5 Must-know Tips When Handling English to Spanish Translation Services

There are 580 million people in 110 countries speaking Spanish, making this language to become one of the most widely spoken tongues in the world. As a result, your translators need to have more than simply proficiency when dealing with English to Spanish translation services. They need to comprehend your intended audience, purpose, overarching message, and much more.

In this article, GTE Localize would provide some useful insights and 5 necessary tips that surely might support your Spanish translation projects.

1. Opportunities in Spanish-speaking Markets

Millions of people are acknowledged to use Spanish as a first language, with speakers spread over Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. In reality, there are much more native Spanish speakers in the United States than there are in Spain, and Spanish is the official language of 22 nations. 

Moreover, Spanish is now the third-most-used language online, with a growth rate of 1,312.4% during the previous 15 years. At the same time, it is one of the top 10 languages for localizing mobile apps, and also has a sizable gaming community.

According to Nielsen research, businesses that want to reach the Hispanic community in the United States should pay much attention to localize their content with English to Spanish translation services as these target customers prefer to read online and make purchases in their own tongue language.

The fact that Spanish is becoming widely used and its native-speaker population is growing constantly in the entire globe might affect the significant changes in the potential customer groups of any industry in the near future. 

2. 5 Challenges of English to Spanish Translation Services

Making English content work in a Spanish environment has several difficulties, just like with any language translation. Due to its Romance roots, which are distinct from English’s Anglo-Saxon ones, and its strong relations to Italian and Portuguese, Spanish is exceptionally challenging.

Here are 5 difficulties of English to Spanish translation services, along with advice on how to effectively prepare for them.

2.1. There Are Multiple Spanish Languages

There are significant variances among the several regional variants of Spanish, including European Spanish, and Spanish of the Americas, as well as dialect variations within Spain and Hispanic America, also multiple variations in North America, the UK, and Australia.

There are substantial variances in syntax and niceties as well as the names of foods, clothes, and everyday things, however, these distinctions are most noticeable in pronunciation.

The solution

Depending on where your intended user or reader is located, it may be worthwhile to discover the particular Spanish spoken and adapt English to Spanish translation services, particularly for that dialect. 

It is also necessary to verify the translators’ translation experience in the particular geographic areas you are targeting while working with them.

2.2. Spanish Translation Is Longer

The truth is not all languages are developed to the same extent. Naturally, certain phrase forms include more words than others. According to research, Spanish translations of English texts often run around 30% longer.

The solution

It’s crucial to engage a professional English to Spanish translation services provider if you’re thinking about translating material that must fit to a set length, like an app store description or interface text. In many contexts, the original meaning is highly prioritized while producing shorter text.

2.3. There Are Several Cultural Quirks to The Spanish Language

Every language has a different amount of formality. Depending on the location, using the formal pronoun “you” (“vos” or “tú”) and a higher title are frequently employed as a display of respect or in a formal environment in Spanish. In various situations, it is also usual to use nicknames.

The solution

Find an English to Spanish translation services provider with expertise in translating for a wide demographic range of consumers whether you’re looking to localize a formal or casual product.

2.4. Some Terms in Spanish and English Appear to Be Quite Similar

If you assume that the Spanish meaning of a word is the same as its English one when they both look quite the same, you are getting the wrong way of defining the words.

For instance, take two similar words: “condescendiente” in Spanish and “condensing” in English. They are completely different. In Spanish, the first one is translated as a pleasant person. The second refers to a sense of superiority. Or another Spanish word is “lápiz”. It means “pencil”, and does not refer to the lapel.

The solution

To avoid being duped in this situation, use a multilingual translator who is highly fluent in English to Spanish translation services. Make occasional spot-checks in your own translations and search up terms that seem similar to ones you know in English so that you can be sure they don’t get lost in the translation.

2.5. The Grammar of Spanish and English Are Entirely Different

These two languages have highly diverse core grammars because of their divergent linguistic ancestries. Among numerous, these are some of the main variations that you must notice when dealing with English to Spanish translation services.

Gender 

Because Spanish has two genders, nouns can be categorized as either masculine or female, similar to how French does.

Generally speaking, items with “-a” ending are considered feminine and with “-o” endings are masculine. However, this is not always true! Despite that the “bikini” is worn by women, the Spanish word for it is “el bikini/biquini”, which is a male noun.

Syntax 

Although both languages use the same Subject-Verb-Object sentence patterns, Spanish grammar is more forgiving in sentence structure.

A stressed subject, for instance, is frequently put at the conclusion of a sentence in Spanish. As you can see, this is not typical in English.

Adjectives

In English, adjectives often appear before the noun but come after it in Spanish. So when working on English to Spanish translation services, remember that the gender and number of the noun also affect Spanish adjectives, whereas English adjectives do not change.

Verbs

English verbs are varied by suffixes for each tense, but Spanish has six distinct spellings for each verb tense depending on the subject. In Spanish, the verb can be conjugated into three subjects and two numerals, yielding six different forms of the verb for each tense. In English, the word is only altered in the third-person singular. 

The solution

A keen ear for native grammar is necessary due to the numerous small changes in the grammar. Find a native-level translator who can recognize these with ease to smoothly handle your English to Spanish translation services.

You might be interested in these articles:

• Expand Your Reach To Spanish-Speaking Clients With Professional Spanish Translation Services
• How Much Does Spanish Translation Cost?
• 5 Tips to Successfully Boost Your Spanish Website Translation

3. GTE Localize – The Trustworthy English to Spanish Translation Services Provider

The Spanish language poses many intriguing issues in translation because of its extensive history and wide variety. But definitely, there are ways to overcome these challenges and GTE Localize can accompany you on this path. 

We provide professional English to Spanish translation services for the most popular language pairs, at a reasonable cost starting at $0.07 per word. Our Spanish translators are qualified, native speakers, and have at least five years of experience. Moreover, all of our projects undergo Quality Assurance (QA) at no extra expense to the customer.

Contact us right now to schedule a consultation, get the affordable price and a free test!