Although English is spoken by 1.27 billion people, not paying attention to other languages will cause your brand to miss out on billions of potential customers. If you want to infiltrate the Philippine market, it is important to learn about Tagalog translation.
Tagalog is the first language of many Filipinos. It has more than 50 million speakers that are mostly located in the Southern part of the Philippines’ largest island, Luzon. Tagalog is one of the most commonly spoken languages in the country, alongside Cebuano, Ilokano, and many others. Filipino, the national language of the Philippines, is even based on Tagalog. So tagalog translation is extremely important to reach Filipinos effectively.
To help, we’ve gathered the most important facts you need to know about hiring a Tagalog translator.
About the Tagalog Language
Although it came from the Philippines, Tagalog remains a widely spoken language in the world. In the US alone, this language is spoken by an estimated number of 1.69 million people.
Tagalog is derived from the word “taga-ilog,” which directly translates to “from the river.” This Austronesian language belongs to the Malayo-Polynesian family, but it also has influences from Chinese and Malay. Notably, Tagalog has many borrowed words from Spanish and English due to the centuries of colonial rule. This stark influence can immediately be noticed, especially when it comes to spelling.
Long ago, Tagalog followed a “Baybayin” writing system, which is based on the syllabic alphabet. However, the Spanish Conquistadores Romanized it. Now, Tagalog uses the alphabet system to incorporate words and sounds from Spanish and English, with two additional letters – ñ, and Ng.
There are countless loan words in Tagalog, mostly in Spanish. The use of “Taglish” or “Tagalog-English” is also very common in cities. Although there are borrowed words that have equivalents in Tagalog, it is usually reserved for formal documents. Despite all the loan words from Spanish and English, Tagalog remains as one of the richest languages there is.
What Types of Services Can a Tagalog Translator Provide?
Curious what type of services Tagalog translators provide? We’ve gathered it for you below.
Legal documents
When it comes to legal documents such as wills, trusts, certificates, legal letters, contracts & agreements, and licenses, it is important to provide an accurate Tagalog translation. A Tagalog translator that specializes in legal documents will ensure that all your needs as a client is satisfied. By working with a professional, you can bypass liability problems that you may encounter in the future.
Financial documents
Want to incorporate the Philippine market in your business? The only way for you to seamlessly do this is to hire someone to do Tagalog translation. You need a professional that is knowledgeable about financial sectors to give you the services that you need with any type of documents like tax forms and returns, financial reports, insurance applications, and bank statements. A Tagalog translator that specializes in financial translation can correctly translate your shareholder and accounting information, annual reports, and other relevant records with ease.
Technical documents
It would be impossible to create a precise translation for technical documents if you do not have a Tagalog translator on your team. The Tagalog translation of technical documents requires attention to detail, which is impossible to provide for a professional that lacks experience on the subject. Thankfully, it is easy to find a highly trained technical document translator in Bunny Studio.
Whether you need translation for construction, engineering, or research, a translator can help you. A technical Tagalog translator specializes in documents like user manuals and guides, white papers, technical specifications, troubleshooting guidelines, instructional guides, and reports, among other technical content.
Business documents
As more brands expand on an international level, the need for Tagalog translation in business documents also grows rapidly. Whether it’s in marketing campaigns, inter-office notices, memos, or negotiations, the services of translators are needed to give a timely and accurate translation. Examples of business documents a translator can handle include press releases, bills of lading, educational video presentations, business letters and proposals, commercial invoices, and purchase of orders.
If you have a business website, it also helps to translate your content to Tagalog if you plan on targeting the Filipino market. This is because studies have shown that customers mainly look at web pages with content written in their language. Not only that, but half of the people would pay more if they were presented with information in their primary language.
Travel
Tagalog translation has a huge impact on tourism and travel. Whether it comes to documents, brochures, or interacting with locals, Tagalog translation has allowed people to experience the Philippines amazingly. Travelers have now stopped solely relying on travel agencies to help them go around the Philippines. Instead, many are turning to the internet to do their research and find professionals to translate for them.
