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When advertising in a foreign language, advertising translation services are absolutely indispensable. Whole websites exist purely to highlight hilarious missteps by those who miss language nuances when advertising in an unfamiliar language. While they say that no publicity is bad publicity, it’s best to avoid becoming a punch line.

Effective marketing combines pleasing images, clever language, cultural and social awareness, and a hefty dose of psychology. Any one of these aspects, if done poorly, can kill a campaign before it starts. A full and comprehensive understanding of the language and culture of the target market allows campaigns to run seamlessly across language barriers.

English alone has a multitude of words and phrases which seem interchangeable to those who are new to the language. For example, the phrase “in case of emergency, break glass.” This notice, found on fire extinguishers and fire alarms, is perfectly clear. If someone is not familiar with the language, though, that phrase can very easily be mangled into something like, “caution: if fire, break wind.” Hilarious, but entirely unhelpful.

It can take years to accurately navigate an unfamiliar language’s synonyms, homonyms, and homographs. People often get these mixed up even in their own languages. You can find examples of this everywhere. “Their”, “there”, and “they’re”; “your” and “you’re”; these words alone wreak havoc with native English speakers, not to mention people who have English as their second or third language. Language is a delicate thing, prone to misuse and disaster. For this reason, excellent translation services are crucial for good business.

For more information about advertising translations, please contact us.

AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-04-02T15:13:43.365Z):

When it comes to legal document translation, you have very specialized needs.  The last thing you want is to end up with a contract that different people view differently because of errors in translation.  Because of that, you’ll want to consider these criteria for choosing a legal document translator.

 Choose a translator who is translating into their native language. While there are some people who are equally skilled at translating in both directions, you want a translator who is going to rewrite your contract for a native speaker. To avoid accidentally saying something that is the exact opposite of what you intended, you’re better off with a translator for whom the language is natural.

Look for a translator with a background in legal or technical language. The best way to get an accurate translation is to choose a translator who understands the language.  That doesn’t mean that they have to understand the ins and outs of the law; it just means that you need someone who comprehends what they’re translating.

Look at previous work. See what else the translator has done. You don’t have to speak the language that they’re translating into in order to know that they’ve done a good job.  Take a look at the clients they’ve worked for in the past.  The more impressive the resume, the better the odds that you’re going to get an experienced translator who will do a quality job on your work.

Choose a respected translation company. If you’re working with a quality translation company with plenty of experience, you know that you’re getting translators who can be trusted with your legal documents.

Looking for more tips on contracting a legal document translator?  Contact us to see how we can help.

AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-04-02T15:13:39.905Z):

Sometimes, translation services are required within the same language.  This is because people from different countries might speak the same language differently.  For example, on the South Asian subcontinent, it’s acceptable to use the word “gift” as a verb.  People often say they “gifted” something to someone.  This isn’t regular usage in the United States but it’s acceptable in India.  So when you’re taking your product or service to a different place, you might need to take such differences into consideration.  Even if the language remains the same, its usage might need to change.

How the Usage of English is Different in Different Countries

Another example of how English differs depending on where its spoken can be seen in the addition of the words “yeah” and “no” at the ends of sentences.  For some English speakers, this effectively transforms the sentence into a question.  For example, one might say, “We’re going to the movies, yeah?” or “We’re going to the movies, no?”  So it would be up to the person responding to confirm whether they are, in fact, going to the movies.  This type of usage is not common in the United States but can be seen in speakers from across Europe and the South Asian subcontinent.

Adopting Slang from the Country You Want to Sell To

One great way to make sure that your product or service sells well in a different country is by adopting their manner of speaking or writing.  For example, if you’re advertising in India, it would make sense to urge customers to “gift” one of your products.  Rather than continuing to use slang from  your own country, it’s a good idea to use translation services to help you adopt the slang of that foreign country.  This will help your advertising and marketing content to resonate with your target audience.

To Translate or Not to Translate

If there is no equivalent of the slang from your country in the slang of the foreign country, you can simply get rid of slang altogether and use a more standard form of what you’re trying to say.  This might not result in your slogan being as catchy as you want it to be but it does have the benefit of being understood more universally.  Of course, a lot of companies opt to just leave their slogan as it is because it’s a part of their branding efforts.  If you feel that taking your slang to a different country and introducing it there can actually start a trend in that country, then you can feel free to forego translation services and take that chance.

Contact us for more tips on using the right translation services for your needs.

AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-04-02T15:13:36.992Z):

The Newest Language in the World

English has long been the foreign language most commonly learned and used by non-native speakers all over the world. Until the last few decades, speakers of other languages who learned English tended to learn American English, which gradually replaced British English as the dominant international language after World War II. But now a new dialect of English is taking over the world: Globish.

French IBM executive Jean-Paul Nerriere coined the term while working in Japan in the 1990s. Nerriere observed that non-native speakers of English far out-paced British or American executives in communicating effectively with Korean or Japanese clients.

Is “Globish” a Lingua Franca?

Globish is English without borders. It downplays grammar and structure, avoids confusing idioms, is quick to learn, and efficient to use. Nerriere has identified 1500 essential words that ease communication between non-native English speakers, who number about 2 billion people worldwide.

The traditional name for a simplified language in wide international use is “lingua franca.” The original lingua franca was a form of Italian used in the Mediterranean as a language of trade and diplomacy from the middle ages until the 18th century. Lingua franca borrowed freely from other languages, including Greek, Spanish, and Turkish.

The Future of Globish

It will be interesting to see how Globish develops in the future. Like lingua franca, it may adopt loan-words from many other languages, or it may stay closer to English. Will people start writing books, even poetry, in Globish? Will movies be made in it?

International Business Still Needs Translation Services

But even with the tremendous success and widespread use of Globish, international business will still continue to depend on professional, high-quality translation services. A language like Globish cannot capture all the nuance, achieve technical precision, and express the unique cultural contexts of traditional languages. Also, while 2 billion Globish speakers can communicate readily across linguistic and cultural boundaries, there are still at least another 5 billion who can’t talk to one another so easily.

Contact us to learn more about we can help you communicate better with your business partners around the world.

AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-04-02T15:13:33.770Z):

Technical manual translation is a very common process for a number of reasons.  Perhaps the client base is international and speaks multiple languages.  Maybe the manual has been written in a different country, or maybe even the product has been designed in a different country to cut costs.  No matter the reason for translating a technical manual, it must be accurate.  Software or the internet will rarely, if ever, effectively accomplish this goal.  It’s always best to have it done by human translators.  Here’s why.

Safety

Technical manuals are often written for products that could be dangerous in some way.  It may come with minor dangers of cuts and bruises, or it may have the potential to cause death if used incorrectly.  In any case, it is imperative that the manual be accurate, which requires an accurate translation.

Clarity

A customer’s enjoyment of a product can be directly tied to the clarity of the manual.  If the manual is unclear, the user will have a hard time using the product.  If the manual is clear, however, the user will have a much easier time with the product, and will therefore be much happier with the purchase.

Appearance

Even if the product is easy to use, a customer is likely to glance over the manual.  A technical manual can have a surprising impact on the opinion of a consumer, especially if the product is complicated or expensive, like a computer or piece of machinery.  A manual that seems poorly written will also make the product feel poorly made, even if it is not.  A well written manual, however, will make a mediocre product seem above average, and a great product seem perfect.

Ease

Having a technical manual translated by human translators may seem complicated and expensive, but it can actually be relatively simple, and doesn’t have to break the bank.  If you create multiple products that require manuals, it can come to be even simpler, because once you’ve found a company that works for you, you don’t have to go through the search process over and over.

Do you have one or more technical manuals that you think would look better and be clearer if they were translated by humans rather than a machine?

Contact us.  We can help you with that and a number of other services.

AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-04-02T15:13:01.406Z):

Different people have different opinions about translation.  Some believe in translations that stay faithful to the original while others prefer translations that make more sense in the destination language.  As such, the choice is between fidelity and transparency.  However, there are many other views about translation as well, as evidenced by the large number of writers who have something or the other to say about this art.  Here are a few quotes that might help elucidate exactly what one should look for when getting translation services:

1. “Without translation, I would be limited to the borders of my own country. The translator is my most important ally. He introduces me to the world.”—Italo Calvino. Given that Calvino writes in Italian, it’s quite possible that English-speaking audiences might never even have heard of him if it weren’t for translation services. As a business, you can also feel free to move beyond the borders of your country. Take your product abroad and use translation services to introduce it to people who speak different languages.
2. “Poetry is what gets lost in translation.”—Robert Frost. This seems, at first glance, to be a negative quote about translation.  It talks about something that translation can’t do i.e., translate poetry.  Even when you’re translating slogans for a business, you often run up against this problem.  There are no effective French translations for Nike’s “Just do it” which is why the brand chose to leave the slogan in English. Sometimes, no translation is the best translation.  This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to translate something. Often, you can come up with something adequate or even better in the destination language, even if it might not mean the same thing.
3. “The original is unfaithful to the translation.”—Jorge Luis Borges. Sometimes, we spend so much time worrying about whether we’ve done a faithful translation that we forget that we’re dealing with two separate languages.  A phrase from one language may never mean something exactly the same in a different language.  This doesn’t mean that the translator has done a poor job.  Rather than thinking of the translation as being unfaithful, you can think of the original as being unfaithful to the translation!
4. “I read the Bible to myself; I’ll take any translation, any edition, and read it aloud, just to hear the language, hear the rhythm, and remind myself how beautiful English is.”—Maya Angelou. These words show that a work can be beautiful even after it has been translated.  Maya Angelou talks about the Bible. But have you ever read Madame Bovary by Flaubert in English? It’s still a masterpiece. Even Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey have survived their myriad translations and are still regarded as classics.  As long as your business translation reads well in the destination language and doesn’t come across as stilted, it will achieve its purpose.

Contact us for more great quotes about translation services.

AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-04-02T15:12:14.906Z):

When you provide translation services, you’re performing a juggling act because there are many things that you have to take into consideration.  Not only are you trying to accurately convey what people have written in one language in another language, you’re also trying to make sure that you take the idioms, grammar and cultural practices of the destination language into consideration.

Sometimes, a word-for-word translation works best, especially if the written material is not very complex.  Most of the time, however, you need to find idioms in the destination language that have the same metaphorical meaning because the literal meaning might not sound right.  Here’s what happens when literal meanings are used instead of metaphorical ones:

1. Big Pimp.  McDonald’s “Big Mac” literally translates to “Gros Mec” in French.  However, the word “mec” in French doesn’t just mean “fellow” or “buddy” as “mac” does in English.  Instead, it refers to a pimp!  Since French customers no doubt found it a bit astonishing that they were eating “big pimps,” this translation had to be altered.
2. Aroused Men and Chickens.  When Perdue chicken was introduced in Spanish-speaking markets, they had to translate their slogan, “It takes a strong man to make a tender chicken.”  However, the result in Spanish was something that meant “It takes an aroused man to make a chicken affectionate!”  Obviously, something needed to be changed before people started associating Perdue chicken with sexual practices.
3. Manure Stick.  L’Oreal introduced a product called the “mist stick” on the market.  This was a curling iron for women.  When they took their product to Germany, they forgot to take into account that “mist” in German is slang for “manure.”  Since no one wants their hair smelling like manure, the mist stick didn’t do as well as expected.
4. Toilet Water.  There’s a difference between tonic water and toilet water, as Schweppes realized when they mistakenly tried to sell tonic water with this name in Italy!
5. Big-Breasted Beans.  Hunt-Wesson tried to sell their “Big John” baked beans in French Canada with the literal translation “Gros Jos.”  However, in French, “Gros Jos” means big breasts rather than Big John!

It’s interesting how many slogans and product names end up having literal translations with sexual connotations!  Some of these can be funny but some of them can also be absurd.  Don’t let your business be affected by mistranslation; contact us.

AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-04-02T15:12:05.429Z):

American Thanksgiving is a holiday like no other. While many countries have a festival of thanks during the year, only the United States has a national day called “Thanksgiving.” In fact, Americans celebrate for four days in November, from Thursday (Thanksgiving Day) through Sunday. (Canada also has a Thanksgiving Day in October, but it is optional for Atlantic provinces.)

Explaining the implications of Thanksgiving to non-American clients can be complicated. It’s easy to describe its origins, the story of the Pilgrims and the generosity of the American Indians, as well as the concept of gratitude for abundance and a bountiful harvest.

After that, it get more challenging.

What should clients from other countries understand about Thanksgiving?

• For most people, it is four days of no work. It’s one of the few times during the year when there are no deadlines. Projects are put on hold, office emails slow to a trickle or stop altogether, and the likelihood of reaching an American during this time is slim.
• While early celebrations primarily gave thanks to God, Thanksgiving has become a secular holiday for most people. There may be a prayer before dinner, but religion does not play a major role any longer.
• People intentionally overeat. Dinner has a standard menu, including eating a turkey. Each family has its own favorite foods, but common dishes include mashed potatoes with gravy, sweet potatoes, at least one vegetable dish, and cranberry sauce. The traditional dessert is pumpkin pie.
• For many Americans, especially the males, watching football occupies much of the weekend. Football games begin on Thanksgiving afternoon, and continue through Sunday.
• Christmas shopping officially starts during this weekend. Stores continue to creep up on opening times; in 2014, some stores will open at 6 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning. Part of the weekend shopping includes big sales and markdowns to lure customers.
• In recent years, many businesses experience a slowdown for the entire week of Thanksgiving, even into the early days of the following week. Employees take time for family travel or extended vacations.
• The New York Stock Exchange is closed on Thanksgiving Day. It also closes early the following day, at 1 p.m. Eastern Time.

