I Love You In Different Languages

Since mankind has set foot in this world, endeavors were initiated to communicate. Initially, the purpose of the human mind was not to make it happy, rather the sole purpose was to survive. And in order to survive, human beings refrained from taking risks. Hence, looked for everything that was bad in the world, so that they could save themselves from getting hurt. But with time, perceptions changed, and human beings started to communicate their feelings to their loved ones with more enthusiasm and passion. 
With the advent of various languages, the expression of love also changed. The intended meaning remained the same, but the words changed. Every language has a different way of saying “ I love you”. 

In this article, we will learn about how “I love you” is said in different languages;

 

Spanish: 

Spanish is a beautiful language and one of the most popular ones as well. Its simplicity is what attracts millions of people worldwide. 

 

In Spanish language, I love you” is said as, “ Te Amo”. This phrase depicts the real emotions of love between two people regardless of what the gender or relationship is. A man can say it to his woman, a brother to his sister, a mother to his son, and vice versa. But the condition is to say it with all your heart.

 

Arabic:

Arabic is one of the oldest languages in the world and is also one of the widely spoken languages as well. Its rich culture and extensive grammatical width make it extremely difficult to learn, but the one who is able to can possess the ability to speak this language in several countries, it’s not like Arabic is spoken in only Saudi Arabia. The whole Arab world, the middle east as well as the African world, speak Arabic in one way or form.  

 

However, if you want to say I love you in Arabic, you can utter the words, “Ana Bahebak”. But you have to be careful when you say these words because depending upon the social setup, a large portion of the Arab world constitutes a conservative culture. Hence, advocating your love for your female counterpart in public will not be a good thing. 

 

French:

If you ask someone which language is the most romantic language in the world, the majority of the people will proclaim that it’s the French language

It’s not a coincidence that the city of Paris is called the city of love. It’s just that some places get popular for their culture. And the culture prevalent in Paris is based upon romance and love.

 

If you want to say I love in French, it can be said in these words; Je t’aime. These words have become so popular in France, that it has become part of their daily activities. If you visit any local shop, you will hear people throwing these words randomly. The state of France has become synonymous with love and affection.  

 

Urdu

A language of the subcontinent, Urdu has stolen a lot of hearts since its inception. Some of the greatest poets in the world have owed their origin to the subcontinent and their popularity to the Urdu language. And the reason behind that is that Urdu has one of the most expressive vocabularies in the world. You can express entire feelings, sentiments, and connotations in just a few words. 

 

However, if you want to say I love you in Urdu, you can say the following words; “ Main Tumse Muhabbat Karta hu”.  But you have to be careful with these words since Urdu is majorly spoken in Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. These states are predominantly conservative societies with strict religious ideologies. You cannot proclaim these words out in the public., Hence, have to be very careful where you say these words. Make sure it is not in a public gathering. 

 

German

The German language is not known for its romanticism. And probably is considered a very stern and aggressive language, majorly due to its accent. However, it’s human nature to express love, so the German people also express their emotions and affection towards other people.

In the German language, I love you is said as “  Ich Liebe Dich”.  

 

Hebrew

In the Hebrew language, love is expressed in a very passionate way. There are languages where certain words and phrases have a complete background and history attached to them.  That is because of the history of that language and the stories attached to it. 

The Hebrew language has a rich cultural aspect, hence the words I love you have sheer meaning, that can only be understood by the people of that region.

However, if you want to say those three words in Hebrew, you would say, “ ani ohev otakh” 

 

Korean

The Korean language has become very popular in a short period of time owing to its k-pop bands, soap operas, and movies. 

If you want to say I love you in Korean, you can use these words, “ saranghae”.  

After that, you will probably hear the words, “ judo Sarang haeyo”, which means I love you too. 

 

Japanese

If you ever wondered which region or culture is the most disciplined one, then it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to proclaim that Japanese culture has what it takes to be called the most disciplined and structured one.

 

This discipline rhetoric may lead people to think that the expression of love is not as free and open as it is in the western culture. But the truth of the matter is that Japanese culture has its own way of expressing love. For instance, in Japan, women are the ones who present their better halves or loved ones with gifts and red roses on Valentine’s day.

 

On the contrary, men express their love for their women on a day called White day.

This shows a structured way of showing love. But that is because they are very sentimental about who and how they show love. They do not express their love for anyone and say I love you to every person they meet. 

So if you want to say I love you in Japanese language, say the words, “ Aishiteru”. But only say that to a person you truly love.

 

Chinese 

Just like Japanese culture, Chinese culture is also very structured and disciplined. They also have a very unique way of expressing their love. Unlike the European countries where there are no set limits or boundaries pertaining to how people interact socially, the Chinese may not be very direct in how they express their love to their counterparts.

 

So if you are part of the Chinese social setup, just proclaiming the words “I love you, is not advisable.  It may be too direct. Even the children shy away from expressing love to their parents and vice versa. So the next time you utter the words, “ Wo ai ni”, make sure to choose the appropriate cultural setting and scenario.  

 

Conclusion

Different cultures have different social setups. However, the words to express love may be different, but the intended meaning is always the name. In this article, we tried to discuss how the words “I love you” are said in various languages.

 

Moreover, we also discussed the cultural connotations that you need to understand so that your words are not misinterpreted in that target audience. Every word has a different meaning in a different social setting, so one has to be careful.

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Eric Batley October 13, 2021 0 Comments

Top 10 French Learning Books

Have you ever fantasized about visiting the most romantic city on Earth? If so, you probably know that Paris is in France, the country with the most romantic language, French. Being the 5th most spoken language in the world, the French language attracts enthusiasts and tourists from across the world.

 

It comes as no surprise that the French language is the 4th most spoken language on the World Wide Web that has made our lives so much easier in this day and age.

But have you ever wanted to learn the French language like the millions of people out there? There are many sources you can consult for learning this beautiful language. However, some books do a truly remarkable job of ensuring their users learn French easily and fluently.

Here is a list of top books you should definitely buy if you want to learn this beautiful language.

