For years, people have regarded Tibet and the Tibetan language as a mystery. It’s not surprising as the region is quite isolated in many respects. But over the years, polyglots have turned their interest into learning the language. Thanks to the increased interest, the need for English to Tibetan translation services has also increased.
Important Facts on the Tibetan Language
The Tibetan language is spoken mostly in the People’s Republic of China’s Tibet Autonomous Region. But there are also other places where they speak the language, such as India, Nepal, and Pakistan. It is difficult to ascertain the number of Tibetan speakers, but there are at least 5 million in China, India, Pakistan, Bhutan, and Nepal.
There are different kinds of Tibetan language, and the one with most speakers is the Standard Tibetan. It is also known as Lhasa Tibetan. The Classical Tibetan was the one that helped Tibetan Buddhism to reach the north of the Indian subcontinent, Mongolia, and Central Asia. Due to some barriers – physical as well as political – the Tibetan language evolved into many dialects. It became quite divergent that are sometimes not mutually intelligible.
For example, Classical Tibetan is a non-tonal language. It is unlike more modern dialects that have developed a tonal system. Another notable characteristic of Tibetan also includes being monosyllabic. However, it can still combine with prefixes and suffixes easily. It can even link with other stems to create compound words. These characteristics make Tibetan unique that affect translation exactness and precision.
Tibetan Varieties
As mentioned, there are many varieties of the Tibetan language. For an accurate English to Tibetan translation, one must have a good grasp of the standard language and the regional dialects. For this reason, just the use of translation software might not be enough to convey your message.
Translating an English article into the Tibetan language using a translator tool could, at best, convert it into the standard language. But what if your target audience is from a region where Standard Tibetan is unintelligible? In which case, your efforts to reach out to them will be for naught. A professional, human translator specializing in a particular Tibetan variety is your best choice for accurate translation.
With that said, the different varieties of the Tibetan language can be classified in the following:
U-Tsang (Central)
Four different dialects belong in this group, divided into the various cities where they are spoken.
- Lhasa – the standard Tibetan and the lingua franca of Tibet, spoken mostly in the region’s capital.
- Shigatse – this dialect is spoken by the majority in southern Tibet and, of course, the city of Shigatse.
- Sherpa – the people from Nepal as well as northeastern India encompassing Sikkim, West Bengal, and Arunachal Pradesh speak this dialect.
- Kagate – this dialect is spoken by people from eastern Nepal or Janakpur.
Western Archaic
The dialects that belong in the Western Archaic Tibetan cluster are non-tonal Tibetan. They include:
- Ladakhi – this dialect is spoken by people from northwestern India, in the Ladakh region.
- Purik – this is another Tibetan dialect spoken in the Ladakh region.
- Balti – this is the dialect spoken by the Balti people in the Baltistan region in northern Pakistan.
Western Innovative
This cluster of Tibetan language is also known as Lahuli-Spiti and is also non-tonal. The dialects that belong in this group are:
- Lahuli and Spiti – the language of those in the Lahauli and Spiti district in Himachal Pradesh in the Northwest India Border Area.
The dialects spoken in the Zanda County, the westernmost part of Tibet, the Upper Ladakh and Zanskar are also considered Western Innovative Tibetan.
Southern
Southern Tibetan is also non-tonal. The dialects that belong in this group are:
- Sikkimese – spoken in the Sikkim region in northeastern India.
- Groma – spoken in the Yadong or Chomo County in Tibet.
- Sherp and Jirel – Tibet languages spoken in Nepal.
Various Tibetan languages in Bhutan, including Dzongkha, Chocangaca, Brokkat, Lakha, Brokpa, Lunana dialect, and Laya dialect, are also Southern Tibetan.
Khams
It is a non-tonal Tibetan language used by most people in Kham. The region is now divided into eastern Tibet, northwest Yunnan, west Sichuan, and southwest Qinghai in China.
Amdo
Amdo Tibetan is the non-tonal language spoken by most people in Amdowa, particularly in Qinghai. It is also spoken in some parts of Gansu and Sichuan. Amdo Tibetan also includes the Jone or Choni and Thewo Tibetan dialects spoken in Chone County in western China.
