In this series of articles we overview languages present in any given country. This time we are looking at the languages spoken in Denmark
The biggest languages present in Denmark include:
- Danish – 5.79 million speakers;
- Greenlandic – 58 thousand speakers;
- German – 2.72 million speakers;
- English – 4.98 million speakers;
- Swedish – 753 thousand speakers;
The sole official language of the country is Danish.
Below you will find summaries for the languages supported by our translation services.
Danish
Danish is a Indo-European language, distantly related to French, Norwegian, Persian, Spanish, as well as a number of other languages. It is the sole official language of Denmark.
| Number of speakers worldwide | 6 million |
|---|---|
| Language family | Indo-European |
| Writing | Dano-Norwegian alphabet |
| Major Danish-speaking populations in: | 2 countries |
Demographics and geographic distribution
Danish is spoken by around 6 million people around the world. The two most notable countries with a large number of speakers are Denmark, and Germany.
In Denmark approximately 100% or 5.79 million people use Danish in their day-to-day communication.
Writing
Danish uses the Latin alphabet. It employs the extended version of the script, however, with 9 additional symbols. It is written from left to right.
Translation services
If you intend to expand to the Danish market via the Danish language, you might be interested in the following services:
- Danish Document Translation
- Danish Desktop Publishing and InDesign Translation
- Danish E-Commerce Translation
German
German is a Indo-European language, distantly related to Greek, French, Spanish, Slovak, as well as a number of other languages. It has no country-wide official status in Denmark.
| Number of speakers worldwide | 230 million |
|---|---|
| Language family | Indo-European |
| Writing | German alphabet |
| Major German-speaking populations in: | 12 countries |
Demographics and geographic distribution
German is spoken by around 230 million people around the world. Countries with a significant number of people speaking the language include:
- Denmark
- Netherlands
- Luxembourg
- Sweden
- Italy
- Austria
- Germany
- Liechtenstein
- Switzerland
More than 2.72 million residents of Denmark understand German.
Writing
German employs the German script, which in itself is a sub-type of the Latin script. It is written in the left-to-right fashion.
Translation services
If you intend to expand to the Danish market via the German language, you might be interested in the following services:
- German Document Translation
- German Desktop Publishing and InDesign Translation
- German E-Commerce Translation
English
English is a Germanic language, which is a branch of the Indo-European language family. It has no country-wide official status in Denmark.
| Number of speakers worldwide | 1.15 billion |
|---|---|
| Language family | Indo-European |
| Writing | English alphabet |
| Major English-speaking populations in: | 35 countries |
Demographics and geographic distribution
Approximately 1.15 billion people in more than 35 countries speak English as either the first or a second language. With regard to the number of speakers, the most notable 3 countries are United Kingdom, United States, and New Zealand.
In Denmark approximately 86% or 4.98 million people use English in their day-to-day communication.
Writing
The English alphabet is used for writing the English language. It employs the standard version of the script with no additional, language-specific symbols.
Translation services
If you intend to expand to the Danish market via the English language, you might be interested in the following services:
Swedish
Swedish belongs to the Germanic branch of the Indo-European language family. It has no country-wide official status in Denmark.
| Number of speakers worldwide | 13.20 million |
|---|---|
| Language family | Indo-European |
| Writing | Swedish alphabet |
| Major Swedish-speaking populations in: | 2 countries |
Demographics and geographic distribution
Swedish is spoken by around 13.20 million people around the world. Examples of countries, where Swedish has a major presence, include:
- Sweden
- Finland
Around 13% of the population of Denmark speak Swedish.
Writing
Swedish employs the Swedish script, which in itself is a sub-type of the Latin script. It is written in the left-to-right fashion.
Translation services
If you intend to expand to the Danish market via the Swedish language, you might be interested in the following services:
- Swedish Document Translation
- Swedish Desktop Publishing and InDesign Translation
- Swedish E-Commerce Translation
Related services
We hope you have found the answers to the question about what languages are spoken in Denmark“. If you wish to know more about these languages or would like to inquire about our translation services, please contact us at [email protected].
