Translation Blog

Style and tone are two crucial considerations when translating sites. Using an appropriate style and tone when you translate your site helps you: (1) engage with your audience; (2) maintain your brand voice, (3) and increase conversions. Unfortunately, they’re also one of the hardest aspects of translation to get right! Whether you’re looking to translate a website into English or another language, maintaining style and tone is challenging.

This fact alone is enough for many businesses to use professional translation services instead of machine translation. Reputable translation agencies compete to provide accurate translations that keep your unique voice intact. Here we take a closer look at the importance of style and tone when translating sites and the methods professional agencies use to ensure high-quality deliverables.

Translating sites: Style & Tone of Voice Definitions

Before we uncover the importance of style and tone when translating sites, let’s explain what we mean by these two terms. In writing and translation, these terms can be defined as follows:

• Writing Style: The characteristics of the sentences and grammar used on your site. Perhaps you use long-flowing sentences with more complex terminology or shorter sentences with words tailored to the Gen Z population.
• Tone of Voice: The expression of the author’s attitude and the feeling they’re conveying across their website. The tone of your content helps to build the necessary emotion in your audience to engage and convert.

In other words, style and tone of voice change how you say something. Of course, there are multiple ways to communicate the same information, but style and tone make it unique to your brand. Therefore, they are a core factor in any branding strategy.

Like any global brand, maintaining brand voice when you translate your site is crucial. It helps you retain the essence of who you are across multiple languages. You want to translate your English website into other languages while maintaining uniquely you. Tone and style make this possible.

Human vs Literal Translations

At first, it might seem like a literal translation would be the most accurate solution when translating sites. However, you tend to lose key nuances that add meaning and personality when you translate your site literally. Or worse, the final copy can be confusing when the literal translation contains references that your target audience doesn’t understand.

Unlike literal translation, professional human translation services adopt a process of three stages when translating sites. These steps are used regardless of whether you need to translate a website into English, French, Spanish, or any other language, and are as follows:

• Translation: The first stage will have a professional translator to translate your website into their native language. Having native speakers translate your site makes it easier for them to understand and interpret the style and tone.
• Editing: Another professional translator will thoroughly check the accuracy of the initial translation. The editing state is crucial for assessing style and tone. Both are very subjective, so having two sets of eyes look over your website improves the outcome.
• Proofreading: The last stage will include the QA team to quality control the document in terms of language, punctuation, formatting, etc. There won’t be any further changes to style or tone here, but it guarantees you a professional finish.

How Translation Agencies Interpret Style & Tone

All reliable translation agencies use the “translation, editing, proofreading” (TEP) process outlined above when translating sites. Even so, interpreting style and tone is complex and requires a set method of its own. Below are some guidelines, requirements, and processes translation agencies might implement whenever they translate a website into English or another language:

• Translation Glossaries: A translation agency might start by creating a glossary based on your brand voice. This provides acceptable translations for certain words and phrases that are unique to a company or industry.
• Examples of Content: Many agencies require you to provide meaningful examples of the voice you’re trying to achieve in your copy, including social media, brand profiles, and – of course – your current website.
• Translation Rules: Some translation agencies may adopt translation guidelines to help prevent issues with misinterpretation when translating sites. This includes avoiding pop culture references, using simple sentences, leaving out jargon, and eliminating slang.

These practices can help to ensure that style and tone aren’t lost in translation. However, rules like these can also eliminate elements that make your website exciting and give it a unique personality. A professional translation agency knows how to balance the need for clarity with respect for the voice of the source text.

Translating Sites vs Transcreating Sites

Translating sites using the translation rules above does have limitations. You do take away some personality by simplifying your content and removing slang words and idioms. All reputable agencies strike a balance of clarity and tone. However, if you’re a quirky brand looking for personality-packed website copy, a better solution is transcreation.

Transcreation is short for creative translation. It is a method that can be used to translate your site that focuses on interpreting meaning and intent, rather than specific words and phrases. Creative translation is often the best way to retain the tone and message of the source. Using transcreation when you translate a website into English also carries all the below benefits:

• Ensures your content makes sense to the target audience
• Guarantees that your website respects local cultures and customers
• Maintains your brand voice and image across multiple languages
• Increases conversion by building a better connection with your audience

To better understand the benefits of transcreation when translating sites, let’s look at an example. A company might reference a famous athlete in their website copy, someone who is associated with strength, integrity, and hard work. Later, the brand might need to translate that copy into another language for an audience in a different country. It’s very important here to recruit a professional agency to avoid brand translation fails.

