English to Traditional Chinese Translation Services
- Highly skilled, native English to Chinese traditional translators based in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan
- Accurately translate English to Chinese Traditional or Cantonese
- On-demand Chinese (traditional) to English translation
- Quality assured through multiple rounds of editing and proofreading
- Timely delivery and a transparent pricing structure
ISO 9001 & ISO 17100 Certified
20 Years of Expertise
6,000+ Happy Customers
24/7/365 Customer Support
Trusted by Global Companies
English to Traditional Chinese Translation
English to Chinese traditional translation services open a fair share of opportunities for companies aspiring to grow their global reach and tap into the lucrative markets that use traditional Chinese characters. Accurate translation from English to Chinese traditional facilitates intercultural communication and promote trust with prospective clients and partners in the huge traditional Chinese market, resulting in increased sales and revenue.
However, translating English to traditional Chinese can be a complex and daunting task due to significant differences in glossary, grammar, syntax, colloquial expressions, and tonal representation between the two languages.
That’s why it’s critical to outsource English to traditional Chinese translation services to an experienced and specialized vendor like Wordspath. Professional LSPs work exclusively with experienced native Chinese translators to guarantee the highest quality is met, saving businesses time and money while allowing them to focus entirely on their specialties or other aspects of their operations.
Chinese Traditional to English Translation
Wordspath provides accurate translation from Chinese traditional to English for a various contexts, including business communication, academic research, immigration, entertainment, understanding Chinese traditional culture, and incorporating traditional Chinese medicine into Western medical practices, etc.
Translating from Chinese traditional to English also poses many challenges for translators. These include accurately conveying the meaning of the original text, tackling technical terminology and different writing systems, and handling cultural nuances and language-specific expressions in traditional Chinese that may not have their equivalents in English, etc.
Overcoming these challenges requires the expertise of a skilled English Chinese traditional translator who is proficient in both languages and can bridge cultural divides. That is why it’s important to entrust a reliable and experienced Chinese translation company like Wordspath with your English traditional Chinese translation services.
Our English Traditional Chinese Translation Services: Best Practices
English Traditional Chinese Translation Services
Wordspath is committed to offering unparalleled expertise and professionalism in delivering top-quality English to traditional Chinese translation. Our established team of linguistic professionals is equipped to handle diverse document types in various industries with precision and efficiency. Whether for business or personal purposes, we always deliver the expected accuracy and customer satisfaction, ensuring all your needs are met and exceeded.
Why Choose Us?
Native Chinese Translators
Based in South China, Wordspath has access to an extensive resource of native skilled Chinese translators proficient in translating English to Chinese traditional characters used in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. This gives us a distinct advantage in providing highly accurate and culturally appropriate Mandarin English translations. With an innate understanding of the nuances of the Chinese language and culture, our native Chinese translators are well-versed in delivering translations that resonate with your target audience, between English and Chinese traditional.
ISO 9001 & 17100 Certified
Wordspath is a reputable translation company certified with ISO 9001 and ISO 17100 standards. With a rigorous and standardized quality management process, our team ensures that customers receive superior results that hit the mark every time. By working with an ISO-certified translation company with a commitment to excellence and ongoing improvement, customers can benefit from the peace of mind that they will always get translation services that are reliable, accurate, and of the highest quality.
Fluent in 150+ Langauges
Our company is home to 30,000+ native translators with deep expertise under their belts to translate field-specific content from and into 150+ languages. Using translations entirely completed by native translators ensure that the results are not only accurate but culturally sensitive to avoid any potential misinterpretations or offenses.
Opting for a translation company that provides comprehensive language services can simplify project coordination and streamline management efficiency. By eliminating the need to coordinate with multiple vendors handling different language pairs, customers can focus on their core business goals and leave the translation process in the hands of experts who can handle all languages.
Expertise in 14+ Industries
At Wordspath, our team has substantial hands-on experience and deep industry-specific expertise in handling translation projects for 14+ industries. With a thorough understanding and specialized knowledge of a specific field, they are equipped to accurately convert the technical terms, unique jargon, and writing style of each industry between languages and handle their nuances.