 

French Learning Books

CPG KS3 French Learning Guide

 

Counted amongst the recommended books for French learning, this book takes on the task of teaching French from a very basic level. It is a comprehensive guide to learning the French language. It includes introductions, grammar rules, places, and people to make the learner familiar with the French language. In addition, it comes with useful summaries at the end of every chapter so that you can review your learning concepts again without flipping back to the beginning.

 

This book is a complete guide to the French language and has easy exercises for testing your French language knowledge. Not only that, but this guide is also a beginner’s book for more complex French language guides and is suitable for novice and intermediate levels.

 

Barron’s Mastering French Vocabulary: A Thematic Approach

 

If you are amongst those people who already have some knowledge of the French language, but want to expand their French vocabulary, this book is for you. As the name suggests, the book is divided according to themes. This means you can easily learn the necessary vocabulary for each of the 24 topics. Some of the themes present in the book are medical terms, business terms, household items, food and dining, and transport-related items. In addition to this, the latest edition of the book contains an audio MP3 which includes 10 hours of audio as an addendum to the book material. This will help you learn the correct pronunciation of all the words in the book.

 

Easy French Step-by-Step

 

This book is ideal for you if you are planning to learn the French language from scratch. It comes at an affordable price and follows a traditional grammar approach for easy French learning. As the title of the book suggests, it contains a gradual step-by-step guide to learning the French language. The book starts off with the most basic grammar concepts and eventually moves forwards to advanced learning concepts. Moreover, the concepts of French learning are present in the book in order of importance, in addition to having 300 of the most frequently used verbs. The book also comes with a load of quizzes and exercises which you can use to practice and hone your French language skills, as well as many interesting passages for reading. Perhaps due to its simple and easy approach, the book is loved by many across the world.

 

French All-in-One for Dummies

 

In the quest for learning an interesting language like French, some people want a direct approach. French All-in-One for Dummies is one such book that caters to the needs of such people. This series of books for Dummies includes other resources as well such as Intermediate French for Dummies, French Essentials for Dummies, and French Phrases for Dummies. The book French All-in-One for Dummies is a compilation of all these resources and includes other content specifically for the French Canadian language. In addition, the audio CD that comes with it helps in the speaking, learning, and comprehension skills of a French language learner.

 

Fluent in French by Fredric Bibard

 

Fluent in French: the Most Complete Study Guide to Learn French is a book written by the creator of the French language and cultural blog talkinfrench.com. The book is a comprehensive guide to learning the French language in addition to containing a lot of information about the French language. It also provides useful tips on how to master this beautiful language by giving study schedules, tips, and tricks to learn the language. To further accelerate the learning process, the book provides resources on how to stay motivated, and how to appreciate different sources of the French language such as media and broadcast. It is more than just a textbook and more of a French guide. This means that if a person wants useful tips on how to stay organized and motivated in addition to learning the French language, this is the book he should definitely buy.

 

Complete Language Pack: French

 

Some people are better visual learners and want a visual learning experience. The publisher DK has a series of language packs for various languages and all of them are famous for being visually appealing. If you want a visual guide to learning the French language, this language pack is for you. The title of the book suggests that you can learn French in just 15 minutes a day—this means you only have to invest 15 minutes daily to learn the French language. The reason for this unique title is that the program is organized into 60 units which a person can complete in 15 minutes each. The book is based on simple and real everyday conversations to make the French language easier to learn. Not only that, but you can also download two free apps which contain audio for improving practicing and speaking skills.

 

Berlitz Self-Teacher for French

 

If you are a language enthusiast, chances are you have probably heard of the Berlitz Corporation. It is recognized for its language institutes and books and material for language learning. If you want to learn the French language through the Berlitz way and need a self-study method, this book is for you. The unique thing about the Berlitz system is that it teaches a new language in a completely natural way. It does not adopt the same boring methods of memorization and grammar exercises. Perhaps this is the reason why there aren’t many grammar explanations in the book since the focus is on teaching the grammar rules intuitively. In addition, Berlitz’s natural system aims to teach you the French language through conversations. Additionally, the book includes oral exercises and tips on pronunciation.

 

French with Ease Assimil

 

If you are an enthusiast who wants to learn a language through conversation, this book should be your top priority. The book contains all the tools you require for learning the French language. Focusing mainly on conversation, it slowly introduces new grammar concepts as you move further. It is also a natural guide to learning the French language at the most basic level. Also, it delivers handy insights to memorize the points you have previously mastered.

 

Schaum’s Outline of French Vocabulary

 

A learner of the French language does not only need grammar books. He should also have access to good French vocabulary books and this book is one of them. It is one of the most comprehensive guides on the French language and handles the topics in an organized manner. It helps you to familiarize yourself with new French vocabulary. Additionally, it puts these words into 320 practice exercises to make the French language concepts easier to learn.

 

Les Exercices De Grammaire

 

This guide is best for intermediate to advanced levels in French learning. As the book is in French, your vocabulary needs to be strong enough to understand it. It is an excellent book for the development of reading, writing, and speaking of the French language. It includes real-life examples of French grammar usage for easier comprehension and faster learning.

 

The Last Word

 

The French language is surely one of the most interesting languages in the world. Perhaps this is the reason why learning this language is in such high demand. The French language itself needs a bit of practice and concentration to be learned. Remember, practice makes perfect. This is why you should keep on practicing your French language skills to hone them perfectly for attaining fluency.

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Eric Batley October 5, 2021 0 Comments

Best Languages Your Mobile Games Must Be Localized Into?

Bill Gates proclaimed that his biggest regret was not uplifting Microsoft to the status of what Android was. This shows us the revolutionary potential the mobile industry possesses. Mobile phones are one of the most popular devices in the world right now. It has enabled communities to interact with one another like never before. 

 

The technology of mobile applications has diminished the gaps between first-world and third-world countries. This interconnectivity and interdependency have been further emboldened vis-a-vis mobile video games. Mobile games have one of the biggest audiences in the global markets. And the reason it has become so popular is that not everyone speaks a universal language. Hence, the need for localization emerges, and especially Chinese App Localization Services, which enables games to be translated into multiple languages. So that people worldwide can connect and enjoy.