A direct or literal translation wouldn’t be very helpful if most people in the second country have not heard of the famous athlete. This is where transcreation comes in handy. Rather than using a confusing reference, the translator would replace that famous person with a more relevant reference—such as a familiar celebrity from the target market.

Translate Your Site with Renaissance Translations

Maintaining style and tone is one of the more challenging aspects of translating sites. As such, professional translation agency should always perform the task, ensuring your business is a hit in whichever market you enter.

With a network of over 10,000 translators, Renaissance Translations can help you translate your site professionally and accurately. We are proud to have happy and satisfied clients from different parts of the world and consider our company “a global translation agency”. Our company is an associate member of the Association of Translation Companies in England and we are also members of SDL LSP Partner Programme. Contact us today to discuss your translation project and translate your website into English or any other language. You’ll be glad you did!

We have witnessed a boom in the mobile industry, and users now expect more from their smartphone applications. They want a personalised experience and in-app translation capabilities, and businesses need to translate apps to encourage users to hit the download button. It doesn’t matter if you have your own business or are a SaaS developer. App translation allows you to attract a larger audience and make your application a global success.

For an accurate and effective app translation, businesses need professional language service providers to localise mobile software. Here is a closer look at the importance of translating apps and how a professional translation agency can help you achieve global success.

Why is it Important to Translate Apps?

English is a universal language, but data shows that most users want to buy products or services through pages in their local language. Some users avoid buying from apps and websites because they are not proficient in English. An app translation can help improve the conversion rate among app users, encouraging people to use your mobile platform and make in-app purchases.

When you translate app text and features into other languages, you also increase the number of application downloads. Businesses need to attract as many leads as possible and convert them into solid customers. An app translation helps to expand your reach. With more customers on the platform, there is a bigger chance for sales.

Let’s take a look at these two major benefits of app translation in more detail:

1. App Translation & Business Growth

App translation services make it easy for customers that don’t speak English to understand and navigate your application. They get more enjoyment from the overall experience, making it more likely they’ll make in-app purchases and help to get your brand heard overseas. Therefore, app translation services can help businesses with their global aspiration to tap into new markets.

When you translate an app, you also boost user engagement. Users appreciate and show interest in the in-app content that you tailor to their needs and preferences. This dramatically impacts user experience, increasing engagement and customer loyalty. This helps you maintain a leading position in the new markets you’ve entered and keeps sales high.

A famous successful example of successful mobile localisation is Airbnb. By providing Chinese travellers with localised signup flows, they increased their customer base in China by 700%. With this increased customer base comes a significant increase in sales. Therefore, investing in app translation generates higher revenue and helps to increase market share with each country you step into.

2. App Translation & Downloads

If the description of your app is written in the local language, more people show interest in downloading the application. Data shows an average increase of 38% in downloads after businesses translate app descriptions and in-app features into multiple languages. When your app is paid, the number of downloads correlates to a direct increase in revenue.

Moreover, the more app downloads you have, the more alternate revenue streams you can rely on. Your users can make in-app purchases, which we’ve covered. But you can also expose your users to targeted ads. A translation agency can help your business experience a higher effective cost per mile (eCPM) – an essential metric in measuring a campaign’s success – when localising these advertisements to your new markets.

This shows that you can generate revenue from your business’s promotional materials, not only in-app sales. App translation services secure your brand’s footprint in any preferred region by increasing downloads and providing a more secure revenue stream.

How does the Translation Work?

Professional translation services involve rendering content from one language into a new language to help improve communications with global audiences. But when paying for app translation, things go one step further. Your mobile application is fully localised to suit your new target demographic.

App localisation is the process of adapting every element of your app to match your target market’s technical, cultural, and linguistic requirements. Your language partner will translate app text, graphics, currencies, names, and references as part of the process. It often considers dialects and spoken variations of the same language, which we refer to as locales.

For example, we all know that the English language spoken in the UK differs from the one spoken in the US. The same is the case with the Spanish spoken in Mexico and Spain—each is distinct. In other words, professional app translations don’t simply convert to English or Spanish; they translate to the most appropriate version to effectively open your app to millions of potential new users.