Using an amateur translator to translate highly technical field-specific content can have severe and far-reaching consequences. In the best-case scenario, it could lead to financial losses, and in the worst-case scenario, it could result in legal complications and even reputational damage. Given the high stakes involved, it’s essential for businesses to partner with a professional translation company with industry experience to ensure accurate and reliable translations that are tailored to your needs.
Quality Assurance
Wordspath puts in place a stringent quality assurance system and a streamlined TEP process to guarantee that our work consistently achieves the highest accuracy and industry standards. Before allocating a project, we rigorously vet all our translators in the network who are proficient in that given language pair and verify their qualifications and experience in translating the relevant subject matter in the project.
Only the most qualified candidate will be assigned to the job to ensure top-quality work from the translator’s end. The completed translations must undergo a stringent editing process conducted by our experienced editors who check for accuracy, consistency, style, and many other things to ensure the intended message is accurately conveyed to the audience. We also provide another layer of final review of the edited content by our established proofreaders as per the customer’s requirement. Before delivery, the finalized document must go through rigorous cross-checking to eliminate errors, omissions, formatting and layout issues, etc.
Fast Delivery & Rush Services
With attentive 24/7 customer service, we are accessible to our customers at all times. Our time-conscious team of professionals understands that time is of the essence in any industry. So we provide fast delivery and rush services, including same-day or next-day deliveries, to meet tight deadlines. Our team excels at project management and knows when to prioritize urgent projects without compromising the quality or the process of other ongoing projects.
If you intend to receive your accurate translations as fast as possible to save time and avoid delays in your business operations, working with an LSP that has a commitment to fast delivery and rush services like Wordspath will give you a head start and make your business more competitive in the market.
Order English to Chinese Traditional Translation Now!
Industry-specific Expertise
Ever since its establishment, Wordspath has built a good reputation in its project experience translating specialized content across industries including IT, gaming, advertising & marketing, medical & healthcare, etc. Discover our supported industries and know more.
Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan have grown into technology-driven markets over the past few decades. Expanding to these markets requires linguistically and technically accurate translations done by native Chinese traditional translators with specialized knowledge in the technology field. Our expertise in IT translation from English to Chinese traditional can speed up your business’ entry into the abovementioned markets.
Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan are known for their highly developed medical and healthcare services. Corporates or organizations looking to tap into these lucrative markets will require technically accurate translations of their medical documents, research papers, patient education materials, clinical trial, etc. With a professional team of medical Chinese translators with a deep understanding of medical terminology and local regulations, you can communicate effectively with local partners, stakeholders, and patients.
The gaming industry in Hong Kong and Taiwan is thriving with multiple game companies headquartered there. Breaking into this lucrative market requires careful consideration of the traditional Chinese language and cultural nuances. Wordspath’s expert team of native Chinese game translators is equipped with specialized knowledge in the gaming industry to understand and handle the intricacies of game translation and localization while retaining the tone and style of the original game. Translate your game from English to traditional Chinese or Cantonese to set the stage for success in these markets.
The marketing industries in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan have seen tremendous growth in recent years, especially in digital marketing. To unleash their businesses’ potential in the lucrative market, companies must ensure their translated advertising and marketing content is linguistically accurate and culturally adapted to suit the traditional Chinese audience’s preferences and requirements. Wordspath has a proven track record of delivering spot-on marketing translations from English to Chinese traditional or Cantonese, helping create a strong connection with potential local customers and paving the way for success in the traditional Chinese market.
We’re also equipped with filed-specific expertise in these industries:
Documents Types We Support
- Annual Medicare Fraud
- Annual Report
- App Strings
- Application Design
- Audit Report
- Branding Materials
- Building Technology
- Characters and Key Names
- Clinical Trial Study
- Cloud Data Encryption
- Consent to Surgery
- Contracts / Agreements
- Customer Support
- Cybersecurity Solutions
- Descriptions / Dialogue
- Documentation
- Drug Description
- Electrical Design Calculations
- Hardware Security Modules
- Host / Guest Messaging
- Informed Consent Form
- Insider Guide
- Insurance Coverage
- Licenses & Permits
- Location Guides
- Main Story
- Manual Translation
- Marketing Collateral
- Material Processing
- Patents
- Patient Information Sheet
- Power Generation & Distribution
- Physical Infrastructure
- Privacy Statement
- Product Descriptions
- Promotions / Digital Marketing
- Scene Introductions
- Static Website Copy
- Synopsis / Loglines
- Terms & Conditions
- Trademarks & Copyrights
- Tutorial / Design Document
- User Guide
- User Reviews
- Website
- White Paper
Have English to Traditional Chinese Translation Project?
