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: п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· Language Specific Conventions Danish Standards Geopolitical Concerns Style and Tone Considerations Frequent Errors Glossaries Fictitious Information Recurring Patterns February, 2012 п‚· Grammar, Syntax & Orthographic Conventions вЂ“ Danish Language Reform March, 2012 п‚· Grammar, Syntax & Orthographic Conventions вЂ“ Danish Language Reform Updated Topics The following topics were updated: п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· Introduction Recommended Reference Material Grammar, Syntax & Orthographic Conventions Localization Guidelines 4 п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· Standardized Translations Software Considerations Messages Document Translation Considerations January, 2012 п‚· Keys вЂ“ subsection Key Names added February, 2012 п‚· п‚· Standard terminology вЂ“ Email вЂ“ Hyphenation in relation to the term 'e-mail' Grammar, Syntax & Orthographic Conventions вЂ“ Nouns вЂ“ Usage of apostrophe in inflection of nouns March, 2012 п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· Terminology change of "label" вЂ“ (Section Software Considerations) Group Compounds вЂ“ (Section Dashes and Hyphens) Inflection вЂ“ (Section Nouns) Hyphen вЂ“ (Section Dashes and Hyphens) Acronyms вЂ“ (Section Accessibility) Prepositions вЂ“ (Section Prepositions) Email вЂ“ (Standard terminology) Plural form вЂ“ (Section Articles) Plural forms of English loanwords вЂ“ (Section Articles for English loanwords, section Plural formation) Dash in nouns with suffix -off вЂ“ (Section Hyphen) Words ending in -ium or -ie вЂ“ (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" вЂ“ 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 brГ¦ndstoffer. Det betyder, at de er udvundet af olie, som gennem millioner af ГҐr er blevet dannet af nedbrudte plante- og dyrerester (fossiler). Det er sГҐledes en begrГ¦nset ressource. Da forbrГ¦nding af fossile brГ¦ndstoffer desuden giver anledning til stor CO2-udledning, er der i disse ГҐr meget stor fokus pГҐ at finde alternative drivmidler. Med "alternative drivmidler" menes samtlige alternativer til fossil benzin og diesel, dvs. bГҐde fossile alternativer, biobrГ¦ndstoffer og el/brint. Udover at olieresourcerne er begrГ¦nsede, er der ogsГҐ andre grunde til at anvende alternative former for brГ¦ndstof til transportsektoren. KlimaГ¦ndringerne er en af de vigtigste ГҐrsager i denne sammenhГ¦ng. Menneskeskabte udledninger af CO2, der stammer fra afbrГ¦nding af fossile brГ¦ndsler, pГҐvirker klimaet pГҐ jorden gennem den sГҐkaldte drivhuseffekt, hvorved jordens klima bliver varmere. Transportsektoren er en stor bidragsyder i denne sammenhГ¦ng. I Danmark stГҐr transportsektoren sГҐledes for 20 % af Danmarks samlede CO2-udledning. En anden faktor er spГёrgsmГҐlet om forsyningssikkerhed. Politiske forhold kan give anledning til, at der ikke er en stabil tilgang til rГҐolien, hvilket kan have fatale fГёlger for hele samfundets Гёkonomi. Endelig er der et politisk Гёnske i EU om at stГёtte beskГ¦ftigelsen og Гёkonomien i landomrГҐderne. BiobrГ¦ndstoffer kan bГҐde fremstilles ud fra restprodukter, f.eks. halm, og ud fra egentlige energiafgrГёder, f.eks. raps, der dyrkes specifikt med henblik pГҐ fremstilling af brГ¦ndstof. Ved at Гёge anvendelse af biobrГ¦ndstoffer er der mulighed for at skabe vГ¦kst og Гёkonomisk fremgang i landomrГҐderne. I dag findes der en rГ¦kke alternative drivmidler til transportsektoren. Nogle af disse alternative brГ¦ndstoffer kan medvirke til at nedsГ¦tte CO2-udledningen fra transportsektoren, ligesom de kan medvirke til Гёget forsyningssikkerhed og Гёkonomisk udvikling af landomrГҐder. Men de alternative brГ¦ndstoffer har vidt forskellige egenskaber og anvendelsespotentiale. Ser man f.eks. pГҐ de forskellige alternative brГ¦ndstoffers samlede CO2-udledning, skal man tГ¦nke hele processen igennem: - hvor kommer rГҐstofferne fra? - hvordan produceres brГ¦ndstofferne? - hvilke udslip sker der, nГҐr de anvendes? Det kan derfor vГ¦re vanskeligt at