Does your company export products or operate in Italy? If so, should you invest in English to Italian translation of your global documents to better connect with customers, employees, and business partners?
Italian, as you probably already know, is one of the romance languages and is a close relative of the Latin language. Numerous Italian words are already familiar to English speakers.
If your company has operations in Italy or is looking to expand there, then English to Italian translation of your global documents, website copy, and other content should be a priority.
There are 85 million speakers of the Italian language throughout the world, not just in Italy. You’ll hear the language used in Slovenia, Croatia, Argentina, and even the United States. Additionally, the European Union uses it as one of its working languages.
However, you probably don’t need to translate your content unless you are either operating in Italy or exporting to Italy.
Translators Will Need More Than Source Text
When you are translating your content into Italian, keep in mind that translators will need more than just fluency to be able to translate from English to Italian. They need insights into your intended audience, purpose, branding voice, and overarching message.
If you are localizing your website and/or applications for the Italian market then be sure to create company-specific rules for supporting various currencies.
Different text lengths and terminology preferences as they relate to your company’s and industry’s lingo will also be helpful.
I have outlined a few things below to keep in mind while you make your brand popular in Italy.
Italian Translations Will Be Longer
EPIC Translations recently worked with an early childhood development and pediatric behavioral health company where we localized their app. This app is an FDA authorized diagnostic solution designed to equip healthcare providers to diagnose or rule out autism in children ages 1.5 to 6.
Developers created rules for text length, terminology preference, and other standards that enabled us to localize the app’s content as effectively as possible. This would be the same for all target languages, including Italian.
The biggest challenge we faced in localizing this app was text length. The app is optimized for mobile devices. As such, the user interface elements needed to be able to perfectly fit all of the text regardless of the target language and length.
-Mostansar Virk | CEO
If your company is localizing websites or apps, then you might want to consider your general design and development process and how you want to incorporate your English to Italian translations into it. It’s important to ensure that your developers provide a flexible user interface because languages like Italian can expand more than English text. (Spoiler: Other languages might expand even more than Italian!)
Same can be said for various other types of material, such as flyers, presentations, or one-pagers. Keep your options open about the content length for document translation, and collaborate closely with your development team to ensure that your English to Italian translated text can be repositioned as needed. Otherwise, your project schedule might be negatively impacted.
At EPIC Translations, we are able to seamlessly incorporate translations with development and design applications like Adobe Creative Suite, Translized, Phrase Strings, or Transifex. These and most other platforms allow you to adjust the underlying design for accommodating text expansion before development starts by using genuine or fictitious translations from the start of the design process.
More Context is Needed in Italian
Many of the same terms are used in the English language to mean many things. In English, there are more than 6,000 homonyms. For instance, the term “contract” can indicate both an agreement and to make anything shorter/thinner/narrower. Italian requires more depth and complexity in order to convey concepts, which makes language translation into it more challenging.
Italian is one example of how business and technical translations don’t always transition well into other languages. This is precisely why giving your translators context is so crucial. Make sure to provide comments on how words and phrases will be utilized when submitting your request for translations. You can do this by including screenshots of the user interface, a content brief, or more in-depth strategic information on brand and tone of voice.
When you work with EPIC Translations, we create a translation memory (TM) specifically for your company. This TM ensures consistency is terminology, style, and stone throughout all of your translations.
Italian Language is More Expressive
Italian is a poetic and Latin-based language and is definitely more expressive than English. The cadence of the syntax and lexicon is one of the things that makes Italian such a lovely language to hear. On the other hand, the majority of English-speaking audiences prefer succinct, direct words.
When it comes to business or technical writing, you may need to be flexible with length in order to translate it accurately. Translating word for word just does not work for any language, let alone Italian. Moreover, Italians are inherently more expressive in their vocal tones, body language, and facial expressions. They frequently make hand motions to emphasize their points. In the absence of this body language, written communication naturally has to become more expressive.
The Italian translations will lose some of their significance if you try to make them shorter. Consider starting with a different value proposition or adding space for a longer explanation of a topic to better suit Italian customers’ cultural expectations when they interact with businesses as you think about your translation strategy holistically.
Italian Has Different Levels of Formality
The Italian language can also be a lot more formal. It is appropriate to address spouses, friends, and peers differently than doctors, managers, clients, and professors in Italian, as it is in other romance languages like French or Spanish.
Even though “Lei” and “Loro” are not as frequently used as they once were, especially among younger generations, it is still a more formal language than audiences who understand English may believe. Even if you want your brand to come across as casual or approachable, using the improper format can alienate members of your audience, especially when it comes to traditionally professional papers like contracts, business agreements, or regulations.
In order to convey the general vibe of your brand, translators must strike a balance between formality that makes sense to an Italian audience. Formality is one of the cultural nuances that are necessary to make your content feel local and natural. Keep in mind that localization isn’t always about literal (word for word) translations.
Start Your Journey with EPIC Translations
We deliver high-impact English to Italian translations that simplify your communications with your clients, staff, suppliers, and partners in Italy.
Simply put, EPIC Translations exists to support your content translation needs whether you need to translate product manuals, company newsletters, apps / website copy, or legal documents.
Need a quote for your next translation project? Fill out the form below, and we’ll be in touch shortly. Or, give us a call at (888) 214-2053.