Guidance for Danish

Style Guides Danish
1

Last Updated: Oct 28, 2025

Here you will find the guidance for Danish (Denmark), but you should also consider the guidance for all languages.

1. Capitalization

Capitalize only the first letter of a sentence and the names of people, products or places.

Always apply your language conventions rather than adhering to the English source.

When the first letter of a sentence bears an accent, accentuate the capital letter. Example: “Én bil kom frem, ikke to”.

Capitalize:

  • Proper names: Proton Mail, Proton VPN, NetShield
  • Command/Folder names and keywords (first word only): Åbn, Luk, Gem ændringer
  • First word of a sentence, title or subtitle: Her er information om de nye tilbud.
  • In UI items made up of 2 alternative commands separated by a slash, the first is capitalized: Importér/eksportér filen

Do not capitalize:

  • Words like internet and web, except when they are the first word of a sentence
  • Words after a colon when not a full sentence: Anglicisme: sprogligt lån fra engelsk
  • Nationalities and languages: dansk statsborger, skrive på engelsk
  • Names of days, months and seasons: mandag, januar, vinter

2. Gender

We want to be as inclusive as possible, so we try to be neutral, but we use gender-specific nouns and verbs if remaining neutral goes against the writing best practices for a specific language.

Basic principles:

  • When possible, avoid the use of masculine singular form to refer to someone whose gender is unknown.
  • Don’t suggest the reader’s gender using specific grammatical forms. If you cannot use forms that are gender-free, rephrase the sentence.
  • You can use passive language to avoid gender-specific verbs, but only if it doesn’t hurt readability or make the sentence sound unnatural.
  • Rephrase when you are unable to find a gender-neutral way.

3. Abbreviations

Whenever possible, avoid using abbreviations.

Abbreviate text only when space is limited (mainly buttons, option names or strings with specific character limitations) or when readability needs improvement. Instead of abbreviating (e.g., 4 or 5 consecutive words), summarize a term or phrase in 2 or 3 words written in full.

General criteria for shortening words:

  • Omit at least two letters.
  • Truncate a word so that it ends with a consonant and place a period after it.
  • When a word contains a double consonant, truncate it at the second one and place a period after it.

Examples:

  • Transkription → Transkr.
  • Kollega → Koll.

Days abbreviations:

English Translation Abbreviation
Monday mandag man
Tuesday tirsdag tir
Wednesday onsdag ons
Thursday torsdag tor
Friday fredag fre
Saturday lørdag lør
Sunday søndag søn

Months abbreviations:

English Translation Abbreviation
January januar jan
February februar feb
March marts mar
April april apr
May maj maj
June juni juin
July juli jul
August august aug
September september sep
October oktober okt
November november nov
December december dec

4. Acronyms

Common examples are VPN (Virtual Personal Network), DNS (Domain Name Server), HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), etc.

The most common acronyms and their translations are included in the glossary. Always refer to the glossary when localizing acronyms.

The gender and number of the acronym are determined by the gender and number of the translation for the main noun of the extended form.
Example: API (Application Programming Interface) is neuter because the translation of “interface” (“interface”) is neuter.

To choose the appropriate article or suffix in front of/after an acronym, consider the gender.
Example: The API → API’et

Commonly used acronyms do not need explanations (DVD, LED, TV, etc.).

When an acronym is repeated several times in the same section, include its extended form in parentheses only for the first occurrence.

5. Pronouns

English, especially technical English, is more redundant than some other languages.

When translating, you often need to reduce redundancy by using pronouns. This should never reduce accuracy.

When translating technical or complex strings, ensure users can associate pronouns with their referents.

Avoid the use of possessive pronouns when possible.
Omit pronoun subjects such as “we” and “you.”

English We avoid We prefer
Contacts successfully imported. The imported contacts will now appear in your contact list. Kontakter blev importeret med succes. De importerede kontakter vises nu i din kontaktliste. Kontakterne blev importeret. De vises nu i din kontaktliste.
Events successfully imported. The imported events will now appear in your calendar. Begivenheder blev importeret med succes. De importerede begivenheder vises nu i din kontaktliste. Begivenhederne blev importeret. De vises nu i din kontaktliste.