 Tips for Effective Translation

App translation services can lead to great rewards, enhancing the experience for users and increasing revenue and reach. Therefore, getting the help of a professional translation service provider will help you effectively target the right audience. Here are some other tips and tricks that will help you unlock the biggest revenue potential through app translation:

• Choose the Right Market: Before you translate app features and ads, research your audience. You need to understand your audience before preparing content for them. Just because you think a language is popular doesn’t mean that the market is suitable for your app.
• Don’t Rush the Process: There is no need to rush the translation of your app into a popular language. The best decisions are made by companies that first closely investigate their customers and define their base.
• Translate All App Features: Many businesses make the mistake of using translation services to translate essential elements or text and leaving out the remaining content. This will impact your app’s effectiveness in your chosen market—complete localisation is essential.
• Respect Cultures: Businesses must pay careful attention to formats and symbols. Some of the emojis used in America or Europe might insult other regions, for instance. You need to respect the values of every other region before translating your app.

Renaissance Translations’ App Translation Services

App translation plays a crucial role in providing a personalised experience to users. It also helps users relate themselves to the business and stay loyal to the brand. Translate apps, and you can increase the number of downloads, improve your market reach, and tap into multiple revenue sources. Ultimately, this will positively impact your business’s growth and success.

Anyone looking for an app translation service can rely on our agency. Our professional language services include accurate localisation services in over 120 languages. Our expert translators are native speakers of their language and have the expertise to understand your target market requirements. We are also an member of the Association of Translation Companies in England as well as SDL programme. Get in touch today to help you with goals in the global market!

The Spanish language is diverse and beautiful. With roots in Roman and Arabic cultures, the language has an exciting history. Spanish is also one of the most spoken languages worldwide, with more native Spanish speakers than English speakers globally. Indeed, there are many fun facts about Spanish culture and language to uncover!

Are you interested in learning more about the language and its nuances? These nine fun facts about Spanish provide a brief introduction to many of the most exciting parts of the Spanish language. They might also provide the motivation you need if you’re thinking about learning Spanish.

1. The Spanish Language is Spoken in 21 Countries

One of our favourite facts about Spanish is that it is spoken as the official language in 21 countries worldwide. This means that those countries use the language in all their official content, such as documents and legal issues. The majority of the population also uses it for everyday conversations and written communication.

Some countries with Spanish as an official language include Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru, and Spain. In fact, most people assume that all Spanish speakers live in Spain and parts of South America. But believe it or not, a single African country also officially uses the Spanish language: Equatorial Guinea.

2. There are 540 Million Spanish Speakers Worldwide

Another of our favourite fun facts about Spanish is that there are over 540 million Spanish speakers worldwide. This makes it the fourth-most common language around the world, behind English (1,132 million), Mandarin (1,117 million), and Hindi (615 million).

Another fun fact: Spanish is the second most spoken language worldwide when counting first-language speakers only. It is also the third most used language on the internet! The popularity of the language is evident when we look at the fact that the US has about 50 million citizens who are Spanish speakers while Spain has 45 million. This shows us exactly how popular the language is.

3. Modern-Day Spanish Dates Back 700 Years

The Spanish language originally stems from Latin, spoken by the Romans. These language roots make Spanish one of the Romance languages, along with French, Italian, and Portuguese. Latin was combined with the local language and gradually evolved into Spanish until we got to the language we all know and love today.

The modern Spanish language dates back about 700 years. The language was adopted by King Alfonso X in the year 1200 and became the official language of the country. The Spanish language has spread throughout the world since then, as has the Spanish culture.

4. The Spanish language is Heavily Influenced by Arabic

Latin was not the only language that influenced Spanish speakers. Curiously enough, Arabic also had a significant influence on the growth of the Spanish language. This happened when the Arab Moors conquered Spain and brought their language with them. They occupied the Iberian Peninsular for around 800 years, meaning much of their culture and traditions were adopted in Spain.

According to The Spanish Academy, there are more than 4,000 words in the Spanish language that derive from Arabic. Let’s look at an example to demonstrate this fun fact: in Spanish, the word “sugar” is “azucar”. This word comes from the Arabic word “al-sukkar.”

5. The First Spanish Novel was Don Quixote

The following facts about Spanish may be familiar to someone who is a literature lover. But it might surprise some that Don Quixote by Spanish speaker Miguel de Cervantes is the first novel to become available in the Spanish language!

The Spanish-to-English translation of this title is “Sir Idealist.” This is still one of the most popular books in Spanish culture today. Don Quixote tells the story of a man who longs to be a knight so that he can win his lady. Though filled with humour and lightheartedness, there are also rough times and challenging lessons that Quixote must learn.

