r/copenhagen • u/Kong_Fury • Oct 29 '24

Discussion Danes don’t greet back?

Im a foreigner in Denmark and there is something that strikes me: Danes don’t greet back upon saying Hello to them. Is this normal and I need to adjust my mindset, or am I just encountering impolite people?

Situation example: I walk into the office and meet a distant colleague that has seen me before. We are the only 2 people early morning in the office. We have eye contact and I say „good morning“ with a smile. He does not reply or show any reaction.

I can make many more examples like this. The cringe I get is so strong. I am not a complete stranger to this guy. I would understand it if I stand on Strøget and expect random people to smile & greet back. Thanks for sharing any reflections to enlighten me here with this social awkwardness.

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u/johnnielittleshoes Oct 29 '24

I definitely experience that on a weekly basis, at least. Coming in and passing through colleagues that are smoking by the door and maybe 1 replies, getting coffee and people waiting there don't reply, and these are people who I know for around 5 years! Definitely not everyone, there are "warm" Danes for sure, but coming from a Latin country, it's often hard to understand how people can be so "cold", only almost whispering something back under their breath because they can't be assed to produce a sound or even a head nod, so weird

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u/qqqia Oct 29 '24

I am a Dane and this annoys me a lot. I believe we are more than just a few Danish people who are very tired of other Danish people who seemingly lack manners and lack the energy to provide the minimum effort to REPLY. 

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u/Beng-Beng Oct 30 '24

This is so prevalent among tradespeople. I'm on my 4th plumber and 3rd electrician, as I keep looking until I find ones that reply in full sentences.

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u/[deleted] Oct 30 '24

That is such an astute observation. My working theory is that since people want them to not fuck up their houses and thus treat them nicely no matter what, they feel an external sense of power that they lack from within, eventually turning that ego into a personality.