We have vast experience translating English to traditional Chinese for all file types and mainstream industries.
Meet Our Expert Team
As a China-based translation company, English to traditional Chinese translation is one of the specialized services that we offer. For every project, we assemble an elite team of account managers, project manager, technical specialists, resource manager, linguists, DTP experts, and LQA engineer to deliver the best results as you expect. These cross-functional teams work closely and cooperatively to ensure that translations meet the highest standard each time. The professionals are native Chinese speakers who can accurately translate English to Chinese traditional characters while speaking your industry’s language.
According to our translation workflow, the project will be sequentially handled by the following teams:
Client Services Manager
The client services manager manages client relationships, discusses and align collaboration frameworks with clients, offers price quotes, draft contracts, and provides other support and guidance to ensure your needs are addressed and goals are met. They serve as the main point of contact you throughout the translation project.
Strategic Account Manager
The strategic account manager plays a pivotal role in coordinating with the client services manager and connecting with other roles in the production team. Acting as a liaison between different team members, AM ensures the project runs smoothly and everything is implemented as expected.
Project Manager
At Wordspath, a project manager serves as the central figure in a translation project from start to finish. A PM is responsible for overseeing the translation project’s schedule, managing the team budget, and selecting qualified translator(s), editor(s), and proofreader(s) to put the project team together. PM ensures effective communication and seamless coordination between you and other team members and timely and high-quality project delivery.
- Continuous Support: The project manager is available to address all your inquiries, including analyzing the source document, handling negotiations with the translators regarding prices or translations, providing updates of the project status, etc., via any contact method 24/7.
- Adaptable Work Schedule: Regardless of the time zone, our project managers are flexible and capable of adapting their work schedule to accommodate the urgent requirements of our global clients undertaking significant projects.
- Another Pair of Eyes to Check for Mistakes: The project manager is responsible for evaluating the work of our translators, editors, and proofreaders, offering an additional layer of comprehensive review to guarantee each translation meets our stringent quality standards and the client’s specific requirements.
- Primary Point of Contact: The project manager is a liaison between you and the translation project team throughout the entire process and even after the project, following up on any of your future translation requirements.
Localization Engineering Lead, Technical / Localization Specialist
The technical team consists of localization engineer lead and technical/localization specialist responsible for resolving technical issues and matters concerning front-end and back-end technology related to the translation project. These tech-savvy professionals are proficienct in handling tasks such as importing/exporting webpages, troubleshooting translation tools, the pre and post-processing of different file formats, and providing training on various tools.
Resource Manager
Generally, the resource manager is responsible for providing all necessary talent resource support to meet the project’s specific requirements. RM also offers timely resource management support ranging from catering to urgent or special needs to recruiting new talents to ensure smooth project execution. Resource manager can mobilize our extensive talent network to find the right traditional Chinese translator to handle translation from English to traditional Chinese or vice versa.
The linguistic team consists of language team lead, translator, editor, proofreader, quality assurance, and subject matter expert who work together to ensure accurate and high-quality translations between Mandarin and English. They collaborate to deliver linguistically polished and error-free translations.
Language Team Lead
The translator is hand-picked from our extensive talent network per the client’s specific project requirements, responsible for accurately converting the source text into the target language while retaining the meaning and nuances of the original content.
- Members of the American Translators Association (ATA)
- High language pair competence in English and traditional Chinese
- Excellent cultural knowledge between both cultures
- Accurate and consistent translations adhering to the highest standards and the client’s requirements
- At least five years of proven experience in the translation industry
- Proper understanding of the specilized/technical terminology related to the project’s field
- Deadline-driven and can prioritize tasks
The editors at Wordspath are veteran linguists proficient in both languages and responsible for reviewing the translator’s work to ensure high quality and a good readability. They strutinize the translated content, compare it against the source document, make necessary revisions to guarantee a high level of clarity, coherence, and linguistic accuracy, ensuring the translation flows smoothly and naturally.
