Write emails in Danish: examples and English explanations

Need to ask a Danish colleague for a document, report that you are ill or follow up on an unanswered email? Start with the examples below. Each message comes with an English translation and an explanation of the useful phrases.

A complete Danish email you can adapt

Imagine that Anna needs Mette's report for a meeting on 10 September. Here is a complete request. The names and situations in this guide are fictional; replace the details with your own.

English meaning: Subject: Report for the meeting on 10 September. Hi Mette. Can you send the report by 12 noon on 9 September? I need it to prepare for the meeting on 10 September. Please let me know if the deadline is too tight. Kind regards, Anna.

• The subject identifies the task. Rapport til mødet is more informative than just Spørgsmål (question).
• The request gives an exact deadline. Senest means “by” or “no later than”.
• The reason helps the recipient prioritise. It explains what the report is for without a long introduction.
• The last sentence invites a reply. Mette can say whether she can meet the deadline.

How to start: Hej, Kære and an unknown recipient

Hej Mette is a useful starting choice for a work email to someone named Mette. People interpret Kære Mette differently: some experience it as formal, others as personal. The Danish Language Council's 2020 study of email greetings describes this variation. Use the recipient's established style and the relationship as clues.

If you do not know the person's name, address the team, for example Hej kundeservice (hello customer service). Til rette vedkommende means “to whom it may concern”, but naming the team or function gives your message a more specific recipient.

No greeting comma: write Hej Mette on a line by itself, not Hej, Mette,. This is the Danish Language Council's guidance for email greetings. The sentence in the next paragraph starts normally: Tak for din mail.

The examples use du, the ordinary singular “you”. If a particular organisation or recipient uses formal De, follow that context consistently.

How to ask politely without translating “please” word for word

There is no single Danish expression that replaces “please” naturally in every sentence. Venligst is one option for requests. Den Danske Ordbog records its use in requests and greetings.

For an everyday request, try a question plus the information the other person needs:

• Kan du sende dagsordenen? — Can you send the agenda?
• Vil du give besked, hvis tidspunktet ikke passer? — Please let me know if the time does not work for you.
• Jeg vil gerne bede om en kopi af aftalen. — I would like to request a copy of the agreement.
• Tak for hjælpen. — Thank you for your help.

Pair your request with a brief reason and the date you need an answer. The report example does this in two sentences.

Three more work-email examples

1. Tell your manager you are ill

Use this wording when notifying your manager of your own illness. If your workplace asks you to call, use the same short wording on the phone.

English meaning: Subject: Sickness notification for 10 September. Hi Mette. I am ill and cannot work today, 10 September. Kind regards, Anna.

Why this works: it tells Mette that Anna is ill and absent today. The subject line makes the date easy to find.

2. Follow up on an unanswered request

Reply in the existing thread when it still concerns the same task. In this example, Anna needs a status update on a report requested earlier.

English meaning: Subject: Follow-up on the report. Hi Mette. I am following up on my email of 7 September about the report for the customer meeting. Would you be able to send it by 12 noon on 9 September? If that is not possible, I would like to know when it could be ready. Kind regards, Anna.

Why this works: it identifies the earlier message, repeats the requested deadline and asks when the report can be ready. Time your follow-up around the deadline or response time you have discussed.

3. Propose a different meeting time

English meaning: Subject: Proposal to move the meeting on 10 September. Hi Mette. Can we move our meeting on 10 September from 10 am to 2 pm? Unfortunately, I cannot attend at 10 am. Please let me know whether 2 pm works for you, or suggest another time. Kind regards, Anna.

Why this works: Kan vi flytte…? asks “Can we move…?” The final sentence asks Mette to confirm 2 pm or suggest another time.

How to end a Danish work email

Venlig hilsen and Med venlig hilsen are both useful choices, roughly “kind regards”. Write the phrase on its own line and your name below it. Use your usual work signature if it supplies the contact information the recipient needs.

For a new contact, write the sign-off in full. You may also see the abbreviations vh. and mvh. in replies. The Danish Language Council's 2020 guidance on abbreviated sign-offs recommends the full form, especially early in a correspondence.

Before and after: make the request clearer

Anna wants to read the report before a meeting. The first draft has a misplaced greeting comma, a lowercase sentence opening and an unclear deadline. In the revised version, Anna specifies that she needs the report by noon on 9 September for the meeting on 10 September.

First draft

Clearer version

• Punctuation: remove the comma after the standalone greeting and start Kan with a capital letter.
• Clarity: replace snart (soon) with Anna’s specific deadline: noon on 9 September.
• Tone: write out Venlig hilsen for the full “kind regards” ending.
• Meaning: Jeg vil læse den means “I want/intend to read it”; Jeg har læst den means “I have read it”. Anna is describing her plan, so the revised version keeps vil læse.

Check these five things before sending

1. Recipient and subject: correct person, clear task, correct thread.
2. Names, dates and times: replace every example detail. Check that “today” and any written date agree.
3. Meaning: preserve words such as ikke (not), conditions and uncertainty.
4. Attachments and agreements: attach the documents mentioned, and word meeting requests as questions, as in example 3.
5. Language: check the greeting, spelling and paragraphs. Read the Danish message alongside its English meaning if you are unsure.

Dictating a reply? Practise spotting changed names, times and meaning with our dictated-email checking exercise.

For a municipal letter rather than a work email, use the separate guide to understanding letters from your Danish kommune.

Frequently asked questions

Can I start an email to my Danish manager with Hej?

Hej followed by the person's name is a useful choice for a work email. Use your usual form of address with that person. People's responses to Kære vary with the relationship and context.

Do I put a comma after Hej Mette?

Not when it is a standalone email greeting. Put Hej Mette on its own line without a comma, then start the first sentence in the next paragraph with a capital letter.

What is a good Danish email sign-off?

Venlig hilsen and Med venlig hilsen both mean roughly kind regards. Write the phrase on its own line and your name below. For a new contact, use the full phrase; vh. and mvh. are abbreviated forms you may see in replies.

How do I translate please in a Danish email?

Kan du sende rapporten? means Can you send the report? Vil du give besked, hvis tidspunktet ikke passer? is a way to say Please let me know if the time does not work for you. Choose the phrase that fits the request.

How do I say I am ill and cannot work today?

Jeg er syg og kan ikke arbejde i dag means I am ill and cannot work today. You can use Sygemelding followed by the date as the subject. If your workplace asks you to call, use the same wording on the phone.