Spanish and English speech iconSpanish and English have their similarities. As derivatives of both Latin and Arabic, their vocabulary is often very similar. These are known as cognates, words that sound alike and mean the same thing. For example, ‘abandoned’ in Spanish is abandonado, ‘harmony’ is armonía, ‘to obtain’ is obtener and ‘yoghurt’ is yogur. In fact, 30% to 40% of all words in English have cognates in Spanish. However, there are significant differences between these two languages which complicate the translation process.

 

THE ALPHABET

Spanish follows suit of most Romance languages with the Latin alphabet. However, it does incorporate letters with an acute accent on vowels to indicate stressed syllables e.g. the ó in proposito meaning ‘aim’ and the í in día meaning ‘day’. The only other additional letter is ñ, as it is not a variation of the letter n but rather an independent letter of its own.

 

spanish blog 2OPENING PUNCTUATION

Another relatively simple difference is the use of opening punctuation in questions or exclamations. Spanish requires an upside down question or exclamation mark at the beginning of the clause as well as the usual punctuation at the end. For example:

 

What is your name? – ¿Cual es tu nombre?

How exciting! – ¡Que emocionante!

Although it looks peculiar, it is an easy adaptation to remember when translating.

 

SENTENCE STRUCTURE

Just like English, word order in Spanish is usually subject-verb-object. However, this rule is more flexible in Spanish, resulting in variation. For example, a word may be placed at the end of a sentence for emphasis, affecting the syntax. There are distinct differences also. In Spanish, adjectives come after the noun rather than before. For example, to say ‘the red skirt’ in Spanish, one would say la falda roja.

 

POSSESSIVE NOUNS

To specify belonging in English, an apostrophe followed by an s is used e.g. ‘Tom’s car’. Belonging in Spanish however is expressed differently. The word de is used instead e.g. el coche de Tom.

 

GENDERMale & Female

Perhaps a more difficult aspect of Spanish to master is the use of gender. Unlike in English, all nouns in Spanish are assigned a gender, categorizing them as either masculine and feminine. For example, el jardín (garden), el libro (book) and el miedo (fear) are masculine nouns whereas la universidad (university), la ventana (window) and la libertad (freedom) are feminine. This gender then affects any pronouns, articles and adjectives (and more) associated with the noun, complicating the ease of translation. 

 

Although this may seem like a lot, do not let this deter you from wanting to learn, or even wanting to translate into Spanish. Here are some key tips for you to remember if you wish to translate from English to Spanish.

 

  • Familiarise yourself with the subject beforehand

This is especially important when translating orally, as it could prevent a disruption in translation while you try to remember a specific technical term. It is also wise to prepare your client beforehand so that he/she is aware of the general gist of conversation without your constant whispering in their ear.

 

  • Do not translate literally

It is much better to convey the meaning accurately using slightly different vocabulary than to translate literally but miss the point entirely.

 

  • Avoid online translators

Online TranslationComputer generated translations tend to translate large pieces of text word by word, ignoring the variation in meaning that comes with certain grammatical structures or phrases like idioms.

 

  • Use a native Spanish speaker

If you are translating yourself, try to get a native speaker to proofread your work. They will have the understanding of subtle quirks in the language that are required for you to sound as natural as possible.

 

  • Know your audience

Castilian TranslationLatin Spanish TranslationBe aware of the differences in the language between Spain and Latin America – if your audience is Latin American you will need to account for the linguistic differences (see the article below for more detail on this). It would be wise to use a native Latin American speaker.

 

  • Cultural sensitivity

An understanding of cultural differences is key. For example, certain phrases or words may not be appropriate in a formal document and should therefore be avoided when translating. This is also paramount when translating orally, as a intuitive gesture or facial expression can mean completely different things in another culture than what is meant at home!

 

  • Take your time

Do not rush the process! Really think about the best way to translate each clause so that its original meaning is preserved as much as possible.

 

  • Check your workspanish blog 5

There are many factors to consider when translating and it is easy to forget the simple rules. Checking your work will flag up any silly mistakes you made beforehand.

 

  • Practice!

The key to learning a language and maintaining your skill is to refresh yourself with not only key vocabulary but essential grammar also. This will enhance your ability to translate, creating more accurate and less time consuming work.

 

If you need any help with both English to Spanish and Spanish to English translation, Creative Word offer a range of personalised multi-lingual services, including professional translation that precisely meets our client’s needs. Contact us for more information or help enhancing your translations.