- Members of the American Translators Association (ATA)
- High language pair competence in English and traditional Chinese
- Excellent cultural knowledge between both cultures
- Ensure all translations align with the client’s preferences and guidelines
- Attention to detail in grammar, syntax, style, tone, terminology, and formatting
- At least eight years of proven experience in the translation industry
- Deadline-driven and can prioritize tasks
Proofreader
When required, the edited translations will go through a second layer of review by our experienced and eagle-eyed proofreaders. They will meticulously examine the edited work and refine or polish the text when necessary. Proofreaders are seniors responsible for identifiying and rectifying all remaining mistakes to ensure the highest quality of the project deliverables.
- Members of the American Translators Association (ATA)
- High language pair competence in English and traditional Chinese
- Excellent cultural knowledge between both cultures
- Verify the accuracy and consistency of terminology
- Align the final translated document with the client’s requirements and industry standards
- Attention to detail in grammar, syntax, style, tone, terminology, and formatting
- At least ten years of proven experience in the translation industry
- Deadline-driven and can prioritize tasks
Quality Assurance Specialist
QA specialist is responsible for executing comprehensive or random checks during the entire translation project. This individual checks for inconsistencies, omissions, and any errors such as typos, punctuation errors, grammar mistakes, and formatting issues. QA specialist also ensures the implementation of the quality control processes in a given project, guaranteeing the overall quality of the delivered translations.
Subject Matter Expert
To ensure 100% technical accuracy of the translation, a subject matter expert (SME) specializing in the document’s field is included in each project. SME boasts vast experience in translation and industry-specific expertise to ensure the accuracy of highly technical content by conducting final reviews and confirming the final work.
DTP Specialist
DTP specialist is responsible for the layout and formatting of translated documents, ensuring the visual design of the final product is identical to the source document.
DTP Validator
For projects that require a DTP review, a DTP validator native to the target language is allocated to check the text-based content in the DTP work for translation errors and omissions, as well as mistaken placement of the translated text. This role ensures the correct translations, graphics, and images are in place, and the standards of line breaks, font styles, and hyperlinks in the target document align with those in the source document.
LQA Engineer
For software/website localization projects that require online or offline testing, an experienced LQA engineer is assigned per the client’s needs. They conduct LQA testing to ensure the highest quality of the localized project is met on the linguistic, cultural, and functional levels.
Multimedia Transcription Service
Apart from translating English to Chinese traditional or Cantonese, multimedia transcription services are also our specialty. Our team of professional transcribers specializes in transcribing various content, such as podcasts, webinars, videos, conferences, interviews, etc., in various languages, including English and Chinese. They are well-versed in capturing every spoken word and identifying different speakers to ensure clarity and accuracy.
How to Plan a Transaltion Project?
Before kick-starting a translation project, it is important to note that effective planning and preparation can make all the difference. Follow these steps to plan your next translation project.
By following these steps and working closely with the translation provider, you can ensure the success of your translation project by effectively communicating your intended message to the target audience in their native language.
Define the extent of your project and the document/content types that will need to be translated. This can include marketing collateral, website content, technical manuals, legal documents, and more.
Consider the audience you’re targeting and their native language. This will help you decide on the correct target language to translate your content into.
Establish the desired completion date for the project and clearly communicate this deadline to the translation provider. This will help them prioritize your project and ensure prompt delivery.
Research translation companies and select one with experience in your industry offering languages you need. Make sure they have a quality assurance process in place and can provide samples or references.
Clearly communicate your specific expectations and requirements to the translation service provider. Provide any reference materials, style guides, glossaries, terminologies, or translation memory (if any) that will facilitate consistent and accurate translations.
Upon the completion of the initial translations, carefully review the translated content for accuracy and quality. Mark any changes or revisions that need to be made and communicate all these revisions to the translation provider for final adjustments.
Scale Your Business Today
Take your business to new heights with Wordspath’s reliable and timely English to to traditional Chinese translation services. Contact us now for a free quote and let us help you break down language barriers.
What Our Customers Say About Us?
