Business translations

Intercultural communication is not easy. What is perfectly normal in Germany may be considered rude or even disrespectful in Japan, Egypt or Chile. This concerns not only differences between shaking hands and bowing, but of course also wording in contracts and product names. In German, “you” has two equivalents: the casual “Du” and the formal “Sie”. And while a very casually written contract might be rather amusing on the German side, the lack of corresponding linguistic forms of respect in Japanese can quickly cause irritation.

The automotive sector in particular has time and again produced unfortunate product names, but unfortunately this can hardly be avoided once a certain global scope has been reached. Thus, the Fiat Uno reminds the Finns more of the Finnish uuno for ‘moron’ than of ‘number 1’. Problems also arise again and again in Spanish. The Mitsubishi Pajero was originally named after a wild cat, but in Spanish, Pajero is an insult, which is why the model can be bought in Spanish-speaking under the name Montero or Shogun. Also, Nokia Lumia originates from the Finnish word for ‘snow’, but especially for older Spanish speakers, Lumia is a term for ‘prostitute’.

Translations therefore require not only a sure instinct, but also foresight. Thus, a professional B2B translation must take into account many more cultural and technical subtleties of language than the translation of, say, a birth certificate. Our professional translators are aware of such pitfalls and, as cultural experts, can help you avoid them accordingly.