Bonn, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Hanover or Nuremberg - translation agencies can be found everywhere in Germany. But what do you have to look out for when choosing? What qualifications should language service providers have? We explain the most important facts.

Content

• Find a translator near me
• Find an interpreter near me

Find a translator near me

Translators translate the written word. Birth certificates, instruction manuals, websites - sentence by sentence, translators take a text and transfer it from one language to another.

Surely machines can do that just as well? Again and again there are examples that show quite clearly: Machines cannot replace a human translator. Machines take words one at a time, they don't see context. A professional translator understands the text as a whole and thus does not translate word for word but the content as a unit. If there are several translations for a word, he knows which is the right one. Machines are still a long way from that point.

In this day and age, a document no longer has to be handed in to the translator. It is quite sufficient to send it to the translator by e-mail. Even for birth certificates or similar, a scan or photo of the document is enough for the translator to translate the document. The translation will then also be returned by e-mail or - in the case of certification - by post. You will receive your translated text back within a few working days.

If certification is required, the translator must be sworn. Not every translator can therefore produce a certified translation.

It is therefore important that the translation agency knows all the details, i.e. source and target language, certification, word count of the text, etc. This is the only way to provide you with a suitable offer.

Our tip: In the lingoking price calculator you can see the price for your translation directly. Simply select the language combination and have the price calculated. You can then commission the translation directly - quite simply online.

Find an interpreter near me

Interpreters translate the spoken word. So, for example, they are present at trade fairs and congresses to translate for participants into their respective mother tongues. But an interpreter must also be present at weddings as soon as one partner does not have a sufficient command of the language.

The most frequently requested language combination is probably German-English. The background to this is not necessarily that the participants do not speak English, the world language. Rather, it is about things that are sometimes so special that the layman's vocabulary is often insufficient or simply misunderstandings are to be avoided at all costs. German-English interpreters therefore play a particularly important role in business contacts. Simultaneous interpreters are usually requested - they listen and translate at the same time - a feat.

Unusual language combinations can quickly push translation agencies to their limits. Bulgarian-French and that in Germany? With such rare language combinations, there are often two possibilities:

1. The interpreter does not come from close by and accepts a longer journey. The client will then incur travel expenses. Within Germany, however, this is manageable.

2. Another interpreter is inserted in between: For example, translation is first from Bulgarian to German and then from German to French. It is important that both interpreters have a specialisation in the sector so that misunderstandings do not occur with more difficult vocabulary.

An inexpensive alternative to the classic on-site interpreter is a telephone interpreter. The translator is connected by telephone and translates the spoken word consecutively, i.e. first listening and then translating.

It is best to talk to a translation agency about your requirements. In this way, you will receive an offer tailored to your needs.

Learn more about other translation solutions at lingoking

• Translation agencies in Switzerland
• Translation agencies in Austria
• Translation services