Cantonese Translation Services

Cantonese is one of the major Chinese languages and is spoken by more than 70 million people worldwide. It’s prevalent in large parts of southern China as well as the cities of Hong Kong and Macau. Known for being one of the most challenging languages on the planet, Cantonese preserves many features of Ancient Chinese, and its written characters number more than 50,000! English and Cantonese are utterly unrelated in any way.

Unsurprisingly, accurate Cantonese translation services require a great deal of knowledge and skill on the part of the translator. Distinct regional dialects and cultural influences come into play in significant ways, and a superior mastery of both Cantonese and English is paramount.

At CanTalk, we work with a pool of highly trained and experienced Cantonese translators and interpreters who can meet the requirements of your language services project, no matter how stringent or detailed the parameters may be.

Who We Are

CanTalk is a fully integrated language service centre located in Winnipeg, Manitoba’s historic Exchange District. With more than 25 years in the language services industry, specializing in IMMEDIATE language service provision, we have a proven track record of quality service, client support, and excellence.

As a well-established language company that provides B to B (business to business) services in 220+ languages and dialects Can Talk has been recognized for many “firsts” in language service delivery for local, national, and international markets.  Our real time voice to voice phone interpretation/translation services and a wide range of inbound multilingual call centre service applications are available 24/7, 365 days a year. We excel at customization and safeguarding client data–key differentiators in an industry where third party technology service providers are heavily relied upon by competitors.

At CanTalk, we work with a pool of thousands of qualified and professional interpreters and translators who help us provide outstanding language services in more than 220 languages, Cantonese among them. Our certified Cantonese translators undergo frequent training, and their work is quality tested with regularity. We’re confident that, no matter which regional Cantonese dialect you may be seeking, we can connect you with a localized translator who will communicate your message with precision and cultural awareness.

Our Services & Expertise

Among the Cantonese language services we offer are immediate over-the-phone interpretation, call centre language support and customer services, translation services, voice-over services, and much more. Whether you require accurate Cantonese document translation, Cantonese transcription services, remote learning services, or live Cantonese interpreters to welcome international delegates, CanTalk can help.

Pricing & Turnaround Time

CanTalk’s pricing is determined by the scope and requirements of your language service needs. Our prices are competitive with other gold-standard language service providers, and we encourage you to contact us directly for a personalized quote.

In terms of turnaround time, CanTalk understands the time-sensitive nature of language services and has developed proprietary technologies to meet your demands. We can connect you with a Cantonese interpreter in as little as 30 seconds and have Cantonese translations completed within hours. That being said, every situation is unique and turnaround times may vary accordingly. Contact us directly for more information.

Industries

  • Legal – Legal documents, contracts, court proceedings, and more can be handled by our highly qualified Cantonese interpreters and translators.
  • Medical – The ability to communicate an illness or describe symptoms can be critical to ensuring timely, proper care.  Can Talk’s Cantonese interpreters can help.
  • Financial – Need financial documents translated from Cantonese to English or an in-person interpreter for an important meeting or presentation? CanTalk offers these services.
  • Life Sciences – Life science fields ranging from academic research to pharmaceutical sales can benefit from excellent Cantonese translation services.
  • Entertainment – Subtitles, voice-overs, script translation, and more can be handled by our Cantonese language experts.
  • Business – Business documents, inquiry phone calls, and deals must all be handled with careful attention to language-based communications. CanTalk helps businesses accelerate their marketing objectives with customized services for regional demographics, specific business needs, and multi-ethnic market bases.
  • Hospitality & Travel – CanTalk’s Cantonese language services can support you in expanding your hospitality or travel-based business into new marketplaces.
  • Government – Website translation, diplomatic relations, and immigration services are all examples of how Cantonese interpreters and translators can benefit government agencies.

Open your business up to a whole new market when you use CanTalk to reach millions of native Cantonese speakers. Contact us today!

Chinese Translation Tips

Cantonese Vs. Mandarin

Chinese languages belong to an overarching language family that includes many distinct dialects and variations, two of which are Mandarin and Cantonese. Though they share some common vocabulary, Cantonese and Mandarin differ drastically in their pronunciation, grammar, and lexicon and are mutually unintelligible. While Mandarin is by far the more prevalent language, Cantonese is spoken throughout much of southeastern China (a region historically known as Canton). It’s also spoken by many Chinese expatriates around the globe. When seeking Chinese translation services, be sure not to confuse Cantonese and Mandarin.

Avoid Machine Translation

English and Cantonese are totally unrelated languages with dramatically different structures, grammar, and cultural reference points. Even for a skilled human translator, capturing the nuances of an English idiom or expression in Cantonese (or vice versa) can be a challenge. When this sort of delicate translation is attempted by a machine, the results can be disastrous. Machine translation is clumsy at the best of times and should be avoided, in particular, for English/Cantonese projects.

Chinese Language Facts

  • Chinese languages consist of tens of thousands of unique written characters, which provide no clues as to the pronunciation of words. Not surprisingly, they are considered some of the most challenging languages in the world to learn.
  • Chinese languages are by far the most spoken languages in the world. There are more than 1.31 billion Chinese speakers worldwide. About 70 million of those speak Cantonese.
  • Chinese languages are tonal. This means that the same word can have a completely different meaning depending on the tone it’s pronounced with. Chinese has five recognized tones.
  • The Chinese language family includes some of the most ancient languages still in use. Cantonese, like other Chinese dialects, is a modern pictograph language. Many written characters visually resemble the words they represent.

Chinese Varieties & Dialects

Linguists recognize at least seven major dialects within the Chinese language family, plus many more regional variations. With more than 1.1 billion speakers worldwide, Mandarin is by the far the most spoken Chinese dialect. The Wu dialect has roughly 81.8 million speakers, while Cantonese has about 70 million. Many Chinese dialects are mutually unintelligible, making them really separate languages. When localized language differences are also taken into account, it becomes evident that understanding your target audience is a crucial aspect of successful Cantonese translation services.

For professional Cantonese translation services that will help you get your message across with clarity and precision, contact CanTalk today!