Languages of Denmark
A large majority (86%) of Danes also speak English as a second language; it is mandatory for Danish students to learn from the first grade in the public elementary schools (), by far the most popular option in the country. In the 1st (or 3rd, depends on the school) grade of folkeskole, a third language option is given, usually German or French. The vast majority pick German (47% of Danes report being able to speak conversational German). The third most widely understood foreign language is Swedish, with 13% of Danes reporting to be able to speak it.
Danish language
Like all Germanic languages, Danish forms compound nouns. These are represented in Danish orthography as one word, as in "kvindehåndboldlandsholdet", "the female national handball team". In some cases, nouns are joined with an extra "s", originally possessive in function, like "landsmand" (from "land", "country", and "mand", "man", meaning "compatriot"), but "landmand" (from same roots, meaning "farmer"). Some words are joined with an extra "e", like "gæstebog" (from "gæst" and "bog", meaning "guest book").