Griaß God! Moin! Servus! Grüezi! Would you have known? In the German-speaking world alone, there are around 20 different dialects, which are sometimes pretty tricky to tell apart. Sometimes a dialect can be a source of amusement – a “Modschegiebschn” is a ladybug in Saxony, for example, and “Breschdlengsgsälz” is what people in Swabia call strawberry jam. Dialects in different states can be very diverse and some similar terms have differing regional meanings. That makes translating them a challenge that requires a lot of linguistic finesse. So what is the best way to translate dialects and what do you need to keep in mind?
Dialects are important – it takes know-how and a sure feel for the language to translate them
First of all, dialects can be difficult to translate because they are often a unique and very local phenomenon. Something that is understood by everyone in one city may cause some raised eyebrows just a few kilometers away. And if there are already difficulties in a country where more or less everyone speaks the same language, how complicated is it going to get when it comes to translation into a foreign language? Just imagine Huckleberry Finn, the Fresh Prince of Bel Air or even Raj Koothrappali speaking English like a member of the British Royal family. The stubborn use of the standardized form of the target language in a translation can rob a text or film of its special character. It loses its charm and pizzazz.
What does this mean for companies that want to translate a dialect? For large corporations, typical dialects may seem insignificant at first glance, but for native speakers they are anything but. They are the icing on the cake of our work! A message that is conveyed in one’s own dialect not only comes across more positively, it is also better understood and received. Even Alexa now speaks a few varieties of English: Users can choose between English (USA), English (Canada), English (UK), English (Australia) or English (India).
A dialect is a language variety that differs in vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. Moreover, it can also be written differently from the standardized version of the language in question. In Spain, for example, it is common to say “Voy a coger un taxi.” (“I’m going to take a cab.”). In Mexico, on the other hand, they say: “Voy a tomar un taxi.” In Latin America, “coger” has a completely different meaning. In this case, it’s actually something vulgar. Here is another example: If a company translates its website into Chinese, someone who speaks a different Chinese dialect may not understand the site. So what is the best approach to take?
A distinction is usually made between two types of dialect translations: socio-economic and geographical. In a geographic translation, translators choose a geographically similar region in the target culture and take one of its dialects. Socio-economic translations work with the dialect of a particular class of the population.
Although the translation of dialects is a topic of frequent discussion, especially in literature, companies should also pay attention to the peculiarities of dialects, for example, in order to communicate effectively with new target groups in new markets. ACT Translations relies on a team of skilled and experienced native speakers who are well versed in localization peculiarities and challenges. A website translation for Mexican customers is therefore localized into Mexican Spanish and not into European Spanish.
Localization is essential for companies to compete globally in local markets. They must speak the language of their customers – and this includes dialects and local peculiarities. Otherwise, misunderstandings could quickly lead to image damage or to a website no longer being called up or a store no longer being visited. If you want to localize dialects professionally and precisely, you need linguistic skills and a good feel for the language. It also usually takes longer to find a coherent dialect translation instead of just translating the words one-to-one. But if you succeed, you can ideally expand your business and push ahead to success.
Communicating with people in their own dialect is the best way to show them that you respect and understand them and their concerns. In this way, companies not only address their identity, but also create trust. Localization by native and experienced translators is the best way to do just that.
At ACT Translations we are familiar with language peculiarities and dialects. We find the right solution for every translation and localization project. Click here to go to your contact person.
