Can you estimate the number of French speakers worldwide? Besides English, this is the only other language that’s present on all five continents. With more than 250 million French speakers globally, it’s not hard to see why it has spread so much. Of these, at least 60 million are native French speakers. So, what does that make it? Only the second most used native language in all of Europe!
The countries below use French as an official language:
- France,
- Canada,
- Belgium,
- Switzerland,
- Congo-Kinshasa,
- Congo-Brazzaville,
- Côte d’Ivoire,
- Madagascar,
- Cameroon,
- Burkina Faso,
- Niger,
- Mali,
- Senegal,
- Haiti, and
- Benin.
It also features among the six official languages of the United Nations and is also used in the proceedings of the European Union.
Do You Need French Document Translation Services?
Anyone traveling to a French-speaking country with official English documents or vice versa will require French translation services. We offer the services two-fold. Our native French linguists translate English documents to French while our native English speakers translate French to English. We handle official documents of all types, including:
- Immigration documents,
- Financial documents,
- Patents,
- Licenses,
- Certificates, and
- Educational transcripts.
The translations enable you to transact for business purposes or even access government services in a foreign country. However, keep in mind that translating legal documents can be challenging, and the translator must understand two crucial things. One is the context in the documents, more so when dealing with highly technical documents like patents. The second aspect is the language. The translator must be well versed in both the original and translated languages.
Professional French Document Translation Services
Do you need a professional translator to handle your French-to-English translations and vice versa? Why, yes! While the French language may seem easy to master, this language with Latin roots is harder than it may seem. Thus, fitting it into an English context or vice versa has escaped machine translators, which continue to miss the mark. Why?
The Difference in Dialects
When you hear the term French, you may picture a universal Romanian language. But that is not the case. This language is used in five key regions, namely:
- Asia and Oceania,
- Europe,
- Americas and Caribbean,
- North Africa and the Middle East, and
- Sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian Ocean.
Because of this widespread nature, the language has witnessed some changes over the centuries. What you find in Europe will be different from what you find in the Indian Ocean region. It’s like the differences in English in the U.S. and Australia. But are the differences that much?
Yes! The differences are not only in intonation but also in formalities and grammar. A professional translator will zero in on a specific dialect based on where you want to use the document. If you want to use the document in Madagascar, the translator must use the Indian Ocean region’s significant cultural nuances. Else, the recipients will not understand the document’s message.
The Difference in Lengths
Did you know that translated texts will often not share a similar length with the original document? It’s especially common with French translations. So, when you translate an English text to French, you end up gaining about 20% more length. But when you translate a French document to English, you lose about 20% length. A professional linguist must ensure that the difference in length does not affect your intended purpose. For example, if you want to fit your legal papers in a few pages, you can count on the linguist to cut back on words without losing the meaning. Automated translators cannot guarantee the same while conveying the intended message.
Differences in Grammar
When it comes down to the basics, French and English languages are very different. For example, did you know that the French language has genders? The nouns are considered male or female. But understanding what’s male and what’s female does not follow any specific rules. Thus, automated translators would struggle with assigning the genders. On the other hand, a professional translator can navigate these differences with ease and convey the right meaning.
Why Use Our Services?
All our linguists are highly fluent in English and French and are native in one or the other language. That ensures that they can pick up on even the subtlest differences in grammar and convey these to the translated copies. Moreover, they understand the concept of false friends, which is a common problem with French translations. So, you can rest assured that whether you are getting an English-to-French translation or vice versa, your documents are in the right hands. Contact us for more details.