Languages

Our language
translation expertise

Less than 5% of the world’s population speaks English. Connecting brands with the 95% of people who don’t speak English is what we do here at Brightlines.

Get a price for your project

All Africa Americas Asia Europe Middle East Oceania

Swahili

Shaaban Robert, widely regarded as the father of Swahili literature, believed that language could carry any weight of thought. Swahili has proved him right. It functions as a lingua franca across multiple East African countries and reaches over 200 million speakers. That reach creates a translation brief unmatched by most African languages.

French

Albert Camus wrote in French shaped by North Africa, not Paris. French spans more than 30 countries on five continents. The French of Montréal, Dakar and Brussels is not Parisian French. Each has its own vocabulary, register and audience. Copy written for French in general belongs to no French audience in particular.

Afrikaans

Ingrid Jonker, one of South Africa's most celebrated poets, stripped away ornamentation and said exactly what she meant. Afrikaans rewards that. More concise than English and simpler than Dutch, it looks like the easier translation target. It is not. Concision and simplicity are hardest to achieve when the source copy was not written that way.

English

Samuel Johnson spent nine years writing the first great dictionary of English and the language kept changing under him. It still does. The UK, United States, Australia and Canada each use it differently in law, business and marketing. Translating into English means choosing which English, for which audience.

Zulu

Mazisi Kunene wrote his epic poetry in Zulu first and translated it into English himself. Zulu has its own literary tradition, its own grammar and its own register conventions. It is the most widely spoken first language in South Africa. Translating into Zulu is not a default exercise.

Xhosa

S.E.K. Mqhayi spent his life developing Xhosa as a distinct literary language, helping codify its grammar and standardising its orthography. Xhosa has its own grammar, register and literary tradition. It is the second most widely spoken first language in South Africa. A Zulu translation does not serve a Xhosa audience.

Somali

Hadraawi, the Somali poet often called the Somali Shakespeare, worked in a language whose literary tradition has always centred on poetry rather than prose. Somali is a Cushitic language with its own grammar, register and poetic standard, spoken across the Horn of Africa and by substantial UK communities.

Yoruba

D.O. Fagunwa's decision to write his novels in Yoruba rather than English established Yoruba prose fiction as its own literary tradition. Yoruba is a tonal language with grammar and register conventions of its own. Yoruba translation is specialist work.

The answers to 
your questions

We have over 1000 vetted professional translators and 352,866 clients have been translating the intelligent way since 1999.

See all FAQ’s Get a quote for the languages you need...

Why does the price change depending on the language?

Translation rates vary by language pair because each language has its own market conditions and specialist availability. We price each language pair on its own merits. That means if a language is cheaper for us to resource and deliver, we pass that saving on to you, rather than charging a single flat rate across all languages.

How do you ensure translation quality and accuracy?

We match every project to an experienced translator with the right subject knowledge. The translation is then checked by a second professional (the “four-eyes” approach) to check meaning, terminology, and consistency.

Can I send you scanned documents?

Yes. We can translate scanned documents, as long as the scan is readable. For good-quality scans, we can use OCR (text extraction) to speed things up. We can supply the translation as an editable Word document or PDF. If you need the layout to match the original (for example, images, logos, and similar formatting), we can do that too and we’ll quote for it separately.

Can you give me a rough cost over the phone?

We’re happy to talk through your project on the phone and give you a ballpark figure. Costs vary depending on the language pair, word count, file type and the complexity of the source copy. If you send the file, we’ll provide a quote by email, often on the same day.

Do you use native translators?

Yes. Always. All of our translators are qualified professionals and native speakers. We’ve worked with many of our translators for years, and we hand-pick the right translator for each project based on subject matter and style. Wherever possible, we keep the same translator on your account for consistency.

Will the translator understand my content?

Yes. We hand-pick the right translator for your subject matter and style. If your content is technical or high-stakes, we’ll match you with a specialist who works in that field, often with relevant industry or academic background (for example, medical translators with medical training).

We also build in checks. If anything in the source text is unclear, the translator will query it rather than guess. And if you have reference material, a glossary, or preferred terminology, we’ll use it to keep wording consistent and accurate.

Do you offer certified translations?

Yes. We provide certified translations for businesses, legal firms, and official organisations. Certification requirements vary, so we'll always ask you to confirm what the receiving authority requires before we begin.

What do you need from me to provide a quick quote?

For a quick quote, we need three things:

- The source language and the target language(s)

- The word count (or the file so we can calculate it accurately)

- What the content is about (for example, marketing, legal, technical, medical, HR, training)

If you can send the file, we’ll confirm the word count and recommend the best approach, for example, AI-assisted or 100% human, which can affect the price. Page count on its own isn’t reliable because the number of words per page can vary a lot depending on the document.

If you’re not sure, send what you have and we’ll tell you what else we need.

Do you have translators who specialise in my sector?

Yes. For specialist content, we hand-pick a translator with the right subject expertise, not just language ability. We work with translators who have degrees in languages or linguistics, as well as academic qualifications in fields such as science, technology, engineering, medicine, and law.

We also work with translators who have real-world experience. For example, some have worked in engineering or finance before moving into translation. That background helps them understand the source text properly and use the right terminology.

I’m a translator. How do I apply to work with Brightlines?

We work with hundreds of trusted translators on an ongoing basis so we only recruit new translators to join our team when the need arises.

If you would like to work with us, you can send an email with your CV and details of your qualifications and experience to "registration@brightlinestranslation.com". If your languages and specialisms match what we need at the time, we’ll be in touch for more info.

Case Studies