The German market is a buying force to be reckoned with.
Germany is not only the largest country and economy in the European Union but also third on Statista’s 2024 list of the top 20 world economies. The need for English-speaking companies to market to German audiences has increased the demand for German translation. The same is true for other language combinations to create content, like Spanish into German translation and French into German Translation.
If Germany and its citizens or speakers of the language anywhere in the world are in your target audience, quality translation services are key to forming a lasting connection. But translating into or from German is no easy task, and working in a business setting makes accuracy paramount.
German is similar to English, but this doesn’t make translating easier. In this blog, we’ll examine how the English and German languages are similar, how they differ, and what common issues are with German translation services.
The German Language Worldwide
German is not just the language of Germany. It is also the official language of six countries, including Austria, Belgium, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, and Switzerland. Each country has its own localized version of German, but these dialects are generally very similar and easily understood by one another, save for certain vocabulary words.
German is also one of the official languages of the European Union. In fact, German is the most widely spoken language in Europe, even beating out English and Spanish! German is spoken by roughly 100 million people worldwide, but this doesn’t even factor in the people who speak German as a second or third language.
While modern Germany, particularly Berlin, is a hub for business and trade, this isn’t the only industry requiring German translations. German is a common language of literature and philosophy, particularly for works written in the 18th – 20th centuries. The German language has roots dating back to 500 B.C., and there are thousands of classic works written in one form of the language or another.
German and English Language Overlap
English and German developed from the same branch of the Indo-European language family. The West-Germanic branch originated in central Europe around today’s Germany during the Roman Empire. As such, the languages have some overlap, mainly lexical borrowing in the vocabulary. In fact, the languages share roughly half of their vocabulary words. Man in English becomes Mann in German, photo becomes Foto, and so on. The languages also overlap using many terms, such as wanderlust, poltergeist, and kindergarten.
Both languages use the Latin alphabet and Arabic numerals, although German uses a period separator in the thousands place, rather than a comma. Despite these vocabulary similarities, the two languages have several key differences.
3 Ways German is Different Than English
1. Gender
Gendered terms are not a concept most English speakers are familiar with, though speakers of Romance languages like Spanish will be. In German, nouns have one of three genders.
- Feminine
- Masculine
- Neuter
However, unlike Spanish translations, where the noun’s ending makes the gender obvious (-o suffix for masculine and -a suffix for feminine), German words do not have these indicators. Genders seem to be randomly assigned to words, which can confuse non-fluent speakers. Additionally, the noun’s gender can impact the rest of the translation, affecting the ending of modifying adjectives and the indefinite article “ein.”
There are rules for gender like
Diminutives are always of neutral gender, and they can be identified by their suffix, which in written German is “-chen” or “-lein
2. Cases
In cases, German translations can get really confusing. The endings for both indefinite and definite articles and the ending for adjectives change according to the noun’s placement in a sentence. Each possible placement is called a case, and the German language has four cases:
- Nominative
- Accusative
- Dative
- Genitive
Each case has its own ending forms, and combined with the gender forms, there are twelve possible forms for the adjectives, indefinite, and definite articles.
3. Syntax
German syntax differs from English and sometimes requires the translator or speaker to place the verb at the end of a clause. The rules governing this are straightforward but challenging for non-fluent speakers.
In the translation industry, we use CAT tools that segment content during the translation process. Attention to segmentation is essential during the translation into German to avoid the wrong placement of words.
Common Challenges with German Translations
Compound Words
German is known for having long compound words. This is because the language does not create new words for concepts but combines existing words that describe the idea. This can create incredibly long, tongue-twisting words. For example, the word Kraftfahrzeug-Haftpflichtversicherung is 36 letters long and describes motor vehicle liability insurance.
Text Expansion
Due to the aforementioned concept of long words, translating other languages into German comes with significant text expansion, in some cases up to a 33% increase in length. This can significantly impact designs, website layouts, ads, and more. If you know that an English to German translation is needed, design with white space and text expansion in mind. Also, plan for a linguistic review to see how the content displays to ensure the translated content is well.
Formal and Informal Speech
German can be formal or informal, and knowing when to use each form is crucial to a message’s success. Like all languages with formal and informal options, using informal German should be done with caution, particularly in marketing settings. The translation company should ask questions to ensure what type of Speech will be appropriate for each piece of content.
Certified German Translation Services
You’re in the right place if you require certified German translation services. The professional translation experts at JR Language can provide certified German-to-English translation services and vice versa.
What is a Certified Translation?
A certified translation comes with a sworn and signed certification document from the translation agency attesting to its accuracy. Certified translations are necessary for many legal and government settings but may also be required in business transactions.
Work with a Translation Agency expert in German translations
There are many key elements to address in a German translation project. Take your time and partner with a translation agency that has a team of linguists, designers, engineers, and project managers to manage your German translations with accuracy and knowledge.
German translation services are necessary for businesses in a variety of industries. If you’re marketing towards or working with a German-speaking audience, turn to the JR Language Translation Services experts. Our professional translators not only have native-level fluency in English and German, but they also have subject matter expertise across various industries. Our team makes your translation project accurate and successful!
