Perhaps you are considering using a machine translation programsuch as Google Translate. It's quick and cheap and can be useful for getting insight into a text in a language you don't know. In fact, if you use machine translation between English and Danish, you'll often get a reasonably readable result - depending on the subject, the way the text is written, and a number of other factors. But if you need a text translated for publication or to send to your customers or business partners, you can't rely on the quality of a machine translation to be good enough. A human being is always needed.

Perhaps you have the opportunity and skills to translatethe text into English. There can be several advantages to this. Firstly, of course, you save on the cost of a professional translation agency. Secondly, you may be familiar with the terminology - even in English - and if you translate the text yourself, you can be sure that the right technical terms will be used. But you may also find that translation takes time, and even if you are good at English and know many of the terms, you may find that it is difficult to make the text flow and that there are still many words and terms you do not know in English.

And you may feel more comfortable sending the text to a professional translation agency. There are several advantages to this:

Firstly, you save yourself the time of having to do the translation yourself and can instead spend your time on other things.

Secondly, the text will be translated by someone who has a relevant degree in languages and translation, who (as a rule) has experience of translating text within your particular field, and who is a native English speaker or will arrange for the translation to be proofread by an English speaker. However, all this depends on the translation agency you choose - yo can read more about this under the section on how tochoose the right translation agency.

And thirdly, a skilled and professional translator can be a good linguistic sparring partner - not only in relation to the English translation, but also in relation to the original Danish text.

If you have decided to send a text for translation to a professional translation agency, you have the right to expect a translation of high quality in return - that is, a text that is linguistically and grammatically correct, that uses the right specialist terminology and flows well and naturally in English.

To be certain of getting a high-quality translation, choose a translation agency that uses trained and experienced translators - this is often stated on the website ( or omitted, if that's not the case). It is also important that the translation agency provides thorough quality assurance of the translation, i.e. that the translation is reviewed by someone other than the translator and that that person is a native English speaker. If your text is within a particular genre or subject area with specific terminology, you should choose a translation agency that has expertise in that particular area.

If it is important for you to be in close dialogue with the translator and to mee them in person, it can be advantageous to choose a translation agency close to you. So if you have an office in Copenhagen, for example, it is advantageous to choose a translation agency in Copenhagen. However, as a rule, collaborationaand discussion on translation usually takes place by email and telephone, so the physical location of the translation agency is not crucial.

It is difficult to say anything exact about the price of a translation, because there are so many translation agencies on the market. The price can also depend on the subject, scope, deadlines, etc. for the translation.

But in general, quality costs. If you go for the cheapest option, be prepared for the fact that the translation may not have been proofread and quality-checked, that it may not have been done by a trained translator, and that you will not be able to discuss any subsequent questions or requests for adjustments with the translator themself after delivery.

Click here to read more about how we work with translation at GlobalDenmark, a well-established professional translation agency in Copenhagen, and clickhereif you would like a quote for a translation.