Our Popular Language Pairs for Translation
English < > Chinese
English < > Arabic
English < > Portuguese
English < > Japanese
English < > Urdu
English < > German
English < > Korean
English < > French
English < > Afrikaans
English < > Spanish
English < > Italian
English < > Filipino
Frequently Used Phrases: English to Mandarin Translation
The following are the basic Chinese phrases frequently used in different scenarios. If you intend to explore basic Chinese words and vocabulary more, you can head to our blog to extend your reading.
| ENGLISH PHRASE | CHINESE EQUIVALENT | PINYIN | USAGE |
| Hello. | 你好！ | nǐ hǎo | Greetings |
| Thank you! | 謝謝！ | xiè xiè | Expressions |
| Sorry, I’m late. | 對不起，我遲到了。 | duì bù qǐ, wǒ chí dào le | Apologies |
| It’s okay. | 沒關係。 | méi guān xi | Apologies |
| Excuse me, is there a restroom here? | 請問，這裡有廁所嗎? | qǐng wèn, zhè lǐ yǒu cè suǒ ma | Questions |
| Excuse me, may I ask ? | 不好意思，請問一下。 | bù hǎo yì sī, qǐng wèn yī xià | Apologies |
| Goodbye! | 再見！ | zài jiàn | Farewells |
| No problem. | 沒問題。 | méi wèn tí | Expressions |
| Really? | 真的嗎？ | zhēn de ma | Questions |
| I don’t understand ,please explain again. | 不明白，請再解釋一遍。 | bù míng bái, qǐng zài jiě shì yī biàn | Questions |
| Please give me a glass of water. | 請給我一杯水。 | qǐng gěi wǒ yī bēi shuǐ | Requests |
| Wait a moment! | 等一下！ | děng yī xià | Requests |
| Please help me. | 請幫我一下。 | qǐng bāng wǒ yī xià | Requests |
| It’s okay, I can do it myself. | 沒關係，我能自己做。 | méi guān xi, wǒ néng zì jǐ zuò | Expressions |
| Good luck to you! | 祝你好運！ | zhù nǐ hǎo yùn | Wishes |
| Please be quiet. | 請安靜點。 | qǐng ān jìng diǎn | Requests |
| Please have a seat. | 請坐。 | qǐng zuò | Invitations |
| You’re welcome. | 不用謝。 | bù yòng xiè | Expressions |
| Please say it again. | 請再說一遍。 | qǐng zài shuō yī biàn | Requests |
| Please follow me. | 請跟我來。 | qǐng gēn wǒ lái | Directions |
| May you be prosperous! | 恭喜發財！ | gōng xǐ fā cái | Wishes |
| Take care! | 慢走！ | màn zǒu | Farewells |
| Please wait a moment. | 請稍等。 | qǐng shāo děng | Requests |
| Please be quiet! | 請閉嘴！ | qǐng bì zuǐ | Requests |
| Please give me a pen. | 請給我一支筆。 | qǐng gěi wǒ yī zhī bǐ | Requests |
| No problem. | 沒問題。 | méi wèn tí | Expressions |
| It doesn’t matter. | 不要緊。 | bù yào jǐn | Expressions |
| Please pay attention! | 請注意！ | qǐng zhù yì | Instructions |
| May I ask? | 請問一下。 | qǐng wèn yī xià | Questions |
| Can you do me a favor? | 請幫我一個忙。 | qǐng bāng wǒ yī gè máng | Requests |
| Please answer. | 請回答。 | qǐng huí dá | Questions |
| Please speak slower. | 請講慢一點。 | qǐng jiǎng màn yī diǎn | Requests |
| It’s not important. | 不要緊。 | bù yào jǐn | Expressions |
| Excuse me, is there a restroom here? | 請問，這裡有廁所嗎？ | qǐng wèn, zhè lǐ yǒu cè suǒ ma | Questions |
| Please give me a piece of paper. | 請給我一張紙。 | qǐng gěi wǒ yī zhāng zhǐ | Requests |
| Please say it again. | 請再說一次。 | qǐng zài shuō yī cì | Requests |
| Excuse me, is there a restaurant here? | 請問，這裡有餐廳嗎？ | qǐng wèn, zhè lǐ yǒu cān tīng ma | Questions |
| Please sit down. | 請坐下。 | qǐng zuò xià | Invitations |
| Can you speak English? | 請問你會說英文嗎？ | qǐng wèn nǐ huì shuō yīng wén ma | Questions |
| Excuse me, is there a hospital here? | 請問這裡有醫院嗎？ | qǐng wèn, zhè lǐ yǒu yī yuàn ma | Questions |
| Please give me a cup of coffee. | 請給我一杯咖啡。 | qǐng gěi wǒ yī bēi kā fēi | Requests |