 

English may be the lingua franca of the world, but not every region has fluency in this language.  Offering multiple languages with your mobile games will allow people around the world to relate to the experience in the same way. Nonetheless, if you want your game to be played around the world, then you have to localize your mobile game application. Preferably into some of the major languages spoken around the world. 

 

In this article, we will review some of the best options of languages that your mobile games must be localized into. So that you can expand your gaming business;

 

Chinese 

 

China is one of the largest countries in the world both population and economy-wise. Moreover, it has also one of the biggest mobile game industries in the region. For instance, back in 2019, the mobile gaming industry in China generated around $17billion in revenue. This number is automatically a huge attraction for mobile game developers who wish to penetrate foreign markets. 

 

Nonetheless, as far as game localization is concerned, the Chinese language is also a very difficult language to translate your game into. You have to take into consideration a lot of factors. First and foremost, it’s imperative to understand the cultural preferences, nuances, and intricacies of the Chinese language. Secondly, from a business point of view, you have to understand the distribution channels prevalent in the Chinese market. And thirdly, from a gaming perspective, ensure what gaming genres are popular among the Chinese youth, as localizing every game would not be the right approach. These measures will guarantee a safe entry into the market. 

 

One more important factor that you have to take into consideration is that localization into Chinese does not mean that you just simply translate the language. You have to create brand new characters of the game while recreating the plot as well so that it sits well within the Chinese cultural parameters. Thereby, taking help from Chinese App Localization Services would be the right thing to do. 

 

French

 

Accumulating a sum of 34 million gamers, France is one of the biggest gaming markets in the world right now. Statistically, the gaming industry was able to generate a revenue of $4-5 billion back in 2017 and 2018. Moreover, the French market does not only constitute gamers but rather is a huge producer of video games as well. This makes the gaming market accessible but at the same time difficult to penetrate as well. Because French gamers are very picky about their gaming experience. And do not accept every other foreign video game. 

 

This poses a challenge to video game developers who wish to localize their games in the French market. The challenge pertains to an in-depth study of the french culture and gaming industry. Thereby, you will probably need the help of a professional translation agency that can enable you to come up with an effective and efficient localization strategy to penetrate the foreign market.

 

Talking about the demographics of gamers in the French gaming industry, you will be amazed to see that it ranges from the age of 9 to 60 years. The diversity of games played among these different groups of ages is also quite staggering. They play games mostly on pcs, whereas teenagers mostly play games on their mobile phones and gaming consoles as well. Many people assume that English games are the most popular in the French gaming market. On the contrary, this narrative is far away from the truth. In reality, they prefer video games in their own languages and the ones that have been localized for the French market only. 

 

German 

 

If you ever wonder whether localizing your mobile game application into the German language is a good idea or not, just think about the fact that there are over 45 million gamers in Germany right now. Or the ones who speak the German language. This number indicates that the potential of translating in German is a profitable endeavor. Because if you look at some of the statistics that were published back in 2018, you will get to know that the German mobile gaming market was able to generate revenues of over $6 billion. Hence, your effort to approach the German market would not be wasted.

 

In order to fathom the potential of the gaming industry in the German market, you can visit Gamescom, an event that takes place in Germany every year. It is one of the biggest in the world, where thousands of gaming fanatics around the world visit every year to learn about the new games that are being developed in Germany. Such events create opportunities for people to penetrate the German market and also help the local industry to create their own games. 

 

One important thing for game localization companies is to understand the German market. German people prefer games that are fun in nature. They want an experience filled with joy and laughter. Hence some of the most popular games in Germany are the ones that are filled with an engaging storyline. Because you have to understand one thing, there are markets in which some people are passionate about the games that are played. For some, it might be a leisure activity, but for some, it is more than that. They fully immerse themselves in the games and become critical of everything involved with the games. Hence, localization companies have to be very careful if they want to translate their games into German.

 

Japanese  

 

Japan has always been a gaming hub of the world. Popular games like Tekken and Need for speed Tokyo originate from the Japanese gaming industry. If you compare its ranking, then it comes right after the Chinese and the United States gaming market. This shows that Japan has nurtured a deep love for gaming. In terms of generating revenue, the 70 million video gamers residing in Japan are able to generate around $20 billion annually. And this number is just an approximation since the revenue is increasing on a quarterly basis.

 

On the other hand, if you want to study the tenets of the gaming industry in Japan, you need to know about the peculiarities of the market. First of all, the Japanese have a deep interest in specified animated content. Hence, if companies want to localize their games into the Japanese market they have to inculcate animated and visually powerful content. So that it could be successful with the audience. Moreover, another positive aspect of the localization process for the Japanese market is that a large majority of the gamers in Japan are familiar with the English language. So, in the process of translating the content for software. You need not translate each and every word into the targeted language.

 

Japanese are aware of the characters and the context behind the dialogues.  thereby, you do not need to change the storylines for them. Moreover, the Japanese prefer both mobile applications, as well as PCs, and gaming consoles. Hence, you can localize video games for any medium and be successful in the Japanese gaming market. Moreover, the Japanese are very accepting of new games, and always love the idea of new content for video games. So, if you are deciding as to which market will maximize your chances for a successful localization, then the Japanese gaming market is the one to go for.

 

Conclusion 

 

The purpose of content translation or localization is to reach a broader audience. We live in a globalized world. Hence, interconnectivity between different states has become a norm. The consumer is more educated and informed than it was ever before. This rhetoric has increased customer purchasing power. Now a consumer has different options to go for. 

 

Similarly, in video games, people look for a better experience, since the internet has made it easy for everyone to go for the things that interest them. Hence, different regions call for different languages. And people love things that are in their own native tongue. So localizing games in the native language of the consumer will go a long way as far as the success and popularity of that particular video game are concerned. 

 

In this article, some of the best languages for video game localization are mentioned. Conclusively, it’s for you to decide which market you want to penetrate. However, one thing to mention here is that you should start small, i,e, go for one language at a time. We would advise you to go for the Chinese language, and for this purpose utilize Chinese App Localization Services.  And if you are successful in that endeavor, plan to go localizing into more languages. This approach will open new markets, opportunities to strengthen your brand image and ultimately increase profits. And that is something a video game developer should always strive for. 

