This guide adapts rules and examples from Microsoft’s 71-page Danish Localization Style Guide (originally written for software/UI localization). The underlying linguistic rules apply universally — to legal contracts, medical documents, marketing copy, and any Danish translation work. Restructured and reformatted as a general Danish translator reference by ChatsControl.
Danish Translation Style Guide — Voice, Word Choice & Common Pitfalls (Legal, Medical, Marketing, IT)¶
TL;DR¶
- Address users with du/dig (not De/Dem) — Danish moved to du-form decades ago; De-form sounds antiquated and overly formal.
- Avoid archaic forms: Have mulighed for → Kan; Henvise til → Se; Hvorledes → Hvordan; Hvori → Hvor; Hvorvidt → Om; Imidlertid → Men; Lokalisere → Finde; Opnå → Få; Samtlige → Alle; Således at → Så; Såvel som → Og; Vort/vore → Vores; Yderligere → Flere; Ydermere → Også.
- Use everyday abbreviations: dvs. (det vil sige), bl.a. (blandt andet); use info (instead of oplysninger) when space-limited; use pc (lowercase) for personal computer.
- Use we/vi when talking directly to user to create close relationship; avoid corporate Microsoft-we (Microsoft annoncerer…).
- Word-for-word translation produces stiff Danish — Skype tillader dig at betragte dine venner (wrong) → Med Skype kan du se dine venner (right).
- TL;DR
- Register and tone
- Word choice
- Word-for-word translation
- Sample voice usage
- Inclusive language
- Language-specific standards
- Localization considerations
- FAQ
- How should I address users in Danish?
- Which formal Danish words should I replace?
- What’s the modern register for Danish translation?
- How are common abbreviations handled in Danish?
- How should I handle word-for-word translation?
- When should I use we/vi in Danish translation?
- What punctuation rules are Danish-specific?
- Sources
Register and tone¶
Three principles: warm and relaxed; crisp and clear; ready to lend a hand.
Clear, friendly, concise — but friendly doesn’t mean overly colloquial. Maintain a professional tone. Use contemporary, up-to-date terminology close to everyday conversation.
Flexibility: Modify or rewrite translated strings to sound natural to Danish customers. Understand the whole intention, then rewrite as if composing originally. Sometimes remove unnecessary content.
Words and phrases to avoid¶
| en-US source | Danish to avoid | Preferred Danish |
|---|---|---|
| Have an opportunity | Have mulighed for | Kan |
| Refer to | Henvise til | Se |
| How | Hvorledes | Hvordan |
| In which/which … in | Hvori | Hvor |
| Whether | Hvorvidt | Om |
| However | Imidlertid | Men |
| Locate | Lokalisere | Finde |
| Achieve | Opnå | Få |
| All | Samtlige | Alle |
| So/to the effect that | Således at | Så |
| As well as | Såvel som | Og |
| Our | Vort/vore | Vores |
| Additional | Yderligere | Flere |
| In addition | Ydermere | Også |
Use brief phrases with simple syntax. Use present tense. Use active voice (more direct than passive).
Word choice¶
| en-US source | Danish word | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| app | app | Use app instead of applikation eller program when “app” is in source |
| get/achieve | få | Use få instead of opnå or komme i besiddelse af |
| PC | pc | Use pc instead of personlig computer |
| You | du | Address user with du instead of De/Dem |
| We | vi | Use vi when talking directly to user to create close relation |
| i.e. | dvs. | Use well-known abbreviations (dvs., bl.a.) instead of long form |
| info | info | Normally “oplysninger” but if space is limited or natural in context, use info |
Word-for-word translation¶
Avoid word-for-word translation.