afgГёre, hvor godt et alternativt drivmiddel i virkeligheden er, og om den mest hensigtsmГ¦ssige anvendelse er i transportsektoren eller i andre sektorer. Trafikstyrelsen Gammel MГёnt 4 1117 KГёbenhavn 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 SprognГ¦vn, 2001. Politikens Nudansk ordbog, Politikens Forlag, 2001. HГҐndbog i nudansk, 5. udgave, Politikens Forlag, 2001. Pas pГҐ sproget, SГёren 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 SprognГ¦vn website at www.dsn.dk as well as the website www.sproget.dk which is edited by Dansk SprognГ¦vn 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, Г©, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, p, q, r, s, t, u, v, w, x, y, z, Г¦, Гё, ГҐ Upper-case characters A, B, C, D, E, Г‰, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z, Г†, Г�, Г… Characters in caseless scripts n/a Extended Latin characters Г©, Г‰, Г¦, Г†, Гё, Г�, ГҐ, Г… 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 Г© 00e9 Г‰ 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 Г¦ 0230 Г† 0198 Гё 0248 11 Country/region Notes Denmark Г� 0216 ГҐ 0229 Г… 0197 The Danish alphabet does not contain Г©, Г‰ 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 lГёrdag lГё Sunday sГёndag sГё 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: п‚· п‚· numbers between 0 and 10 incl.: letters numbers higher than 10: numbers 16 п‚· in comparisons with a part that should be written in numbers: numbers Examples: (+) De fire dokumenter, du sidst har arbejdet med, vises lГ¦ngst nede i menuen Filer. (+) Et regneark er et rektangulГ¦rt rudenet, som bestГҐr af 256 kolonner og 65.536 rГ¦kker. 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 вЂ“ Area Codes Separator Number of Digits вЂ“ Domestic Digit Groupings вЂ“ Domestic Denmark 45 no n/a space 8 ## ## ## ## 17 Country/ region Number of Digits вЂ“ Local Digit Groupings вЂ“ Local Number of Digits вЂ“ Mobile Digit Groupings вЂ“ Mobile Number of Digits вЂ“ International Digit Groupings вЂ“ International Denmark 8 ## ## ## ## 8 ## ## ## ## 10 +45 ## ## ## ## Notes: п‚· п‚· 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: п‚· п‚· п‚· Items in brackets above are optional or rarely used Address is always left aligned Four digit postal code, no separator 18 п‚· п‚· п‚· 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 Гёre Currency Subunit Symbol n/a Currency Subunit Example n/a 19 Notes: п‚· 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: п‚· п‚· 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 Г†, Г¦, Г�, Гё, Г… and ГҐ 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 Г„, Г¤, Г–, Г¶ and Гњ, Гј (not used in Danish, but may come up in German or Swedish examples or words imported from these languages) are sorted as variants of Г†, Г¦ (Г„, Г¤), Г�, Гё (Г–, Г¶) and Y, y (Гњ, Гј). 4. Other accented characters are equal with non-accented characters; so Г© 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 ГҐ (ГҐ/Г…). 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, Г¦, Г†, Гё, Г�, ГҐ, Г… 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 Г© 233 Г‰ 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 Г¦ 145 Г† 146 Гё 155 Г� 157 ГҐ 134 Г… 143 @ 1 Aaron andere 24 chaque chemin cote cГґtГ© cotГ© ДЌuДЌД“t Czech hiЕЎa irdisch lie lire llama lГµug lГІza luДЌ luck LГјbeck lye lГ¤vi lГёg LГ¶wen mГ ЕЎta mГ®r myndig mГ¦nd MГ¤nner mГ¶chten piГ±a pint pylon ЕЎГ ran savoir Е erbЕ«ra Sietla Е›lub subtle symbol sГ¤mtlich verkehrt vox vГ¤ga waffle wood yen yuan 25 yucca Еѕal Еѕena ЕЅenД“va zoo Zviedrija ZГјrich zysk zzlj zzlz zznj Г¤ndere ГҐben 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 SprognГ¦vn 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: (+) hГёj, lav, grГёn, sГёd, hurtig, Гёkonomisk, 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 28 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 -> VГ¦rktГёj 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 prГёve) Capitalization In Danish everything except proper nouns are written in lower case. Generally, upper case is used in the following contexts: п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· 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 MajestГ¦t Acronyms 29 Microsoft tends to apply the US Style in translation of product names e.g. Microsoft Online Services вЂ“ 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-hjulstrГ¦k (+) Microsoft Online Services Identity Federation Management Tool identitetssamling i Microsoft Online Services -> VГ¦rktГёj til styring af The following fixed expressions are written in one word: herudover ifГёlge isГ¦r medmindre selvom tilovers tilsammen tvГ¦rtimod vistnok The following fixed expressions are written in two or more words: af sted alt sammen for lГ¦ngst for Гёvrigt frem for hen ad hvad enten i alt i dag i gang i gГҐr 30 i hvert fald inden for (nГҐr det styrer noget) i stykker i Гёvrigt pГҐ ny stort set sГҐ lГ¦nge sГҐ snart til sidst til stede (vГ¦re 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 (+) SГёrens 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 (+) UNICEFвЂ™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: (+) SГёren 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: (-) OutlookВ®s fejlmeddelelser vises i separate vinduer. (+) Fejlmeddelelserne i OutlookВ® 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: (-) LГ¦reren ГҐbnede den nyligt gemte fil. (+) LГ¦reren ГҐbnede den fil, der blev gemt for nylig. 32 Nouns General considerations Nouns are words categorizing living creatures, things and notions as well as proper nouns. Examples: (+) person, hund, cykel, fГёlelse, 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 prГёve (+) et job -> -> -> huse prГёver 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 -> bГёrn (+) mand -> mГ¦nd Some nouns only have the plural form: Examples: (+) bukser, penge, lГёjer etc. However, nouns representing uncountables do not have a plural form: Examples: (+) sand, kaffe, vand, tГёj, mel, sukker etc. These nouns are only found in the definite form: Examples: (+) sandet, kaffen, vandet, tГёjet, 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 pГҐ en diskette/cd-rom/dvd/et USB-flashdrev pГҐ en harddisk i en fil pГҐ en harddisk pГҐ en computer pГҐ systemet under Windows i et vindue i et felt med musen med museknappen med hГёjre museknap (eller "hГёjreklikke", hvis det engelske ord er "right click") med museknappen pГҐ noget med hГёjre museknap pГҐ noget pГҐ en kommando pГҐ et bГҐnd pГҐ fanen X pГҐ vГ¦rktГёjslinjen pГҐ menulinjen pГҐ linealen pГҐ rullepanelet pГҐ et objekt pГҐ et ikon pГҐ OK (ikke "klikke OK") pГҐ et menupunkt til en fil til en port fra/pГҐ en liste pГҐ en tast pГҐ Enter (ikke "tryk Enter") under fanen i menuen pГҐ listen pГҐ en liste installere klikke pege skrive slette trykke vise vГ¦lge Note that we write fГёje til instead of tilfГёje 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 fГёrer til loftet (+) indeni: KГёdet er rГёdt indeni (+) inden under: Han havde en t-shirt pГҐ inden under skjorten (+) indenunder: Han havde en t-shirt pГҐ indenunder (+) oven pГҐ: Vi bor oven pГҐ bagerbutikken (+) ovenpГҐ: Jeg har vГ¦relse ovenpГҐ Pronouns In Danish there are several types of pronouns that are used instead of things, person(s) or complete sentences. These types are: п‚· Personal e.g. jeg, du, hende, os, de, De п‚· Possessive e.g min, dit, hendes, sin, deres п‚· Interrogative e.g. hvem, hvad, hvis п‚· Demonstrative e.g. den, dette, de, disse 36 п‚· Indefinite e.g. man, nogen, noget п‚· Relative e.g. som, der, hvis. Punctuation Comma Microsoft uses the traditional comma without applying the recommendations from Dansk SprognГ¦vn 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, hГҐndbГёger og et licenskort. Remember that a comma is always used to separate imperatives that do not take the same object. Example: (+) Klik pГҐ Start, og vГ¦lg Indstillinger. 37 Colon Use colon to emphasize examples and instructions. Example: (+) I dette kapitel beskrives, hvordan du kan: вЂў Foretage stavekontrol вЂў Bruge synonymordbogen. (+) SГҐdan markeres hele dokumentet: 1. Tryk pГҐ ctrl+home. 2. Tryk pГҐ 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! BemГ¦rk! BemГ¦rk! Tip! Tip! Fejlfinding Advarsel! 