Scandinavian proximity
Danish, Norwegian and Swedish are related, but remain separate languages for authoritative translation.
North Germanic language
Have Danish translated
thanks
Danish documents are often relevant in Scandinavian business, education and family transactions. ABBA-Sprachendienste clarifies the language direction, subject area and intended recipient.
Danish is spoken by approximately six million people, primarily in Denmark and southern Schleswig.
Geographical distribution of Danish
- Main distribution
- Other regional use
- Selected Diaspora
Denmark
Faroe Islands
Greenland
Germany
Schematic selection of important distribution areas. Language usage does not always follow national borders; the map is not complete population statistics.
Language profile
Danish at a glance
- Proper name
- thanks
- language family
- North Germanic language
- font
- Latin alphabet
- Language code
- there
Documents and deployment
The language direction is often used
It's not just the language that matters. ABBA-Sprachendienste also classifies document type, recipient, subject area, certification requirement and desired language direction.
Have the document checked- Civil status documents
- School and university certificates
- Employment and business contracts
- Medical and technical documents
- Evidence for authorities and insurance companies
Origin and development
How language developed
Danish is one of the North Germanic languages and, like Swedish and Norwegian, developed from Old Norse. The Scandinavian written languages influenced each other for centuries.
Today's orthography uses the Latin alphabet with æ, ø and å. Older documents may contain historical spellings or an older use of aa instead of å.
Good to know
What makes this language special
Get special characters
Æ, ø and å must be used exactly in names, addresses and file numbers.
Historical spellings
In older documents, the same place or name may be spelled differently than it is today.
A little language insight
Three first expressions
The transcription only serves as an initial guide. Pronunciation and regional forms may vary.
| Original | Transcription | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Goddag | — | Good afternoon |
| Tak | — | Thank you |
| Vær så venlig | — | Please |
Sources and classification
Further information
Speaker numbers are rounded guide values and may vary depending on the definition, year of survey and inclusion of second language speakers.
- Danish language
Wikipedia · language-specific overview
- Codes for the Representation of Names of Languages
Library of Congress / ISO 639-2 Registration Authority · Language codes and standardized language names
- Language and Locale Names
Unicode Common Locale Data Repository · Language, script and area names and variants
- Glottolog 5.3
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology · Language families, classification and linguistic literature
Editorial source status: July 14, 2026. Information will be cross-checked before production goes live.
Danish FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Danish
Can I have Danish translated into German and German into Danish?
Both directions can be requested. A binding commitment is made after checking the type of document, subject area, certification, date and intended use.
Which documents are often relevant when speaking Danish?
Civil status documents, school and university certificates, employment and business contracts, medical and technical documents are among the typical occasions. Other types of documents can also be checked with an easy-to-read photo or PDF.
What does ABBA-Sprachendienste look for in Danish?
The language direction, document type, Latin alphabet, names, stamps, subject area, purpose and possible need for certification are checked.
Do I need a certified translation for my Danish document?
This is decided by the receiving authority, the court, the notary or the other requesting body. Tell ABBA-Sprachendienste where the document will be presented; then the need can be classified appropriately.
Is a photo enough for the first check?
Yes. A complete, sharp and easy-to-read photo or PDF is usually sufficient to check the offer. Depending on the order, the original may also be required for later execution.
Have Danish ↔ German checked specifically
Send an easy-to-read photo or PDF. ABBA-Sprachendienste personally checks the language direction, document, purpose and certification requirements.
