Nordic NuanceWhen “more natural” needs a better brief
“Can you make this sound more natural?” is a familiar request. It becomes easier to act on when we can name what feels out of place.
Sometimes the vocabulary is fine. The sentence is simply carrying a structure that belongs more comfortably in English.
Illustrative example; not client material
English: “Make sure that you have saved your changes.”
Danish: “Sørg for, at du har gemt dine ændringer.”
For a simple instruction: “Husk at gemme dine ændringer.”
The first Danish version is grammatical and can be the right choice. The shorter version works when the purpose is to remind someone to save. It brings the action forward and removes a layer of phrasing.
But if the reader must check that changes have already been saved, that shorter version may lose a distinction that matters. Then “Kontrollér, at dine ændringer er gemt” could fit the task better.
Start with what the sentence has to do
Naturalness cannot be judged from rhythm alone. Is this a reminder, a verification step or a warning? Where will it appear? What happens if the reader misunderstands it?
A useful revision keeps the intended action intact and gives it a form that works in Danish. Sometimes that means shortening. Sometimes it means retaining the detail.
Before polishing a sentence, finish this thought: after reading it, the person should know or do…