1. No category

Danish Style Guide
Contents
What's New?.................................................................................................................................. 4
New Topics ................................................................................................................................. 4
Updated Topics.......................................................................................................................... 4
Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 6
About This Style Guide ............................................................................................................. 6
Scope of This Document .......................................................................................................... 6
Style Guide Conventions .......................................................................................................... 6
Sample Text ............................................................................................................................... 7
Recommended Reference Material ........................................................................................ 8
Normative References .......................................................................................................... 8
Informative References ......................................................................................................... 8
Language Specific Conventions ................................................................................................. 9
Danish Standards ...................................................................................................................... 9
Characters............................................................................................................................... 9
Date ........................................................................................................................................ 12
Time ....................................................................................................................................... 14
Numbers ................................................................................................................................ 16
Sorting.................................................................................................................................... 22
Geopolitical Concerns............................................................................................................. 26
Grammar, Syntax & Orthographic Conventions ................................................................. 27
Danish Language Reform ................................................................................................... 27
Adjectives .............................................................................................................................. 27
Articles ................................................................................................................................... 28
Capitalization ........................................................................................................................ 29
Compounds........................................................................................................................... 30
Gender ................................................................................................................................... 31
Genitive.................................................................................................................................. 31
Modifiers ................................................................................................................................ 32
Nouns..................................................................................................................................... 33
Prepositions .......................................................................................................................... 35
Pronouns ............................................................................................................................... 36
Punctuation ........................................................................................................................... 37
Singular & Plural .................................................................................................................. 44
Split Infinitive ......................................................................................................................... 45
Subjunctive............................................................................................................................ 45
Symbols & Non-Breaking Spaces ..................................................................................... 45
Syntax .................................................................................................................................... 45
Verbs ...................................................................................................................................... 46
Word Order ........................................................................................................................... 47
Style and Tone Considerations ............................................................................................. 47
Audience................................................................................................................................ 47
Style ....................................................................................................................................... 48
Tone ....................................................................................................................................... 49
Voice ...................................................................................................................................... 49
Localization Guidelines .............................................................................................................. 51
General Considerations.......................................................................................................... 51
Abbreviations ........................................................................................................................ 51
Acronyms .............................................................................................................................. 52
Applications, Products, and Features ............................................................................... 53
Frequent Errors .................................................................................................................... 53
Glossaries ............................................................................................................................. 54
Recurring Patterns ............................................................................................................... 54
Standardized Translations .................................................................................................. 55
Unlocalized Items ................................................................................................................. 67
Using the Word Microsoft ................................................................................................... 68
Software Considerations ........................................................................................................ 68
User Interface ....................................................................................................................... 69
Messages .............................................................................................................................. 77
Keys ....................................................................................................................................... 83
Document Translation Considerations ................................................................................. 90
Titles....................................................................................................................................... 91
Copyright ............................................................................................................................... 91
What's New?
Last Updated: March, 2012
The entire Style Guide has been reworked and modifications have been made to all sections.
Because of the new structure of this document, some sections of the previous Style Guide version had to be
moved to different topics.
The major changes in this Danish Style Guide are that information from the Danish Language Kit has been
integrated into this Style Guide and the language has been shifted to English.
Please find below a list of New and Updated Topics. Note that changes in these sections also apply to the
corresponding sub-sections.
New Topics
The following topics were added:








Language Specific Conventions
Danish Standards
Geopolitical Concerns
Style and Tone Considerations
Frequent Errors
Glossaries
Fictitious Information
Recurring Patterns
February, 2012

Grammar, Syntax & Orthographic Conventions – Danish Language Reform
March, 2012

Grammar, Syntax & Orthographic Conventions – Danish Language Reform
Updated Topics
The following topics were updated:




Introduction
Recommended Reference Material
Grammar, Syntax & Orthographic Conventions
Localization Guidelines
4




Standardized Translations
Software Considerations
Messages
Document Translation Considerations
January, 2012

Keys – subsection Key Names added
February, 2012


Standard terminology – Email – Hyphenation in relation to the term 'e-mail'
Grammar, Syntax & Orthographic Conventions – Nouns – Usage of apostrophe in inflection of nouns
March, 2012











Terminology change of "label" – (Section Software Considerations)
Group Compounds – (Section Dashes and Hyphens)
Inflection – (Section Nouns)
Hyphen – (Section Dashes and Hyphens)
Acronyms – (Section Accessibility)
Prepositions – (Section Prepositions)
Email – (Standard terminology)
Plural form – (Section Articles)
Plural forms of English loanwords – (Section Articles for English loanwords, section Plural formation)
Dash in nouns with suffix -off – (Section Hyphen)
Words ending in -ium or -ie – (Section Nouns)
5
Introduction
This Style Guide went through major revision in February 2011 in order to remove outdated and unnecessary
content. Some topics are considered to be "Core & Common" – pertaining to all Microsoft products and services.
About This Style Guide
The purpose of this Style Guide is to provide everybody involved in the localization of Danish Microsoft products
with Microsoft-specific linguistic guidelines and standard conventions that differ from or are more prescriptive than
those found in language reference materials. These conventions have been adopted after considering context
based on various needs, but above all, they are easy to follow and applicable for all types of software to be
localized.
The Style Guide covers the areas of formatting and grammatical conventions. It also presents the reader with a
general idea of the reasoning behind the conventions. The present Style Guide is a revision of our previous Style
Guide version with the intention of making it more standardized, more structured, and easier to use as a
reference.
The guidelines and conventions presented in this Style Guide are intended to help you localize Microsoft products
and materials. We welcome your feedback, questions and concerns regarding the Style Guide. Please send us
your feedback via the Microsoft Language Portal feedback page.
Scope of This Document
This Style Guide is intended for the localization professional working on Microsoft products. It is not intended to
be a comprehensive coverage of all localization practices, but to highlight areas where Microsoft has preference
or deviates from standard practices for Danish localization.
Style Guide Conventions
In this document, a plus sign (+) before a translation example means that this is the recommended correct
translation. A minus sign (-) is used for incorrect translation examples.
In Microsoft localization context, the word term is used in a slightly untraditional sense, meaning the same as e.g.
a segment in Trados. The distinguishing feature of a term here is that it is translated as one unit; it may be a
traditional term (as used in terminology), a phrase, a sentence, or a paragraph.
References to interface elements really only refer to translatable texts associated with those interface elements.
Example translations in this document are only intended to illustrate the point in question. They are not a source
of approved terminology.
6
Sample Text
The purpose of the sample text below is to illustrate Danish orthography, the use of extended characters
as well as the format related to person name, address, telephone number and references in a noncopyrighted text.
Benzin og diesel er fossile brændstoffer. Det betyder, at de er udvundet af olie, som gennem millioner af
år er blevet dannet af nedbrudte plante- og dyrerester (fossiler). Det er således en begrænset ressource.
Da forbrænding af fossile brændstoffer desuden giver anledning til stor CO2-udledning, er der i disse år
meget stor fokus på at finde alternative drivmidler.
Med "alternative drivmidler" menes samtlige alternativer til fossil benzin og diesel, dvs. både fossile alternativer,
biobrændstoffer og el/brint.
Udover at olieresourcerne er begrænsede, er der også andre grunde til at anvende alternative former for
brændstof til transportsektoren.
Klimaændringerne er en af de vigtigste årsager i denne sammenhæng. Menneskeskabte udledninger af CO2, der
stammer fra afbrænding af fossile brændsler, påvirker klimaet på jorden gennem den såkaldte drivhuseffekt,
hvorved jordens klima bliver varmere. Transportsektoren er en stor bidragsyder i denne sammenhæng. I
Danmark står transportsektoren således for 20 % af Danmarks samlede CO2-udledning.
En anden faktor er spørgsmålet om forsyningssikkerhed. Politiske forhold kan give anledning til, at der ikke er en
stabil tilgang til råolien, hvilket kan have fatale følger for hele samfundets økonomi.
Endelig er der et politisk ønske i EU om at støtte beskæftigelsen og økonomien i landområderne. Biobrændstoffer
kan både fremstilles ud fra restprodukter, f.eks. halm, og ud fra egentlige energiafgrøder, f.eks. raps, der dyrkes
specifikt med henblik på fremstilling af brændstof. Ved at øge anvendelse af biobrændstoffer er der mulighed for
at skabe vækst og økonomisk fremgang i landområderne.
I dag findes der en række alternative drivmidler til transportsektoren. Nogle af disse alternative brændstoffer kan
medvirke til at nedsætte CO2-udledningen fra transportsektoren, ligesom de kan medvirke til øget
forsyningssikkerhed og økonomisk udvikling af landområder. Men de alternative brændstoffer har vidt forskellige
egenskaber og anvendelsespotentiale.
Ser man f.eks. på de forskellige alternative brændstoffers samlede CO2-udledning, skal man tænke hele
processen igennem:
- hvor kommer råstofferne fra?
- hvordan produceres brændstofferne?
- hvilke udslip sker der, når de anvendes?
Det kan derfor være vanskeligt at afgøre, hvor godt et alternativt drivmiddel i virkeligheden er, og om den mest
hensigtsmæssige anvendelse er i transportsektoren eller i andre sektorer.
Trafikstyrelsen
Gammel Mønt 4
1117 København K
Tlf. 72 26 70 00
Source: http://www.fstyr.dk/DA/Groen-Transport/Alternative-drivmidler.aspx
Oprettet den 26. januar 2011 kl. 10:50.
7
Recommended Reference Material
Use the Danish language and terminology as described and used in the following publications.
Normative References
These normative sources must be adhered to. Any deviation from them automatically fails a string in most cases.
When more than one solution is allowed in these sources, look for the recommended one in other parts of the
Style Guide.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Retskrivningsordbogen, 3. udgave, Dansk Sprognævn, 2001.
Politikens Nudansk ordbog, Politikens Forlag, 2001.
Håndbog i nudansk, 5. udgave, Politikens Forlag, 2001.
Pas på sproget, Søren Brandt, Amanda, 1996.
Rigtigt dansk, Erik Hansen, Hans Reitzels Forlag, 1993.
For elaboration and Q & As in relation to linguistic issues please see the Dansk Sprognævn website at
www.dsn.dk as well as the website www.sproget.dk which is edited by Dansk Sprognævn and Det Danske Sprogog Litteraturselskab.
Informative References
These sources are meant to provide supplementary information, background, comparison, etc.
1. The Microsoft Style Guide for Danish
2. Relevant Microsoft websites
8
Language Specific Conventions
This part of the style guide contains information about standards specific to Danish.
Danish Standards
Characters
Country/region
Denmark
Lower-case characters
a, b, c, d, e, é, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, p, q, r, s, t, u, v, w, x, y, z, æ, ø, å
Upper-case characters
A, B, C, D, E, É, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z, Æ,
Ø, Å
Characters in caseless
scripts
n/a
Extended Latin characters
é, É, æ, Æ, ø, Ø, å, Å
Note on alphabetical order
Alphabetical order is not necessarily indicative of sorting order.
Total number of characters
30
Alpha
Hex
a
0061
A
0041
b
0062
B
0042
c
0063
C
0043
d
0064
D
0044
e
0065
Unicode codes
9
Country/region
Denmark
E
0045
é
00e9
É
00c9
f
0066
F
0046
g
0067
G
0047
h
0068
H
0048
i
0069
I
0049
j
0106
J
0074
k
006a
K
004a
l
006b
L
004b
m
006c
M
004c
n
006d
N
004d
o
006e
O
004e
p
0070
10
Country/region
Denmark
P
0050
q
0071
Q
0051
r
0072
R
0052
s
0073
S
0053
t
0074
T
0054
u
0075
U
0055
v
0076
V
0056
w
0077
W
0057
x
0078
X
0058
y
0079
Y
0059
z
007a
Z
005a
æ
0230
Æ
0198
ø
0248
11
Country/region
Notes
Denmark
Ø
0216
å
0229
Å
0197
The Danish alphabet does not contain é, É but the characters are used in the
language. The Danish alphabet contains 29 letters
Date
Country/region
Denmark
Calendar/Era
Gregorian
First Day of the Week
Monday
First Week of the Year
The first week with at least four days of the new year (the week with the first
Thursday in January)
Separator
hyphen, period or space depending on which format you choose
Default Short Date
Format
dd-MM-yy
Example
17-03-11
Default Long Date Format d. MMMM yyyy
Example
17. marts 2011
Additional Short Date
Format 1
yyyy-MM-dd (International date format)
Example
2011-03-17
Additional Short Date
Format 2
yy-MM-dd (European format, ISO 8601)
Example
11-03-17
12
Country/region
Denmark
Additional Long Date
Format 1
Thursday, d. MMMM dddd (Long date format with weekday)
Example
torsdag, 17. marts 2011
Additional Long Date
Format 2
n/a
Example
n/a
Leading Zero in Day Field
for Short Date Format
Yes
Leading Zero in Month
Field for Short Date
Format
Yes
No. of digits for year for
Short Day Format
2
Leading Zero in Day Field
for Long Date Format
No
Leading Zero in Month
Field for Long Date
Format
No
Number of digits for year
for Long Day Format
4
Date Format for
Correspondence
Default long date format (sometimes preceded with "weekday, " or "city, ")
Example
17. marts 2011
Notes
There are several other ways of indicating date, depending on what the software
allows, but the above are the ones which should be used primarily.
13
Country/region
Denmark
d is for day, number of d's indicates the format (d = digits without leading zero, dd =
digits with leading zero, ddd = the abbreviated day name, dddd = full day name)
Abbreviations in Format
Codes
M is for month, number of M's gives number of digits. (M = digits without leading
zero, MM = digits with leading zero, MMM = the abbreviated name, MMMM = full
name)
y is for year, number of y's gives number of digits (yy = two digits, yyyy = four digits)
Time
Country/region
Denmark
24 hour format
Yes
Standard time format
hh:mm:ss
Standard time format
example
03:24:12
Time separator
Colon (:)
Time separator examples
03:24:12
Hours leading zero
Yes
Hours leading zero example
03:24:12
String for AM designator
n/a
String for PM designator
n/a
Notes
n/a
14
Days
Country/region: Denmark
Day
Normal Form
Abbreviation
Monday
mandag
ma
Tuesday
tirsdag
ti
Wednesday
onsdag
on
Thursday
torsdag
to
Friday
fredag
fr
Saturday
lørdag
lø
Sunday
søndag
sø
First Day of Week: Monday
Is first letter capitalized?: No
Notes: n/a
Months
Country/region: Denmark
Month
Full Form
Abbreviated Form
Long Date Form
January
januar
jan
Same as Full Form
February
februar
feb
Same as Full Form
March
marts
mar
Same as Full Form
April
april
apr
Same as Full Form
May
maj
maj
Same as Full Form
15
Month
Full Form
Abbreviated Form
Long Date Form
June
juni
jun
Same as Full Form
July
juli
jul
Same as Full Form
August
august
aug
Same as Full Form
September
september
sep
Same as Full Form
October
oktober
okt
Same as Full Form
November
november
nov
Same as Full Form
December
december
dec
Same as Full Form
Is first letter capitalized?: No
Notes: n/a
Numbers
Cardinal numbers
Cardinal numbers are written in numbers when referring to chapters, sections, diagrams and pages.
Examples:
(+) kapitel 9
(+) afsnit 3
(+) figur 1
Whenever numbers are used in the user interface they must be reflected in the documentation as well.
Examples:
(+) dokument 2
(+) regel 8
(+) kolonne 30
In running text the numbers 0-10 incl. are written in letters in order to improve readability. However, this does not
apply to phrases consisting of numbers between 0 and 10 in combination with numbers higher than 10.
Overview:


