Operational areas

Make your online presence fit in with the Danish market

A guide to Danish localization to fit in with the Danish market

guide

Localization

Guide contents

  1. 1 Overview
  2. 2 The main language
  3. 3 Formality
  4. 4 Numbering systems and formats
  5. 5 Currency format
  6. 6 Date format
  7. 7 Hour formats
  8. 8 Working days
  9. 9 Things to avoid in the Danish market
  10. 10 Important localization tips
  11. 11 Additional guidelines

  1. Overview

    We’ve created this guide to help you get closer to your Danish customers. A web presence that is in tune with Denmark’s culture will make your customers feel well disposed to you, and give them the confidence to do business with you. By understanding these little yet important details, you'll be in a good position right from the start in the Danish market.

  2. The main language

    Danish is the main spoken and written language in Denmark.

    English is understood by over 80% of the population and is used extensively in everyday business communications.

    Most Danes understand Norwegian and Swedish.

    German is recognized as a protected minority language in the south of Jutland.

    French is spoken by one in ten Danes.

  3. Formality

    Should you be formal or informal when addressing your customers?

    In Denmark, a mainly informal approach is used throughout business and in communications.

    When you know them use professional titles such as Doctor, Professor etc. Otherwise use the Danish courtesy titles which are:

    Hr: Mr.
    Fru: Mrs.
    Froken: Miss.

    If you have a financial product, a legal service, or are talking about money, you should adopt a more formal tone and style.

    Ease of doing business in Denmark

    The World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business 2020 report ranked Denmark as 4th out of 190 countries.

  4. Numbering systems and formats

    Numerals

    Decimal separator
    • This is a comma (,)
      • e.g. 1,5 hours
    Thousands separator
    • The thousand separator is a full point (.)
      • e.g. 1.524 people
    Telephone numbers

    • The country code is +45.

    • Telephone numbers are usually in the format of (+45) 12 34 56 78.

    • Freephone numbers have the prefix 80 e.g. 80 12 34 56.

    Good to know

    If the text has a number above ten and a number below ten, use numerals for both numbers.
    e.g “make 5 coffees and 12 waffles.”
    Numerals are used for numbers in all technical and scientific passages.

    The Danish use numerals for:

    • Percentages e.g. 6%
    • Measurements e.g. 20mls
    • Tables
    • Statistics
    • Date ranges with a hyphen e.g. 6-25 March

  5. Currency format

    Denmark’s currency is the Danish krone. This is represented by the lowercase kr. Its trading three letter code is DKK. The coins are called ore.

    The krone denominations are 1000kr, 500kr, 200kr,100kr, 50kr.

    The coin ore denominations are 20 kroner 10 kroner 5 kroner 2 kroner 1 kroner and half kroner.

  6. Date format

    In Denmark the date format is DD/MM/YYYY and dots are the most commonly used separator, e.g. 24.03.2017

    When dates are handwritten the stroke and hyphen is often used, e.g. 24/03 - 2017

    Days and months are written in lowercase, e.g. “mandag” for Monday

  7. Hour formats

    Both the 24-hour and the 12-hour clock are used in Denmark.

    In everyday speech a combination of the 12-hour format and 24-hour format is used.

    When speaking in an official setting or when exact times are needed use the 24-hour clock.

    When speaking informally use the 12-hour clock with minutes rounded off to the nearest five minutes, e.g. a quarter to eleven.

    The 24-hour format is favored on digital devices like PCs, phones, tablets, etc. and is the standard format on Android where the separator is a colon, e.g. 14:24.

  8. Working days

    Standard working days are Monday to Friday.

    The week starts on Monday.

  9. Things to avoid in the Danish market

    Every culture has different superstitions and traditions which are always worth noting, especially when entering a new market. The Danes consider the number 13 to be unlucky.

    When saying something like “My interview went well” a Dane will follow this by quickly saying “7 - 9 -13.” This is a combination of lucky numbers, and is the equivalents of the UK saying “touch wood.”

  10. Important localization tips

    Here are the top seven translation tips that will make you sound like a local in Danish market in no time:

    1. Make sure that you localize pricing, date formats, measurements and currency.

    2. Stay clear of colloquialisms and expressions used in your language, as they may not translate in the Danish market. For example, local slang.

    3. Avoid literal translations and guess work.

    4. Take account of cultural differences so you don’t confuse or offend your Danish audience. For example, don’t mention Boxing Day in a promotion or assume that it will be understood.

    5. Use native translators whenever possible, preferably with a range of expertise as technical translators won’t understand the nuances in marketing copy, for example.

    6. Help your translators as much as possible by giving them the context of the piece to be translated and its audience, and providing them with pictures and visuals whenever possible.

    7. Provide a glossary and previously approved copy to your translators when you can.

  11. Additional guidelines

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