6. The Spanish language is Often Used in Pop Culture

While the literary classic Don Quixote is very old, the Spanish language still holds an important place in pop culture today. You can turn on any pop radio station, and you will hear a few words from the Spanish language! For example, Despacito by Spanish speaker Luis Fonsi was played in its original Spanish translation, but there was a remix that included an English part. The Spanish-to-English translation of this song title is “slowly.”

Many popular books and movies are also translated into English or adopted into cultures in their Spanish form. One brilliant example is Pan’s Labyrinth. Directed by Guillermo del Toro, Pan’s Labyrinth became a worldwide hit and has only been subtitled into other languages. The Spanish translation of “Pan’s Labyrinth” is “El Laberinto del Fauno.”

7. Many Spanish Words Have No Direct Translation

One of the most interesting facts about Spanish is that there are several unique words with no equivalents in other languages. The best way to demonstrate this is by looking at translations from Spanish to English. For instance, Spanish speakers often take part in a “sobremesa.” This is where everyone stays at the table after a meal. The families then share a drink (whether alcoholic or non-alcoholic) and some good laughs.

Another example is the Spanish phrase “verguenza ajena.” In the Spanish language, these words are used to describe the feeling you might get when you feel embarrassed for someone without feeling sorry for yourself. There is no literal translation of this phrase into English.

8. Punctuation Works Differently in Spanish

You might have noticed that the Spanish language uses upside-down punctuation marks at the beginning of some sentences. Now for the fun facts: in Spanish is the only place you’ll see this use of punctuation! It is the only language in the world that uses these inverted punctuation points.

The reason why is equally as fascinating: it tells the reader that the following sentence is a question ahead of time. This allows Spanish speakers to add the required inflection in their voice so that their listeners understand that a question is being asked. Inverted punctuation marks are the official standard of the Royal Spanish Academy, which declares the official rules of the Spanish language.

9. The US Will Have the Most Spanish Speakers by 2050

The last of our fun facts about Spanish is on future predictions: Experts think that by 2050, more than 10% of the world will be able to communicate in Spanish. The US should be the world’s largest Spanish-speaking country by the same year, with more than 132 million Spanish speakers in America. If future predictions are correct, the Spanish language will have grown more than 1,300%!

An important fact about Spanish is that it is the second most studied language in the world. It’s no secret that learning Spanish translation could be very beneficial, especially in America. It may seem like a daunting task, but do not fear. Experts say that it takes only 24 weeks of practice to learn the language. After 24 weeks, you should be able to communicate on a professional level.

Renaissance Translation’s Spanish Translation Services

The fun facts about Spanish demonstrate that the Spanish language is an amazing one! It may sometimes take work to figure out Spanish to English translations. But many Spanish words give us glimpses into the beautiful Spanish culture. With so many people learning Spanish and expected to be able to become Spanish speakers, we might not want to put off our Spanish lessons much longer!

If you need help with your Spanish translations, Renaissance Translations can help. Our extensive network of Spanish language experts enables us to offer professional Spanish translation services in all subject fields. European Spanish, Mexican Spanish, South American Spanish, and African Spanish are available. We are an associate member of the Associations of Translation Companies (ATC), so you can rest assured that your documents are in safe hands. Contact  our team today to discuss your Spanish translation project or request a quote online.

The Italian language is the official language in Italy. With its rounded sounds and melodic rhythm, the beautiful Italian language is considered the la lingua dell’amore – “the language of love.” Although the majority of people that speak Italian are located in Italy, Italian culture is a staple in general terms worldwide, from fashion to sportscars.

This article uncovers eight facts about the beautiful Italian language. From major curiosities of the Italian way of speaking to Italian cultural references, here you will find everything interesting there is to know about the Italian language!

1. The Italian Language Stems from Latin

The Italian language is of Latin origin and is thus classified as a Romance language. Other Romance languages include French and Spanish, meaning many Italian words cross over into these other languages. If you’re fluent in another Romance language, you might be able to understand parts of the conversation when people speak Italian.

However, Italian is the least divergent language from Latin, containing more similarities with Latin than other significant languages in its family. The only other language with as close ties to Latin is Sardinian.

2. The Tuscan Dialect became the Language in Italy

Before Italy formally became a country, it was divided into regions. Every one of these regions had its own dialect and vocabulary, with Italians in each region speaking different adaptations of the language. When Italy officially formed as a country in 1861, the various dialects were so widespread that officials had to choose a standardised language in Italy to unify the country.