numbers between 0 and 10 incl.: letters
numbers higher than 10: numbers
16

in comparisons with a part that should be written in numbers: numbers
Examples:
(+) De fire dokumenter, du sidst har arbejdet med, vises længst nede i menuen Filer.
(+) Et regneark er et rektangulært rudenet, som består af 256 kolonner og 65.536 rækker.
Antallet af poster kan variere mellem 2 og 99.
In general, numbers in mathematical expressions, measurement units etc. are never written in letters.
Ordinal numbers
Ordinal numbers between 0 and 10 are generally written in letters. However, they can also be written in numbers
followed by a full stop e.g. in dates. Ordinal numbers written in numbers follow the pattern: cardinal number + full
stop e.g. 22., 34., 77.
Examples:
(+) Som det fjerde eksempel tydeligt viser ...
(+) Bogstavet A er det 65. tegn i ASCII-tabellen.
Large numbers
Large numbers are divided into sections of three digits from right to left. The full stop is used as thousand
separator.
Example:
(+) 625.348 kr.
Decimals
In Danish the comma is used as decimal separator. Please note that version numbers are considered part of the
product name and therefore the full stop is maintained in the translation.
Example:
(+) 2,5 MB
(+) 123,95 kr.
(+) Internet Explorer 7.0
Phone Numbers
Country/
region
International
Dialing
Code
Area
Codes
Used?
Number of
Digits – Area
Codes
Separator
Number of
Digits –
Domestic
Digit
Groupings –
Domestic
Denmark
45
no
n/a
space
8
## ## ## ##
17
Country/
region
Number of
Digits –
Local
Digit
Groupings
– Local
Number of
Digits – Mobile
Digit
Groupings –
Mobile
Number of
Digits –
International
Digit
Groupings –
International
Denmark
8
## ## ## ##
8
## ## ## ##
10
+45 ## ## ## ##
Notes:


86 23 45 67, lokal 23 (with extension number)
There are no differences between "normal" phone numbers and numbers for mobile phones.
Addresses
Country/region: Denmark
Disclaimer: Please note that the information in this entry should under no circumstances be used in examples as
fictitious information.
Address Format:
1. [Title/Honorific] Firstname [Middlename] LastName
2. [CompanyName]
3. Address1
4. [Address2]
5. [CountryCode-]PostalCode City
6. [Country]
Example Address:
Hr. Jens Peter Jensen
Badedyr A/S
Sommergade 32
Solby
DK-1234 Solby
Denmark
Local Postal Code Format: xxxx City
Notes:



Items in brackets above are optional or rarely used
Address is always left aligned
Four digit postal code, no separator
18



If mail is sent from abroad to Denmark, "DK-" (CountryCode plus hyphen) is often added in front of the
PostalCode. This, however, is not required and can be substituted (or amended) by adding the [Country]
line.
First and second lines - [Title etc.] and [CompanyName] - may be swapped, i.e. [CompanyName] in the
first line and [Title etc.] in the second.
"State/Province" does not exist as such and is not used in Danish addresses.
Currency
Country/region
Denmark
Currency Name
krone
Currency Symbol
kr.
Currency Symbol Position
Symbol is placed before the numeral and is followed by a space
Positive Currency Format
123,45 kr.
Negative Sign Symbol
The minus sign (which is an ordinary hyphen and NOT the en dash ) is
used. Note, there is a space between kr and the hyphen.
Negative Currency Format
-123,45 kr.
Decimal Symbol
, (comma)
Number of Digits after Decimal
2
Digit Grouping Symbol
. (full stop)
Number of Digits in Digit
Grouping
3
Positive Currency Example
123.456.789,00 kr.
Negative Currency Example
-123.456.789,00 kr.
ISO Currency Code
DKK
Currency Subunit Name
øre
Currency Subunit Symbol
n/a
Currency Subunit Example
n/a
19
Notes:

For technical reasons, the abbreviation of krone (kr.) should not have a full stop in the software. In
documentation, however, normal Danish orthographic rules apply.
Digit Groups
Country/region: Denmark
Decimal Separator: ,
Decimal Separator Description: comma
Decimal Separator Example: 123,45 kr.
Thousand Separator: .
Thousand Separator Description: full stop
Thousand Separator Example: 12.000,45 kr.
Notes: n/a
Measurement Units
Metric System Commonly Used?: Yes
Temperature: Celsius
Category
English
Translation
Abbreviation
Linear Measure
Kilometer
kilometer
km
Meter
meter
m
Decimeter
decimeter
dm
Centimeter
centimeter
cm
Millimeter
millimeter
mm
Hectoliter
hektoliter
hl
Capacity
20
Category
Mass
English Units of
Measurement
English
Translation
Abbreviation
Liter
liter
l
Deciliter
deciliter
dl
Centiliter
centiliter
cl
Milliliter
milliliter
ml
Ton
ton
t
Kilogram
kilogram
kg
Pound
pund (different from US
measurement)
n/a
Gram
gram
g
Decigram
decigram
dg
Centigram
centigram
cg
Milligram
milligram
mg
Inch
recalculate to cm.
n/a
Feet
recalculate to cm.
n/a
Mile
recalculate to km.
n/a
Gallon
recalculate to l.
n/a
Notes:


If the unit of measurement is preceded by a number, there should be a space between the number and
the unit of measurement.
Though "kilogram" is officially the correct translation of "kilogram", most Danish (and English) speakers
simply refer to the unit as "kilo".
21
Percentages
Please note that a space is added between a number and the percentage symbol i.e. 50 %.
Sorting
Sorting rules
1. Capital letters and lowercase letters are equal. No distinction is made between them.
2. The extended characters Æ, æ, Ø, ø, Å and å are not the equivalents of a or o but treated as
separate letters of the alphabet. They are the last three letters of the Danish alphabet.
3. The Characters Ä, ä, Ö, ö and Ü, ü (not used in Danish, but may come up in German or
Swedish examples or words imported from these languages) are sorted as variants of Æ, æ (Ä,
ä), Ø, ø (Ö, ö) and Y, y (Ü, ü).
4. Other accented characters are equal with non-accented characters; so é and e are equal.
5. Non-alphabetical characters (i.e. symbols like @ ! #) sort before the letters of the alphabet.
6. Digits sort after the non-alphabetical characters and before the letters of the alphabet.
7. Double a (aa, Aa, AA, aA) sorts as å (å/Å).
a, A, b, B, c, C, d, D, e, E, f, F, g, G, h, H, i, I, j, J, k, K, l, L, m, M, n, N, o, O, p, P, q, Q, r, R, s,
S, t, T, u, U, v, V, w, W, x, X, y, Y, z, Z, æ, Æ, ø, Ø, å, Å
Character
sorting order
Alpha
Dec
a
97
A
65
b
98
B
66
c
99
C
67
d
100
D
68
e
101
E
69
é
233
É
201
22
f
102
F
70
g
103
G
71
h
104
H
72
i
105
I
73
j
106
J
74
k
107
K
75
l
108
L
76
m
109
M
77
n
110
N
78
o
111
O
79
p
112
P
80
q
113
Q
81
r
114
23
Examples of
sorted words
R
82
s
115
S
83
t
116
T
84
u
117
U
85
v
118
V
86
w
119
W
87
x
120
X
88
y
121
Y
89
z
122
Z
90
æ
145
Æ
146
ø
155
Ø
157
å
134
Å
143
@
1
Aaron
andere
24
chaque
chemin
cote
côté
coté
čučēt
Czech
hiša
irdisch
lie
lire
llama
lõug
lòza
luč
luck
Lübeck
lye
lävi
løg
Löwen
màšta
mîr
myndig
mænd
Männer
möchten
piña
pint
pylon
šàran
savoir
Šerbūra
Sietla
ślub
subtle
symbol
sämtlich
verkehrt
vox
väga
waffle
wood
yen
yuan
25
yucca
žal
žena
Ženēva
zoo
Zviedrija
Zürich
zysk
zzlj
zzlz
zznj
ändere
åben
Geopolitical Concerns
Part of the cultural adaptation of the US-product to a specific market is the resolving of geopolitical issues. While
the US-product should have been designed and developed with neutrality and a global audience in mind, the
Danish product should respond to the particular situation that applies within Denmark.
Sensitive issues or issues that might potentially be offensive to the users in the target country/region may occur in
any of the following:
Maps
Flags
Country/region, city and language names
Art and graphics
Cultural content, such as encyclopedia content and other text where historical or political references may
occur
Some of these issues are relatively easy to verify and resolve: the objective should be for the localizer to always
have the most current information available. Maps and other graphic representations of countries/regions and
regions should be checked for accuracy and existing political restrictions. Country/region, city and language
names change on a regular basis and need to be checked, even if previously approved.
A thorough understanding of the culture of the target market is required for checking the appropriateness of
cultural content, clip art and other visual representations of religious symbols, body and hand gestures.
26
Guideline
As country/region and city names can change, please use the most up-to-date Danish list for every release of
your product.
Grammar, Syntax & Orthographic Conventions
Danish Language Reform
A new language reform is being implemented in 2012 as part of the update of the Danish spelling dictionary
Retskrivningsordbogen.
The new rules have been effective since January 01, 2012 and will be part of the updated edition of the printed
version of Retskrivningsordbogen which will be published in the autumn 2012.
Specific information about the Danish language reform can be found at www.dsn.dk. This page is powered by
Dansk Sprognævn which is a public research institution under the Ministry of Culture Denmark.
Details
This reform affects both spelling of loanwords ending in a silent consonant (see section on Inflection) and
hyphenation in relation to compounds (see section on Compounds).
Adjectives
In Danish, adjectives should be handled in the following manner.
Adjectives are words describing or characterizing nouns or similar phrases.
Examples:
(+) høj, lav, grøn, sød, hurtig, økonomisk, abstract.
Adjectives are declined according to gender and number.
Examples:
(+) en rar mand
(+) et rart menneske
(+) de rare elever.
Adjectives can be compared.
27
Examples:
Positive (1 degree)
fin
fregnet
god
mange
Comparative (2 degree)
finere
mere fregnet
bedre
flere
Superlative (3 degree)
finest
mest fregnet
bedst
flest
Possessive adjectives
Frequent use of possessives is a feature of English language. However, in Danish possessive adjectives are
often omitted and replaced by some other form of the following noun or noun phrase. The possessives are only
used when emphasizing the possession of the following noun or noun phrase. Possessive adjectives are however
commonly used in web texts.
Examples:
(+) Save the file in my photos folder
->
(+) Change my profile under My account ->
Gem filen i mappen Fotos
Skift min profil under Min konto
Articles
General considerations
In Danish the article shows the gender, number and case of a noun as well as it can be definite or indefinite. In
Danish the indefinite articles are singular i.e. en and et. There is no indefinite plural article. The definite form of a
noun is created by adding -en or -et to the noun in singular or -ne or -s in plural. Alternatively, the demonstrative
pronouns den, det or de can be used in front of a noun to create the definite form.
Examples:
(+) et dokument (indefinite)
->
dokumentet (definite) / det dokument (definite)
Unlocalized Feature Names
Microsoft product names and non-translated feature names are used without definite or indefinite articles in
English. They are used in the same way in Danish.
Example:
(+) Microsoft Passport Network
->
Microsoft Passport Network
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Localized Feature Names
Localized feature names are used without definite or indefinite articles in Danish. This means that product names
or non-translated feature names cannot be conjugated.
Example:
(+) Microsoft Online Services Identity Federation Management Tool
identitetssamling i Microsoft Online Services
->
Værktøj til styring af
Articles for English loanwords
In Danish there are many English loanwords and these are generally spelled and pronounced as in English.
English loanwords may follow Danish conjugation i.e. -en, -et or nothing is added in singular definite form and -e
or -er is added in plural. However, the English plural form by adding -s is also an option. The plural form -s is
preferred since this is the form primarily used on a daily basis.
Example:
job, jobbet, job/jobs
backup, backuppen, backupper/backups
As far as gender is concerned, most loan words are the same gender as their Danish translation.
Example:
(+) A test
->
en test (in Danish en prøve)
Capitalization
In Danish everything except proper nouns are written in lower case.
Generally, upper case is used in the following contexts:









First word in the beginning of a text.
After full stop finishing a sentence.
After exclamation point
After question mark
After colon if followed by a complete sentence
First word and the following meaningful words in proper nouns e.g. Gorm den Gamle, Det Kongelige
Teater.
Some personal pronouns i.e. I, De, Dem, Deres (formal You)
Some titles / modes of address e.g. Hendes Majestæt
Acronyms
29
Microsoft tends to apply the US Style in translation of product names e.g. Microsoft Online Services –
Kundeportal.
Compounds
Generally, compounds should be understandable and clear to the user. Overly long or complex compounds
should be avoided. Keep in mind that unintuitive compounds are ultimately an intelligibility and usability issue.
Unlike English we use compound nouns in Danish e.g. filserver (file server), stemmegenkendelsesprogram (voice
recognition application) etc.
English technical texts are characterized by a frequent use of noun phrases. These are generally translated as
relative or prepositional clauses in order to avoid heavy constructions.
Example:
(+) Full time 4 wheel drive turbo charged cars
->
Turbo-biler, der har konstant 4-hjulstræk
(+) Microsoft Online Services Identity Federation Management Tool
identitetssamling i Microsoft Online Services
->
Værktøj til styring af
The following fixed expressions are written in one word:
herudover
ifølge
især
medmindre
selvom
tilovers
tilsammen
tværtimod
vistnok
The following fixed expressions are written in two or more words:
af sted
alt sammen
for længst
for øvrigt
frem for
hen ad
hvad enten
i alt
i dag
i gang
i går
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i hvert fald
inden for (når det styrer noget)
i stykker
i øvrigt
på ny
stort set
så længe
så snart
til sidst
til stede (være til stede)
Gender
In Danish grammar there are only two genders i.e. common and neuter. Nouns of common gender take the
indefinite article en whereas nouns of neuter gender take the indefinite article et. Some nouns take both articles
but then the meaning of the terms is almost always different. Only very few nouns take both gender and have the
same meaning.
Examples:
(+) Common gender
-> En hund
(+) Neuter gender
-> Et hus
(+) Both gender (different meaning) -> En spand e.g. Manden hentede en spand med vand (i.e. a container)
-> Et spand e.g. Vognen blev trukket af et spand heste (i.e. a group or an
amount)
(+) Both gender (same meaning)
-> En parameter e.g. Eleven skulle definere den ekstra parameter i ligningen.
-> Et parameter e.g. Eleven skulle definere det ekstra parameter i ligningen.
Genitive
In Danish the genitive form is usually created by adding -s directly to the word in genitive i.e. without an
apostrophe. This goes for both nouns and proper nouns.
Examples:
(+) Mandens hat
(+) Sørens bog
However, words ending with -s, -x or -z only have the apostrophe added in the genitive form.
Examples:
(+) Lars' hat
(+) Alex' cykel
(+) Schweiz' ambassade.
31
In relation to abbreviations and acronyms the genitive form is usually created by adding an apostrophe and -s.
Examples:
(+) USA's
(+) tv's
(+) edb's
(+) UNICEF’s.
Generally, the apostrophe is not used if the abbreviation ends with a full stop.
Examples:
(+) B.T.s
(+) Kbh.s.
The genitive form of a group is created by adding -s to the last part of the group.
Example:
(+) Søren og Peters dokumenter.
Convention 1 (e.g. Attaching a genitive "s" to (trademarked) product names is not feasible, as it could be
interpreted as a modification of such names.)
Example:
(-) Outlook®s fejlmeddelelser vises i separate vinduer.
(+) Fejlmeddelelserne i Outlook® vises i separate vinduer.
Modifiers
In grammar, a modifier (i.e. adverbs and adjectives) is an optional element in a phrase structure or clause
structure. If the modifier is removed it doesn't affect the grammaticality of the construction. Modifiers can be a
word, a phrase or an entire clause. Semantically, modifiers describe and provide more accurate definitional
meaning for another element. Modifiers can be either pre- or post-modifiers.
In Danish localized texts it is sometimes necessary to rewrite phrases with more modifiers as relative clauses in
order to avoid a high level of formality.
Example:
(-) Læreren åbnede den nyligt gemte fil.
(+) Læreren åbnede den fil, der blev gemt for nylig.
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Nouns
General considerations
Nouns are words categorizing living creatures, things and notions as well as proper nouns.
Examples:
(+) person, hund, cykel, følelse, udvikling, Forskningsministeriet osv.
Most nouns can be conjugated in singular and plural.
The nouns can also be in either the indefinite or definite form. Please note that if the noun is modified by an
adjective the definite form is expressed by adding the definite article in front of the conjugated adjective.
Examples:
(+) Det nye dokument
(+) De gemte filer.
The ending -ium is preferred in nouns with the optional ending -ium or -ie except for the terms listed below:
medie
stadie
studie
->
->
->
not medium
not stadium
not studium
Inflection
In Danish nouns are inflected according to gender i.e. common or neuter. The indefinite article en is the common
article and et is the neuter one.
Example:
(+) en fil
-> filen
(+) et dokument -> dokumentet
Note that inflection of loanwords ending in a 'c' or in a silent consonant no longer is preceeded by an apostrophe.
Example:
(-) en succes
(+) en succes
(-) en schweizerfranc
(+) en schweizerfranc
->
->
->
->
succes'en
succesen
schweizerfranc'en
schweizerfrancen
33
Plural Formation
Most nouns can be inflected in plural. Usually, the plural form is created by adding -e or -er to the noun. However,
the English plural form by adding -s is also an option. The plural form -s is preferred since this is the form primarily
used on a daily basis.
Examples:
(+) et hus
(+) en prøve
(+) et job
->
->
->
huse
prøver
jobs
Most nouns can be inflected in plural. Usually, the plural form is created by adding -e or -er to the noun.
A large number of nouns do not follow this rule:
Examples:
(+) barn -> børn
(+) mand -> mænd
Some nouns only have the plural form:
Examples:
(+) bukser, penge, løjer etc.
However, nouns representing uncountables do not have a plural form:
Examples:
(+) sand, kaffe, vand, tøj, mel, sukker etc.
These nouns are only found in the definite form:
Examples:
(+) sandet, kaffen, vandet, tøjet, melet, sukkeret etc.
An attempted indefinite form is created by using the determiner noget instead of en or et in front of the noun:
Examples:
(+) noget sand, noget kaffe, noget vand etc.
34
Prepositions
It is important that the use of prepositions do not differ from one translator to another or from one product to
another. The list below is created in order to ensure consistent use of prepositions:
Prepositions used in standard phrases:
Verb
Prepositional prase
fjerne
en markering i afkrydsningsfeltet "Xxx"
gemme
i et bibliotek
i en mappe
i X-format
på en diskette/cd-rom/dvd/et USB-flashdrev
på en harddisk
i en fil
på en harddisk
på en computer
på systemet
under Windows
i et vindue
i et felt
med musen
med museknappen
med højre museknap (eller "højreklikke", hvis det engelske
ord er "right click")
med museknappen på noget
med højre museknap på noget
på en kommando på et bånd
på fanen X
på værktøjslinjen
på menulinjen
på linealen
på rullepanelet
på et objekt
på et ikon
på OK (ikke "klikke OK")
på et menupunkt
til en fil
til en port
fra/på en liste
på en tast
på Enter (ikke "tryk Enter")
under fanen
i menuen
på listen
på en liste
installere
klikke
pege
skrive
slette
trykke
vise
vælge
Note that we write føje til instead of tilføje til.
35
Pay attention to the correct use of the preposition in translations. Influenced by the English language, many
translators omit them or change the word order.
A preposition that is typically translated incorrectly is for. This preposition can be translated as both 'for' and 'til'
but in order to avoid Anglicisms many users tend to use til irrespective of the context. Generally, 'til' describes a
capacity of the object whereas 'for' describes a circumstance of the action.
Example:
(+) Please set options for the printer -> Du skal angive indstillinger for printeren
According to Danish orthography some words can be either a preposition or an adverb depending on the context.
The difference has previously been visible by different spelling i.e. prepositions in two words and adverbs in one
word. However, this approach has now become optional since both types of words may be written in one or two
words.
Microsoft standard is to adhere to the visible distinction of the two word classes i.e. prepositions taking a
complement are written in two words whereas adverbs are written in one word:
Examples:
(+) over for: Vi bor i huset over for supermarkedet
(+) overfor: Vi bor i huset overfor
(+) inden i: Trappen inden i huset fører til loftet
(+) indeni: Kødet er rødt indeni
(+) inden under: Han havde en t-shirt på inden under skjorten
(+) indenunder: Han havde en t-shirt på indenunder
(+) oven på: Vi bor oven på bagerbutikken
(+) ovenpå: Jeg har værelse ovenpå
Pronouns
In Danish there are several types of pronouns that are used instead of things, person(s) or complete sentences.
These types are:

Personal e.g. jeg, du, hende, os, de, De

Possessive e.g min, dit, hendes, sin, deres

Interrogative e.g. hvem, hvad, hvis

Demonstrative e.g. den, dette, de, disse
36

Indefinite e.g. man, nogen, noget

Relative e.g. som, der, hvis.
Punctuation
Comma
Microsoft uses the traditional comma without applying the recommendations from Dansk Sprognævn on omitting
commas in front of subordinate clauses. This is to improve readability of the texts and avoid misunderstandings.
Note that in US texts commas are used in front of and and or in listings. In Danish we leave out this comma.
Example:
(+) Pakken indeholder cd'er, håndbøger og et licenskort.
Remember that a comma is always used to separate imperatives that do not take the same object.
Example:
(+) Klik på Start, og vælg Indstillinger.
37
Colon
Use colon to emphasize examples and instructions.
Example:
(+) I dette kapitel beskrives, hvordan du kan:
• Foretage stavekontrol
• Bruge synonymordbogen.
(+) Sådan markeres hele dokumentet:
1. Tryk på ctrl+home.
2. Tryk på ctrl+skift+end.
If the colon is followed by a complete sentence initial capital is used after the colon. In Microsoft user assistance
texts there is always initial capital after colon in tables and bulleted lists.
Colon is also used as separator in time indications.
Example:
(+) 13:00
(+) 09:15:00
Do not use colons to separate list items. Use comma or semicolon instead.
Exclamation point
Note that most of these alerts and tips listed below are followed by an exclamation point even if they are followed
by a colon in English. This rule applies to all text types. If the terms are written in all caps this formatting is
maintained in the translation.
English
Danish
Attention
Caution
Error
Guidelines
Hint
Important
Note
Notes:
Tip
Tips
Troubleshooting
Warning
Obs!
Advarsel!
Fejl!
Retningslinjer
Tip!
Vigtigt!
Bemærk!
Bemærk!
Tip!
Tip!
Fejlfinding
Advarsel!
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Dashes and Hyphens
Three different dash characters are used in English:
Hyphen
The hyphen is used to divide words between syllables, to link parts of a compound word, and to connect the parts
of an inverted or imperative verb form. However, if a hyphen is already included in the first or last part of the two
superordinated parts only the first hyphen should be included.
Examples:
(+) Skole-hjemsamtale
(+) P-skivepåbud
(+) D-vitaminmangel
(+) S-togsstation.
Hyphens are not used in nouns with suffix ending in -off and Microsoft prefers that nouns with the suffix -on is not
hyphenated either.
Examples:
(+) spinoff
(-) spin-off
(+) logon
(-) log-on
(+) drivein
(-) drive-in
In Danish hyphen is used in the following connections:
Abbreviations and acronyms:
In compound noun phrases the hyphen is inserted between the abbreviation/acronym and the rest of the noun
phrase.
Examples:
(+) cd-rom-drev
(+) OLE-facilitet
(+) CGI-script
(+) MS-DOS-prompt
(+) standard-cd-rom-drev
(+) standard-ftp-sted
39
Omissions:
The hyphen is used to show that two or more compounds or derivatives share a part which is only mentioned
once.
Examples:
(+) række- og kolonnetitler
(+) sidehoved og -fod
Numbers and symbols:
In compounds consisting of a number or symbol and a noun the hyphen is inserted between the number/symbol
and the rest of the compound:
Examples:
(+) 3,5"-diskette
(+) 486-processor
Names:
In compounds consisting of proper nouns and nouns the hyphen is inserted between the proper noun and the rest
of the compound:
Examples:
(+) Microsoft-produkter
(+) Windows-baseret program
(+) TrueType-skrifttype
Note. If all parts of a compound are proper nouns and the entire noun phrase is considered a proper noun all the
parts are capitalized and no hyphen is used.
Examples:
(+) Windows Operativsystem
(+) Excel Brugerhåndbog
Group compounds:
In compounds where the first or last part consists of more than one word, the hyphen is inserted between the two
superordinated parts.
Examples:
(+) 386 udvidet-tilstand
(+) træk og slip-tekstredigering
(+) hvad sker hvis-analyse
(+) finans-joint venture
(+) kalkun-cordon bleu
(+) ovn-pommes frites
Exception: 16-bit programmer
40
Confusing compounds:
In compounds with unusual collocations the hyphen is added for clarification purposes. The use of clarifying
hyphens should however be minimized as this causes an abrupt sentence structure and thus lowers readability.
Examples:
(+) ikke-navngivet fil
(+) stress-symptomer
Minus sign:
Use numeric minus sign for this mathematical symbol.
Examples:
(+) -12
(+) bruttoindtægt - omkostninger = nettoindtægt
Interval:
The hyphen is used between short words or numbers to indicated the meaning "from ... to".
Examples:
(+) side 114-120
(+) copyright 1991-1995
En Dash
Please check that the correct "line" is applied.
Variants:
- ordinary hyphen (-)
- hard hyphen (Ctrl+Shift+hyphen(-))
– (short) dash ("en dash" – ANSI 0150)
— (long) dash ("em dash" — ANSI 0151)
The long dash is not used in Danish Microsoft products and it should be replaced by the short dash (en dash).
Also note that the en dash must be preceded and followed by a space in Danish.
In connection with software translations the en dash may cause problems and therefore the ordinary hyphen is
used (in LocStudio translations). If in doubt, please contact the product team.
Sometimes two or three hyphens are used ( -- ) instead of an em dash in US texts. These should always be
replaced by an en dash.
Examples:
(+) Eng: To arrange text and graphics side by side - - as in a resume or catalog - - use a table.
(+) Dan: Hvis du vil arrangere tekst og grafik ved siden af hinanden – f.eks. til et CV eller et katalog – kan du
benytte en tabel.
Often the en dash is replaced by a comma in Danish texts in order to improve fluency and readability of the text.
41
In US texts the en dash is sometimes used in number ranges, such as those specifying page numbers. No
spaces are used around the en dash in this case. In this type of listings the en dash is replaced by an ordinary
hyphen in Danish.
Example:
(+) Kapitel 12 finder du på siderne 83-96.
Em Dash
The em dash should only be used to emphasize an isolated element or introduce an element that is not essential
to the meaning conveyed by the sentence. As previously mentioned, the em dash is not used in Danish but is
always replaced by an en dash.
Examples:
(+) Eng: Everything you need—in one package
(+) Dan: Alt det, du har brug for – i én pakke
Ellipses (Suspension Points)
An ellipsis may be represented by suspension points i.e. "…" (ANSI 0133). In Danish the suspension points are
preceded by a space if they represent one or more full words.
Example:
(+) Det fremgik af sagen, at klagerens ægtefælle … afgik ved døden den 5. august 1987.
If the suspension points represent part of a word they are inserted immediately after the last letter.
Example:
(+) Hvis du vil logge på siden, skal du angive din adgangsk...
(-) Hvis du vil logge på siden, skal du angive din adgangsk ...
The suspension points are also used in quotations when part of the text is left out and this form of ellipsis does
not change the meaning of the quote in the context it is used.
Example:
(+) Danmark, der er et vesteuropæisk land, har ofte snevejr om vinteren.
(+) Danmark [...] har ofte snevejr om vinteren.
42
Full Stop
In general, full stop and other end punctuation—except question marks—are not used in headings.
In Danish full stop is added after the number in bulleted lists and tables.
Examples:
English
Danish
1 abc
2 def
3 ghi
1. abc
2. def
3. ghi
Period is used as separator in the following contexts:
Examples:
Version number:
(+) Word 7.0
Thousand separator:
(+) 1.000.000
(+) 1.234 kr.
(+) -1.234 kr.
For more information on the use of period in connection with parenthesis see the section below on Parentheses.
Quotation Marks
In Danish Microsoft texts the straight double quotation marks (" ") are used in the format (99...99). In English the
format (66...99) is used.
Quotation marks are used to indicate quotations and direct speech.
In US source strings, you may find software references surrounded by English quotation marks. In Danish
quotation marks are only used around software references that consist of more than one word in order to identify
the entire software reference and improve readability.
In Danish the quotation mark is also used as a symbol for inch (") e.g. to indicate the size of a floppy disk.
Example:
(+) 3,5"-diskette.
43
Parentheses
Parentheses can often be omitted in order to increase readability. They are often replaced by commas instead.
Please note that punctuation i.e. full stop, semicolon, comma etc. are always placed outside the parentheses.
This often causes mistakes since punctuation is placed within the parentheses in English texts.
Examples:
(-) Du skal udfylde denne bestillingskupon. (Skal afleveres til din forhandler.)
(+) Du skal udfylde denne bestillingskupon. (Skal afleveres til din forhandler).
Be sure to use initial capital in the sentence in parenthesis if it follows a full stop. Generally, parentheses around
complete sentences should be avoided.
In Danish as well as English, there is no space between the parentheses and the text inside them.
Example:
(+) Eng: This document should be uploaded to the company website. (Save first.)
(+) Dan: Dette dokument skal overføres til virksomhedens websted. (Gem først).
In English software the plural form is often placed in parentheses in order to avoid double representation of a
term. In Danish the term is translated in plural without the parentheses. In running text it is possible to rephrase
the text though, in order to include both singular and plural form e.g. "en eller flere filer".
Example:
(+) File(s) -> Filer
However, if the plural form in parentheses is used to indicate a number e.g. X day(s) the same style is applied to
the Danish translation i.e. X dag(e).
Singular & Plural
Singular or plural form of adjectives
It is always correct to use the plural form of an adjective when it modifies a term in plural.
Example:
(+) Vi er helt uinteresserede i den slags.
In some cases, especially when there is a preposition immediately after the adjective, the singular form of an
adjective can be used even if the adjective modifies a term in plural.
Example:
(+) Vi er helt uinteresseret i den slags.
44
Split Infinitive
Split infinitives are acceptable to a certain extent in Danish. However, they are rarely used.
Example:
(+) At ikke have nogen venner er trist
Subjunctive
Subjunctive is used to express uncertainty, conditions, wishes etc. In Danish subjunctive is primarily used in fixed
expressions e.g. wishes and exclamations. This form is not used in technical texts.
Example:
(+) Kongen leve
(+) Det være hermed gjort
Symbols & Non-Breaking Spaces
Symbols
There will always be a space between the currency and measuring units preceding or following its symbol.
Examples:
Du kan sende meddelelser på maksimalt 1 MB, herunder vedhæftede filer.
Virksomheden har købt nyt logistikstyringssystem til en værdi af $ 12.345,67.
Non-Breaking Spaces
Non-breaking spaces ( ) should only be used whenever they are also present in the US text. Otherwise, it is
