Filipino Translations: Different Styles for Different Occasions

filipino language translation

Filipino is an Austronesian language that more than 20 million people speak in the Philippines. Filipinos speak English, Filipino, and other languages as well. The country has been under Spanish command for over 300 years, so it’s no surprise that there are many words from Spanish sources in Filipino. This blog post will go through different translation styles to help you find one that suits your needs!

There are many different styles of translation, each with its benefits. Here we’ll go over a few so you can find one that suits your needs best.

Literal Translation: A literal translation usually has the same word order as the original text, so this style might be good if there is no need for interpretation or if accuracy is essential to the reader. The literal translation might not be as natural for native speakers of English.

Free Translation: A free or “loose” translation may omit some words and sentences to make the text flow more easily in English. This style is good if there are cultural references that need to skip over or if accuracy is less important than making sure that an article makes sense when translated into a different language with a different culture. Still, it can include incorrect word order and puns that do not translate well from one language to another.

Written Translations: This type of translation is usually created for a specific audience and may include idiomatic expressions to convey the meaning better.

Adapted Translations: This type of translation often changes sentence structure or wording to make it easier for the target language’s speakers.

Cultural adaptation: When translating texts written by people who speak a minority dialect, you want your readership (who speaks only standard Filipino) to realize what said without having them strain too hard to understand the terminology.

Transliteration: This is a translation style that writes out words in both an original script and its equivalent in another writing system using letters from the alphabet, such as Arabic or Cyrillic, while also indicating pronunciations with ” diacritics “. Transliterated terms need to be legible and understandable (unlike free translations) because one does not know what they mean.

Transcription: This is where a person expresses any word or passage in language with symbols representing those phonetic values.

Standardization: This technique involves seeking agreement among people about how best to represent a language in writing or on the internet.

Interlinear translation: This is an English to Filipino transliterated version of any given passage, meaning it’s translated word to word from one language into another (usually using letter substitution). It has been criticized as unnatural and confusing because readers have no idea what the original text meant, even if they can simultaneously read both languages.

The Filipino language is a beautiful and diverse language that has evolved over the years. With all of its dialects, it can be challenging to understand what someone from a different region is trying to say or write without context clues. That’s why Filipino language translation services are so important! They will help you understand what someone is trying to say and make sure that it conveyed correctly.

Common Attributes To Look For While Hiring A Language Translator

Along with English, Filipino is the national and official language of the Philippines. It is a standardized variety of the Tagalog language: an Austronesian regional language; widely spoken all around the Philippines. Adhering to the law of the country, the Philippines took steps to sustain and initiate the usage of Filipino language as a medium of official communication and language of instruction in their educational system. The popularity thus gained of the language makes Filipino an ideal language for localizing & finding new markets to expand businesses. Thus, to maintain the quality and adhere to the rule, it is vital to seek professional Filipino language translation, especially when moving to the country for work or otherwise.

Finding a good translator can be a challenging task. Here are a few attributes to look for in a translator, when signing for services:

Native Speaker: The translator should be a native speaker and have thorough knowledge about language’s culture. The translation is not limited to linguistics but demands cultural adaptation. A translation should be more like a written document initially in the target language. A non-native speaker will produce more ‘fluent’ and ‘quality’ translation.

Pricing & Rates: Be careful with the project budget. You must check for any hidden costs and the ongoing market prices of translation. Do not fall for low-pricey deals as it may compromise on the quality.

Attention to Detail: Things like numbers, formatting and punctuation must be paid close attention. Translators who make such mistakes should be excluded from future projects if the mistakes are too frequent. Translators who catch inconsistencies in the source files should be considered fit.

Experience: Experience is a massive factor in deciding qualification of a translator and determining a reasonable price for services. Years of experience, type of experience, education and experience related to linguistics, language, teaching are deemed to fit for your task.

