![]() Just think how different the English idiom “carrot and stick” is to the German “Zuckerbrot and Peitsche”. Translating is particularly tricky when it comes to idioms and plays on words. Another nice example is that of a German beverage manufacturer who wanted to raffle off a backpack as part of a promotion and called it a “body bag” – an accessory which is rather less popular in the English-speaking world. If it sounds English, it’s bound to be English … or maybe not! Just consider the German word “Handy” which is not at all the word native English speakers use for their mobile phones. German “aktuell” (current, up-to-date) and English “actual” (really, in fact). It refers to words that sound very similar in different languages while having an often completely different meaning, e.g. This phenomenon is also known as “ faux ami”. The most common translation mistakes include: Even professional translators have been known to fall into language traps from time to time. ![]() Every language is full of nuances and special characteristics that sometimes can make translating a real nightmare. But only for personal use, please! Otherwise you might end up with bloomers like those mentioned in our blog article “ Google Translate – friend or foe? ” (NB: This article is only available in German.)Īs many of us know, translating can be tricky. On the other hand, they can be detrimental to your business or even have legal consequences.īut I can do it with Google Translate! Yes, you can. On the one hand, incorrect translations are quite simply embarrassing. Inaccurate, imprecise or simply incorrect translations can have far-reaching consequences for companies. While a little translation faux pas might be quite funny when it’s only about your holiday snack, it’s no laughing matter when it happens in the business world. Did you just spot the famous “Pizza Vier Bahnhof” (“Quattro Stagioni”), the “Brust der Türkei” (“Pechuga de pavo”) or the “liebe und saure Schweinchen” (“Sweet and sour pork”)? Alas, the Frankenstein monsters of translation are not just alive and kicking on the menus of this world … There is no one better to tell you if a campaign will work than someone who is experienced with branding as well based in the market.Ĭodex Global offers a wide range of services that are designed to overcome the linguistic and cultural differences that can pose risk to brands looking to increase their global presence.Ĭultural consultations, market insights, transcreation, multilingual keyword research and brand management are just a few examples of services that can help brands ensure that their messaging is sensitive to the local climate and makes the right impact.We’ve all been there: You’re on holiday and skimming the menu of a local restaurant – and suddenly you can’t help but hoot with laughter. Working with native linguists will always help. So how do you avoid going down the same road as these big brands? These mistranslations will have caused countless hours of reworking the website by the Amazon team, which need not have happened had they had local linguists work alongside them. Many seem to think they were adapted from English to Swedish using only machine translation considering the many mistakes made. Today it's one month since Amazon launched in Sweden, and it seems like their "AI-powered" translation tool still is drunk. ![]() However it was not the loose they intended as when it was directly translated to Spanish, it became ‘ diarrhoea’. Once upon a time, Coors advertising team came up with the phrase ‘ Turn it Loose’ to appeal to people to have a good time and drink their beverage. There have been countless examples of companies not doing this, which should convince anyone how important it is to make sure that every adaptation is up to the highest standard it can be. That involves working with local linguists with relevant sector-specific expertise to make sure that every single word or implied notion is understood as intended, does not offend, or look ill-informed. When a company creates an advertising campaign, it must work in all countries it will be broadcasted to so it’s correctly understood and has the intended impact. ![]() How can companies avoid falling into the trap of creating an advert or campaign that doesn’t translate well or is culturally insensitive? How to avoid a faux pas when rolling out a global campaign
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