recommended to use a blank space as it can create functionality problems. If a non-breaking space is used to
separate two nouns that constitute a compound noun in Danish the non-breaking space should be deleted.
Examples:
(+) Eng: You are not an administrator of the file server.
(+) Dan: Du er ikke administrator for filserveren.
Syntax
Syntax
Syntax and register differ between Danish and English in the following ways:
1. Adverbs: In Danish adverbs are always placed before or after the subject and verb–never between them.
Example: I suddenly understood his objections -> Jeg forstod pludselig hans protester.
45
2. Relative clauses: A relative clause in English is often translated into a dependent question in Danish
Example: He does not realize the extent to which civilization has changed our lives
over, i hvilken grad civilisationen har forandret vort liv.
-> Han er ikke klar
3. Constructions such as "subject of main clause – modification – end of main clause" are never used in
Danish. The modifying clause should be placed at the beginning or end in the Danish sentence.
Example: The old tree on the west side of the farm, despite the fact that a storm had overrun the place
two years before, was still standing. -> Det gamle træ på gårdens vestside stod stadig, til trods for, at en
storm havde hærget stedet to år tidligere
Register
Be sure to select the correct level of formality depending on the target audience of the text. Technical texts should
not be formal but more instructive and explanatory i.e. consultative register. Web texts are characterized by a
more informal tone without being colloquial.
Avoid words which usually only occur in formal written language. Use contemporary expressions and rephrasing
instead:
Don't
Do
hvorledes
hvori
hvordan
hvor
hvorved
hvor
medens
mens
førend
før, inden
således at
så
hvorvidt
om
samtlige
alle
såsom
f.eks. eller som f.eks.
vort/vore
vores
Verbs
In Danish the simple verb forms are recommended for readability reasons.
46
Examples:
(+) Eng: We have had a great weekend.
(+) Dan: Vi havde en god weekend.
Continuous operations are usually expressed in English with a gerund. In Danish the -ing form is often changed to
a substantive or a simple verb form (present tense) in Danish in order to avoid complex relative structures.
Examples:
(+) Eng: Changing file names globally in Windows Explorer
(+) Dan: Global ændring af filnavne i Windows Stifinder.
(+) Eng: Alfred is working
(+) Dan: Alfred arbejder
Word Order
Generally the word order in English and Danish are the same except in the contexts mentioned below.
1. When an adverb is placed in the beginning of the sentence (English=direct word order, Danish=inverted
word order).
Example: (+) Fortunately he had not been hurt -> Heldigvis var han ikke kommet til skade.
2. When a subordinate clause is placed before the main sentence (English=direct word order,
Danish=inverted word order).
Example: (+) If you come, I shall be happy -> Hvis du kommer, vil jeg blive glad.
3. Sentences beginning with direct speech, when the subject is a personal pronoun, the verb is complex or if
there is an object in the direct speech element (English=direct word order, Danish=inverted word order).
Example: (+) "What did you buy?" Martha asked her friend
ven.
-> "Hvad købte du?", spurgte Martha sin
Style and Tone Considerations
This section focuses on higher-level considerations for audience, style, tone, and voice.
Audience
Please be aware that the target users of software can be either IT specialists or end users who may not have
advanced technical skills. This means that the level of formality should be adapted to the relevant audience.
Microsoft texts are usually targeted at the following 4 major audiences:
47
The home user: an individual whose primary job function is not IT and who has average to low expertise in
computer software. Examples of products are MSN Vesta, MSN Communities
The technical user with several sub-categories according to the user's occupation, such as IT decision maker,
software developer, Web developer or advanced software user. Examples of products are Windows Update,
MSDN, Backstage, technical FAQ's, and all product support (PSS) pages.
The IT decision maker: a person in the organization who makes the decision to acquire software for use in
organizations. Pages aimed at IT decision makers can be found in various areas, such as product portals and
TechNet. Other examples include pages about technology strategy and TCO.
The business decision maker: a business decision maker would make decisions about the business as a whole,
not only IT i.e. general managers in all functions. A business decision maker will have a rather poor knowledge of
IT so business language, economic terms etc will need to be adapted and translated appropriately.
Style
Home Users.
The style used in texts for Home Users should be direct, clear, and local.
Use of less technical terminology and vocabulary (everybody should be able to understand the contents).
Use of shorter, less elaborate sentences (the pages should be easy to read). Long, compound sentences should
be avoided as well as contractions, where possible.
It might be appropriate to give clearer instructions to the users and add exactly where they will find an option, i.e.
the source text "in the upper navigation bar" could be localized as 'in the upper navigation bar in the left column'.
Similarly, do not underestimate the reader. If the English original is overly repetitive and explains procedures in
unnecessary detail, it can be rewritten to adapt it to common Danish style which is more strict and to the point.
Technical abbreviations and acronyms should be avoided, unless absolutely necessary, and then only if there is
an accompanying explanation. In general, abbreviate the term and add the spelled out term in parentheses at the
first reference. In the remaining text it is sufficient to use the acronym. However, the reader's familiarity with
common abbreviations may make spelling it out unnecessary. In long documents, you may repeat the spelled-out
term at the beginning of each new section, and then alternate between the spelled-out term and the acronym.
Superlatives vaunting the quality of Microsoft products in the English pages might need to be toned down.
Example:
(+) 'the most powerful browser' would be changed to 'a powerful browser'.
Technical Users.
The style used in texts for Technical Users should resemble other technical Microsoft media, such as technical
documentation and online Help.
48
Technical correctness and functionality is key. Where there is doubt about technical correctness of a translation,
further information should be requested from your Microsoft contact.
References will often be left in English, especially products that are not localized or highly technical (such as SQL,
Exchange Server, etc).
IT Decision Makers.
The style used in texts for IT Decision Makers is similar to the Style used for technical users, but will often be
more marketing and business oriented.
Business Decision Makers.
The style used in texts for Business Decision Makers is more business-oriented, but also more fluent than for the
technical user.
Where the primary purpose of a text for the technical user is to inform, the purpose of a text directed towards a
business decision maker is to influence that person to make decisions for his/her business.
Some references will be left in English if they are business or technology concepts that are usually left in English
when addressing business decision makers, but would be rewritten when addressed to home users. One example
is "Total Cost of Ownership" (TCO) or "Just-in-time" which would be left in English.
Some technology concepts and names that would be understood by technical users might have to be explained.
Superlatives vaunting the quality of Microsoft products in the English pages might need to be toned down in
Nordic pages. Example: 'the most powerful browser' would be changed to 'a powerful browser'.
Tone
Always use a tone matching the target audience, e.g. formal, informative, and factual for most Microsoft products.
Example:
Hvis der opstår flere problemer, eller hvis der er behov for supplerende fejlfinding, er det muligvis nødvendigt at
oprette en separat serviceanmodning. De sædvanlige supportomkostninger gælder for supplerende
supportspørgsmål og -problemer, der ikke falder ind under det nævnte hotfix.
A more informal, playful and inspiring tone may be used for games and Windows Live products.
Example:
(+) Del fotos og videoer, mens du chatter. Videochat i HD, eller send en videomeddelelse til en ven. Og opret
forbindelse til dine sociale netværk for at få vist vigtige opdateringer på ét sted – Messenger
Voice
In software the addressing is direct since this text type often contains instructions for the user. This direct form of
address results in imperative structures which can also be found in commands and dialog boxes.
49
In a Microsoft context the more formal translation of 'You' i.e. De is only used in legal texts.
It is important that terminology and style are used consistently since the user interface is built in the same way
and thus has a uniform expression. Microsoft uses a large number of standard translations which must always be
applied.
Example:
English
Danish
You are now connected to the Internet.
Du har nu forbindelse til internettet.
This End User License Agreement is a legally
binding agreement between You (as a person or
legal entity who is referred to as "You" and "Your" in
the present Agreement) and Microsoft Corporation.
Nærværende Slutbrugerlicensaftale er en juridisk
bindende aftale mellem Dem (enten en fysisk eller juridisk
person, der i nærværende Slutbrugerlicensaftale
benævnes "De","Dem" og"Deres") og Microsoft
Corporation.
50
Localization Guidelines
This section contains guidelines for localization into Danish.
General Considerations
All texts must be translated into an understandable Danish and convey the relevant information in a user-friendly
language adapted to the relevant target audience. The text in user guides and software should always be
professional and direct. The user should be addressed directly by means of imperative constructions as can be
seen in commands and dialog boxes.
Consistency in style and terminology is important when it comes to the translation of technical documentation.
The Danish Microsoft terminology is based on the translation of core terminology which is translated and reviewed
by the Danish Microsoft terminologists. Furthermore, the instructions of this Style Guide and glossaries based on
previously launched products should be observed.
Abbreviations
Common Abbreviations
Abbreviations should be used as little as possible in running text since they may interrupt and slow down the
reading if they appear often. Only authorized abbreviations in accordance with Nudansk Ordbog or
Retskrivningsordbogen should be used. Avoid unauthorized abbreviations since these will most likely not be
understood by the reader.
You might need to abbreviate some words in the UI (mainly buttons or options names) due to lack of space. This
can be done in the following ways:


Articles and prepositions can be left out e.g. Save document as -> Gem som
Words can be abbreviated either by inserting suspension points (…) or by adding a full stop
When an abbreviation which is followed by a full stop is the last word in a sentence the full stop in the
abbreviation also serves as full stop for the entire sentence.
51
List of common Danish abbreviations:
Expression
Acceptable Abbreviation
blandt andet
cirka
det vil sige
eventuelt
for eksempel
henholdsvis
jævnfør
klokken
kroner
med flere
med mere
med videre
observation
og lignende
og så videre
på grund af
per
styk
ved hjælp af
bl.a.
ca.
dvs.
evt.
f.eks.
hhv.
jf.
kl.
kr.
mfl.
m.m.
m.v.
obs.
o.l.
osv.
pga.
pr.
stk.
vha.
Avoid unauthorized abbreviations.
Acronyms
Acronyms are words made up of the initial letters of major parts of a compound term. Some well-known examples
are WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get), OLE (Object Linking and Embedding), or RAM (Random
Access Memory). Most acronyms are non-translatable.
A number of acronyms can be written in both upper and lower case in Danish. With a few exceptions the lower
case is preferred.
Example:
(+) cd-rom
(+) edb
(+) tv
(-) OLE
(-) RAM
(-) WYSIWYG
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Localized Acronyms
If reference is made to an acronym or an abbreviation which has an official Danish translation the Danish
abbreviation is mentioned first with the English text and acronym in parenthesis after:
Example:
(+) Eng: Both applications must support object linking and embedding (OLE).
(+) Dan: Begge programmer skal understøtte objektsammenkædning og -integrering (Object Linking and
Embedding – OLE).
Use Nudansk Ordbog and Retskrivningsordbogen for reference.
Unlocalized Acronyms
If reference is made to an acronym which remains in English the acronym is mentioned first and the full string can
be added for explanatory reasons in parentheses after the acronym the first time it occurs. Hereafter you can use
the acronym alone thorughout the rest of the text:
Example:
(+) Eng: Both applications must support object linking and embedding (OLE).
(+) Dan: Begge programmer skal understøtte OLE (Object Linking and Embedding).
Note that the description in parentheses should be in English unless a translation gives the same acronym:
Examples:
(+) PIF (programinformationsfil)
(+) RAM (Random Access Memory
Applications, Products, and Features
Application/product names are often trademarked or may be trademarked in the future and are therefore rarely
translated. Occasionally, feature names are trademarked, too (e.g. IntelliSense™). Before translating any
application, product, or feature name, please verify that it is in fact translatable and not protected in any way.
Generally, most product names and component names are left in English whereas service names may be
translated into Danish.
Frequent Errors
In software, strings are often translated out of context which means that it may be difficult to distinguish verbs in
the infinitive from nouns or verbs in the infinitive from verbs in the imperative.
53
Example:
(+) Download (verb/noun)
(+) Import a file (infinitive/imperative)
Error messages should always be translated as complete sentences even if they are incomplete sentences in
English. Please note that strings beginning with "Error..." and "An error occurred...." should always be translated
as "Der opstod fejl under +indefinite form" – never "Fejl ved...".
Example:
(+) Eng: Error occurred during document printing
(+) Dan: Der opstod fejl under udskrivning af dokument.
In Danish error messages are always ended with a full stop.
Glossaries
1. The Microsoft Style Guide
2. Relevant Microsoft websites
Recurring Patterns
When translating titles there are certain recurrent patterns that you should pay attention to, as indicated below:
A few examples of standard title constructions:
English
Danish
What's New in <productname>
Getting Started with <productname>
Installing and Configuring <productname>
To do X or Z...
Nyheder i <produktnavn>
Introduktion til <produktnavn>
Installation og konfiguration af <produktnavn>
Sådan +passive structure
54
In Help files the headings are in the infinitive form and in order ensure functionality of any referring links the links
are in the infinitive form as well cf. screenshot above.
Standardized Translations
There are a number of standardized translations mentioned in all sections of this Style Guide. Below are lists of
standard phrases in various text types. Furthermore, standard phrases and general terminology guidelines are
mentioned in this section. For standard phrases in other contexts please see the relevant topic in this Style Guide.
Simplification
If the source text is difficult to understand it is important that fluency and readability is improved in the translation.
Often the source text contains repetitions which may lower the quality of the text. Do not be afraid to disregard
obsolete information.
Example:
(-) Det er muligt at lære at bruge XXX. Du kan gå igennem selvstudiet på en dag. Du kan også vælge at dele
kurset op, så du bruger et par timer om dagen i en uge.
55
(+) En praktisk måde at lære at bruge programmet XXX på er at gå igennem selvstudiet. Regn med at bruge ca.
seks timer.
Personification
Generally, personification of computers and programs should be avoided:
Examples:
(-) Hjælp mig med at finde filen.
(-) Programmet viser oplysningerne på skærmen.
(-) Kapitel 2 beskriver
(+) Angiv filen.
(+) Oplysningerne vises på skærmen.
(+) I kapitel 2 beskrives
However, personifications can be necessary in order to ensure a direct style and avoid ambiguities. This is often
necessary when dealing with short messages from the program:
Example:
(+) Eng: Word cannot run the Explorer.
(+) Dan: Word kan ikke starte Stifinder.
(+) Eng: The graphics filter was unable to convert this file.
(+) Dan: Grafikfilteret kunne ikke konvertere denne fil.
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Sentence structure
Sentence structures beginning with To … followed by an imperative form are common in US manuals but these
sentence structures should be rephrased in Danish.
Avoid translating strings like To create a new document, click File New as For at oprette et nyt dokument klik på
Ny i menuen Filer. Such translations automatically shifts focus to the end of a sentence which is not
recommendable. Please find acceptable translations for this sentence structure below:
Examples:
(-) For at oprette et nyt dokument klik på Ny i menuen Filer.
(+) Klik på Ny i menuen Filer, hvis du vil oprette et nyt dokument.
(+) Du kan oprette et nyt dokument ved at klikke på Ny i menuen Filer.
(+) Klik på Ny i menuen Filer for at oprette et nyt dokument.
(+) Hvis du vil oprette et nyt dokument, skal du klikke på Ny i menuen Filer.
Source strings beginning with for example should also be rephrased. In Danish we usually do not begin
sentences with For eksempel or abbreviations.
Examples:
(+) Eng: For example, if you want to use a bold font for headings.
(+) Dan: Hvis du f.eks. vil bruge en fed skrifttype til overskrifter.
Note that Microsoft uses the demonstrative pronoun or a article in front of the word starting a relative clause e.g.
Gem den fil, du har oprettet, inden du lukker programmet.
Capitalization
In Danish days and months are written in lower case unless they are the first word of a sentence.
Only proper nouns are written with initial capital in Danish. This also applies to file names etc. e.g. Install.exe and
Custom.dic.
Mood
In instructions the imperative form is used:
Examples:
(-) For at fortsætte skal du trykke på Page Down.
(-) Du lukker dialogboksen ved at vælge Luk og vende tilbage til dokumentet.
(+) Tryk på Page Down for at fortsætte.
(+) Vælg Luk for at lukke dialogboksen og vende tilbage til dokumentet.
Imperatives ending in a stressed -er syllable usually do not take the accent in Danish Microsoft product.
57
Examples:
(-) redigér, halvér
(+) rediger, halver
However, accents are always applied in imperatives if a verb in the imperative form can be misread as a noun or
verb in the present tense.
Examples:
(-) sorter, marker, aktiver, kontroller, arkiver, kopier, lever
(+) sortér, markér, aktivér, kontrollér, arkivér, kopiér, levér
Some imperatives end in consonants which may lowers readability. Avoid this type of imperatives e.g. "Arbejd",
"Ændr", "Lagr", "Frakobl" and "Behandl" even if they are perfectly valid. Usually it is possible to find synonymous
imperatives to replace these terms e.g. "Change" can be translated as "Rediger" or "Skift" instead of "Ændr".
Division of words
In programs it is sometimes necessary to divide words due to lack of space. Follow the rules for division of words
in Retskrivningsordbogen. In user manuals only compounds with hyphens are divided.
Apply a hard hyphen (Ctrl+Shift+hyphen(-)) if you want to avoid that a hyphenated compound is divided after the
hyphen.
Use a hard space (Ctrl+Shift+space bar) if you want to avoid division after the first part of two words or words and
numbers that belong together e.g. Microsoft Excel 2007.
Pronouns
Use du when addressing the reader. Always use du in direct speech especially in instructions. Man or passive
constructions are also used but only in more general functions and aspects of the program.
Examples:
(-) Man indsætter et link i dokumentet med knappen Indsæt link.
(+) Du indsætter et link i dokumentet med knappen Indsæt link.
User guides in English often use you and your e.g. your computer. Often these pronouns are replaced by the
definite form of the noun i.e. computeren.
The use of du and dit depend on the context. Usually these pronouns are used in interactive parts of the program
e.g. tutorials or Help while the use of these pronouns are limited in more descriptive parts of the documentation.
Examples:
(-) dit dokument, dine modtagere, din sikkerhedskopi
(+) dokumentet, modtagerne, sikkerhedskopien
The above also apply to names of folders and functions involving structures with My e.g. My Pictures, My
Documents og My Music. In these cases My is not translated into Danish.
58
Examples:
(-) Mine billeder, Mine dokumenter, Min musik
(+) Billeder, Dokumenter, Musik
Spelling
The following words are often used in Microsoft products and have two equally correct spelling methods. In
Microsoft we spell them like this:
English
Danish
back
loud speaker
bagest
højttaler
margin
margen
maximum xxx
maksimumxxx (without s)
minimum xxx
minimumxxx (without s)
quotation mark
anførselstegn
the filter
filteret
paging
at bladre (not "at blade")
although
selvom
the pattern
mønsteret
basic
grundlæggende
a parameter
en parameter
zigzag
zigzag
scan
scanne
plastic
plastik
The following nouns have two equally valid plural forms. In Microsoft texts we spell them like this:
Singular
Plural
indeks
matrix
variabel
test
indeks
matrixer
variabler
test
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Loanwords
It may be difficult to know how a loanword is conjugated. In Microsoft products English loanwords are often used
and most of them are conjugated as ordinary Danish words e.g.:
Indefinite singular
en disk
en mail
en driver
en harddisk
et hotfix
en prompt
et design
et interrupt
et job
et layout
et output
internet
intranet
plug-in
snap-in
en test
en proxy
en disk
Definite singular
disken
mailen
driveren
harddisken
hotfixet
prompten
designet
interruptet
jobbet
layoutet
outputtet
internettet
intranettet
plug-in'en
snap-in'en
testen
proxyen
disken
Indefinite plural
diske
mails
drivere
harddiske
hotfix
prompter
design
interrupt
job
layout
output
intranet
plug-ins
snap-ins
test
proxyer
diske
Definite plural
diskene
mailene
driverne
harddiskene
hotfixene
prompterne
designene
interruptene
jobbene
layoutene
outputtene
intranettene
de plug-ins
de snap-ins
testene
proxyene
diskene
In the indefinite form some nouns take the plural ending -s and are conjugated as follows:
Indefinite singular
en bitmap
en gateway
en handle
et link
et share
Definite singular
bitmappen
gatewayen
handlen
linket
sharet
Indefinite plural
bitmaps
gateways
handles
links
shares
Definite plural
bitmappene
gatewayene
handlene
linkene
sharene
If at all possible the correct but awkward definite form -ene should be avoided and the string rephrased e.g.
dine links, alle de omtalte shares, disse gateways.
Also note that in Microsoft products no hyphen is used in compounds consisting of loanwords and a common
noun:
Examples:
(+) batchprogram
(+) logonnavn
(+) outputtekst
(+) programswitch
(+) sharenavn
(+) webadresse
(+) onlinetjeneste
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Standard terminology
Connection:
Connection can be translated into two equally correct Danish terms either Forbindelse or Tilslutning. The
difference of these two words is the meaning. Oprette forbindelse is the creation of a connection to e.g. the
Internet or another network (not physical) whereas tilslutte is used about physical connections e.g. of a mouse,
printer or keyboard.
Email
The preferred translation of Email is mail.
Mail is a noun in Danish. Previously Microsoft used the translation e-mailmeddelelse.
Examples:
(+) Har du modtaget min mail?
(+) Jeg har fået ny mailadresse.
However, maile is also used as a verb in Danish. This means that the phrasing sende en mail can be replaced by
maile depending on the context.
Examples:
(+) Jeg mailer dagsordenen til dig
(+) Vi kan mailes ved efter mødet
Enter
The term enter can be difficult to translate. If it only involves text entering in a document, text box or data in a
database etc. the translation is skriv. In other contexts the term angiv is used. Avoid translating enter as indtaste.
Examples:
(+) Eng: Enter your name in the box
(+) Dan: Skriv dit navn i feltet.
Error
"Error..." and "An error occurred...." must always be translated as "Der opstod fejl under +indefinite form" – never
"Fejl ved...".
Examples:
(+) Eng: An error occurred during printing of the document.
(+) Dan: Der opstod fejl under udskrivning af dokumentet.
Cannot
61
Cannot be found and could not be found should always be translated as blev ikke fundet – never kan/kunne ikke
findes.
Examples:
(+) Eng: File cannot be found.
(+) Dan: Filen blev ikke fundet.
Internet
The term internet is conjugated as internettet. When internet is part of a compund no hyphen is used i.e.
internetudbyder.
Hyperlink
In compounds consisting of hyperlink and another noun no hyphen is used e.g. hyperlinkadresse.
Item
The term item is often used as a generic term for names of e.g. documents or items in a list. Avoid direct
translations with the tem emne but translate with the term that is actually referred to. In this way conflicts with the
translation of subject (i.e. emne) are avoided.
Note that item often means element or punkt.
Program or application
Use program as translation of application.
Reference
The English term reference meaning "a work (as a dictionary or encyclopedia) containing useful facts or
information" cannot be translated as "reference" in Danish. Translate as e.g. opslagsværk, litteratur or håndbog.
Reference books can be translated as Opslagsværker and Reference information with litteraturoplysninger. Note
however that reference library can be translated as referencebibliotek.
Cross-reference is translated as krydshenvisning.
Select