Certifications: Your requirement may demand a certified translator. The number of certifications from recognized organizations in-country or state is a good sign that denotes the eligibility of a translator. Generally, more qualified translators get overlooked in comparison to a certified translator, just because of the credentials, but be careful about the quality of work.

Flexibility: A translator must be open-minded and flexible. He/she must be prepared for particular scenarios like high-volume projects and certain other situations.

Knowledge of CAT Tools: If you choose a translation agency, then the professionals must be working with one or more CAT tools regularly. Depending on your need, you can have in-house CAT tools, such as memoQ, and let translators log their projects.

Specialization: You may require a pool of translators for day-to-day projects. But various projects require specialized knowledge. Thus, always look for recruiting translators that specialize in a particular field. Qualified translators can also guarantee high-quality and precision in translations.

Communication: Translators who communicate well are easy to work with. Project-related communication should be clear and timely. Such communications will reassure that the project works smoothly and boosts your business growth.

Response to Feedback: You must insist for internal reviewer check after the completion of translations. Communicate this in advance to the translator as he/she will be expected to review the feedback and provide professional recommendations. A translator should be able to advise you to choose the best option by providing a clear explanation and recommendations.

To conclude, now you must feel more confident in choosing translators for Filipino Language Translation services.

Importance Of Professional Filipino Language Translation

filipino language translation

Filipino, along with English, is the national language of the Philippines and is designated as an official language. It is basically a standardized variety of the Tagalog language, which is an Austronesian regional language that is widely spoken all around the Philippines. The constitution of the Philippines took steps to initiate & sustain the use of Filipino language as a medium of official communication and as a language of instruction in the educational system.

Since the majority of the population are internet users these days, the popularity of the language makes Filipino an ideal language for localizing & finding new markets to expand their business. Thus, to maintain the assured quality, it is important to seek professional Filipino language translation, especially when you’re moving to the Philippines for work or otherwise.

Why Filipino Language Translation?

When you are moving to the Philippines, your crucial documents have to be totally accurate, which makes it important to use professional Filipino translators. Seeking help from a professional, you can be reassured that your documents will be processed correctly. This is because only experienced native speaking Filipino translators are capable of processing your passports, birth, marriage and academic certificates. Thus, you can get certified translation in no time and at any level as per the requests of your handing authority.

Read on to understand the importance of Filipino language translation in the three most significant sectors.

Filipino Translation In Banking & Finance

Accuracy is very important for every financial document and top banking and finance organizations to know this all very well. This is the reason most of them look for professional translators. Whether it is translating to or from Filipino, producing reports, or proofreading the documents professional Filipino translator ensures that the work is done efficiently and accurately. These professional are specially trained and have the experience of working in the language and have knowledge of accounting and finance; they make sure that your paperwork is flawless & compliant with the regulatory standards.

Filipino Translation In Legal Sector

When it comes to legal matters, there is no scope for errors as they often lead to some serious actions against you. So, law firms and courts at all the levels turn to professional Filipino language translation for flawless translations which is fully compliant with the legal standards at every level. The professional translators typically have a great understanding of the ‘legalese’ as it applies to diverse domains & legal specialities, which makes it important to hire them.

Filipino Translation In Healthcare

Medical and healthcare translation is something on which you can’t afford to compromise on the quality of the results. The documents such as lab results, patients reports, medical history carry very critical information of the patient, and any mistranslation can lead to certain severe consequences. Therefore, it is vital to seek professional assistance from the expert Filipino language translators.

Top 3 Things You Must Know Before Expanding Your Business to the Philippines

filipino language translation

If you are planning to expand your business, then the Philippines is an ideal choice. With its sustained growth & modernization, rich resources, and rife local & international trades, the Philippines consistently attracts many large multinational corporations that are looking to lower their costs and take advantages of competitive domestic wages and a highly educated workforce.

Indeed, the Philippines known as the “Pearl of the Orient” is an enticing site to expand your business, but as with any new venture especially if it’s overseas expansion, the process does take time and requires careful planning.

