When you are looking to broaden your target audience in regards to your written content, think about Spanish to English translation. Through creating your content in both languages, you can increase your audience by leaps and bounds and create an atmosphere of accessibility and inclusivity. Sound like a good idea? Read on for all about great Spanish English translation, including dialects, regions, words, and the hiring process. You’ll be amazed at what this translation can do!
What does a translator do?
Before we get too far into our Spanish English translation, let’s see exactly what a translator can do. We all know about google translate, but a professional, human translator can do much more than a word-for-word literal translation. Let’s take a look:
- A translator is a language specialist who takes written work and works it into another language. This is different than interpretation or transcription. Here, we are sticking with the written word.
- Through keeping the tone and integrity of a written piece, a translator shares content in another language, making it accessible and inclusive. This brings in a larger, global audience.
- Translators can work on any written piece. This includes books, online content, manuals, medical and legal documents, correspondence, marketing tools…if it’s written, a professional can translate it!
- They focus on subtleties to reach particular audiences, just like the original content.
- Translators can work in a context that is professional or personal.
You can see that it’s important for translators to know the languages that they’re working in like the back of their hands. We’ll get to skills in a bit, but from this, you can see that a translator can offer your content to another population. This benefits everyone.
Why consider Spanish to English translation?
The answer is pretty simple – there are over 20 Spanish-speaking countries in the world. From Spain to El Salvador and Peru to Cuba, we can hear Spanish. And though it’s not an official language, there is a large proportion of Spanish speakers in countries like the US and Belize. Spanish is the second most spoken language globally, with over 450 million native speakers and around 75 million second language Spanish speakers. Clearly, if you have content, it will benefit you to go from English to Spanish and vice versa.
By creating your content in multiple languages, you open new doors for global communities, awareness, and accessibility. Whether you are working with a book, academic work, or corporate material, when you present it in more than one language, you increase your target base and include a new audience. As Spanish and English are both such commonly spoken languages, you’ll see your audience grow when you offer translations. People are much more inclined to relate to material in their own language, so beyond reading a book, they’re more likely to purchase products with their native-speaking labels and marketing.
Similarities of English and Spanish
When it comes to Spanish English translation, you’ll see there are a number of similarities between the two languages. 6 Surprising Similarities Between Spanish and English That Will Help You Learn shares some of these:
- They use the same alphabet which aids in translation.
- These languages share similar words.
- The syntax is similar, which means sentences flow the same way, and words are grammatically in the same order.
- They both use contractions and plural words.
Spanish to English Vocabulary
We mentioned that many words are similar in the two languages so we thought we’d share some of them. Our list also includes some commonly used phrases from English to Spanish. This will give you a taste of the two languages side by side:
- family – familia
- video – video
- visit our website – visite nuestro sitio web
- Once upon a time – Había una vez
- January, February, March, April – enero, febrero, marzo, abril (no capitalization here)
- please – por favor
- please give us a call – por favor, danos una llamada
- mother, father – made, padre
- very good – muy bien
- no problem – no hay de qué
- red, blue, yellow – rojo, azul, amarillo
And yes, you can find anything on the Internet; you could even translate your work there. However, we don’t recommend using google translate or other electronic translation programs for your content. You’ll come across as sounding stiff and forced whereas a human translator can sound natural and flowing. You also may get into trouble when words have multiple meanings or the translation platform doesn’t recognize slang.
Our article, Translate Google – Do’s and Dont’s of Google Translate, shares some great tips on when and where to use Google, and when and where not to. For instance, if you just need a few words, have at it. It’s great for checking spelling. When you need a general translation of a few words, Google translate is perfect. But when it comes to lengthier Spanish English translation and involved content, don’t resort to this; find a professional translator who will keep your content sounding human.
Use a Spanish English translator when…
You may want to hire a Spanish English translator when you have that lengthier project that needs to sound clean and natural. Here are a few more instances when you’d probably choose a human professional over a translation program:
- when you’re appealing to a specific audience, like a group of high schoolers or academics
- if you’re trying to maintain a regional quality or a specific dialect
- when you have technical terms like in medical or legal documents
- to keep a sense of humor and wit about the piece
It’s important to use a translator when you want to make sure you’re reaching a particular audience. Spanish is full of regions and dialects, and each of these contains specific words and phrasing. When we look at Spanish variations, it’s like taking a global journey. And that’s just what we’re trying to do with translation, bring the world together while respecting differences and cultures. For instance, Mexican Spanish is going to sound different than Castillan Spanish (what most people speak in Spain). Then there’s Caribbean, Argentinian, Columbian…
So why is it important to note these differences? Let’s just think about English. If you are marketing to a specific US population, let’s say Northeastern, you probably don’t want to use a heavy Scottish English accent and dialect. Even throughout the English language, words and phrases mean different things in Australian English, American English, and Scottish English. Remember, you’re trying to reach a specific audience, so the way to read them is to offer content in their language. Their specific language.
Needles to say, this goes both ways. If you are looking at your Spanish English translation from Spanish to English, find the right English dialect. If you need your Spanish content to reach the American South or the London suburbs, seek that specific English translator.
Finding a translator
Now that you kind of know what you need – where do you go to find a translator? Luckily, it’s not so hard. Some people have great luck reaching out in their community of speakers they’d like to reach. This can work well depending on your project. Others love to use a translation service, like Bunny Studio. We offer translations to and from a number of languages and dialects. No matter where you get your translator, make sure to find someone with these skills:
Professionalism – It’s important for your translator to be professional. That means adhering to deadlines and not changing your content. If a question arises, they should seek your input rather than make the decision themselves. The final work should be delivered in a professional context with proper formatting.
A great eye for detail – So many parts of both these languages lie in detail. For instance, one word can have multiple meanings so a translator must be able to differentiate and know how you’re using it. Grammatical components must be translated as well, including capitalization and punctuation.
Work in context – Translating for a book or a legal document or a product description are very different formats. Your translator should be able to work well in the context you need. That goes for the audience as well, as we mentioned. They must be able to employ slang or dialectical nuances when you need them, and use generational cues, too.
Check out Bunny Studio Spanish English translators
At Bunny Studio, we have done the hard work for you. We’ve checked backgrounds and experience, we consistently look at client reviews and internal ratings, and we only hire the best. We have a wide variety of specialties, regions, and contexts so we can match you to just the right translator. We also believe it’s all-important to be completely happy with your translation. Things have to feel right, and we’ll make sure they do.
The bottom line on Spanish English translation
Deciding to translate your work into new languages is an awesome step to take to increase your audience base. Whether it’s a product description, a travel blog, a video game review, or corporate content, when you take the step to reach more people, it works. This shows your interest in other cultures and your desire to be accessible. We live in a global community with people speaking more than one language and often working with people of other languages and cultures.
Translation is a great way to grow your brand, and when you can get it as close as possible to the original in a natural way, you’ll be on the right track. Make sure you have clean, accurate translations, and when you’re looking at hiring a translator, come our way.
Our Bunny translators are the best in the business and would love to work on your project. Our sales team can help and you’ll have that spot on Spanish English translation before you know it. Then you’ll just have to decide on your next language to translate to!