Standard Tibetan
The standard Tibetan uses three primary registers. There is the vernacular speech, Phal-skad. The formal speech is Zhe-sa. And the formal religious and literary style called Chos-skad. Standard Tibetan is the official language in the Tibet Autonomous Region. It is also the main language of instruction in elementary or primary schools. However, secondary schools feature Mandarin Chinese.
Written Tibetan
Translation becomes a bit complicated when it comes to written Tibetan since there are many dialects of the language. Most Tibetic languages use either one of two Indic scripts, and in the case of standard Tibetan, it is written in the Tibetan script. Most other Tibetic languages also use this script, which helps in unifying areas using the Tibetan language.
In India and Nepal, the Tibetan languages use the Devanagari script. Nepali, Hindi, and other languages also feature this script. On the other hand, some Tibetan speakers (Balti and Ladakhi) in Pakistan use the Urdu script. Pakistani Baltistan stopped using Tibetan script when the region adopted Islam but recently, they started to use it along with the Perso-Arabic script.
Characteristics of the writing system
There are several notable features to the Tibetan writing system that a translator must keep in mind. For one, the Tibetan writing system has an abugida or syllabic alphabet where every letter has an inherent vowel /a/. Various diacritics specify other vowels, showing either above or below the letter.
Another feature is that the writing is in horizontal lines with the direction from left to right. The language uses special conjunct letters when writing consonant clusters. On the other hand, a dot separates the syllables. Knowledge of these features helps in the translation and transcription of the language.
Learning the Tibetan language is hard, but only as hard as other languages. It will take time to master it, but in the meantime, you can rely on English to Tibetan translation services. It will help if you aim to connect with Tibetic speakers or start a business in any Tibetan region, in which case you need an accurate translation.
While you are learning the language yourself, a specialist translator who can convert English texts to specific Tibetic dialect is a great help. Since there are different varieties of Tibetan language, a single translation does not fit all situations. Not all Tibetan dialects are mutually intelligible, which means a specific translation is needed.
Is It Difficult to Translate English to Tibetan?
Many people think the Tibetan language is a hard language to learn for English speakers. However, it is only hard to learn as much as other languages. One simply needs to be familiar with the rules of the language, from vocabulary to grammar and tone. The script itself is not too hard to learn.
The sentence structures are consistent and simple enough. The part of the language that is really tricky is in becoming proficient with how pronunciation and spelling relate to each other. It is difficult because Tibetan is not unlike the Korean language, which is phonetic.
Mastering the language could take a lifetime, truthfully. For foreigners, identifying the characters is one of the biggest challenges. At first, the writing system and grammar may also look complex. Perhaps you should ask for a native translator’s help as it is much easier for a Tibetan to learn English than the other way around.
Why Professional Tibetan Translators?
Google Translate may have the option for English to Tibetan translation, but are you sure it is correct based on the correct Tibetan language you need? As you know by now, there are quite a few dialects of the language. Other speakers might not understand other Tibetic speakers because of this.
If you want to ensure that your English marketing campaign is converted to the written dialect, it is always best to work with a specialist. An expert of Tibetan Lhasa can translate a text than one that specializes in Amdo if your audience is from the Tibet Autonomous Region.
Accurate translation
The biggest advantage of professional English to Tibetan translation service is an accurate translation. As mentioned before – you want your English articles, marketing campaigns, or email converted in the right script or speech. You can ensure that with help from a native or an expert of said Tibetic dialect.
Natural and polished
By having a native speaker or an expert translate an English text into Tibetan, you can be sure that the translation is natural and polished. You definitely don’t want the translation to be choppy and incoherent, which tends to happen with translator tools. You can avoid that from happening by hiring a translator who understands grammar and context and doesn’t translate words literally.
Localized content
Does your business target a local Tibetan community? If you want to reach out and connect with them effectively, providing localized content is one of the best ways. Some people might be able to understand English, but most Tibetans don’t. When you use localized content, you can deliver information that your audience can truly understand. This way, you can effectively get the attention of your customers and ensure they remember you.
Bunny Studio Translation at Your Service
If you have translation projects, you don’t need to look anywhere else. Bunny Studio specializes in various services, including converting English to Tibetan or other languages. They provide top-quality, affordable, and quick translations for all kinds of needs.
With Bunny Studio’s English to Tibetan translation service, you can work with native/expert Tibetan speakers. With years of experience and a team working on your project, you can get localized translation in no time. Trust that with Bunny Studio, your translation will perfectly meet your needs.