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Eric Batley September 22, 2021 0 Comments

How to Make Game Localization Faster?

Commercial activities have ameliorated due to globalization. The interconnectivity of different communities speaking various languages has driven the localization of many industries. One of the most popular disciplines has been the video game industry. The fact that it has such a wider reach enables it to be translated into native regional languages so that it can make the experience more personable and entertaining. 

Some of the most renowned video game developers take the initiative to release their latest video games concurrently around the world. And in order to do that effectively, they have to enable their localization process at a swift pace, meanwhile, keeping a high quality of the content intact. This is quite a difficult process, but if you follow a certain methodology it can significantly reduce your efforts. 

Here are some of the ways that you can follow to make the game localization faster and efficient;

An Early Startup

If developers intend to provide customers with the same experience and gaming pleasure, regardless of where the user resides, they need to start the localization process way before the actual creation of the game. Early startups enable the agencies to conduct a trial and error method. This methodology helps save time in the future by creating a path for you to follow. Once you know what to do and what not to, it secures the budget constants and enables you to remain on the path. 

Planning is Important

The localization process demands in-depth research of the culture and language of the target audience. Hence, this process should start earlier if you want to release your game simultaneously around the world. Moreover, you should have a clear plan of which regions you’re going to target. Hence, every language would need an expert linguist with a piece of sound background knowledge. Your job would be to contact them at the very beginning of the localization process so that you can finalize the prices and deadlines. 

Another important aspect to understand is that every video game text does not require translation. Hence, you need to funnel out the text that needs translation and the one that does not via a proper elimination process. It should be in place before you begin the localization process. In video games, you have to consider localizing the text strings. Because this is the one step that leads to most errors if not done properly. Hence, avoiding the text in the graphic files would help you save a lot of time and money. If you have the opportunity to use only one text and then place the translated text over it, it would be a lot better than formulating various and diverse styles and versions of the original icon for every language. 

Researching Target Culture 

Researching the target audience is the key step to a fast localization process. In order to effectively convey the message, you need to conduct thorough research. Analyze the cultural and language intricacies of the target audience. And the more you do it earlier, the more time you will have to obtain a deeper insight into the target audience. If the consumers don’t accept the end product, you would be wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars of your investment to localize your game into the foreign market. Hence, it’s better to be safe than sorry, and conduct thorough research on the audience. So that once you localize your game, the people are ready to enjoy it. 

Industry-Experts Can Do Wonders

Cultural experts who also possess information pertaining to video games should conduct the process of video game localization. Video game translation is a specialized and specific domain, hence needs experts who themselves are gamers. Because only gamers can fathom the tone used in video games. A non-gamer would simply replace words with translated words, whereas a gaming expert would keep the intended meaning intact. Meanwhile, concentrating on the entertainment aspect of the video game as well. Because that is the ultimate goal. You have to entertain the audience. And ensuring the translated work does that is something that you cannot ever take lightly. 

Moreover, video game localization involves the integration of the game into the belief system of the targeted audience. There might be some sensitive aspects that cannot integrate well with the local audience. Hence one needs to be careful during the process. For instance, if a video game is localized for the Arab region, like Saudia Arabia, a developer cannot create Muslim terrorists as antagonists in the game and expect it to sit well with the audience. 

Onboarding Game Translators as Quickly as Possible

By acquiring specialist game translators, you will have the opportunity to tackle potential issues beforehand. Many developers do not try to understand the importance of doing so. They try to construct the game script before hiring a translator. This increases the chances of doing the entire process all over again if your game translator feels the need for it. Hence, it is advisable to create the script along with a translator. It enables the localization process at a faster rate.

In-context Translation Makes the Difference

Onboarding translators also help to understand the context of video games. And more time spent by the translators on the context enables a faster time to localize the video games. Moreover, you can provide them with all the necessary material, such as the language dictionaries. Also, the cultural reference materials pertaining to nuances and idiomatic phrases will also help. This will help translators to understand the nitty-gritty of the languages that they will eventually translate. And when the time comes, they will be able to make the location process much faster. 

Making the process easier for the game translators is the best initiative you can adopt to enable a faster game localization process. It will not ameliorate the quality of the localization process. But it will help you reduce costs that you may encounter in future re-edits or revisions. Moreover, it would be wise to involve the video game translators in the creative development of the game. Because involving them would help you to identify in the early stages where you need to make the changes once the localization process starts. So when you initiate the translation process, you will already have the blueprint in front of you stating the exact changes needed. Hence, diminishing the time. 

Conclusion

The localization process is the activity of enabling the original text or language into the language of the target audience. It refers to a content transformation in such a way that it encapsulates the same cultural extremities that were initially intended within the presentation of the original product. 

Similarly, the video game localization process emboldens the same concept. However, it demands a different approach. In this article, we have discussed some of the easiest approaches to make video games translation more efficient, effective, and faster. 

There are certain measures that you can embed into your process. It will assist you to achieve your goal in a shorter period. First, try to initiate an early startup program, in which you conduct full-fledged research of the target audience. Then take the initiative to hire professional game translators. So that they can help you save time, and diminish the utilization of extra resources that might take place during that journey. Adapting to these changes will surely help you achieve the video game localization process much quicker. 

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Eric Batley September 13, 2021 0 Comments

Best Way To Improve Your Language Skills As A Translator

Excellence cannot be attained without constant effort. People who are good at something do not achieve a position of merit within a day or two, rather their success is buttressed upon an arduous journey of constant repetition, critical and capacity-building approach. 

 

Similarly, if you want to ameliorate your language skills as a translator, you need to adopt a path of constant work embedded with a critical approach where you work upon your weak points, meanwhile, strengthening your merits. Moreover, you need to have a passion for learning. Because, as far as the job itself is concerned, languages are in a constantly evolving process with the addition of new words and dialects. 