| Excuse me, is there a supermarket here? | 請問，這裡有超市嗎？ | qǐng wèn, zhè lǐ yǒu chāo shì ma | Questions |
| Excuse me, is there a bank here? | 請問，這裡有銀行嗎？ | qǐng wèn, zhè lǐ yǒu yín háng ma | Questions |
| Excuse me, is there a park here? | 請問，這裡有公園嗎？ | qǐng wèn, zhè lǐ yǒu gōng yuán ma | Questions |
| Please give me a book. | 請給我一本書。 | qǐng gěi wǒ yī běn shū | Requests |
| Excuse me, is there a cinema here? | 請問，這裡有電影院嗎？ | qǐng wèn, zhè lǐ yǒu diàn yǐng yuàn ma | Questions |
| Excuse me, is there a hotel here? | 請問，這裡有旅館嗎？ | qǐng wèn, zhè lǐ yǒu lǚ guǎn ma | Questions |
| Please tell me how to get there. | 請告訴我怎麼走。 | qǐng gào sù wǒ zěn me zǒu | Directions |
| Excuse me, what is this ? | 請問，這是什麼？ | qǐng wèn, zhè shì shén me | Questions |
| Please give me a map. | 請給我一張地圖。 | qǐng gěi wǒ yī zhāng dì tú | Requests |
| Excuse me, is there a train station here ? | 請問，這裡有火車站嗎？ | qǐng wèn, zhè lǐ yǒu huǒ chē zhàn ma | Questions |
| Excuse me, is there an airport here ? | 請問，這裡有機場嗎？ | qǐng wèn, zhè lǐ yǒu jī chǎng ma | Questions |
| dragon | 龍 | lóng | Nouns |
| tattoos | 紋身 | wén shēn | Nouns |
| Spring Festival | 春節 | chūn jié | Festivals |
| names | 姓名 | xìng míng | Nouns |
| ice cream | 冰淇淋 | bīng qí lín | Nouns |
| Happy New Year | 新年快樂 | xīn nián kuài lè | Festivals |
| English | 英語 | yīng yǔ | Nouns |
| Good morning! | 早上好！ | zǎo shàng hǎo | Greetings |
| uncle | 叔叔 | shū shu | Family |
| good | 好 | hǎo | Expressions |
| father | 父親 | fù qīn | Family |
| massage | 按摩 | àn mó | Nouns |
| I love you | 我愛你 | wǒ ài nǐ | Expressions |
Language Facts About Traditional Chinese
There are two different Chinese writing systems – Chinese simplified and Chinese traditional. While the former has not existed until a few decades ago when the People’s Republic of China declared its official status, the latter can date its history back thousands of years.
Regions Where Chinese Traditional Characters Are Officially Used
Chinese traditional characters, aka Hanzi, represent a significant cultural heritage of the Chinese people.
Although Chinese simplified characters are adopted as the official writing system by the governments of China and Singapore, several regions and territories continue using Chinese traditional characters in official and informal settings in their day-to-day life. These locations include:
Hong Kong
Hong Kong, a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China, is one of the most representative regions where Chinese traditional characters are officially adopted and utilized. Hong Kongers used traditional Chinese characters in various aspects of their daily life. This includes but is not limited to official publications, government documents, media, and education. However, while Hong Kong adheres to the Chinese traditional writing system, the official spoken language in the region is Cantonese, instead of Mandarin.
Macau
Despite its small territory, Macau, the former Portuguese colony and a current SAR of China, also sticks to Chinese traditional characters as its official writing system. Apart from Portuguese, people in Macau widely use Chinese traditional characters in official settings like government publications, education, and other aspects of society. Similar to Hong Kong, Macau also makes Cantonese its official spoken language.