6. Gerunds (“ing” ending)

Gerunds are used in English, such as in “Creating a report”.

Depending on the context, they can be translated using the short participle/the noun (for an action or title) or the present tense when something is in progress.

English Context We avoid We prefer
Generating keys Action or title Genererer nøgler Generering af nøgler
Generating keys Processing Generering af nøgler Genererer nøgler
Importing Action or title Importerer Import
Importing Processing Import Importerer
Importing data from %1s to %2s Action or title Importerer data fra %1s til %2s. Import af data fra %1s til %2s.
Importing data from %1s to %2s Processing Import af data fra %1s til %2s. Importerer data fra %1s til %2s.

7. Punctuation

If you need help, you can check this website.

8. Period

For the period at the end of a sentence (subject + verb), adapt to Danish conventions: when the English source omits a period but Danish requires one, add it in your translation.

Include a period at the end of each extended sentence in a bullet list if it has full meaning by itself.

Do not place periods at the end of titles, links, nominative phrases, buttons, and checkboxes unless they contain more than one sentence.

English We avoid We prefer
This footer is added after your signature Denne fodnote tilføjes efter din underskrift Denne fodnote tilføjes efter din underskrift.
Impossible to load content. Please enable Chrome Det er ikke muligt at indlæse indhold, aktiver Chrome Det er ikke muligt at indlæse indhold, aktiver Chrome.
This message will expire in %s Denne besked udløber om %s Denne besked udløber om %s.
Signature verification error. Fejl ved signaturverifikation. Fejl ved signaturverifikation
Unknown error. Ukendt fejl. Ukendt fejl

9. Exclamation mark

Exclamation marks are used to give emphasis.

As their use is less common in Danish than in English, use them sparingly. Replace an exclamation mark with a period if it reads more naturally, but never change a period into an exclamation mark.

English We avoid We prefer
The PIN codes must match! PIN-koderne skal stemme overens! PIN-koderne skal stemme overens.
Can’t create a SRP verifier! Kan ikke oprette en SRP-verifikator! Kan ikke oprette en SRP-verifikator.
You have %d new emails! Du har %d nye e-mails! Du har %d nye e-mails.
Theme reset! Redirecting… Tema nulstillet! Omdirigerer… Tema nulstillet. Omdirigerer…
Importing contacts complete! Import af kontakter gennemført! Import af kontakter gennemført.

10. Parentheses

Parentheses are used to clarify statements or provide additional information. Avoid them when possible and adapt the text to the context.

English We avoid We prefer
Please choose a display name to finish setting up your account. (Other people will see this.) Vælg et visningsnavn for at afslutte opsætningen af din konto. (Andre personer vil kunne se dette.) Vælg et visningsnavn for at afslutte opsætningen af din konto. Andre personer vil kunne se dette.
We also support importing vCard. (UTF-8 encoding) Vi understøtter også import af vCard. (UTF-8-kodning) Vi understøtter også import af vCard (UTF-8-kodning).

11. Comma

Do not place a comma before “og” and “eller” when the conjunction links two related terms.

English We avoid We prefer
You can also add, delete, and edit them by clicking… Du kan også tilføje, slette, og redigere dem ved at klikke på… Du kan også tilføje, slette og redigere dem ved at klikke på…
Assign permissions to users, or groups Tildel tilladelser til brugere, eller til grupper Tildel tilladelser til brugere eller grupper

12. Colon and semicolon

Colons and semicolons are not preceded by a space.
Use a capital letter after a colon only if it introduces a full sentence.

English We avoid We prefer
Date: Old to new Dato: Fra gammelt til nyt Dato: fra gammelt til nyt
Download paused: Low battery Download sat på pause: Lavt batteriniveau Download sat på pause: lavt batteriniveau

13. Em dash (—), en dash (–), hyphen (-)

In English, em or en dashes are used to isolate elements, introduce nonessential clauses, or emphasize a change in thought.