 

In this article, we will discuss some of the ways that you can adopt to improve your language skills as a translator;

 

Diversify Your Reading Resources

 

Like mentioned earlier, one cannot grow as a professional if he is repeating the same thing over and over again and expecting different results every time. You have to try something different. In order to improve your skills, you have to diversify your reading resources.

 

The reason why there is a prevalent difference between a good translator and a poor one is that the good translator thinks outside the box. He is constantly trying to get an edge over his or her competitor. And in this endeavor, he diversifies his resources to come up with a different approach that enables an effective translation output. 

 

Moreover, consulting various resources also ameliorates your creativity. You get in a mindset where you understand how people think differently. And what logic and information go behind that opinion. This also helps you as a translator and makes your job easier because you understand the perception, values, and ideologies of people. Hence, your translated work keeps all these cultural factors intact.  

 

Understanding the Culture of Target Audience

 

The purpose of translation is to communicate with an audience that speaks a different language. Though it may seem like an easy task, it is one of the most daunting tasks that translators can face during the process of localization. 

 

On the contrary, one might argue that Translations are just simple word-to-word replacements, so why is it deemed a difficult task? 

Well, the fact of the matter over here is that you can replace words with machine translators. But there is no guarantee that it will convey the same meaning that was initially intended. There is a whole cultural background that comes along with a language. You cannot convey a message without having to understand the cultural intricacies, nuances, and preferences of the target audience. 

 

Thereby, a translator needs to enhance his skills by conducting deeper research of the text and its meaning. He cannot deliver a text until and unless he inculcates every subtle reference and nuance that was implied in the original text. Because if you don’t, you would probably make the mistake of misinterpreting the text, which can eventually lead to adverse repercussions on organizations. Hence, you have to ensure accurate translations are done. And for this particular purpose, it is advisable to take assistance from professional translation agencies. 

 

Writing Skills

 

You can research all you want, read all the articles or books for your understanding of the target audience’s culture. But until and unless you acquire mastery in the art of writing, you will never be able to become a good translator. 

 

In the field of translations and localization, mediocre or below-standard writing cannot survive for a long period of time. Your competition is with some of the best writers in the world, who also happen to be multilingual experts. And in order to compete with them, you have to raise your standards. 

 

First, it’s imperative to understand that there are different styles of writing. And your writing has to be molded as per the characteristics or demands of the target audience. For instance, you are not supposed to write in a difficult language. If your target audience consists of middle-class and lower-middle-class people. Similarly, you have to carry a professional writing style if you are targeting businesses.

 

 Moreover, you also have to take into consideration the nature of your writing. In this case, ensure if you’re writing for marketing, advertising purposes or promotional purposes, or simply writing in a technical or legal capacity. 

 

Practice, Practice, and Practice

 

Once you realize what steps you need to take in order to improve your skills as a translator. The next and the most important aspect is to make sure that you practice translating. The one thing that can ensure successful results is your work ethic. You need to put in the work to improve your skills in translating.  

 

Furthermore, you can also sharpen your skills by working with those texts and passages that have been translated before. So that you can compare your results with them. And see where you lack and which areas you can count on as your strengths. Some translators have a habit of translating texts in the literal sense, hence losing the cultural connotations and idiomatic phrases that come along with the language. However, if you practice and see such mistakes, you can learn and work to prevent them from ever happening again. 

 

It might be quite sobering for young translators to see that whenever they translate a text there is always some room for error. But that is when you need to pluck up your courage and see that these errors are an opportunity for you to make progress and improve. 

 

Accepting Feedback

 

Valuable feedback is extremely essential to enhance your translation skills. It will help you identify what mistakes you are making vis-a-vis the style of writing, grammatical errors, tone of the text, plus whether your translation kept the cultural connotation intact while perfectly conveying the intended message. 

 

However, you have to be careful in terms of who is giving you the feedback. Because if you ask 50 people for feedback, you’ll probably get 50 narratives and suggestions. And there is a high chance that every suggestion is different from the other one. Hence, making it difficult for you to differentiate. Thereby, you have to narrow down the options and refrain from confusing yourself.

 

In this context, you have to realize which feedback adds more value to your work. Moreover, the person who you are consulting should be well-credentialed as well. You cannot go ask anyone to give you feedback. Hence, look out for translators with sound experience and expertise. Moreover, take their feedback for the general improvement of your translation process and language sense, rather than getting one or two documents approved. 

 

Conclusion

 

Conclusively, we can proclaim that there is no standard methodology to improve your translation skills. You first need to conduct a complete SWOT analysis. In which you critically analyze your strengths and weaknesses as a translator. And then work to strengthen and improve them respectively. 

 

Becoming a good translator is a journey and not a one-day process. You have to think logically and cover every aspect that will enable you to improve your translation skills. As mentioned in this article, you have to think outside the box by diversifying your resources. This will enable you to understand the cultural intricacies of the target audience and then embed them within your documents. Having said all that, you have to improve your writing skills. And that can only be done by practicing, and then getting it checked by some translation expert who will give you the feedback that you need to ameliorate your skills as a translator. 

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Eric Batley September 9, 2021 0 Comments

Why You Must Translate Your Website Into Multiple Languages?

Digital media has enveloped the entire social, economic, and political fabric of the business world. You cannot survive in this fast-paced global world without having a robust digital presence in your organization. And, that is just the first step. The next stride every firm endeavors to strive towards is to expand their business. Expansion usually starts from your local markets, and then to try to enter other foreign markets. But in order to penetrate foreign markets, there is one big hurdle that you need to cross, and that is the language barrier.

Importance of Website Translation

Your digital presence, or your website, is the spokesperson for your organization. Whether an individual remains a potential consumer or eventually becomes a client, depends entirely upon the quality of your website, and how effectively it is able to communicate your message. The impression of your company will be created vis-a-vis your website, so ensuring that you make the best impression possible is the one aspect that you cannot compromise on. 

Now imagine how would you feel if the customer is not even able to understand the message you are sending, just because of the language barrier. Therefore, it’s imperative to make your website multilingual. However, in order to do that, you need to take assistance from a professional translation agency that can help you achieve the goal of successful penetration of a foreign market. 