Select is translated as either markere or vælge. Vælge is used in connection with the selection of options or
commands while markere is used in most other connections. Please see the list below:
English
Danish
select a check box
select an option button
select data
markere et afkrydsningsfelt
markere en alternativknap
markere data
62
select a document
clear a checkbox (undo select)
select the Save as command
select the recovery option
markere et dokument
fjerne en markering (i afkrydsningsfeltet "XXX")
vælge kommandoen Gem som
vælge genoprettelsesindstillingen
Selection
The term selection is also translated as markering or valg.
A markering is made and the selected text is also a markering. In other contexts selection can mean a valg made
by the user e.g. Confirm your selection is translated as Bekræft dit valg.
Setup
The English term setup has multiple translations in Danish. Usually it means installation i.e. copying and
installation of a program in order to use it on a computer. It can also refer to the indstilling or konfiguration of a
unit or program already installed on the computer e.g. a modem. It can be translated as opsætning in a more
technical context but often installation is sufficient. Avoid the verbal phrase sætte op. Instead the actual meaning
should be researched and the string rephrased accordingly.
Upload and download
In Danish we use hente when translating download (verb) and sende when translating upload (verb). However,
this may result in awkward phrasing (typically terms like ”hentnings...” or ”sendings...”). In these contexts the
terms overførsel or overføre can be used if this eases the understanding for the user. Overføre can be used for
both upload and download.
View
Note that the English verb view cannot be translated as vise. In Danish Vise assumes that you show somebody
something or that the computer shows something to the user. Instead view should be translates as få vist or just
se.
This means that visning should be avoided when translating viewing. In most cases a rephrasing is required.
However, a view is still en visning (i.e. when view is a noun).
Note: In Windows Vista only view is translated as vis (verb) in relation to commands or checkbox.
Standard phrases in Help texts
English
Danish
Spelling button (Standard toolbar)
Knappen Stavekontrol
(standardværktøjslinjen)
Kommandoen Indsæt speciel
Vis hvordan
Sådan gør du
Paste Special Command
Show Me
How?
Comment
63
Click here for more information
about + -ing form of verb
What do you want to do?
What do you want help with?
What do you need help with?
What would you like to know more
about?
Where do you want to go for
technical information?
How do I <share AutoText entries
with other people>?:
Ways to <do something>:
About xxx:
Using xxx:
Work with:
Troubleshoot <automatic formatting
changes>:
For more information on X, click
BITMAP.
For more information, click
BITMAP.
To update all cross-references and
captions, click Select All in the Edit
ribbon
Click
Klik her for at få flere oplysninger
om +substantive
Hvad vil du foretage dig?
Hvad ønsker du hjælp til?
Hvad ønsker du hjælp til?
Hvad vil du gerne vide mere om?
Hvor vil du søge efter tekniske
oplysninger?
Hvordan kan <autotekstelementer
deles med andre>?
Forskellige måder at <gøre et eller
andet på>
Om at xxx
Topic title
Usually the passive form is used.
Topic title
Topic title
Example: About creating a
document. > Om at oprette et
dokument
Topic title
Topic title
Topic title
Brug af xxx
Arbejde med xxxx
Fejlfinding i forbindelse med
<automatisk formatering>.
Klik på BITMAP, hvis du vil have
flere oplysninger om X.
Klik på BITMAP, hvis du vil have
flere oplysninger.
Klik på Markér alt i båndet Rediger
for at opdatere alle
krydshenvisninger og billedtekster.
Klik på
The final full stop is left out if this
sentence is not followed by
another one.
If this sentence is one among
more in e.g. a numbered list it
should be ended by a full stop
according to the punctuation rule
for complete sentences:
Related topics
Relaterede emner
See also
Se også:
1. Åbn X.
2. Klik på .
3. Luk Y.
Help button. Jumps to other
topics.
Heading for list of other Help
topics.
Standard phrases in Documentation texts. Please see the section Document Translation Considerations later
in this document.
64
Standard phrases in Troubleshooting texts
English
Danish
Does XX solve the problem?
What type of problem are you
having?
This troubleshooter can't find the
cause of the problem.
Løser det problemet at XX?
Hvilken type problem har du?
Comment
Fejlfinding kan ikke løse
problemet.
This troubleshooter is unable to
solve your problem.
This troubleshooter cannot solve
your problem.
This troubleshooter was unable to
solve your problem.
This is not the problem
This is the problem
This was the problem
XXX Troubleshooter
Det er ikke problemet
Det er problemet
This did not fix the problem
XXX-fejlfinding
eller
Fejlfinding til XXX
Det løser ikke problemet
This fixed the problem
Det løser problemet
Retry any steps that I have
skipped.
I want to skip this step and try
something else.
Jeg vil prøve alle trin, jeg har
sprunget over, igen.
Jeg vil springe dette trin over og
prøve noget andet.
Use "Fejlfinding til XXX" if the
phrasing "XXX-fejlfinding" is too
complex.
Standard phrases used when referring to guides, manuals, chapters and sections
Examples:
(+) Eng: For information on XXX, see "YYY", in ZZZ.
(+) Dan: Oplysninger om XXX finder du i afsnittet "YYY" i ZZZ.
(+) Eng: For more information about XXX, see chapter 0 "YYY" in ZZZ.
(+) Dan: Du kan finde flere oplysninger om XXX i kapitel 0, "YYY", i ZZZ.
(+) Eng: Chapter 2 explains...
(+) Dan: I kapitel 2 beskrives ...
65
Standard phrases used in intertextual references
English
Danish
Later in this chapter
Senere i dette kapitel
Earlier in this chapter
Tidligere i dette kapitel
The following section
Følgende afsnit
The preceding section
Foregående afsnit
When referring to Knowledge Base articles the following standard procedure is used:
Translate the title of the article; search for the article number in the Microsoft Knowledge Base. If the article is not
translated into Danish, the sentence "Artiklen er evt. på engelsk" is added as an independent sentence after the
translated title.
Please note that if a link is used as a reference at the end of a sentence the sentence is still ended with a full
stop. However, it is important that the full stop is not formatted as part of the link as this may corrupt the
functionality of the link.
When referring to websites or online texts in general the phrasing "Webstedet/siden er evt. på engelsk." is added
as an independent sentence after the translated reference.
Standard terminology in relation to colors
English
Danish
Aqua
Akvamarin
Black
Sort
Blue
Blå
Blue-gray
Blågrå
Bright green
Knaldgrøn
Brown
Brun
Cyan
Cyan
Dark cyan
Blågrøn
Dark green
Mørkegrøn
Dark magenta
Mørklilla
Dark red
Mørkerød
Dark teal
Dybblå
Dark yellow
Mørkegul
Fucshia
Lyslilla
Gold
Gylden
Gray-20%.
Grå - 20%
Gray-40%.
Grå - 40%
Gray-60%
Grå - 60%
Gray-80%.
Grå - 80%
Green
Grøn
Grey
Grå
66
English
Danish
Indigo
Indigo
Lavender
Lavendel
Light blue
Lyseblå
Light green
Lysegrøn
Light orange
Lys orange
Light turquoise
Lys turkis
Light yellow
Lysegul
Lilac
Lilla
Lime
Limegrøn
Magenta
Magenta
Maroon
Rødbrun
Navy
Marineblå
Olive
Oliven
Olive green
Olivengrøn
Orange
Orange
Pale blue
Blegblå
Pink
Pink
Plum
Blomme
Purple
Mørklilla
Red
Rød
Rose
Rosa
Sea green
Havgrøn
Silver
Sølvgrå
Sky blue
Himmelblå
Tan
Sand
Teal
Blågrøn
Turquoise
Turkis
Violet
Violet
White
Hvid
Yellow
Gul
Unlocalized Items
Trademarked names and the name Microsoft Corporation shouldn’t be localized. A list of Microsoft trademarks is
available for your reference at the following location: http://www.microsoft.com/trademarks/t-mark/names.htm.
Titles of reports, home pages, articles, white papers etc. which are not translated into Danish are left in English as
a translation would be misleading to the reader. This would cause the reader to believe that the entire material
67
would be translated and this is clearly not the case. Instead the titles may be translated generically by means of a
prepositional clause in order for the reader to have an idea of the context of the material.
Example:
(+) Eng: Please find additional information in the report CRM as a Development Platform.
(+) Dan: Du kan finde flere oplysninger i rapporten om CRM som udviklingsplatform.
Unlocalized UI words
Comment
OK
Status
Using the Word Microsoft
In English as well as Danish, it is prohibited to use MS as an abbreviation for Microsoft.
This is because Microsoft wants to avoid that trademarks and registered trademarks become generic words such
as "aspirin" which was originally a trademark but now has become a generic/common term. If a trademark
becomes a generic term it can be used randomly by all other companies.
It is recommended that the trademark "Microsoft" is added in front of all Microsoft product names in
advertisements, press releases, documents and white papers. This policy can however be deviated from in case
of space or character limitation. When reference is made to more Microsoft products or product versions it is
common practice that "Microsoft" is only mentioned in front of the first product name or version name on the list
e.g. "New updates are released for Microsoft Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows 2000 Professional, Office
2003 and Publisher in the next year".
In general it is not necessary to add "Microsoft" to names of functions or technologies in Microsoft software since
the user is already supposed to be aware that he or she is working in a Microsoft environment. Nor is it necessary
to add "Microsoft" in front of names of functions or technologies in relation to documents, press releases or other
material if there is no doubt that Microsoft functions or technologies are dealt with.
Software Considerations
This section refers to all menus, menu items, commands, buttons, check boxes, etc., which should be consistently
translated in the localized product.
Refer to http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/aa511258.aspx for a detailed explanation of the Windows user interface
guidelines (English).
Note:
68
For technical reasons, the abbreviation of krone (kr.) should not have a full stop in the software. In documentation,
however, normal Danish orthographic rules apply.
User Interface
In connection with user interface elements it is worth noticing that button names are always translated in the
imperative form.
Examples:
(+) Accept -> Acceptér
(+) Finish -> Udfør.
The same goes for dialog names if verbal forms are used.
Example:
(+) Paste Special -> Indsæt speciel.
Otherwise, dialog names are translated as verbal nouns.
Examples:
(+) Customize -> Tilpasning
(+) Data validation -> Datavalidering.
If a button name has more than two words it is recommended that the term "knappen" is included for readability
reasons.
Example:
(+) Knappen Gem alle billeder
In general the term "knappen" is always placed in front of the button name and the name of the button has initial
capital.
Examples:
(+) Klik på OK
(+) Klik på Annuller
(+) Klik på knappen Konvertér alle filer
Buttons without text have fixed names.
Example:
(+) Maximize button -> maksimeringsknappen
(+) Close button
-> lukknappen
The same Style is applied to symbols e.g. application symbols and folder symbols. These buttons do not have
initial capital.
Buttons in ribbons also have fixed names that have initial capital.
69
The descriptive terms menuen, båndet, kommandoen, knappen are only used in the translation if mentioned in
the source text. If they are used they are placed before the actual name.
Example:
(+) Eng: Click Save on the File menu.
(+) Dan: Klik på Gem i menuen Filer.
1. Application name
programnavn
70
2. Submenu or cascading menu
undermenu
3. Selected command
markeret kommando
4. Power button
Tænd/sluk-knap
5. Search box
Søgefelt
6. Application icon
programikon
7. Start button
knappen Start
1. Office button
Office-knappen
2. Tab
fane
3. Quick Access Toolbar
værktøjslinjen Hurtig adgang
71
4. Toolbar icon
ikon på værktøjslinje
5. Title bar
titellinje
6. Ribbon
bånd
7. Minimize button
minimeringsknap
8. Maximize button
maksimeringsknap
9. Close button
lukknap
10. Application window
programvindue
11. Ruler
lineal
12. Scroll box
rulleboks
13. Zoom
zoom
14. View
visning
15. Status bar
Statuslinje
16. Help
Hjælp
72
1. Menu names
menunavne
2. Selected menu
markeret menu
3. Menu bar
menulinje
4. Check mark
markering
5. Shortcut key
genvejstast
6. Function key
funktionstast
73
7. Sub menu
undermenu
8. Ellipsis
ellipse
9. Selected command
markeret commando
1. Dialog box title
dialogbokstitel
2. Tab
fane
3. Title bar
titellinje
74
4. Close button
lukknap
5. Drop-down arrow
rullepil
6. Drop-down menu
rullemenu
7. Command buttons
kommandoknapper
8. Check box (selected)
afkrydsningsfelt (markeret)
9. Label
navn
75
1. Option button (selected)
alternativknap (markeret)
2. Option button (unavailble)
alternativknap (nedtonet)
3. Spin box
skalafelt
4. Spin button
skalaknap
1. Slider
skala
76
2. Slider indicator
skyder
Messages
The most common types of messages are status bar messages and error messages. The status bar messages
display information about the different commands in order to let the user know what is going on.
Error messages are displayed if functional errors occur during the use of a program or operating system.
Status Messages
What is a Status Bar Message?
A status bar message is an informational message about the active document or a selected command as well as
about any active or selected interface item. Messages are shown in the status bar at the bottom of the window
when the user has chosen a menu, a command or any other item, or has started a function. The status bar
messages refer to actions being performed or already complete (for example in Outlook below).
Danish Style in Status bar Messages
Avoid the use of the imperative form which is often seen in the English status bar messages. Use the present
tense instead.
Example:
Create, Open, Save, Print documents, or quit Microsoft Excel.
(-) Opret, åbn, luk, gem, udskriv documenter, eller afslut Microsoft Excel
(+) Opretter, åbner, gemmer og udskriver dokumenter eller afslutter Microsoft Excel
In the source text the article is sometimes left out:
Example:
(+) Move, size or close document window
(+) Opens selected item
77
(+) Sort selected cells
(+) Copy object
In Danish the (definite) article is used if at all possible. This increases the fluency as well as the readability of the
text.
Example:
(+) Flytter, lukker eller ændrer størrelse på dokumentvinduet
(+) Åbner det markerede objekt
(+) Sorterer de markerede celler
(+) Kopierer objektet
Status bar messages are not followed by a full stop in Danish.
In English, the status bar messages have different forms dependent on the information they must convey. In
Danish, menu and commands status bar messages should follow the format below.
Name
Edit
Copy to
Folder...
New
Danish Name
Rediger
Category
English Status Bar
message
Danish Status Bar
message
menu
Contains editing commands
Indeholder
redigeringskommandoer
menu
Copies the selected items to
a new location
Kopierer de valgte
elementer til en ny
placering
command
Creates a new document
Opretter et nyt document
Make object visible?
Skal objektet være
