When you’re busy with translations, you are bombarded with terms. From translation agency to freelancer and from reviewer to native. What is a native translator? Where can you find one? Can anyone call themselves a native translator? Why do native translators provide better translations? You can read all about that and more here.
In addition to its own language, each country has its own customs. That means that even the Dutch and Belgians, for example, differ from one another — as do their languages. What is very common in the Netherlands could be considered very strange in Belgium. And that’s exactly where the native translator makes the difference.
What is a native translator?
A native is someone who learned a specific language as a child through a natural language acquisition process. In other words; the mother tongue. If we’re specifically talking about a native translator, it would be someone who converts texts from another language into his or her native language. If your native language is French, you translate into that language. Even if you’re almost as good in another language — you’re still considered a native with your own mother tongue.
Euro-Com only uses native translators. Translators who live and work in the country for which they are translating. They know the language like no other and are always aware of culture, language and customs. Vendor Manager, Grace van Engelenburg, explains why being a native translator is a strict requirement: ‘Only a native translator picks up on small differences. It’s all in the details and it’s precisely those little nuances that make the difference during the translation. You have to understand the language and culture to make the text feel right.’
Advantages of native translators
‘I’m sure that my text for use in England could also be translated perfectly by someone with a degree in English, not so?’ In theory, yes. Still, opting for a native translator has many advantages.
- Natives have a more extensive vocabulary than “regular” translators, which means that the text would flow more evenly and there would be a greater variety of words.
- A native knows everything about the ever-developing language and often resides in that country, making them fully aware of its culture. So rest assured, you will not find an inappropriate joke in your text.
- Top-quality translations; no grammatical errors, no failure.
- Playing with words effortlessly, being able to add nuances and writing (creatively) in such a way that your message is fully tailored to your target audience.
- Being fully aware of the country’s customs and language sensitivities, which helps to give a text the right buzz.
- Knowledge of dialects, so that your text can be understood by everyone and could even entail some humor.
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Do you have any questions about native translators and their translations? A substantive question or do you want to know more about the costs and receive a quote? Please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’ll tell you all about it and a tailor-made quote will land on your digital doorstep within 2 hours.