In today’s world of instant communication and global economy, it can be puzzling to try and understand why the United States would “shut down” for four days. Especially since the US is well known for its strong work ethic. There may not be a sensible rationale, but at least clients can be prepared, and mark their calendars.

If you’d like more information on understanding holidays, customs around the world, and how they can affect your business,today, count on Keylingo Translation to be your expert. Contact us today.

AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-04-02T15:11:59.451Z):

When providing translation services, it’s important to understand the audience who will be reading the translation in the destination language.  Often, translation is used for marketing and advertising purposes.  And when it comes to spreading the word about your product or service, certain qualities about the target audience have to be taken into consideration.  If you have a brand name and a certain company image, you want to stick to it without turning off your target demographic.

1. Young vs. old.  If the audience you’re trying to reach is young, they’re more likely to respond to slang and be in touch with trends.  For such an audience, it might even work to retain the same slang words that are being used in the source language or to replace them with other slang words.  For an older demographic, you’ll want to keep the translation more formal.
2. Cultural background.  Different cultures value different things.  For example, data shows that Americans are more individualistic whereas the French value politeness and etiquette.  This doesn’t mean that there aren’t any polite Americans or individualistic Frenchmen out there but the two cultures are different and you have to consider what they value when translating.  If it’s possible to have two different translations of the same thing but one might have more meaning for the people who will be reading it because of their cultural values, then it makes sense to go with that.
3. Technologically savvy.  It makes a difference whether your audience is technologically savvy or not.  The piece that you’re translating may have originally been written for print.  But maybe when you translate it, you’re going to use it over the internet.  In that case, it would be a good idea if it were more simply written and to the point because readers on the internet don’t have the same degree of patience as readers in the print medium.
4. Exposure to media.  When you’re translating for a particular audience, you need to think about how familiar they are with your subject matter.  The greater the audience’s exposure to media, the more knowledgeable they’re going to be about current affairs and trends and the less you’ll have to explain any references to them in your translations.

Contact us for more tips on marketing and advertising translations.

AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-04-02T15:11:54.599Z):

Unfortunately, there’s no way to learn how to translate well except by making mistakes.  Fortunately for us, however, the history of translation contains so many blunders that we don’t have to make them ourselves.  We can learn from the mistakes of others.  Some of the funniest and most well-known translation mistakes happen in the marketing and advertising field.  They become well known bloopers because a large number of people are exposed to them.  If you’d like to avoid this type of notorious publicity, you can do so with translation services that are aware of the need to study past translations and learn from them.

Parker Pen

Everyone’s heard of Parker pens, especially if you sign your name with a fountain pen.  Of course, the disadvantage of carrying fountain pens is that they tend to leak.  Well, Parker Pens tried to reassure its Mexican customers that as far as their pens were concerned, “It won’t leak in your pocket and embarrass you.”  However, the Spanish word “embarazada” actually means “pregnant” and not “embarrassed.”  So what Mexican audiences heard was, “it won’t leak in your pocket and get you pregnant.”  We should hope not!  What we can learn from this is that it’s important to stay away from “false friends” or words that sound alike without meaning the same thing.

Electrolux

Electrolux is a Swedish brand which makes vacuums.  They advertized their product in the United States, saying “Nothing sucks like an Electrolux.”  If you’re American, then you probably understand why that’s not really saying something good about Electrolux vacuums.  If you’re not, then you might be interested in knowing that in the US, saying something “sucks” means that it’s repellent or disgusting.  Strong words for a vacuum cleaner!  What we can take away from this is that it’s really important to consider slang in the destination languages when making a translation.

Coors

The Coors beer slogan is “turn it loose” which, in English, can mean “don’t hold back” or “have a lot of fun.”  However, when this was translated into Spanish, it became “suffer from diarrhea.”  Obviously, no one wanted to turn loose the insides of their bowels!  So it probably came as no surprise that this slogan didn’t really work.  Once again, this example illustrates the importance of understanding slang, this time in the source language.  You can’t take the words in the source language literally and translate them into the destination language.  You have to consider what they mean when they are used colloquially.

Contact us for more ways to improve your translations by considering the history of translation.

AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-04-02T15:11:20.657Z):