Japanese Translation
How challenging is Japanese to translate?
Grammar
One important difference between Japanese and other Western European languages is word order. In English, for instance, word order consists of subject-verb-object, such as ‘I see the dog’. In Japanese, the order is subject-object-verb, which literally translated would lead to ‘I the dog see’. There are some aspects of Japanese grammar, however, that are easier. Unlike Romance languages, for instance, there are no gendered nouns. There is also no future tense.
Culture
There are many differences between Western and Japanese business culture. When it comes to dealing with Japanese clients or colleagues, knowing how to avoid important cultural mistakes is a must. The same is true for translations. In addition to translating from the target language to Japanese, BiCortex translations also offers localisation services to ensure you are conveying the right message to your target audience.
Loanwords
Japanese has adopted many English words and phrases into common parlance. The difficulty for the translator, however, is deciding whether there might be a more appropriate Japanese word, or whether it would instead sound more natural to use English. To avoid such errors, a native Japanese translator who has lived for an extended period in Japan is necessary.
The Alphabet
Kanji is the name for the characters used in the Japanese writing system. This makes Japanese impossible to read and understand if you are not accustomed to a logographic language system. Even those who are able to speak and understand the language fluently may not feel confident reading and writing it. A native Japanese speaker who has also been educated to an advanced level is therefore required for any Japanese translation.
Do I need a Japanese translation?
Global importance
Ahead of both Germany and the United Kingdom, the Japanese economy is among the top three economies in the world. There are also 128 million native Japanese speakers. Entering the Japanese market is certainly wise if you are looking to enjoy business success. Whether you are looking to translate your marketing content, business emails or website content into Japanese, BiCortex Translations is here to help.
Japanese design
The home of Hello Kitty and the unique art form animé, Japanese is well-known for its design. From fashion to cars, Japanese brands, which are known for their innovation, have international appeal. Equally, foreign designer brands will enhance their reputation if they succeed in having a presence in Japan. Communicating with Japanese markets necessitates a high-quality translation.
Technology
The bullet train, pocket calculator, the Walkman and more recently robots are all Japanese inventions that have changed the world. Those looking to flourish in the Research and Development sector will do well to communicate in Japanese, either by learning the language or by Japanese intrepretation services.