Taiwan
Taiwan is another major region where Chinese traditional characters hold official status. Taiwanese people preserve and widely embrace Chinese traditional characters, using them as their standard writing system for government documents, media, publications, education, and various other aspects of society. Interestingly, the lingua franca of Taiwan is Mandarin, unlike in Hong Kong and Macau where people speak Cantonese as the native and official language.
Mainland China
Even though Chinese traditional is not the official writing system in Mainland China, traditional Chinese characters remain culturally and historically significant in the country and are recognized as China’s rich heritage. When it comes to historical texts, calligraphy, paintings, literature, and other traditional Chinese art forms, Chinese traditional character is the gateway to understanding these heritages. For contexts related to traditional Chinese culture, Chinese traditional characters are widely used and accepted as a way of paying respect to the traditions.
Other Areas Where Chinese Traditional Characters Are Used
Apart from the three major regions where Chinese traditional writing system holds official status, Chinese traditional characters are widely used by overseas Chinese communities and in many other areas by organizations and institutions around the world.
Overseas Chinese Communities: Chinese people have left their footprints across five continents since hundreds of years ago, carrying their language and culture with them. Overseas Chinese dwelled in countries such as the United States, Australia, Canada, Thailand, and many others maintain their tradition and cultural heritage by continuing using traditional Chinese characters in writing. Countries with the largest oversea Chinese population include:
Indonesia
Thailand
Malaysia
Phillipines
Singapore
U.S.
Canada
Australia
Peru
Vietnam
It’s important to note that the usage of Chinese traditional characters in these countries can vary, and the Chinese diaspora communities tend to speak Cantonese or Mandarin as a second language in these areas.
History of Mandarin Chinese
The history of Chinese traditional characters spans over 3,000 years. Chinese writing originates from the oracle bone inscriptions invented in the Shang Dynasty (approx. 1200 BCE). These ancient pictographs and ideographs engraved onto turtle shells and animal bones and used by the early Chinese civilizations were the earliest form of Chinese characters.
As time went by, the pictographs that represented objects evolved into ideographs that conveyed concepts and ideas. With the development of Chinese calligraphy, Chinese characters were further refined to become an art form that is beautiful, balanced, and expressive.
During the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE), the first emperor of a unified China started to standardize Chinese characters by introducing the Small Seal Script. This script set the foundation for Clerical Script, Regular Script, and Cursive Script, the later script forms that appeared during the subsequent dynasties.
In the Han Dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE), the Chinese traditional characters reached their zenith and the wide adoption of the Clerical Script continued. This form of script is known for clear and structured strokes, which laid the groundwork for the Chinese characters (traditional and simplified) used today.
Throughout China’s long and rich history, Chinese traditional characters have experienced political, cultural, and social changes with a lasting influence on the Chinese people in the past and the present. Although traditional Chinese characters were replaced by simplified Chinese characters in Mainland China as a way to enhance literacy rates and efficiency in writing, this time-honored form of script remains deeply rooted in Chinese culture, with their historical significance and aesthetic appeal continue to be treasured and celebrated by the Chinese people and the world.
Feel free to read more about the history of the Chinese language in our blog to explore the evolution of Chinese characters.
FAQs about English to Traditional Chinese Translation Services
A1: Your business can benefit from English to Chinese translation services in multiple ways. Generally, you can expand your market presence and increase your brand’s visibility exponentially by reaching Chinese communities that use traditional Chinese around the world. By translating English to traditional Chinese, you can communicate effectively with Chinese customers, clients, and partners in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and overseas, building better relationships and creating international business opportunities in the Chinese world.
A2: Wordspath is the very company that only works with the most accurate Chinese translators. At Wordspath, we take pride in being the top choice for English to traditional Chinese translation services and vice versa. Our team consistently delivers exceptional quality in every project. Based in South China with a proximity to Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, we guarantee the timely completion of any translation tasks into traditional Chinese at affordable prices, consistently delivering the highest accuracy and exceeding our customers’ expectations. You can trust our reliable service to meet your linguistic needs. For any inquiries, feel free to contact us now!
A3: Yes, we provide skilled and experienced English to Chinese traditional translators specialized in various fields and industries. Our linguistic team consists of professional translators with expertise in areas such as IT, gaming, medical, legal, finance, marketing, advertising, and more. We ensure that your translation project is assigned to a specialized translator with relevant knowledge and experience in your specific field.