The Rate of Tagalog Translation
Just with other careers, there is competition among professionals working as a Tagalog translator. As a result, rates vary depending on many factors. On average, professionals charge between $90 to $100 per hour for English to Tagalog translation, and the rate can increase when the language being translated to Filipino is not in English. For single-page jobs, fees typically range from $100 to $120. Additional charges will also apply for proofreading services, rush projects, and holiday work.
Why You Need to Hire a Professional Tagalog Translation Expert
The importance of translation in the lives of your customers is greater than you may think. While English is pretty much spoken by everyone, solely operating in this language will hold back your brand. When you know the benefits of translating in Tagalog, you will understand that it’s such a great investment. We’ve gathered some reasons why having Tagalog translation is something you should consider.
People love their language
While a lot of locals and Overseas Filipino Workers understand English, a lot of those numbers are people who speak it as their second language. This means that they will respond better if a brand uses their native language.
Many filipinos understand English well. But going that extra mile makes a difference. If you speak or write in their native language, you can receive a much more favorable reaction. Most individuals still prefer hearing and responding in their native language compared to their second language since they are most confident with it.
Reach those who do not understand English
Many Filipinos speak English well. But some lack English skills. Others are not comfortable using English. For instance, if people watch two advertisements on television, one with an English voiceover, and one with a Tagalog voiceover, they are more likely to gravitate towards the product with a Tagalog voiceover since they fully understand its message.
Language is more than a tool that allows people to communicate. It is also a form of expression of the society and culture that people live in. If a person does not understand English or any other language fluently, there may be a miscommunication if the message is not translated well.
It helps the economy
Travel, communication, and marketing are all expanding. Now, geography is not an issue anymore, especially for businesses who want to expand their reach overseas, including the Philippines. The only gap that would stop them would be the language barrier. Businesses need Tagalog translation if they want to communicate effectively and make their business foster.
Enable information and ideas to spread
Tagalog translation plays an integral role in the spread of ideas and knowledge from all corners of the world to the Philippines. The translation is very important to achieve good communication between two different cultures. In the process of spreading ideas and information, translation is a major key player. After all, language is the only medium that allows people to expand their perspective.
For instance, if Spanish researchers head over the Philippines to interview farmers about their methods to grow coconut, they need the help of a Tagalog translator to get accurate data. Tagalog translation is an important investment for many companies. In many cases, this is a crucial step to spreading your message. So many people around the world and the Philippines have benefitted from it.
Reach more people
One of the major benefits your company will gain from hiring a Tagalog translation expert is that you can reach a larger audience. Tagalog translation will help your brand to appeal to Filipinos, especially those who live in Luzon. Therefore, you can expand your brand’s purpose and goals in a way you never thought was possible. Since you can reach this market you’ve never reached before, your brand awareness will skyrocket, and you will make more sales.
Allow you to create a common understanding
Data is constantly growing, and no matter what industry you are part of, it’s challenging to translate informative documents. With the help of a Tagalog translator, you can foster a common understanding across Filipinos that will benefit your business well.
Using Tagalog translation in any industry is an undeniable necessity. This becomes even more important if you want to avoid having translation blunders that may happen when you use automated translation. For instance, when KFC first launched in China, they translated their slogan “Finger-lickin’ good” to “Eat Your Fingers Off.” Yes, you want to be remembered by your audience, but not in a bad way. This is why you need a professional who can follow translation rules.
Tagalog Translation Will Do Wonders for Your Business
Tagalog translation is very important today, especially since multicultural Filipinos demand clear and efficient communication. Companies, non-profit organizations, schools, and travelers will all benefit from hiring a Tagalog translator. Not only will this enable you to reach more people, but you can connect with them on a deeper level. Contact Bunny Studio for expert help with your Tagalog translation needs today.
