English is the language Danes use to communicate with the world, and they speak and write it well. Yet to communicate in English at the highest possible level, a native speaker's touch is invaluable.
The communication team at PerfektEnglish.dk can help you produce polished, professional copy, and eliminate embarrassing mistakes
When you're making an investment in a presentation, website or ad campaign, why not spend just a bit more to "get it right"?
Contact our team at (+45) 26 83 64 88, or by email at
PerfektEngelsk@kxmgroup.dk.
PerfektEnglish.dk
Specializes in financial and business English.
Kay Xander Mellish has had 25 years of journalistic experience and is also a published fiction writer.
In addition to eight years in Danske Bank's communication department, her Danish clients have included Carlsberg Breweries, several local IT firms, and the Copenhagen Police.
Read more about Kay here.
Kay's List
3 common English mistakes made by Danish speakers.
- "I've tried" to so something. In Danish "jeg had prøvet" can be used with unintentional actions - "Jeg har prøvet at vaære syg" - as well as intentional ones. That's not so in English. An English speaker might say, "I've tried starting a business, and it was rough" - referring to an intentional but difficult act. But it is Danglish to say "I have tried falling off a ladder." Instead, you could say, "Falling off a ladder is something that has happened to me."
- "Already". In English, this can be used only in the past tense, not in the possible future tense. The sentence "The building may be finished already in July" should be rephrased as "The building may be finished as soon as July."
- "Therefore." Danes tend to make a direct translation from "derfor" to "therefore" in English. But unlike "derfor", which is used in everyday Danish, "therefore" in English is a heavy and pompous-sounding word. It makes your text your sound stiff and translated.