This is one of the reasons why the Italian language is beautiful – the Italian Government chose the most elegant dialect and phased the less pleasant-sounding languages out. The dialect the government chose was the Tuscan version of the Italian language. At the time, only 2.5% of the population spoke this dialect.

3. Italian became an Official Langauge in Italy in 2007

For a long time, the Italian language was not the official language in Italy. The standardised version of the language was adopted by convention rather than formality. Its lack of official status was mainly down to the different regional language groups. Although a standardised version was established in 1861, only 2.5% of the population spoke the “official” version of the language in Italy.

In March 2007, there were efforts to transform the Italian language into the official language in Italy. The efforts eventually succeeded, and the beautiful Italian language achieved official status. But while 93% of the population speak Italian, 50% speak a regional dialect even today!

4. It was Initially a Literary Language

The Italian language was initially a literary language used by authors and poets. An example of this is the Italian speaker and literary icon Dante Alighieri. This man himself is a key component in Italian culture and the Italian language. His world-famous work is from 1320 and is called La Divina Commedia (“The Divine Comedy”) – the first text ever written in the beautiful Italian language.

Before this, Italian texts were written in Latin. This iconic piece set a milestone for the Italian language and was used as a source for the standardised 1861 language in Italy. Dante’s work has since been translated into various languages. It has also been enjoyed by millions across the globe that can’t speak Italian.

5. The Italian Language Has Some Pretty Interesting Words

The Italian language has some rather complex words. A great example is “precipitevolissimevolmente.” This word has 26 characters and is the longest word in the beautiful Italian language! This particular word has no Italian to English translation but can be translated loosely to “very hurriedly.”

Many other words you might use when you speak Italian have no literal translation into English. Some examples include apericena (an informal evening with tapas-style food), culaccino (the end of the salami or loaf of bread), and menefreghista (a person with a couldn’t-care-less attitude).

6. Some Italian Words Are Used in English

Despite the differences between Italian and English, many Italian words have made their way into English vocabulary. These words include ‘arabesque’, ‘archivolt’, ‘cameo’, ‘fresco’, ‘patina’, ‘terracotta’, and many others. In particular, the beautiful Italian language is the root of many words related to the arts and music. Some examples are: arpeggio, piano, staccato, allegro, and andante.

7. There Are 85 Million Italian Speakers Worldwide

The beautiful Italian language doesn’t have as many speakers as English or French, but it’s still a high number. In fact, there are around 85 million Italian speakers worldwide. Of these, about 60 million people live in Italy and speak Italian as mother-tongue.

Besides the prevalence of the language in Italy, countries like Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, and Istria also consider Italian as their mother-tongue. People in many other nations also speak Italian, such as the US, Australia, Malta, and Argentina. If you are Italian, it might be surprising how many other countries worldwide use the language in Italy.

8. The Italian Language Has Several Grammatical Quirks

Italian has several grammatical quirks compared to English and others. These peculiarities are what make the beautiful Italian language sound so pleasant! Next time you hear someone speak Italian, see if you notice any of the following things:

• Vowels: Nearly all words end in a vowel, with seven vowel sounds in total. Although there are only five distinct vowels, there are still two phonemes present that represent the “extra sounds” (such as the long Os) that make the Italian accent so charming.
• Word Stress: When you hear someone speak Italian, you’ll usually hear stress placed on the second-to-last syllable. This gives Italian a distinct rhythmic quality that makes it so lovely to listen to.
• Few Js, Ks, Ws & Ys: Although the Italian alphabet has the same number of letters as the English one, words that use J, K, W, and Y are most likely loanwords. The primary Italian alphabet consists of only 21 letters.

Renaissance Translations’ Italian Translation Services

Italian is fantastic with a great history supporting it. From its origins to the artists that brought it to light, you cannot deny its influence in literature and arts. Along with its beautiful sound, this makes learning to speak Italian a dream for many. With a famous tourist destination for people around the world and a large economy that attracts many businesses worldwide, Italy is one of most attractive places for all. On a business level, Italian translations are in high demand and the need for Italian translators is higher than ever.

If you can’t speak Italian but need to communicate with Italian speakers and customers, our Italian experts are here to help. Our Italian translation services include, not only translation but also transcription, video subtitling, voiceover, typesetting and more. We provide our services in hundreds of language combinations. Whether Italian to English, Italian to Arabic, or Italian to Russian, our professional Italian speakers are waiting to help. Your partnership with Renaissance Translations also comes with professional memberships such as ATC, so you can rest assured that you’re in safe hands. Get in touch today.