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“Be A Better Sales Leader”.
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Check out this episode where we discussed the ever-evolving language field and explored the future of automation in localization with our guest Istvan Lengyel, Founder & CEO of BeLazy.
Trend Talks
Delve into our first episode featuring Diego Cresceri, a seasoned entrepreneur and CEO & Founder of Creative Words, a leading language company based in Italy.
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Translation Services Help You Deal With Hard-to-Translate Languages (Part 1)
In the world of translation and interpreting not all languages are treated equally. The ability to translate between any two languages takes a fair depth of knowledge and contextual understanding, meaning that languages that are difficult to learn are also more difficult to source translations for because it’s not easy for translators to add them to their multi-lingual rosters. Then, of course, some languages simply have more translators available for them than others, making it easier to source translation to or from these languages. English, for instance, is popular worldwide and English-to-Spanish is one of the most commonly requested translation events. However, you will be pretty hard-pressed to find a single translator willing and able to tackle a Korean-to-Hindi translation, or more than a handful even familiar with Icelandic.
Hard Languages To Source
When it comes to sourcing high-quality translations, Google Translate just isn’t an option. You need someone who knows not only the interplay of syntax and grammar, but understands cultural nuances. Especially when it comes to business and contract translation, accuracy and clarity of meaning is a key part of the service. For this reason, you would expect native-speaking population size to play a large part in determining the availability of translator services.
However, a recent survey, recently asked it’s 140 survey responders to rate which languages they had experienced the most trouble sourcing, and the results are not what you might think! French comes in first as the top most difficult language to get an excellent translation for at 15%, shortly followed by Japanese and Arabic. At around 10% comes Korean and German, followed by Portuguese and Chinese.
These days, if you need a high-quality translation in any but the most common second languages in your region, you’ll need to deal with real professionals. The more difficult a language is to translate, the harder time you will have to get a good translation. Join us next time and we’ll talk about what makes these languages difficult and how a professional translation service can help you with as many language translations as you need. For more information about translation services, contact us today!
AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-04-02T15:18:58.111Z):
MICA: The Four Cornerstones Of Translation
If the simple translation of a group of words into another language was all that’s required, any bilingual person could do it. In fact, computers do it all the time, simply exchanging words or phrases in one language for similar words and phrases in another. Of course that’s not nearly enough.
In any type of translation, no matter how large or small, four major criteria must be considered and satisfied: Mood, Intent, Context, and Accuracy. All are equally important in development of the translated document. If you are in the process of choosing a translation service for your document(s), be sure:
- they are thoroughly professional
- they have an enviable reputation
- their translations are built on these four essentials.
Intent answers the question “What is this piece supposed to accomplish?” Every document, no matter what the final form will be – appellate brief, sales manual, television commercial, email, or some other communications tool – is written with a purpose. This purpose must be understood and explicitly conveyed in the translated document in such a way that it has the intended effect on the reader or audience.
Every document is also written in a certain Mood – using words and phrases that convey a feeling appropriate to its intended audience. An appellate brief, for example, whose intended audience is a judge or other member of the legal profession, uses formal language and structure. An installation manual uses the simplest and most direct possible language and form. An advertisement or other marketing tool might use humor to make a point. The correct mood engages the reader or viewer, keeps their interest, and gives them confidence in the author. It must be retained in the translated document.
Any well thought out document is also aware of the Context in which the document will appear: the type of audience for whom it is being written, and the environment in which they will receive it. For example, the recipient may have been exposed to other messages relevant to the topic. A variety of external elements tangential to the subject may also be influential and must be considered. Context, therefore, requires an intimate knowledge of the audience or recipient. Without that knowledge, it is impossible to retain the Mood of the original document.
Accuracy, of course, is essential. There must be no typographical errors or grammatical improprieties. Just as important, words and phrases must be translated accurately so that the author’s exact meaning is apparent, and the subtleties of the original language – the author’s shades of meaning – come through.
Mood, Intent, Context, and Accuracy. These are the cornerstones you – or your translation service – must use to build a translation that accomplishes all the objectives of the original document. For more insight, or to find out more about our services, please contact us.
AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-04-02T15:18:54.031Z):
Why Simplicity Can Be Better Than Complexity in Translation
Languages are interesting things. They help us to convey what we want to tell the other person. This can be an instruction (do this, do that) or an opinion (I think this or that). We can use language to share things that meant something to us (I felt good or bad, I found this funny). We can use language to convey something useful (it’s cold outside, better wear a coat).
Using Language for Persuasion
Language can be used for so many purposes but very often, we use language to persuade, as in the case of advertising. We use language to convince others to come over to our point of view. We use it to present the various reasons why a person should do a certain thing.
The Potency of Arguments Can Be Lost in Translation
Unfortunately, a lot of arguments or critiques lose their potency when they are translated. Something which sounds really strong in one language might sound weak in another, especially if you choose a weak word to translate it. As a result, the language you’re using may fail to persuade your audience.
When Simplicity Is More Effective Than Complexity
When translating, you should remember that the aim is not merely to use bigger words or more complex sentence structures. There are times when very simple language has more of an effect.
For example, consider the Nike logo, “Just do it.” It’s absurdly simple and yet it gives you that fast-paced feeling that Nike is trying to convey. In the same sentence, you get several ideas, like “Don’t worry about things. Cast your worries aside and go for what you want.”
How Does It Sound? Is It Memorable?
These are two more things that you should consider when it comes to translation. “Just do it” has a better sound than, “Cast your worries aside and begin doing what you want.” And, being short, it’s also more memorable. It has more punch, more speed, and more impact. You want its translation to also have these qualities.