In this article, we will cover some of the essential factors that expound upon the reasons why you must translate your website into multiple languages.

Reaching Broader Target Audience

One of the biggest advantages of creating a website with multiple languages is that it will enable you to reach a broader world audience. Your business cannot expand until more people know about it. And what could be  better than informing them through an online platform that shows them the content in their native language.

Multilingual Website is a Key to Go Global

Another important thing to consider here is that many people often make the mistake of assuming that creating a website in the English language alone is sufficient and will do the job. This concept could not be more wrong. If you look at some of the statistics available, you will be amazed to find that only 27% of the people who surf the internet have English as their native language. Whereas, the rest of the 73% of users are native to various other languages. 

This is a huge untapped market. But you have to offer your services in their native language in order to cater to their needs. By enabling your website to be multilingual, you will create a new market that probably will have a higher population percentage. Hence, ameliorating your overall sales and net profits. 

 

  • Increasing Conversion Rates  

Recent studies conducted by CSA show that internet users prefer to look into a website or a particular business offering in their native language. Proving that websites that are not in the native language of the consumers have a higher bounce rate. 

People do not trust them enough to give their attention. And this trust deficit is initiated not because they are biased against a particular website, but rather because they do not understand what they might be getting into. So, this proves that trust is built upon understanding the language of the consumer. If you built a multilingual website, it makes the potential customer your client and increases the conversion rate. 

Website in Native Language Adds to Credibility 

A customer is very cautious when it comes to trusting online platforms and websites. They tend to avoid digital mediums that they do not understand. Given the prevalent situation in terms of online frauds, cyber-attacks, and hacking, how could you blame the customer? All you can do is bridge the trust deficit by creating a multilingual website, where the information is given in the native language of the customers. So that they might show interest in an organization that has taken the step to make the purchasing process fully comprehensible. 

 

  • Brand Recognition Increases Brand Value

Just take a moment out of your hectic schedule and search on the internet for the net worth of Amazon. You will be amazed to know that currently, the company holds a valuation of approximately $1.7 trillion. So the next question is that does Amazon have $1.7 trillion in its bank account.?

The answer is, absolutely no. It’s actually the value of Amazons’ share in the stock market and has nothing to do with actual cash.   

So how is this example relevant to the topic of this article? 

Well, the point under discussion is that the valuation of an organization is directly proportional to the Brand value or brand recognition of that firm. If your brand is recognized by the general public around the world, it will eventually increase your net worth as well. But the real question over here is how to increase your brand recognition?

Attract More Clients with Translated Website

In order to enhance your company’s exposure, you need to offer your services in foreign markets. And that can only be possible if you attract the attention of that particular target market. And in order to attract them, you have to communicate your proposition in a language that is understood by the consumers. Once you do that, it will eventually ameliorate your brand’s awareness. People will start to position your company with the products and services you are offering. And doing so will create your own market presence.

Coming back to the example of Amazon mentioned earlier, this is what Jeff Bezos has been able to do. He has created a platform for the world, where different communities come together and do business with each other, without any hindrance caused by the language barriers. 

 

  • Creating Point of Differences

Entrepreneurship is all about taking risks and creating something that assists you to stand out from the crowd. But in order to do that, you need to create your point of difference. 

Currently, the world is shackled in precarious economic turmoil amid the COVID pandemic. Businesses are not flourishing, due to restrictions caused by lockdowns. Thereby, organizations are attempting to strengthen their online presence, since that is the only feasible way to go for now. 

Stand out of The Competition

Businesses have to be creative in order to survive. And the best way is to create multilingual websites. It will not only help you to boost your trade with multiple markets but will also buttress you to stand out from the crowd. And that will enable your point of difference. Once you create that you will be able to position your brand in the minds of the consumer as customer and quality-centric.

Conclusion

Necessity is the mother of invention’. And in today’s global e-commercial landscape, creating a multilingual website has almost become a necessity.

You cannot survive and sustain your business without creating a robust online platform. Moreover, that platform has to be buttressed by multiple languages. We live in a global village, where the diversity in language, culture, traditions, and religion is profound. In order to communicate and effectively convey what your organization is all about plus what your business proposition is, you have to be able to make sure that the consumer first understands. And once he understands, he will definitely trust your company. And that is what it’s all about. 

From the organization’s perspective, creating a website in multiple languages helps the company to reach a broader audience, create competitive advantages, ameliorate brand value, and ultimately increase conversion rate. 

Though it may seem to be a daunting task, you can hire professional translation services to assist you along your journey. And surely their help will make your path a lot easier.

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Eric Batley September 1, 2021 0 Comments

How to Maximize Translation ROI for Your E-Commerce Store

You need facts to work in the optimal way to get a high ROI. It’s all about the bottom line after all. A common measurement that every business wants is Return on Investment. Businesses put the best of their efforts, involves all of their assets, and many attempts to go global for the very purpose of earning profit. 

Particularly, for businesses like e-commerce, the sales potential increases exponentially by following a multilingual approach. Translating your e-store can expand your reach by breaking the language and cultural barriers. For instance, if you want to tap into the Chinese market, you need to hire professional Chinese e-commerce translation services.

In order to improve your translation ROI and become a globally recognized name, you need to keep some factors in mind. Take a quick look at the three major components that can effectively maximize your translation ROI.

  1. Clean source
  2. A baseline guide
  3. Manage the system (workflow, technology, and vendors)

Simple and Clutter-free Source Content

Does a complex source matter? Sometimes it does, but it depends on your source of translation as well. Human translators understand the references, tones and cultural expressions whilst automated translation lacks the understanding of such crucial factors.

You have to pay once for a good automated translation tool, long term investments sound plausible, but with human translators, you pay them constantly with every work done. To cater to the accurate translation for every project is important, that is why you pay such a price for human translators.

Targeting a global audience will boost the localization (if done correctly) and increase your ROI by 15% (according to SDL).

Help the translators to provide you with seamless and effective translation by preparing clean and simple source content for them. Bring new ideas, creativity, and originality for the brand and product lines. This will help to target the right audience. Avoiding jargon is for the best and the simpler the content is the better it will reach the audience.

