Mandarin translation: what to know

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

What mandarin translation is

A Mandarin translator converts text between English and Mandarin Chinese, choosing between simplified and traditional characters and adapting the tone for your readers. Mandarin is used in mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore and other communities with differences in characters and vocabulary, so where your readers are matters.

Signs you need it

  • Your readers are in mainland China, Taiwan or another community, and you need the right characters for them.
  • You are publishing a website, brochure or product guide that Mandarin readers will use to make decisions.
  • You need a contract, certificate or school document translated with exact terms.
  • A machine translation of your text has names or terms in the wrong form.
  • You want English text translated into Mandarin for a business or family purpose, with a respectful tone.
  • You are writing for a mixed audience and need to decide on the characters and vocabulary.

What the pro does

  • Confirms where the readers are, which decides simplified or traditional characters, and the tone to use.
  • Builds a glossary of names, product terms and titles, with the Chinese form and the romanization each will use.
  • Translates the text, adjusting sentence structure so it reads naturally in Mandarin rather than as a word for word copy.
  • Checks dates, figures, names and addresses against the source, including the formats used in Chinese documents.
  • Reviews the text for tone and returns it with notes on the choices you should 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Every job is different, so we do not publish prices.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.
  • Simplified, traditional or both, since a second character set means a second version to produce and check.
  • Subject complexity, such as legal, medical, technical or marketing text.
  • Formatting, such as layout, tables and forms.
  • Whether a second reviewer checks the Chinese text.
  • Deadline for delivery.

What a written quote should spell out

  • The word count or page count, and the language direction.
  • Whether the text is simplified, traditional or both, and where the readers are.
  • The glossary step, and who approves the terms and the romanization.
  • Whether a second review is included.
  • The file format returned, and whether the layout is recreated.

Questions to ask before you hire

  • Where will the readers be, and do they read simplified or traditional characters?
  • Will you adjust the tone for a business or a family audience?
  • How do you handle names, titles and addresses?
  • Can you show a sample passage on a subject like mine?
  • Will a second person check the Chinese text?
  • Can you produce both character sets if my readers are split?

Red flags

  • Does not ask where the readers are or which characters they use.
  • Gives a word for word translation with an unnatural structure and calls it finished.
  • Changes names, numbers or dates without checking the source.
  • Cannot explain the character choices or the tone in the text.
  • Promises the text will be accepted by a government or company without checking its requirements.

What you can do yourself

You can list the readers' location, the names and terms that must stay the same, and the level of formality you want, then have a Mandarin speaker from the readers' region read a draft. Hire a translator when the text is official, will be published or sent to customers, or contains legal, medical or technical terms where a wrong word changes the meaning.

Licenses and permits

Mandarin 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 Mandarin samples in your subject as proof of skill.

Mandarin translation questions

Simplified or traditional characters?

Use the set your readers read. Simplified characters are common in mainland China, and traditional characters are common in Taiwan and Hong Kong, though many readers can read both. Ask the translator to match your readers' location.

Will my name be translated?

Personal names are often given a Chinese form, and company names may stay in English. Agree the form for each name in the glossary before translating.

Can a machine translation be used?

For a rough idea of the content, yes. For anything official, published or important to a decision, have a person translate or check the text.

Pro reviewers

Pros who offer mandarin 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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