Japanese language is considered to be the most complex languages all across the globe. Indeed, it’s the most difficult languages to translate. The language holds three character sets and there is no relation to any other language. It calls for complete attention to detail to be accurately translated. There are certain challenges that experts face during translation process such as:
- Kanji-Complicated Writing Style
Well, one of the primary writing styles of Japan is Kanji which includes complex characters that depict concepts. Rather than relying upon words and phrases to represent meaning, Kanji includes different strokes which indicate meaning from their placement within a set of characters. It includes more than 2000 characters commonly used in Kanji with other thousand characters that are occasionally used. Having so many characters, it’s critical that a translator who is native to the language is involved in the translation process.
- Cultural Nuances Bring Challenges
While working on any translation, experts need to pay close attention to cultural nuances which ensures that translation is accurate and that the correct context is represented. It’s absolutely true in case of Japanese language as the language necessitates that the translator break down sentences into smaller pieces to represent cultural nuances in a natural-sounding way. The Japanese language system of grammar depicts a sense of formality and politeness which is something necessary for experts to gain strong command in.
- Not So Literal Translations
Various words and phrases are used in Japanese writing that do not have corresponding words in English which makes it difficult to translate from Japanese to English. The main challenge is to write in a way that makes sense in English while retaining the same Japanese meaning. For example, translating abstract concepts can give unique challenges for translators.
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- Plural Nouns Are Not Distinguishable
Japanese nouns do not differentiate between singular and plural forms so translators must rely upon the context of the words. There is no way to be certain whether the word is meant to be singular or plural which makes translation much more complicated.
- Pronoun Choices Are Not Clear At Times
In English language, choosing correct pronoun is a simple to do job but this is not the same in Japanese language. In fact, some expressions do not provide context clues about the gender of person being referenced so it becomes difficult to identify gender specific pronoun to be used in translation.
As a whole, hiring trusted Japanese translation services becomes an essence after considering the above discussed challenges that translators need to overcome.
Sandra Lee | Blog 