# Danish: Best regards



## DiegoAlatriste

Please advise how to write Best regards in Danish at the end of a semi-formal email message. I think  "Venlig hilsen (Sincerely) is too formal.
Thank you, 
Diego


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## jette(DK)

In an e-mail, I write "venlig hilsen" if it's the first contact in a professional context. I also put both my first name and my family name.

The next step would be to limit the names to first names and to switch to "mange hilsner". This happens usually quite quickly, in the second or third mail. The following step - with growing informality - would be VH (= venlig hilsen) or MH (= mange hilsner). This is quite frequent even in mails with a "business" content, i.e. formal or semi-formal.

You'd be amazed how quickly we then turn to KH (kærlig hilsen) although that would hardly occur in a strickly professional relationship, but frequently with even not-so-close friends and acquaintances. Oddly, it seems that KH is the step before "kærlig hilsen"! The abbriviation must seem less intimate than the full wording.

Another possiblity is "bedste hilsner" which is also pretty formal in my opinion, but meant to show a little more kindness and closeness than "venlig hilsen", I guess.


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## hanne

I don't think "Venlig hilsen" (or "Med venlig hilsen") is too formal for anything, other than very close relations. I use it quite all-purpose, also in informal mails - and I guess I stick to it a bit longer than Jette does. I never use VH or MH, but occasionally Mvh, and I don't switch to Mange hilsener until I've met people in person or have received many or long mails from them. I also skip the last names after the first or second mail (I give it at first because it's relevant information, after that it serves no purpose).

KH is one of these "modern" things - like the cheek-kissing when you meet people, which you didn't see in Denmark until rather recently. I'm still in the process of getting used to it.


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## kalmarunion

hanne said:


> I don't think "Venlig hilsen" (or "Med venlig hilsen") is too formal for anything, other than very close relations. I use it quite all-purpose, also in informal mails - and I guess I stick to it a bit longer than Jette does. I never use VH or MH, but occasionally Mvh, and I don't switch to Mange hilsener until I've met people in person or have received many or long mails from them. I also skip the last names after the first or second mail (I give it at first because it's relevant information, after that it serves no purpose).
> 
> KH is one of these "modern" things - like the cheek-kissing when you meet people, which you didn't see in Denmark until rather recently. I'm still in the process of getting used to it.



Agreed, I use 'Med venlig hilsen' in close to all contexts. For family and close friends I'd just put my first name, nothing else.


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## DiegoAlatriste

Mange tak, Jette, Hanne, Kalmarunion!!
Your help is most appreciated!
Mange hilsner, Jette.
Med venlig hilsen, Hanne, Kalmarunion.
Diego


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## Havfruen

Please rank the following from most to least formal:

Med venlig hilsen
Venlig hilsen
Mvh

If some are equivalent, please indicate!
Mange tak.


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## piccando

I would rank them as you have already written them:

Med venlig hilsen
Venlig hilsen
Mvh
"Med venlig hilsen" is in my business e-mail signature and commonly used, but it is quite equivalent to "Venlig hilsen"


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## Havfruen

So when answering a professional email from someone I don't know, I'm inclined to use 1. and your message convince me it's not overly formal here.


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## DiegoAlatriste

Mange tak, Hav fruen and piccando


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## hanne

I agree with piccando, but also want to add that the span between those three options is quite small - after all they're all the same "friendly greetings" .

Someone once told me that "venlig hilsen" was the more "modern version" and what I ought to use. It's always interesting to hear what's "modern" from someone 20 years older than yourself...


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## Sepia

À propos "bedste hilsener" - what did King Frederik IX alwazs say?

Jeg sender mine _bedste hilsener_ (???) til søens folk. 

Or was it something else?


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## Havfruen

Sepia said:


> À propos "bedste hilsener" - what did King Frederik IX alwazs say?
> 
> Jeg sender mine _bedste hilsener_ (???) til søens folk.
> 
> Or was it something else?



I don't know what he said, but could it be plural their because of multiple recipients (søens folk) rather than less formality?


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## hanne

Havfruen said:


> I don't know what he said, but could it be plural their because of multiple recipients (søens folk) rather than less formality?


I don't think plural has anything to do with formality, but the use Sepia is mentioning is talking about greetings in general, and that doesn't have a lot to do with the standard formula for how to end a letter/mail.

You could also use "Bedste hilsener" or "Mange hilsener" in a mail. Bedste hilsener sounds a bit outdated to me, and thereby formal, so I'd rank them on either side of "Venlig hilsen" (and its incarnations). It's just that we happen to use "venlig" in the singular form, and "mange" (obviously!) and "bedste" in plural. "Kærlig" can be both.


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