38 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-skivepГҐbud (+) 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: (+) rГ¦kke- 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 BrugerhГҐndbog 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 (+) trГ¦k 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 (+) bruttoindtГ¦gt - omkostninger = nettoindtГ¦gt 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(-)) вЂ“ (short) dash ("en dash" вЂ“ ANSI 0150) вЂ” (long) dash ("em dash" вЂ” 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 вЂ“ f.eks. til et CV eller et katalog вЂ“ 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 pГҐ 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 needвЂ”in one package (+) Dan: Alt det, du har brug for вЂ“ i Г©n pakke Ellipses (Suspension Points) An ellipsis may be represented by suspension points i.e. "вЂ¦" (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 Г¦gtefГ¦lle вЂ¦ afgik ved dГёden 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 pГҐ siden, skal du angive din adgangsk... (-) Hvis du vil logge pГҐ 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 vesteuropГ¦isk land, har ofte snevejr om vinteren. (+) Danmark [...] har ofte snevejr om vinteren. 42 Full Stop In general, full stop and other end punctuationвЂ”except question marksвЂ”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 overfГёres til virksomhedens websted. (Gem fГёrst). 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 vГ¦re 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 pГҐ maksimalt 1 MB, herunder vedhГ¦ftede filer. Virksomheden har kГёbt nyt logistikstyringssystem til en vГ¦rdi 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 verbвЂ“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 вЂ“ modification вЂ“ 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 trГ¦ pГҐ gГҐrdens vestside stod stadig, til trods for, at en storm havde hГ¦rget stedet to ГҐr 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 fГёrend fГёr, inden sГҐledes at sГҐ hvorvidt om samtlige alle sГҐsom 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 Г¦ndring 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 kГёbte 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 opstГҐr flere problemer, eller hvis der er behov for supplerende fejlfinding, er det muligvis nГёdvendigt at oprette en separat serviceanmodning. De sГ¦dvanlige supportomkostninger gГ¦lder for supplerende supportspГёrgsmГҐl og -problemer, der ikke falder ind under det nГ¦vnte 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 netvГ¦rk for at fГҐ vist vigtige opdateringer pГҐ Г©t sted вЂ“ 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. NГ¦rvГ¦rende Slutbrugerlicensaftale er en juridisk bindende aftale mellem Dem (enten en fysisk eller juridisk person, der i nГ¦rvГ¦rende Slutbrugerlicensaftale benГ¦vnes "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: п‚· п‚· Articles and prepositions can be left out e.g. Save document as -> Gem som Words can be abbreviated either by inserting suspension points (вЂ¦) 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 jГ¦vnfГёr klokken kroner med flere med mere med videre observation og lignende og sГҐ videre pГҐ grund af per styk ved hjГ¦lp 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 52 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 understГёtte objektsammenkГ¦dning og -integrering (Object Linking and Embedding вЂ“ 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 understГёtte 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. IntelliSenseв„ў). 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" вЂ“ 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> SГҐdan +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 lГ¦re at bruge XXX. Du kan gГҐ igennem selvstudiet pГҐ en dag. Du kan ogsГҐ vГ¦lge at dele kurset op, sГҐ du bruger et par timer om dagen i en uge. 55 (+) En praktisk mГҐde at lГ¦re at bruge programmet XXX pГҐ er at gГҐ igennem selvstudiet. Regn med at bruge ca. seks timer. Personification Generally, personification of computers and programs should be avoided: Examples: (-) HjГ¦lp mig med at finde filen. (-) Programmet viser oplysningerne pГҐ skГ¦rmen. (-) Kapitel 2 beskriver (+) Angiv filen. (+) Oplysningerne vises pГҐ skГ¦rmen. (+) 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. 