  • Using translation memory to maintain consistency is important too. So yes using such tools is imperative.
  • Content that comes with safety precautions requires technical skills on the writer’s part. For instance, a product description will need simplified content, avoid using any technical words that the reader may skip altogether.
  • The use of images is catchy, but the more you use the images and graphics, localization will become time-consuming. Website text should be easy to edit in multilanguage when configuring CMS.

As a result, it suffices to say a simple content works, minimum resources are required, it’s cheaper, and shows consistent quality too.

Track the Translation Impact

Justifying the expense in the translation process can be tricky if you do not keep track of all elements involved. The impact of translation is similar to being global. You need to maintain the budget in both cases. But how will you know you made a good decision? Translation will have the desired effect on the audience and boost a sale, that’s how.

Keeping this point in mind, KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) are helpful to produce maximum within the minimum budget and answers your queries like:

  • Is localization enough to increase sales?
  • How can we reduce input but earn maximum output?
  • Or how many customers will come to us?

And so on the questions will continue to rise. Keep track of sales, products, and packages. This is the basic step. For eCommerce, it’s a MUST to create a multilingual site to ensure high traffic from different regions. Will this attract non-English speakers? Yes, of course! If your website supports different languages, customers from different geographical regions will come by.

To increase the conversion rate, keep healthy maintenance of the shipments and deliveries, and orders in process. This is the best way to ensure that you are targeting the right customer.

Of course, this way will automatically be able to generate a list of new visitors per hour. Using multilingual keywords will have the desired effect too; this way a native can search for the product. The website’s visibility will be strong.

Before going for the second round of translation, give ample time to make the first performance with the localization content. Keep track of the translation, monitor the results, and make changes to your action plan accordingly to acquire your business goals.

Manage Systems and Streamline Workflows

With a lower cost of translation, you can still increase the conversion rate, generate traffic and sales. But to do so, you need to maintain your workflow and processing too alongside the translation.

Using the right technique is important

  • You may adapt some parts of the text according to the market niche. It will improve the product pages, and convince the visitor to buy. Also making navigation easier is the key to increase sales. Navigation with the right content is like following the breadcrumbs. Customer will easily find the desired product and is most likely to purchase.
  • Using SEO friendly titles for products is another trick. This will help increase the page rank on search engines making it easier to find suggestions also.

Improve your translation management

  • A good TMS lets you work more efficiently and yields high-quality output. One of the key benefits is to access the network of professional translators, keep track of projects, costs, or any required updates.
  • For an eCommerce site, this tool acts as a facilitator; you can also connect with other language experts and expand your source pool too. The result? Greater translation ROI.
  • Every page can be produced in hundreds of languages which can make localization more complex. Automate the much-needed process but do not rely on it alone.

How Chinese Translation Services Can Help You with E-commerce Translation

With a team of native translators and localization experts, we, at Chinese Translation Services  help you build a personalized relation with current and potential customers by localizing your online business. Your online store translation is made easy with our Magento plugin and we are here to provide you with fast and reliable results at affordable results. Get in touch for more details.

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Antonia January 22, 2021 0 Comments

How Cultural Differences Affect Global Businesses

Every country in the world has a different culture that shapes consumer behavior. The cultural norms that are acceptable in one culture are not acceptable in other cultures. The entrepreneurs who want to spread their business across borders need to consider the cultural intricacies so that they target the foreign markets in the best suitable way. At present, many cross-cultural teams and multinational companies are working around the world. They share their knowledge, values with each other but they face a problem in dealing with cultural differences. Cultural nuances when considered in targeting the foreign market have resulted in globalization. It takes a lot of time and money to start your business in a foreign land. Cultural intricacies, if not taken into account, can lead to misunderstandings and result in loss. So for global businesses, it is important to overcome such differences and that’s where you need professional localization services.

 

Communication

Communication is very important in expanding your business across borders. Although English is considered the language of business, many cultures in the world want to be communicated in their native language. Even if you go for translation, a great risk is that you will get lost in translation. The official language of every country is different and different dialects are spoken according to their region so it is important to communicate in a manner that conveys your message effectively. For example, if you are communicating with an Indian audience then you need to be more indirect and nuanced in your communication and if you are communicating with Finns then you need to be outspoken and direct. In addition to verbal communication, nonverbal communication is also important in dealing with your global business in different cultures. What might be acceptable in your cultures like eye contact and a handshake could be considered offensive in other cultures. For this, you need to do thorough research in advance to know how to act professionally in different cultures so that none of the non-verbal communication fires back. If you are in doubt in any of your acts, do ask. Dealing with cultural intricacies is a big challenge so you need to handle this challenge with openness and sensitivity. In this way, you will be able to communicate your business message effectively to the target audience.

Workplace Etiquettes

Globalization has led businesses to expand in different countries. If you are a multinational company and have opened subsidiaries in other countries then it is necessary to understand the workplace etiquettes. For example, how you address your colleagues and business partners from around the world is different in every culture. In some cultures, people call each other by surnames, and in other cultures, people address each other by their first name. It not only depends upon the country’s culture but it also involves the culture of organizations. Asian countries like Singapore, China, and South Korea use Mr and Ms before the surname while Canadians and Americans used first names.

Punctuality is also observed differently in every culture. When you need to deal with business partners and colleagues from Russia, Japan, South Korea, and the United States, you need to be more punctual and expected to come on time. Contrary to this, in Russia, you are expected to come slightly late. In Brazil, you can be late for several minutes or you can follow English time to reach on time.

Working attitude is also greatly influenced by culture. It includes rules and regulations, workplace confrontation, and resumed working hours. In some cultures, working for long hours is considered a sign of achievement and commitment while in other cultures, it shows a lack of efficiency.

Different Negotiation Styles

Negotiations are very important in dealing with global business. Culture shapes human behavior and the way they think and communicate. It is pivotal for businesses to understand the cultural nuances to negotiate business deals and make the final decisions with global business partners. In Asian cultures, negotiations are an integral part of business deals and they help in building long term business relationships. Spanish speakers view negotiation as a way of finalizing their contract. Spanish people consider negotiation as a win-lose process whereas the Japanese regard negotiation as a win-win process.  