In Danish, use only the en dash (–).

English We avoid We prefer
Secure access to your favorite content from other countries — Now available on Android TV. Sikker adgang til dit yndlingsindhold fra andre lande — Nu tilgængeligt på Android TV. Sikker adgang til dit yndlingsindhold fra andre lande – nu tilgængeligt på Android TV.

14. Quotation marks

Use these specific quotation marks or guillemets: ”example”».
Place the period outside the closing quotation mark.

English We avoid We prefer
The “From:” address is invalid. Please change it to a valid one Adressen “Fra:” er ugyldig. Ændr den til en gyldig adresse. Adressen ”Fra:” er ugyldig. Ændr den til en gyldig adresse.

15. Apostrophes

Use straight apostrophes: Det er Hans’ computer.

16. Ampersand (&)

Replace “&” with “og” unless it is part of a company/product name or a registered trademark.

17. Spacing and non-breaking spaces

Use non-breaking spaces to prevent improper separation of elements such as product names, numbers, or dates.

When using currency symbols or units of measurement, include a non-breaking space between number and symbol.

Keyboard shortcuts:

  • Windows: Hold Alt and type 255
  • Mac: Ctrl + Option⌥ + Space bar
English Danish [non-breaking space]
30% 30 % 30[non-breaking space]%
5€ 5 € 5[non-breaking space]€
1 GB 1 GB 1[non-breaking space]GB

18. Numbers

Replace the period used as a decimal point in English with a comma in Danish.
3.75 → 3,75

For numbers smaller than 1, always write a zero before the decimal comma.
.5 → 0,5

The period in software version numbers remains unchanged.
Proton Mail v.3

Use a period as a thousand separator. Never use thousand separators in years.
15,000 and year 2015 → 15.000 og år 2015

Time and date:

  • Hours and minutes are separated by a colon. Use the 24-hour format.
    Example: at 9:25 P.M → kl. 21:25
  • The date format is “dd.mm.yy”.
    Example: 01-31-22 (mm/dd/yy) → 31.01.22

19. Ordinal numbers

Ordinal numbers may be written with numerals and letter suffixes, where the suffix acts as an ordinal indicator.
Example: 2nd/second → 2./anden

20. Currencies

Do not convert USD ($) or EUR (€) to local currency.

Place the USD or EUR code or the symbol (€ / $) after the number, separated by a non-breaking space.

Example: Amount of €30 → Et beløb på 30 € or Et beløb på 30 EUR

21. Units of measurement

Use the metric system.
Insert a non-breaking space between a number and the relevant unit.
Convert imperial units into metric.

Example: 6 feet → 1,83 m

Category Measurement unit Translation Abbreviation
LINEAR Kilometer Kilometer km
Meter Meter m
Centimeter Centimeter cm
Millimeter Millimeter mm
MASS Ton Ton t
Kilogram Kilogram kg
Pound Pund lb
IMPERIAL Inch Tomme po
Feet Fod pi
Mile Mile mi
Gallon Gallon gal
COMPUTING Byte (B) Byte B
Megabyte (MB) Megabyte MB
Gigabyte (GB) Gigabyte GB
Terabyte (TB) Terabyte TB

22. Form of address

Use the second person singular (“du”) form of address (informal).

English Danish
You need to open the navigation Du skal åbne navigationen

23. English/US terms and formulations

Please

Please is often used in English to introduce an instruction.

For simple instructions, omit it to keep sentences concise and natural.

English Danish
Please try again later Prøv igen senere

Now

Now, as in “buy now” or “download now”, is also a very US formulation. Instead of a literal translation, we simply do not translate it.

English Danish
Get Proton VPN now Få Proton VPN

Successfully

Successfully is also a very US formulation. Instead of a literal translation, omit it entirely.

English Danish
Your Proton account was successfully created. Din Proton-konto blev oprettet.