56 Sentence structure Sentence structures beginning with To вЂ¦ 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 pГҐ 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 pГҐ Ny i menuen Filer. (+) Klik pГҐ Ny i menuen Filer, hvis du vil oprette et nyt dokument. (+) Du kan oprette et nyt dokument ved at klikke pГҐ Ny i menuen Filer. (+) Klik pГҐ Ny i menuen Filer for at oprette et nyt dokument. (+) Hvis du vil oprette et nyt dokument, skal du klikke pГҐ 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 fortsГ¦tte skal du trykke pГҐ Page Down. (-) Du lukker dialogboksen ved at vГ¦lge Luk og vende tilbage til dokumentet. (+) Tryk pГҐ Page Down for at fortsГ¦tte. (+) VГ¦lg 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: (-) redigГ©r, halvГ©r (+) 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 (+) sortГ©r, markГ©r, aktivГ©r, kontrollГ©r, arkivГ©r, kopiГ©r, levГ©r Some imperatives end in consonants which may lowers readability. Avoid this type of imperatives e.g. "Arbejd", "Г†ndr", "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 "Г†ndr". 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 indsГ¦tter et link i dokumentet med knappen IndsГ¦t link. (+) Du indsГ¦tter et link i dokumentet med knappen IndsГ¦t 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 hГёjttaler margin margen maximum xxx maksimumxxx (without s) minimum xxx minimumxxx (without s) quotation mark anfГёrselstegn the filter filteret paging at bladre (not "at blade") although selvom the pattern mГёnsteret basic grundlГ¦ggende 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 59 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 60 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 fГҐet 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 mГёdet 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" вЂ“ 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 вЂ“ 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. opslagsvГ¦rk, litteratur or hГҐndbog. Reference books can be translated as OpslagsvГ¦rker 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 vГ¦lge. VГ¦lge 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") vГ¦lge kommandoen Gem som vГ¦lge 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 BekrГ¦ft 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 opsГ¦tning in a more technical context but often installation is sufficient. Avoid the verbal phrase sГ¦tte 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 вЂќhentnings...вЂќ or вЂќsendings...вЂќ). In these contexts the terms overfГёrsel or overfГёre can be used if this eases the understanding for the user. OverfГёre 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 fГҐ 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 (standardvГ¦rktГёjslinjen) Kommandoen IndsГ¦t speciel Vis hvordan SГҐdan gГёr 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 fГҐ flere oplysninger om +substantive Hvad vil du foretage dig? Hvad Гёnsker du hjГ¦lp til? Hvad Гёnsker du hjГ¦lp til? Hvad vil du gerne vide mere om? Hvor vil du sГёge efter tekniske oplysninger? Hvordan kan <autotekstelementer deles med andre>? Forskellige mГҐder at <gГёre et eller andet pГҐ> 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 pГҐ BITMAP, hvis du vil have flere oplysninger om X. Klik pГҐ BITMAP, hvis du vil have flere oplysninger. Klik pГҐ MarkГ©r alt i bГҐndet Rediger for at opdatere alle krydshenvisninger og billedtekster. Klik pГҐ 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 ogsГҐ: 1. Г…bn X. 2. Klik pГҐ . 