Hebrew translation: what to know

What the job involves, what changes the price, and what to ask a pro.

What hebrew translation is

A Hebrew translator converts documents between English and Hebrew, handling right to left layout and written and modern spoken conventions. Modern Hebrew is used in Israel and by communities abroad, and the written form follows conventions that differ in some ways from everyday speech.

Signs you need it

  • Your readers are Hebrew speakers, and you need a document that reads naturally in written Hebrew.
  • You have a contract, certificate or notice that must be read in Hebrew with exact terms.
  • You are publishing a website, product guide or course in Hebrew and want the layout to work right to left.
  • You have a Hebrew document that must be read in English for a business, legal or personal purpose.
  • A machine translation has broken the right to left layout or mixed the direction of English and Hebrew text.
  • You need a formal document that follows the conventions an Israeli office or employer expects.

What the pro does

  • Confirms the readers, the purpose and the level of formality the document needs.
  • Builds a glossary of names, product terms and titles, with the Hebrew form of each.
  • Translates the text in modern written Hebrew, adapting phrases that would sound spoken or out of place.
  • Checks the right to left layout, including how English words, numbers and dates display within Hebrew lines.
  • Reviews the translation for natural phrasing, then returns the file with notes on any choice to approve.

What changes the price

Every job is different, so we do not publish prices. These are the things that move the quote up or down.

  • Word count or page count, and the number of documents.
  • Register needed, formal, everyday or a mix.
  • Subject complexity, such as legal, medical, technical or marketing text.
  • Layout complexity, such as right to left tables, forms or mixed English and Hebrew text.
  • Whether a second reviewer checks the Hebrew text.
  • Deadline for delivery.

What a written quote should spell out

  • The word count or page count, and the language direction.
  • The register the translation uses.
  • The glossary step, and who approves the terms.
  • Whether the layout is checked for right to left display.
  • Whether a second review is included, and the file format returned.

Questions to ask before you hire

  • Who will read the Hebrew text, and what register do they expect?
  • How do you handle English words within Hebrew lines?
  • Will you check the right to left layout in the final file?
  • Will a second person review the Hebrew text?
  • Can you keep the layout of my forms or tables?
  • Can you show a sample passage on a subject like mine?

Red flags

  • Breaks the right to left layout and does not check it.
  • Changes names, dates or figures in the translation.
  • Sends a machine translation with no human review and presents it as professional work.
  • Cannot explain how English and numbers are displayed within the Hebrew text.
  • Will not show a sample passage in a subject like yours.

What you can do yourself

You can list the names and terms that must stay the same, and whether the document is formal, then have a Hebrew speaker read a draft and look at the layout. Hire a translator when the document is official, will be published or sent to customers, or contains legal, medical or technical terms where one wrong word changes the meaning.

Licenses and permits

Hebrew translation is not commonly licensed, so a license is usually not required for this work. Check with the office or organization that will receive the document, since some set their own rules for accepted translations, and ask the translator for Hebrew samples in your subject as proof of skill.

Hebrew translation questions

How does right to left text affect my document?

Hebrew is written from right to left, so tables, bullet points and numbers can display in unexpected places, and English words inside Hebrew lines can shift the order. Ask the translator to check the final file.

Are vowel marks used?

Most modern written Hebrew does not use vowel marks, though they appear in some texts such as children's books and poetry. Tell the translator if your readers expect them.

Is written Hebrew the same as spoken Hebrew?

They overlap but differ in places. Written documents usually use a more formal form than everyday speech, so a document for an office or a customer may need that form.

Pro reviewers

Pros who offer hebrew translation remotely can improve this guide, like Wikipedia. We check every edit before it goes live. Every approved edit is credited in the edit history and on the pro's profile.

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