningskort, tak.

This literally means “A recharge card please”.

Let’s imagine you want to recharge your account with 50 danish crowns. In this case, add to the beginning of the phrase we just learned this expression - halvtreds kroners.

Et halvtreds kroners optankningskort, tak.

Let’s break it down:

(slow) Et halvtreds kroners optankningskort, tak.

Once again:

Et halvtreds kroners optankningskort, tak.

Halvtreds kroners is literally translated as “fifty crowns”.

(slow) Halvtreds kroners.

Halvtreds kroners.

Here’s the entire sentence:

Et halvtreds kroners optankningskort, tak.

This means, “A 50 crown rechargeable card, please.”

For a 100 danish crown card, you just have to change the value this way: Instead of 50 , say 100.

(slow) hundred kroners

The whole phrase will sound like this:

(slow) Et hundred kroners optankningskort, tak.

You can also use this expression “A 100 crown card for (company name) please.” or the amount you want.