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. LГёser det problemet at XX? Hvilken type problem har du? Comment Fejlfinding kan ikke lГёse 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 lГёser ikke problemet This fixed the problem Det lГёser problemet Retry any steps that I have skipped. I want to skip this step and try something else. Jeg vil prГёve alle trin, jeg har sprunget over, igen. Jeg vil springe dette trin over og prГёve 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 FГёlgende afsnit The preceding section ForegГҐende 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. pГҐ 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. pГҐ engelsk." is added as an independent sentence after the translated reference. Standard terminology in relation to colors English Danish Aqua Akvamarin Black Sort Blue BlГҐ Blue-gray BlГҐgrГҐ Bright green KnaldgrГёn Brown Brun Cyan Cyan Dark cyan BlГҐgrГёn Dark green MГёrkegrГёn Dark magenta MГёrklilla Dark red MГёrkerГёd Dark teal DybblГҐ Dark yellow MГёrkegul Fucshia Lyslilla Gold Gylden Gray-20%. GrГҐ - 20% Gray-40%. GrГҐ - 40% Gray-60% GrГҐ - 60% Gray-80%. GrГҐ - 80% Green GrГёn Grey GrГҐ 66 English Danish Indigo Indigo Lavender Lavendel Light blue LyseblГҐ Light green LysegrГёn Light orange Lys orange Light turquoise Lys turkis Light yellow Lysegul Lilac Lilla Lime LimegrГёn Magenta Magenta Maroon RГёdbrun Navy MarineblГҐ Olive Oliven Olive green OlivengrГёn Orange Orange Pale blue BlegblГҐ Pink Pink Plum Blomme Purple MГёrklilla Red RГёd Rose Rosa Sea green HavgrГёn Silver SГёlvgrГҐ Sky blue HimmelblГҐ Tan Sand Teal BlГҐgrГёn Turquoise Turkis Violet Violet White Hvid Yellow Gul Unlocalized Items Trademarked names and the name Microsoft Corporation shouldnвЂ™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 -> AcceptГ©r (+) Finish -> UdfГёr. The same goes for dialog names if verbal forms are used. Example: (+) Paste Special -> IndsГ¦t 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 pГҐ OK (+) Klik pГҐ Annuller (+) Klik pГҐ knappen KonvertГ©r 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, bГҐndet, 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 pГҐ Gem i menuen Filer. 1. Application name programnavn 70 2. Submenu or cascading menu undermenu 3. Selected command markeret kommando 4. Power button TГ¦nd/sluk-knap 5. Search box SГёgefelt 6. Application icon programikon 7. Start button knappen Start 1. Office button Office-knappen 2. Tab fane 3. Quick Access Toolbar vГ¦rktГёjslinjen Hurtig adgang 71 4. Toolbar icon ikon pГҐ vГ¦rktГёjslinje 5. Title bar titellinje 6. Ribbon bГҐnd 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 HjГ¦lp 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, ГҐbn, luk, gem, udskriv documenter, eller afslut Microsoft Excel (+) Opretter, ГҐbner, 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 Г¦ndrer stГёrrelse pГҐ dokumentvinduet (+) Г…bner 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 vГ¦re synligt? Word is converting the document. Press Esc to stop. Word konverterer dokumentet. Tryk pГҐ Esc for at stoppe konverteringen. Datasheet View Dataarkvisning Done UdfГёrt KopiГ©r til mappen вЂ¦ 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 pГҐ F1 for at fГҐ hjГ¦lp. If you want Help press F1 To get Help press F1 Not enough memory Der er ikke tilstrГ¦kkelig hukommelse. Insufficient memory There is not enough memory Save changes to %1? Skal Г¦ndringerne 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 tilstrГ¦kkelig diskplads. (+) Der er ikke tilstrГ¦kkelig diskplads. This operation is irreversible. Continue? (-) Denne handling vil ikke kunne fortrydes. FortsГ¦t? (+) Denne handling vil ikke kunne fortrydes. Vil du fortsГ¦tte? Save changes to Document1? (-) Gem Г¦ndringerne i Dokument1? (+) Skal Г¦ndringerne 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 ГҐbnes (+) Insert floppy disk (+) IndsГ¦t disketten "Are you sure?" In general the phrasing "Er du sikker pГҐ, 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 pГҐ, 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 pГҐ, at du vil slette denne fil? Note: In Windows Vista the phrasing Er du sikker pГҐ, 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 ГҐbnes blev ikke Programmet blev ikke lukket blev ikke Filen blev ikke fundet Der er