While Portuguese may not be as widely used as English, it still ranks as one of the most popular languages in the world. Presently, at least 200 million people speak Portuguese. Most of these are in Portugal and Brazil. But did you know that Portuguese is also the official language in other countries?
The Portuguese Language
Interestingly, only 5% of Portuguese speakers reside in Portugal, contrary to what most people expect. Instead, this language serves as an official language in:
- Portugal,
- Brazil,
- Angola,
- Cape Verde,
- East Timor,
- Guinea Bissau,
- Macau,
- Mozambique,
- São Tomé and
- Príncipe.
That’s right! To make matters even more interesting, it now ranks as the fastest-growing language after English in Europe! As it spreads across Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America, the need for translation services will only increase.
Portuguese Translation Services
If recent statements by UNESCO are anything to go by, Portuguese is on its way to ranking as an international communication language. Anyone traveling or using documents in Portuguese-speaking countries must translate any other languages to Portuguese. For example, if you want to use a U.S.-issued birth certificate in Angola, you must translate it to Portuguese. If you hold Portuguese documents, you must translate them to English. Take the example of using documents issued in Brazil in the U.S. You can only do so once you translate them to English.
The following are some of the documents that require translation:
- Licenses and certificates, e.g., marriage certificates, death certificates, birth certificates, etc.,
- Patents,
- Educational transcripts, e.g., diplomas,
- Apostilles,
- Legal documents.
You will require translation services for business or legal purposes in foreign countries using languages different from those in your documents. Why?- To make communication easier between you and the receiving parties. The second reason, which is what most people abide by, is that governing authorities require certified translated copies. Without these, you cannot access government services. That means you get locked out of immigration, benefits, employment, business, and even educational opportunities. To ensure that you do not miss out on any of these, we offer:
- English to Portuguese translations: These apply to documents issued in English that you need to use in Portuguese-speaking regions, and
- Portuguese to English translations: You will need such services if your documents are in Portuguese, and you want to use them in English-speaking regions.
Professional Portuguese Translation Services
Thanks to the Islamic Moors invasion of Portugal back in the 8th century, the Portuguese language features an Arabic influence. Many words with Arabic origins have thus become commonplace in the Portuguese language. That said, the Portuguese language is not easy to translate. Why?
The Difference in Dialects
The Portuguese language features two main dialects: European and Brazilian. Even so, many other dialects fall under this umbrella. For example, what you find in Angola will differ from that in Cape Verde. Without a neutral dialect to work with, you must use professional translators who can zero in on nuances and convey the right meaning.
The Difference in Lengths
An English to Portuguese language translation will result in more words and vice versa. A certified translator knows how to deal with large text and shorten it without losing the meaning. They can also flesh out text without making it too wordy.
The Difference in Date Formats
Dates in Portuguese take on a day/month/year format rather than the month/day/year format seen in the English language. Moreover, Portuguese formats use a 24-hour system instead of the 12-hour system seen in English languages.
Do you need to worry about these small aspects? Why, yes! They influence the message in the document and play a part in how professional the translated copy looks. That’s why hiring professional linguists to handle the task is so important.
Work With Us
Did you know? The English language features several Portuguese words, e.g., embarrass and fetish. Even so, translating documents from English to Portuguese or Portuguese to English is not straightforward. It requires that a translator understand the context in every sentence and communicate this in the translated copy. All our linguists are fluent in Portuguese and English and ensure that no meaning gets lost in translation. Moreover, they have years of industry experience handling all sorts of legal and business documents.
What’s our process? It’s easy! We receive your documents and requirements and assign them to a native speaker of the translated language. They then translate each sentence with the context in mind. The work goes through quality assurance to check for any missing points before it’s delivered to you. The whole process takes only 6 days, and if you want it completed sooner, we can have it done in 3 days.
Do you have any questions? We would love to hear from you- do not hold back on contacting us.