synligt?
Word is converting the
document. Press Esc to
stop.
Word konverterer
dokumentet. Tryk på Esc
for at stoppe
konverteringen.
Datasheet View
Dataarkvisning
Done
Udført
Kopiér til mappen …
Ny
78
The importance of standardization
In the US product you can often find messages that are phrased differently even though they have the same
meaning. Try to avoid this in the localized Danish version. Use one standard translation as in the examples below:
English term
Correct Danish translation
Press F1 to get Help
Tryk på F1 for at få hjælp.
If you want Help press F1
To get Help press F1
Not enough memory
Der er ikke tilstrækkelig hukommelse.
Insufficient memory
There is not enough memory
Save changes to %1?
Skal ændringerne i %1 gemmes?
Do you want to save changes to %1?
Error Messages
What Is An Error Message?
Here is an example:
Error messages are messages sent by the system or a program, informing the user that there is an error that
must be corrected in order for the program to keep running. For example, the messages can prompt the user to
take an action or inform the user of an error that requires rebooting the computer.
79
Danish Style in Error Messages
It is important to use consistent terminology and language style in the localized error messages, and not just
translate as they appear in the US product.
Error messages are also characterized by a specific linguistic format. Please find some general rules regarding
localization of error messages here below:
Complete sentences
Avoid the short elliptic style which is found in some messages in the source text i.e. avoid beginning sentences
with Kan ikke... and Kunne ikke... but use complete sentences if at all possible:
Examples:
Not enough disk space
(-) Ikke tilstrækkelig diskplads.
(+) Der er ikke tilstrækkelig diskplads.
This operation is irreversible. Continue?
(-) Denne handling vil ikke kunne fortrydes. Fortsæt?
(+) Denne handling vil ikke kunne fortrydes. Vil du fortsætte?
Save changes to Document1?
(-) Gem ændringerne i Dokument1?
(+) Skal ændringerne i Dokument1 gemmes?
The article is often left out in the source text. Always include the article in Danish as this improves readability:
Examples:
(+) Cannot open file
(+) Filen kan ikke åbnes
(+) Insert floppy disk
(+) Indsæt disketten
"Are you sure?"
In general the phrasing "Er du sikker på, at... " is avoided as a translation for "Are you sure you want to... ".
Instead the more neutral phrasing "Vil du... " is recommended. "Er du sikker på, at... " can however be used in
cases where the result of a user action can be that important data are lost e.g. deletion or change of system files
or other important files etc.:
Examples:
(+) Eng: Are you sure you want to clear all the form properties for %1?
(+) Dan: Vil du nulstille alle formularegenskaberne for %1?
80
(+) Eng: Are you sure you want to delete the file?
(+) Dan: Er du sikker på, at du vil slette denne fil?
Note: In Windows Vista the phrasing Er du sikker på, at du vil... is the preferred translation of Are you sure you
want....
Full stop after error messages
In Danish error messages are always ended with a full stop.
Standard Phrases in Error Messages
When translating standard phrases it is important that the translation is standardized. Note that sometimes the US
uses different forms to express the same thing.
Examples:
English
Translation
Example
kan ikke
Filen kan ikke åbnes
blev ikke
Programmet blev ikke
lukket
blev ikke
Filen blev ikke fundet
Der er ikke tilstrækkelig
hukommelse
Der er ikke tilstrækkelig
hukommelse på USBflashdrevet
er ikke tilgængelig
Filen er ikke tilgængelig
Comment
Cannot …
Could not …
Failed to …
Failure of …
Cannot find …
Could not find …
Unable to find …
Unable to locate …
Not enough memory
Insufficient memory
There is not enough memory
There is not enough memory
available
... is not available
81
English
Translation
Example
Comment
... is unavailable
Error Messages Containing Placeholders
When localizing error messages containing placeholders, try to find out what will replace the placeholder. This is
necessary for the sentence to be grammatically correct when the placeholder is replaced with a word or phrase.
Note that the letters used in placeholders convey a specific meaning, see examples below:
%d, %ld, %u, and %lu means <number>
%c means <letter>
%s means <string>
Examples of error messages containing placeholders:
"Checking Web %1!d! of %2!d!" means "Checking Web <number> of <number>".
"INI file "%1!-.200s!" section" means "INI file "<string>" section".
Some placeholders may cause translation problems if the term represented should be conjugated. In Danish the
term is conjugated by changing the ending of the noun (or adjective/adverb) instead of adding an article. Usually it
is possible to work around this issue by adding a demonstrative pronoun in front of the term in Danish. However,
this requires an instruction on which term the placeholder is representing.
Example:
(+) To identify the caller you need to open the <placeholder> in the Axapta Resource module. (placeholder
represents 'contact card')
(+) Hvis du vil identificere den person, der ringer op, skal du åbne det <placeholder>, der findes i
ressourcemodulet i Axapta
82
Keys
The keyboard is the primary input device used for text input in Microsoft Windows. For accessibility and efficiency,
most actions can be performed using the keyboard as well. While working with Microsoft software, you use keys,
key combinations and key sequences.
In English, References to key names, like arrow keys, function keys and numeric keys, appear in normal text (not
in small caps).
In relation to keys with names the key names is written in full with initial capital followed by the relevant sign in
parentheses i.e. plus (+), minus (-), hyphen (-), asterisk (*).
Ctrl+-
Ctrl+-(hyphen)
Alt+*
Alt+*(asterisk)
Shift++
Skift++(plus)
Shift+-
Skift+-(minus)
Note that keys without names are written in lower caps.
Examples:
(+) Tryk på mellemrumstasten.
(+) Tryk på Ctrl-Skift-bindestreg for at tilføje en hård bindestreg ved orddeling.
Two expressions are used to describe key punches i.e. tryk på and skriv. Tryk på is used in relation to key
combinations or keys used to perform commands.
Examples:
(+) Skriv adgangskoden.
(+) Tryk på F1 for at få flere oplysninger.
Usually, it is not a problem to leave out the word tast (US key) when describing specific keys.
Examples:
(+) Eng: Press the Enter key to set the size.
(+) Dan: Tryk på Enter for at ændre størrelsen.
(+) Eng: Press the right key and then the spacebar.
(+) Dan: Tryk på højre pil og derefter på mellemrum.
If it is necessary to translate the X key the name of the key is followed by -tasten.
Examples:
(+) Eng: The Esc key is located at the top left corner of the keyboard.
(+) Dan: Esc-tasten findes øverst til venstre på tastaturet.
83
Key Names
English Key Name
Danish Key Name
Alt
Alt
Backspace
Backspace
Break
Break
Caps Lock
Caps Lock
Ctrl
Control
Delete
Delete
Down Arrow
Pil ned
End
End
Enter
Enter
Esc
Esc
Home
Home
Insert
Insert
Left Arrow
Venstre pil
Num Lock
Num Lock
Page Down
Page Down
Page Up
Page Up
Pause
Pause
Right Arrow
Højre pil
Scroll Lock
Scroll Lock
84
Shift
Skift
Spacebar
Mellemrumstast
Tab
Tab
Up Arrow
Pil op
Windows key
Windows-tast
Print Screen
Print Screen
Menu key
Kontekstmenu
Access Keys/Hotkeys
Sometimes, there are underlined or highlighted letters in menu options, commands or dialog boxes. These letters
refer to access keys (also known as hotkeys) that allow you to run commands, perform tasks, etc. more quickly.
It is crucial that especially the Office applications are consistent in their use of command names, key
combinations etc. If the translator is uncertain as to which program is prioritized, Windows takes precedence over
Office.
Hot Key Special Options
Usage: Is It Allowed?
"Slim characters", such as I, l, t, r, f
can be used as hotkey
yes
Notes
85
Hot Key Special Options
Usage: Is It Allowed?
Notes
Characters with downstrokes, such
as g, j, y, p and q can be used as
hotkeys
yes
Extended characters can be used as
hotkeys
yes
Preferably not as there is a slight
risk that they may cause bugs in the
UI
An additional letter, appearing
between brackets after item name,
can be used as hotkey
yes
Only if there are no other
alternatives
A number, appearing between
brackets after item name, can be
used as hotkey
no
A punctuation sign, appearing
between brackets after item name,
can be used as hotkey
no
Duplicate hotkeys are allowed when
no other character is available
no
No hotkey is assigned when no more yes
characters are available (minor
options only)
Additional notes: n/a.
Arrow Keys
The arrow keys move input focus among the controls within a group. Pressing the right arrow key moves input
focus to the next control in tab order, whereas pressing the left arrow moves input focus to the previous control.
Home, End, Up, and Down also have their expected behavior within a group. Users can't navigate out of a control
group using arrow keys.
Arrow keys are translated generically as piletast (singular).Specific arrow keys are referred to as venstre pil, højre
pil, pil op eller pil ned. It is perfectly.
Numeric Keypad
86
It is recommended that you avoid distinguishing numeric keypad keys from the other keys, unless it is required by
a given application. In case which keys to be pressed is not obvious, provide necessary explanations.
Shortcut Keys
Shortcut keys are keystrokes or combinations of keystrokes used to perform defined functions in a software
application. Shortcut keys replace menu commands and they are sometimes given next to the command they
represent. In opposition to the access keys, which can be used only when available on the screen, shortcut keys
can be used even when they are not accessible on the screen.
Standard Shortcut Keys
US
Command
US English
Shortcut Key
Danish
Command
Danish
Shortcut key
General Windows Shortcut keys
Help window
F1
Hjælpvinduet
F1
Context-sensitive Help
Shift+F1
Kontekstafhængig hjælp
Skift+F1
Display pop-up menu
Shift+F10
Vis genvejsmenu
Skift+F10
Cancel
Esc
Annuller
Esc
Activate\Deactivate menu bar
mode
F10
Aktivér/deaktiver menulinje
F10
Switch to the next primary
application
Alt+Tab
Skift til næste primære program Alt+Tab
Display next window
Alt+Esc
Vis næste vindue
Alt+Esc
Display pop-up menu for the
window
Alt+Spacebar
Vis genvejsmenu for vinduet
Alt+mellemrumstast
Display pop-up menu for the
active child window
Alt+-
Vis genvejsmenu for det aktive
underordnede vindue
Alt+-
Display property sheet for
current selection
Alt+Enter
Vis egenskaber for
markeringen
Alt+Enter
87
US
Command
US English
Shortcut Key
Danish
Command
Danish
Shortcut key
Close active application window Alt+F4
Luk det aktive program
Alt+F4
Switch to next window within
(modeless-compliant)
application
Alt+F6
Skift til næste vindue i et
program
Alt+F6
Capture active window image
to the Clipboard
Alt+Prnt Scrn
Kopiér det aktive vindue til
Udklipsholder
Alt+Prt Scr
Capture desktop image to the
Clipboard
Prnt Scrn
Kopiér skærmbilledet til
Udklipsholder
Prt Scr
Access Start button in taskbar
Ctrl+Esc
Aktivér knappen Start på
proceslinjen
Ctrl+Esc
Display next child window
Ctrl+F6
Vis det næste underordnede
vindue
Ctrl+F6
Display next tabbed pane
Ctrl+Tab
Skift fane
Ctrl+Tab
Launch Task Manager and
system initialization
Ctrl+Shift+Esc
Start Jobliste
Ctrl+Skift+Esc
File Menu
File New
Ctrl+N
Ny
Ctrl+N
File Open
Ctrl+O
Åbn
Ctrl+O
File Close
Ctrl+F4
Luk
Ctrl+F4
File Save
Ctrl+S
Gem
Ctrl+S
File Save as
F12
Gem som
F12
File Print Preview
Ctrl+F2
Vis udskrift
Ctrl+F2
File Print
Ctrl+P
Udskriv
Ctrl+P
File Exit
Alt+F4
Afslut
Alt+F4
88
US
Command
US English
Shortcut Key
Danish
Command
Danish
Shortcut key
Edit Menu
Edit Undo
Ctrl+Z
Fortryd Rediger
Ctrl+Z
Edit Repeat
Ctrl+Y
Gentag
Ctrl+Y
Edit Cut
Ctrl+X
Klip
Ctrl+X
Edit Copy
Ctrl+C
Kopiér
Ctrl+C
Edit Paste
Ctrl+V
Sæt ind
Ctrl+V
Edit Delete
Ctrl+Backspace
Slet helt ord bagud
Ctrl+Backspace
Edit Select All
Ctrl+A
Markér alt
Ctrl+A
Edit Find
Ctrl+F
Søg
Ctrl+B
Edit Replace
Ctrl+H
Erstat
Ctrl+H
Edit Go To
Ctrl+B
Fanen Gå til i dialogboksen
Rediger
Ctrl+I
Help Menu
Help
F1
Hjælp
F1
Font Format
Italic
Ctrl+I
Kursiv
Ctrl+K
Bold
Ctrl+G
Fed
Ctrl+F
Underlined\Word underline
Ctrl+U
Understreget
Ctrl+U
Large caps
Ctrl+Shift+A
Store bogstaver
Skift+F3
Small caps
Ctrl+Shift+K
Små bogstaver
Skift+F3
Paragraph Format
89
US
Command
US English
Shortcut Key
Danish
Command
Danish
Shortcut key
Centered
Ctrl+E
Centrer
Ctrl+E
Left aligned
Ctrl+L
Venstrejuster
Ctrl+L
Right aligned
Ctrl+R
Højrejuster
Ctrl+R
Justified
Ctrl+J
Lige margener
Ctrl+J
Document Translation Considerations
Document localization may require some specific considerations that are different from software localization. This
section covers a few of these areas.
Standard phrases in Documentation texts
English
Danish
Comment
Key Features
For Help on dialog box options,
click this button.
In the PowerPoint Help look up:
outline
Margin note
Margin note
Next Steps
Nøgleemner
Klik på denne knap for at få hjælp
til en dialogboks.
Søg efter følgende ord i
PowerPoint Hjælp:
disposition
Næste trin
For details, search the Help for
"DoCmd"
How to:
Du kan finde flere oplysninger ved
at søge efter DoCmd i Hjælp.
Sådan gør du:
To / See
Oplysninger om at / finder du
under
Eng:
1. Click Split Table in the Table
ribbon.
–or–
Press Ctrl+Enter.
–or–
To / See
Dan:
1. Klik på Opdel tabel i båndet
Tabel.
eller
Tryk på Ctrl+Enter.
Oplysninger om at / finder du
Cross reference in margin
Heading for table of cross
references at the end of a chapter.
Cross reference in running text.
Cross reference to Help topic in
running text and margin
Appears under "Next Steps" at the
end of a chapter.
When ”–or–“ is written in the
source documentation or Help the
dashes are left out in the Danish
translation.
Appears under "Next Steps" at the
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under
end of a chapter.
Titles
In English the titles for chapters usually begin with "How to …" or with phrases such as "Working with …" or
"Using …". In the Danish version of Microsoft documentation these chapters are translated as "Sådan +passive
structure" or "Arbejde med …" or "Brug af …".
A few examples of standard title constructions:
English
Danish
What's New in <productname>
Getting Started with <productname>
Installing and Configuring <productname>
To do X or Z...
Nyheder i <produktnavn>
Introduktion til <produktnavn>
Installation og konfiguration af <produktnavn>
Sådan +passive structure
Copyright
Copyright protection is granted to any original work of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression from
which it can be perceived, reproduced, or communicated.
Check the copyright link on every page and make sure that the translation of the copyright string is consistent on
all pages. Note that '© 2000 Microsoft Corporation.' should remain constant; your subsidiary name should not be
substituted for 'Microsoft Corporation'.
Example:
(+) Eng: © 2011 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of use.
(+) Dan: © 2011 Microsoft Corporation. Alle rettigheder forbeholdes. Vilkår for anvendelse.
Microsoft.com has defined clear guidelines for legal requirements (copyright statement, trademarks, links to other
Web sites, etc.).
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