ikke tilstrГ¦kkelig hukommelse Der er ikke tilstrГ¦kkelig hukommelse pГҐ USBflashdrevet er ikke tilgГ¦ngelig Filen er ikke tilgГ¦ngelig Comment Cannot вЂ¦ Could not вЂ¦ Failed to вЂ¦ Failure of вЂ¦ Cannot find вЂ¦ Could not find вЂ¦ Unable to find вЂ¦ Unable to locate вЂ¦ 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 ГҐbne 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 pГҐ mellemrumstasten. (+) Tryk pГҐ Ctrl-Skift-bindestreg for at tilfГёje en hГҐrd bindestreg ved orddeling. Two expressions are used to describe key punches i.e. tryk pГҐ and skriv. Tryk pГҐ is used in relation to key combinations or keys used to perform commands. Examples: (+) Skriv adgangskoden. (+) Tryk pГҐ F1 for at fГҐ 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 pГҐ Enter for at Г¦ndre stГёrrelsen. (+) Eng: Press the right key and then the spacebar. (+) Dan: Tryk pГҐ hГёjre pil og derefter pГҐ 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 Гёverst til venstre pГҐ 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 HГёjre 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, hГёjre 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 HjГ¦lpvinduet F1 Context-sensitive Help Shift+F1 KontekstafhГ¦ngig hjГ¦lp Skift+F1 Display pop-up menu Shift+F10 Vis genvejsmenu Skift+F10 Cancel Esc Annuller Esc Activate\Deactivate menu bar mode F10 AktivГ©r/deaktiver menulinje F10 Switch to the next primary application Alt+Tab Skift til nГ¦ste primГ¦re program Alt+Tab Display next window Alt+Esc Vis nГ¦ste 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 nГ¦ste vindue i et program Alt+F6 Capture active window image to the Clipboard Alt+Prnt Scrn KopiГ©r det aktive vindue til Udklipsholder Alt+Prt Scr Capture desktop image to the Clipboard Prnt Scrn KopiГ©r skГ¦rmbilledet til Udklipsholder Prt Scr Access Start button in taskbar Ctrl+Esc AktivГ©r knappen Start pГҐ proceslinjen Ctrl+Esc Display next child window Ctrl+F6 Vis det nГ¦ste 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 Г…bn 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 KopiГ©r Ctrl+C Edit Paste Ctrl+V SГ¦t ind Ctrl+V Edit Delete Ctrl+Backspace Slet helt ord bagud Ctrl+Backspace Edit Select All Ctrl+A MarkГ©r alt Ctrl+A Edit Find Ctrl+F SГёg Ctrl+B Edit Replace Ctrl+H Erstat Ctrl+H Edit Go To Ctrl+B Fanen GГҐ til i dialogboksen Rediger Ctrl+I Help Menu Help F1 HjГ¦lp 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 SmГҐ 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 HГёjrejuster 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 NГёgleemner Klik pГҐ denne knap for at fГҐ hjГ¦lp til en dialogboks. SГёg efter fГёlgende ord i PowerPoint HjГ¦lp: disposition NГ¦ste trin For details, search the Help for "DoCmd" How to: Du kan finde flere oplysninger ved at sГёge efter DoCmd i HjГ¦lp. SГҐdan gГёr du: To / See Oplysninger om at / finder du under Eng: 1. Click Split Table in the Table ribbon. вЂ“orвЂ“ Press Ctrl+Enter. вЂ“orвЂ“ To / See Dan: 1. Klik pГҐ Opdel tabel i bГҐndet Tabel. eller Tryk pГҐ 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 вЂќвЂ“orвЂ“вЂњ is written in the source documentation or Help the dashes are left out in the Danish translation. Appears under "Next Steps" at the 90 under end of a chapter. Titles In English the titles for chapters usually begin with "How to вЂ¦" or with phrases such as "Working with вЂ¦" or "Using вЂ¦". In the Danish version of Microsoft documentation these chapters are translated as "SГҐdan +passive structure" or "Arbejde med вЂ¦" or "Brug af вЂ¦". 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> SГҐdan +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 'В© 2000 Microsoft Corporation.' should remain constant; your subsidiary name should not be substituted for 'Microsoft Corporation'. Example: (+) Eng: В© 2011 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of use. (+) Dan: В© 2011 Microsoft Corporation. Alle rettigheder forbeholdes. VilkГҐr for anvendelse. Microsoft.com has defined clear guidelines for legal requirements (copyright statement, trademarks, links to other Web sites, etc.). 91