Formulation: make sentences

For better readability and naturalness, form complete sentences (subject + verb), even if that means moving slightly away from the source.

English We avoid We prefer
Participation status updated. Deltagelsesstatus opdateret. Deltagelsesstatussen blev opdateret.

24. Foreign words

The choice between keeping an English word or translating it depends on how widely used the English term is.

To determine usage, compare search results for the English word and its Danish translation. The more common term should guide your choice.

If unsure about an important term, ask the Proton Localization team for an SEO (Search Engine Optimization) check.

Foreign words may appear in quotation marks or italics if uncommon. Widely accepted English terms remain in their original form and do not take the ending “s” in the plural.

When foreign words are common and well understood, they can remain in English. Add an explanation in Danish only when necessary.

Avoid overusing anglicisms.

25. Localizing person names

Localize fictitious person names used for explanatory purposes by choosing a generic, non-stereotypical Danish name.

English Danish
Please enter your display name (e.g. Julia Smith) Indtast dit visningsnavn (f.eks. Julie Smith)

Do not localize real person names.

English Danish
Bart Butler is a senior engineer at Proton Mail Bart Butler er senioringeniør hos Proton Mail

26. Localizing domains and email addresses

Localize fictitious domain names and e-mail addresses used for explanatory purposes.

  • Translate the local part of an e-mail address.
  • Translate the domain name.
  • Use your target country code (.dk).
English Translation
user@ bruger@
yourdomain.com ditdomæne.dk
.com .dk

Examples:

English Danish
Proton Mail allows you to keep your business email address (you@yourcompany.com). Proton Mail giver dig mulighed for at beholde din virksomheds-e-mailadresse (dig@dinvirksomhed.dk).
Receive all email sent to addresses in your domain that do not exist (e.g., “mistake@yourdomain.com”). Modtag alle e-mails sendt til adresser i dit domæne, der ikke eksisterer (f.eks. “fejl@ditdomæne.dk”).

Do not localize any real email addresses or domain names.

English Danish
To reset your mailbox password, please use the web version of Proton Mail at proton.me For at nulstille din mailboksadgangskode skal du bruge webversionen af Proton Mail på proton.me

27. Error/success/info messages

Structured sentences

Translate messages into structured sentences (subject + verb) using active voice and proper punctuation.

English We avoid We prefer
Error updating event Fejl ved opdatering af hændelse Der opstod en fejl ved opdateringen af hændelsen.
Contact saved Kontakt gemt Kontakten er registreret.
Address copied to clipboard Adresse kopieret til udklipsholderen Adressen er kopieret til udklipsholderen.

Nominal phrases

Do not use a final period at the end of nominal phrases.

English We avoid We prefer
Authentication error. Godkendelsesfejl. Godkendelsesfejl
Unknown error. Ukendt fejl. Ukendt fejl
Primary key error. Primærnøglefejl. Primærnøglefejl

Full and clear negation

Use explicit negation to avoid ambiguity for users.

English We avoid We prefer
Invalid email address Ugyldig e-mailadresse E-mailadressen er ikke gyldig.
Event not found Begivenhed ikke fundet Begivenheden blev ikke fundet.
No results found Ingen resultater fundet Der blev ikke fundet nogen resultater.

28. Localizing CTA (Call To Action) buttons

Depending on context (support pages, landing pages, etc.), use imperative or infinitive forms. Confirm with the language lead when in doubt.

For neutral instructions or additional information, use imperative or infinitive:

  • Kopiere linket
  • Downloade
  • Se alle funktioner
  • Få mere at vide
  • Se aktuelle jobtilbud

For actions like “Get Proton XX” or “Create an Account,” use imperative:

  • Få Proton for Business
  • Få en gratis konto
  • Vælg et betalingsabonnement
  • Opret en gratis konto
  • Opret en gratis e-mail-konto

For engaging buttons, use imperative:

  • Kontakt os
  • Del denne side på LinkedIn
  • Køb et gavekort
  • Besøg vores butik
  • Bliv partner
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