A4: If you don’t speak Chinese, you can ensure the quality of the traditional Chinese translations by working with a reputable and reliable translation company. Order Chinese translation services from a company with a rigorous quality assurance process, including multiple rounds of review and proofreading by native speakers of the target language. Additionally, providing your style guides, reference materials, or specific instructions also helps the translator understand your requirements accurately.
A5: The costs for our traditional Chinese translation services could vary with different documents. We charge customers that need to convert English to Chinese traditional based on factors such as the source document’s word count/page, the complexity of the content, the required turnaround time, and other additional services required, such as editing or proofreading. Please fill in the form and contact our expert for a detailed quote tailored to your specific project.
A6: The turnaround time for the project depends on various factors, such as the length and complexity of the text, the subject matter, and the translator’s workload and schedule. Generally, smaller projects can be completed within a few days, while larger projects may take weeks or longer. With thousands of experienced translators, we can effortlessly handle a million-word project with quality and efficiency. Please upload your document for translation so that we can analyze it and provide you with an estimated timeline based on your specific project.
A7: Yes, our English to Chinese translation services are available even on weekends and holidays. We understand that some translation projects may contain time-sensitive content or have urgent deadlines. Our team of professionals is committed to delivering high-quality translations and accommodating your project’s specific timeline, even during non-business hours.
A8: When you need to get a general idea of a foreign text/passage and accuracy doesn’t matter to you, translation APPs can be an ideal tool. Some of the popular apps for translation from English to Chinese traditional include Google Translate, Microsoft Translator, and iTranslate. These apps come with amazing features such as text translation, voice translation, and dictionary lookup. However, the accuracy is questionable and could vary with different subject matters. It’s recommended to try different apps and choose the one that best suits your specific translation needs. But think twice before using such APPs to translate important/highly technical documents.
A9: While Google Translate can generate translations from English to traditional Chinese instantly and provide a basic understanding, you need to bear in mind that the results may not always be accurate or contextually appropriate. Google Translate, or any machine translation tool in the matter, is ideal for translating simple phrases or getting a general idea. But when aiming for professional and accurate translations, it’s best to avoid using these machine-powered tools and work with experienced human translators who can understand the linguistic and cultural nuances between both languages and provide high-quality translations with a tailored personal touch.
A10: The decision highly depends on your target audience and their language preferences. Cantonese is the most widely spoken lingua franca in Hong Kong, Macau, and the Province of Guangdong in China. Mandarin is the lingua franca in Mainland China and Taiwan. However, when translating English to Chinese traditional characters, it’s critical to be determined on the target region the translation will be used. If you are targeting Hong Kong and Macau, you also need to translate English to Cantonese in some cases. If targeting to Taiwan, you will need to translate to traditional Chinese with Mandarin in mind.
Feel free to read more in our blog about where Cantonese is spoken or the differences between Mandarin and Cantonese.
A11: No. They are two distinct Chinese dialects with different status. Mandarin is the official language and lingua franca of China while Cantonese is primarily spoken in the Guangdong Province of China, Hong Kong, and Macau. However, Cantonese is the official language in both Hong Kong and Macau other than Mandarin. Although the two languages share some similarities, their pronunciations, vocabulary, and grammar vary significantly, making Mandarin and Cantonese mutually unintelligible. Distinct from translating from Chinese Simplified to English or English to Chinese Simplified, translating Cantonese requires native Cantonese translators to ensure linguistic and cultural accuracy. If you need translation specifically into Cantonese, remember to work with Wordspath. Cantonese translation is also one of our specialized services.
A12: Yes, you can. Unlike in Mainland China where they have strict Internet restrictions and censorship blocking some of the online services, such as Google services, you can use Google Translate or anyother online services in these regions as freely as you would in your home country. But be sure to have alternative translation methods or apps available when entering Mainland China from these areas.
A13: Traditional Chinese characters have been the standard writing systems in these regions for centuries. After the introduction of simplified Chinese characters by Mainland China in the mid-20th century, people in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan officially recognized traditional characters and preserved the use of them to this day.