So here are the top three things that you must know before expanding your business to the Philippines.

Know the Legal Requirements

You must know that tax codes & business regulations vary from country to country. Therefore, you must research tax laws, import restrictions, customs laws, corporate organization, and liability laws. Even the domestic legislation needs to be examined for the issues arising under the labour law, tax law, immigration law, customs law, agency law, and other producers/distributor liability provisions.

Foreign investors usually register and start a business in the Philippines with a Domestic Corporation or Branch Office. Corporations are more favourable when it comes to administrative regulation while branch offices may be more advantageous if you are thinking tax-wise. The important thing is you need to ensure that all the legal requirements are in order.

Check the Language Barrier

Apart from the ability to understand and speak in English, check for the country’s standards for humour, accepted puns or jargon, or even the subtle gestures as they might not be the same as they are in your domestic country’s norms or idioms. In addition to that, you will be professionally dealing with Filipinos and the documents in that language more often for that hiring a professional who has expertise in Filipino language translation will be the best decision.

A professional Filipino language translationwill not help you with translating conversations or your documents, but also they’ll help you in understanding law and order of the country by interpreting the exact meaning for you to overcome the language barriers. 

Perform Due Diligence

Before expanding your business to another country, it is vital to understand what will be the full impact on your business. Will your product capture the local market? More importantly, perform a SWOT analysis against the competition in the market. It will help your business immensely to assess what it can and can’t do, as well as about its potential opportunities and threats.

Expanding a business is the natural progression of a prosperous venture. If you want to maximize your chances of success with a thriving location, then the Philippines is your answer!

Are The Speakers Of English Changing The Language?

In countries like  India, Hong Kong, and the Philippines, English is primarily used as a second or third language alongside local languages. So, borrowing a language from other countries remains the biggest source of creating new words. When people think of varieties in the English language, they tend to think different and unusual words that conjure visions of exotic English language.However, the innovation in the world of English is far from being limited to speaking and written language. The speakers of English language are somehow changing the language as compared to the written format.There are some ways depicted in which speakers of emerging varieties of English all over the world are shaping the vocabulary of the language

Changing of Proper Noun to a Common Noun

Suzie Wong is a proper noun. This name is dedicated to the leading character in the novel in the Chinese language. Hence, according to the current scenario, the name has become a slang word for Chinese women who consort with visiting servicemen. This is the first instance where the speaking English is changing day by day.

Changing the Meanings of Words

If we take the word ‘gimmick’ to our instance, it is usually referred as a clever trick or publicity stunt, but in the Philippines, it reflects a fun night out with friends.The above example showed the creativity for word innovation by English speakers. Such new expressions are increasingly making their way into laymen languages that are spoken. One important means of collecting information on these types of vocabulary is by listening to it from one person to another who uses it.

Continuing To Use Words That Were Used In Laymen Way

This expression of language began in the United States where it was initially used. For example, referring ‘rooms in a public building or workplace furnished with amenities’ are altered with ‘facilities for resting, personal hygiene, and storage of personal items.’ The first sentence is now rarely heard in America, but it is still used in the Philippines, India, and several other countries. Another instance is where the common term for a public toilet was used as the most is now it is altered and equivalent to laymen words like ‘restroom and loo’.

Explaining A Word or Expression from A Local Language

Today, many words of English are being translated into a local language, especially in Philippines and India. Words like ‘jungle’, ‘gherao’, and ‘lathi’ are local words of Hindi language that have been updated in Oxford dictionary in today’s time. This depicts that words—forest, surroundings and stick are expressed in the local language to understand in a better way.

Why Languages Change?

Language changes for numerous reasons. Firstly, it changes because speakers change. New technologies, new products, and new experiences require innovating new words. Another reason for the change is that no two people have exact experience with the same language, which impacts the language somehow.   Hence, the language is a vast area which has no bounds and limits while speaking and written versions.

Hence, the language is a vast area which has no bounds and limits while speaking and written versions.