Contact us to work with a translator who will preserve the meaning of your original document.
AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-04-02T15:18:48.913Z):
Working with a Translation Company vs. an In-House Translator
Whether you’re taking your business abroad or you’re trying to serve a local population which speaks a different language, you can use the services of a translation company. There are many business documents which will require translation if you have business dealings abroad, such as letters, reports, memos, emails etc. And if you don’t have an in-house translator, why not get the services of a translation company? There are also many advantages to working with a company as opposed to having an in-house translator.
Multitude of Languages
Let’s say you’re taking your business abroad to Switzerland. Did you know that Switzerland has four official languages i.e., German, French, Romansh and Italian? Where are you going to find an in-house translator who speaks all four of these, in addition to English? It’s a much better idea to go with a translation company because they’ll have a number of translators who speak different languages on call.
More Combined Experience
Given that the translation company has probably been around for a long time and employs a number of translators, they’re going to have more combined experience than your in-house translator. This means they’ve translated every kind of business document before and they know what to look out for. Their translations will read better and be more accurate than those of an in-house translator.
Being Up-to-Date
When you run a translation company, you understand the advantage of being up-to-date when it comes to the field of translation. Before the advent of the internet, translations were only used for business letters, brochures, memos etc. Now, they’re also needed for websites, blogs and social media. The advantage of working with a translation company is that they’ll be able to help you with all your needs, which an in-house translator might not have the experience to do.
Contact us for more great reasons to work with a translation company.
AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-04-02T15:18:44.718Z):
Intuitive Native Translations for Your International Marketing Campaigns (Part 2)
Welcome back to the second half of our two-part article on successfully translating a marketing campaign for a new cultural market. Last time we talked about historic translation mistakes made by big brands in the past and the importance of translation by people who understand how your message will be received. Let’s pick up at adapting to the new culture, not just the language.
Knowing What’s Cool in Your New Market
Let’s say you are able to accurately translate not just your words but also your intended meaning into the new language. Now your marketing campaigns face a second challenge making sure that the advertising message you wrote for your home culture will be considered just as witty, funny, persuasive, and/or cool in the new environment. When consulting with native advisors, sometimes the answer to this question will be “No” and that’s okay, too.
Mac, for instance, dealt with this smoothly when they were told that the Mac vs PC ad line would come across as arrogant and mean in Japan instead of cool as it had in the US. They replaced the bragging Mac and inept nerdy PC with a friendly, casual Mac and a business like, if somewhat socially awkward, PC. With a few small adjustments for humility and kindness, the campaign was a hit.
How to Navigate the Cultural Transition
The key to successfully translating your entire marketing campaign and brand image to a new culture is to work with people who really understand it. Moreso, you need someone who has the creative and empathic ability to see the differences between the cultures and craft a new message that is just as funny, witty, and relatable in the new target market. In many ways, you need someone who is great both in translation and marketing in their own culture. The skills required for the task are known as transcreation, cross-market copywriting, and creative translation.
Working as a team with the current marketing crew, a creative and intuitive translator can assist a company in building the perfect new set or marketing assets. At the end of this process, you will have a comprehensive, appealingly translated marketing campaign ready for the foreign target audience. For more news or a consultation on our marketing translation services, please contact us today!
AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-04-02T15:18:41.063Z):
Intuitive Native Translators for Your International Marketing Campaigns (Part 1)
If you are a growing company successful enough to start reaching out to foreign markets, the very last thing you want is to introduce yourself with a mistake. One of the biggest challenges for a globalizing business is to face the challenges of new languages and cultures. You’ve inevitably spent a long time tailoring your brand and marketing campaigns to the tastes of your home audience and it’s only natural to worry about how these English-centered messages will carry over into a new environment.
Should you translate directly and hope for the best or invest the money into completely redesigning your marketing infrastructure? These are important questions, and ones that only a true native translator with in-depth knowledge about your new target market can help you with. Some marketing campaigns will be perfect almost directly translated as long as the words are right while others will, in fact, need a complete re-work for a different audience.
Historic Translation Mistakes
It’s all too easy to think that you’ve made a successful translation only to discover later that you have said something silly, nonsensical, or that somehow misses the mark with your new audience. There are dozens of amusing examples of classic corporate translation mistakes, like how an airline’s ad “Fly in Leather” translated accidentally to “Fly Naked” or Mercedes-Benz registered in China as “Bensi” which translates to “rush to die”. However, a personal favorite and excellent example of why you want to watch out for half-wrong mistranslations is the KFC introduction to their incredibly welcoming Chinese market back in the 80s.
Complete vs Partial Translation – The KFC Example
KFCs are incredibly popular in China, but that doesn’t mean that the chicken franchise successfully transported their marketing campaign initially. In fact, one of the funniest translation mistakes in history occurred as KFC was opening their first location in mainland China. Their classic motto “Finger Lickin’ Good” was mistranslated into a kanji-phrase that read “Eat Your Fingers Off”. This mistake stands out quite poignantly because it’s clear that they had a translator, just not a native speaker who understood the context of the kanji they strung together. When the mistake was pointed out to KFC, they quickly made the needed corrections, but as you can see, it’s all too easy for even a well managed and well-meaning company to mismanage their translation efforts.
Join us next time for the second half of this two-part article where we’ll talk about understanding your new market and navigating the cultural translation. For more interesting tips about professional translation services, contact us today!
AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-04-02T15:18:35.449Z):