A Translator’s Guide for English-to-Japanese Translations

With the third largest economy worldwide, Japan is continuing to attract businesses that want to translate their products into a new language. However, there are challenges to address when translating content between English and Japanese, such as cultural preferences, grammar differences, and tone and style considerations. To help ensure a smooth translation process, here is a translator’s guide for English-to-Japanese translations:

The History of the Japanese Language

To understand the complexities of the Japanese language, it is helpful to first take a look at the language’s history. The origins of Japanese writing stem from the Nara period in the eighth century, when Japanese people started to use Chinese ideograms. Later, other writing systems were developed, and those methods are part of the composite system that is still being used in Japan today.

Japanese was formalized as a language between the 17th and 18th centuries during the Edo period, and it grew from the dialect that was spoken in Tokyo. The language became standardized early in the 20th century, and, in 1903, the government of Japan printed the official Japanese textbook for schools. Today, with 126 million native speakers, Japanese remains a language that is rooted in culture.

Understanding Japan’s Writing Styles

One of the aspects of Japanese that makes translations difficult is that it consists of three writing styles, and translators have to know which ones to use. The writing styles are:

  • Kanji, which is comprised of complex characters that signify concepts and ideas. Instead of using words and phrases to express a thought, Kanji uses strokes to denote meanings based on where they are placed in a character set.
  • Katakana, which is used for foreign words and names, as well as for technical and scientific terms, and for onomatopoeia; this system is also used to show emphasis.
  • Hiragana, which is used for native Japanese words and for grammar structures.

When translating from English to Japanese, it is often better to select kanji, katakana, or a combination of both styles.

Tips to Remember While Translating

When translating from English to Japanese, follow these guidelines:

  • Ensure that the correct message is conveyed: Since some Japanese phrasing can be ambiguous, the literal definition of a word can often be different from its intended meaning. As an example, without understanding the context of the wording, it could be unclear whether the subject of a Japanese expression is meant to be singular or plural, as well as whether the gender is male or female. A Japanese translation company with native speakers of the language would be able to accurately communicate the message’s intent.
  • Pay attention to the spacing needed for characters: With Japanese document translation, it is vital to be flexible with the space that is required for characters, since the text will expand when translating from English to Japanese.
  • Focus on sentence structure: The grammar rules between English and Japanese have some major differences that a Japanese translation agency could address. As an example, subjects and verbs are usually positioned at the beginning of a sentence in English, whereas they are typically placed at the end of a sentence in Japanese. Additionally, the Japanese sentence structure follows the order of subject, object, and verb, while English sentences are structured as subject, verb, and then object.
  • Know the differences in how to use tenses: The English language has three clear tenses; they are past, present, and future. However, Japanese has only the past and non-past tenses, so events in the present and in the future would be explained by the non-past tense. This can create an issue for English-to-Japanese translation services because some Japanese verb tenses do not have a related word in English.
  • Be considerate about politeness. In Japan, there are levels of honorifics that are influenced by a person’s role, age, or experience, and using them correctly is essential to ensuring that the reader is not offended by misuse. By collaborating with a professional Japanese translation services company, businesses can be certain that their translation will meet the appropriate standard of honorifics for the intended audience.

Guinness World Records Book Has Successful Translation

When the Kadokawa Corporation planned to translate its Guinness World Records 2012 edition from English to Japanese, there were many challenges to overcome, such as:

  • Translating more than 200,000 English words to Japanese in one month.
  • Bringing together the right multidisciplinary team to cover the vast array of topics, including science, astrology, culture, and engineering.
  • Ensuring consistency and precision throughout the project.
  • Making certain that the book had a high level of fluency and readability.

By working with Ulatus, the translation was a success, and all of the requirements were met.

As the ninth most spoken language across the globe, Japanese is an excellent option for companies that want to pursue a market that is continuing to experience tremendous growth. Because of the complexities of translating from English to Japanese, work with a language services provider to ensure precise translations.

Summary

Translating content between English and Japanese has its challenges, such as cultural preferences, grammar differences, and tone and style considerations. To help ensure a smooth translation process, here is a translator’s guide for English-to-Japanese translations.