| English | Correct Danish | Incorrect Danish |
|---|---|---|
| Skype allows you to watch your friends while you chat | Med Skype kan du se dine venner, mens I chatter | Skype tillader dig at betragte dine venner, mens du chatter |
| You must fill in the form before you start | Du skal udfylde formularen, før du starter | Du må fylde formularen ud, før du starter |
| Click Start to open the application | Klik på start for at åbne programmet | Klik Start for at åbne applikationen |
| Learn more | Læs mere | Lær mere |
Sample voice usage¶
Focusing on the user action¶
| US English | Danish |
|---|---|
| The password isn’t correct, so try again. Passwords are case-sensitive. | Adgangskoden er forkert, så prøv igen. Der skelnes mellem store og små bogstaver i adgangskoder. |
| This product key didn’t work. Check it and try again. | Produktnøglen virker ikke. Kontrollér produktnøglen, og prøv igen. |
| All ready to go | Så er vi klar til at gå i gang |
| Would you like to continue? | Vil du fortsætte? |
| Give your PC a name — any name you want. If you want to change the background color, turn high contrast off in PC settings. | Giv din pc et navn – du kan frit vælge et navn. Hvis du vil ændre baggrundsfarven, skal du slå stor kontrast fra i Pc-indstillinger. |
Explanatory text and support¶
| US English | Danish |
|---|---|
| The updates are installed, but Windows 10 Setup needs to restart for them to work. After it restarts, we’ll keep going from where we left off. | Opdateringerne er installeret, men Windows 10 installationen skal genstartes, før opdateringerne virker. Når computeren er genstartet, fortsætter vi fra det sted, vi var nået til. |
| If you restart now, you and any other people using this PC could lose unsaved work. | Hvis du genstarter nu, risikerer du og alle andre, der bruger denne pc, at miste arbejde, der ikke er gemt. |
| This document will be automatically moved to the right library and folder after you correct invalid or missing properties. | Dette dokument flyttes automatisk til det rette bibliotek og den rette mappe, når du har rettet ugyldige eller manglende egenskaber. |
| Something bad happened! Unable to locate downloaded files to create your bootable USB flash drive. | Et eller andet gik galt! Vi kan ikke finde hentede filer til at oprette et USB-flashdrev, der kan startes fra. |
Promoting a feature¶
| US English | Danish |
|---|---|
| Picture password is a new way to help you protect your touchscreen PC. You choose the picture — and the gestures you use with it — to create a password that’s uniquely yours. | Billedadgangskoder er en ny måde, du kan beskytte din touchskærm-pc på. Du vælger billedet – og de bevægelser, du vil bruge sammen med det – for at oprette en adgangskode, der er helt din egen. |
| Let apps give you personalized content based on your PC’s location, name, account picture, and other domain info. | Lad apps give dig personligt tilpasset indhold, der er baseret på din pc’s placering, navn, kontobillede og andre domæneoplysninger. |
How-to guidelines¶
| US English | Danish |
|---|---|
| To go back and save your work, click Cancel and finish what you need to. | Klik på Annuller for at vende tilbage og gemme arbejdet, og afslut det, du har brug for. |
| To confirm your current picture password, just watch the replay and trace the example gestures shown on your picture. | Bekræft din aktuelle billedadgangskode ved at se gengivelsen og følge de eksempelbevægelser, der vises på dit billede. |
Inclusive language¶
General guidelines¶
Comply with local language laws. Use plain language. Be mindful of politically disputed places. Represent diverse perspectives. Don’t generalize. Don’t use profane terms.
Language-specific standards¶
Punctuation¶
Quotation marks¶
Straight quotation marks ” ” in software/web; chevrons or »…« may appear in print.
Comma¶
Danish has grammatical comma rules — comma before subordinate clauses introduced by at, fordi, hvis, når, om, etc. Comma usage is more systematic than English.
Em dash and en dash¶
— and – per Danish convention.
Capitalization¶
Use sparingly. First word of sentence, proper nouns. Don’t mirror English title-case.
Verbs¶
Use simple present and present perfect. Active voice preferred.
Localization considerations¶
Applications, products, and features¶
Product/application names trademarked, rarely translated.
Trademarks¶
Microsoft Corporation and trademarked names not localized.
FAQ¶
How should I address users in Danish?¶
Use second-person familiar du/dig (with possessive din/dit/dine). Danish made the switch from formal De-form to du-form in everyday usage decades ago — De/Dem now sounds antiquated and overly formal, used mainly in very formal correspondence to elderly recipients or royalty. Use du across software, marketing, medical, consumer-facing legal text.
Which formal Danish words should I replace?¶
Have mulighed for → Kan; Henvise til → Se; Hvorledes → Hvordan; Hvori → Hvor; Hvorvidt → Om; Imidlertid → Men; Lokalisere → Finde; Opnå → Få; Samtlige → Alle; Således at → Så; Såvel som → Og; Vort/vore → Vores; Yderligere → Flere; Ydermere → Også.
What’s the modern register for Danish translation?¶
Clear, friendly, concise — but friendly doesn’t mean overly colloquial. Maintain a professional tone. Use contemporary, up-to-date terminology close to what people actually say in everyday conversation, rather than formal technical language.
How are common abbreviations handled in Danish?¶
Use everyday abbreviations: dvs. (det vil sige / i.e.), bl.a. (blandt andet / among other things), f.eks. (for eksempel / for example), osv. (og så videre / etc.). Use info (instead of oplysninger) when space is limited or it’s natural in context. Use pc (lowercase) instead of “personlig computer”.
How should I handle word-for-word translation?¶
Avoid it. Examples: “Skype allows you to watch your friends while you chat” → Med Skype kan du se dine venner, mens I chatter (not Skype tillader dig at betragte dine venner). “You must fill in the form before you start” → Du skal udfylde formularen, før du starter (not Du må fylde formularen ud). “Click Start to open the application” → Klik på start for at åbne programmet (not Klik Start to åbne applikationen). “Learn more” → Læs mere (not Lær mere).
When should I use we/vi in Danish translation?¶
Use vi when talking directly to the user to create a close, personal relationship — especially in helpful, conversational contexts. “We’ll keep going from where we left off” → fortsætter vi fra det sted, vi var nået til. Avoid the corporate “we” (Microsoft annoncerer…, Vi er stolte over at introducere…).
What punctuation rules are Danish-specific?¶
Quotation marks: “…” (straight). Comma rules differ from English — Danish has grammatical comma rules, with comma before subordinate clauses. Em dash (—) and en dash (–) per Danish convention. Period at sentence end.