The way of communication needs attention to detail while negotiating with business partners. Americans are very direct in their communication so they want to know immediately whether their contract is approved or not. In contrast to Americans, the Japanese tend to be indirect. You need to be very careful in interpreting them so that you can know the approval or rejection of your proposal. Some cultures tend to be very emotional such as Latin America whereas some cultures are good at hiding their emotions like Asia.

Every culture also handles the contracts differently. Americans give attention to details and want everything to be mentioned in the contract. In contrast to Americans, the Chinese don’t want any details to be mentioned in the contract because it will lead to developing the relationship with the business partners.

Organizational Hierarchy

The worker’s attitudes towards organizational hierarchy and management roles also vary because of cultural nuances. Whether you can ask questions in meetings or stand by or against the decision is shaped by cultural norms. The attitudes of workers towards the chain of command are a result of the country’s societal norms and their sense of equality. The organizational hierarchy helps in giving the right roles and responsibilities to deserving people. This means that people who enjoy a high position in the hierarchy are more proficient in their work and deserve a certain level of formality and respect from the junior level. In Japan, organizational hierarchy is given importance. People respect seniors at their workplace. However, in Scandinavian countries such as Norway, societal equality is practiced and they follow the flat organizational hierarchy. You need to be very careful in dealing with the diverse attitudes of people in global organizations so that you can work professionally and take your business or organization to the next level.

How Chinese Translation Services Can Help?

There are different languages spoken in different cultures. Understanding languages helps in understanding the cultural intricacies and it can assist in making your mark in global markets. If you aspire to tap into multiple foreign markets, Chinese Translation Services can help! We are offering localization solutions in a wide range of languages at affordable rates. Get in touch for a free quote!

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Antonia January 21, 2021 0 Comments

Learning Chinese Negotiation Tactics

China’s operating environment is one of the toughest ones in the world, and too often foreign companies fail to grasp the root cause of business failures in this commercial giant. In the preparation of a business trip to China, most Westerners know that they have to arm themselves with the basic knowledge about Chinese etiquettes and language. They go at length to hire a Chinese language expert and research about the best way to get their idea across to the other party. However, what most of them fail to understand is the art of long-term negotiations that would pave the way for a fruitful business venture in China.

In fact, a huge amount of contracts are being drafted for foreign companies that are licensing their technologies and concepts for use in China. While this kind of licensing was mostly used in industrial affairs in the past, a majority of the work consists of licensing contracts in the services sector in China these days. Most of this licensing is for operations in China prohibited to foreign companies, like media, publishing, insurance, telecom, and finance. In addition, the majority of foreign businesses prefer this licensing tactic, despite becoming a part of a Chinese Joint Venture.

Granted, industrial license bargains are hard. However, this bargaining is identical to every commercial negotiation. In the services sector, it has been observed that the Chinese side work hunts for much harder deals. This usually astonishes other customers, since it is naturally expected that the service side would be softer than the industries.

As part of this system, in service sector licensing agreements, it is being noticed that the Chinese side dusts off negotiating tactics which were very common in the early ’90s or ’80s at the time when the Chinese were negotiating their well-known dysfunctional joint venture contracts.

In negotiating service sector licensing contracts with Chinese firms, some of the tactics are explained as follows from the Chinese side:

A Horde of Endless Issues:

One of the most generally exercised tactics by the Chinese establishment is figuring out the way to ‘wear the other side down’ with endless issues. This tactic is based on two variants. In the first variant, the Chinese raise a horde of issues. As these issues get resolved, the Chinese side raises a series of new issues and the cycle goes on and on. The second variant deals with the Chinese side making a list of irrational demands, all the while not making any attempt to help resolve these issues. 

In both these variants, no discussions take place by the Chinese side to address the interests of the other side. This is done to wear down the foreign side so that it is left with no choice but to simply concede to the other party’s demands. As the foreign side allows or concedes, the Chinese side then adds provisions in the contract which are favorable to the Chinese side, under the notion that the foreign side has no objection. The achievement of this tactic relies on the negotiators of the foreign side having not enough time to carry the burden, whereas the negotiators of the Chinese side are officials having no other work other than engaging in endless demands.

Artificial Deadline:

In the initial stages of the negotiating system, the Chinese side sets a fixed date for enforcing the agreement. After that, it sets up a public signing event on the said date. At this ceremony, high-level representatives of the two sides will participate as well and play their parts. A date in the future is set in advance to make sure that the negotiating parties sign the contract in good faith and are able to fulfill it. 

After the date is set, the Chinese side refuses to sign the contract. This is done for two purposes; to ‘wear the other side down’ and secondly, in an attempt to pressurize them to concede to their demands. When the other side does bow down to the Chinese side’s demands, the contract is signed with the conditions which benefit the Chinese entirely. 

Revisiting the Deal without Lawyers:

The last tactic of the Chinese side is to come back to the main issues in the absence of the lawyers. This policy also includes the Chinese side signing an agreement, yielding on the main issues. By virtue of the signed agreement, Chinese advisors, the negotiators, and most significantly the international lawyers get busy in dealing with the other assignments. Afterward, the Chinese side waits for some time and start working on the project. After the commencement of the project, the foreign side starts investing in the project.

Once this happens, the Chinese side triggers the committed parties of the foreign side related to the project and make an announcement of altering certain provisions of the signed agreements. The Chinese side mostly calls such changes by saying that it is recommended by law, insurance companies, banks, or government regulators.

How to Deal with the Tactics

All the three techniques always provide an expected and obvious output which are favorable to the Chinese people, which is why Chinese corporations do not hesitate to frequently apply them. But, the good news is that there are ways of dealing with these negotiating tactics as explained below:

a)Avoid Participation:

When the Chinese side exercises the “endless issue technique,” the foreign side should not take part in it. The foreign side should strongly hold its position and must not bend until and unless the Chinese side comes closer to the interests of the foreign side.

b)Avoid signing on a fixed date:

The foreign side should not approve the fixed signing date. Make sure that the signing event must be conducted after the completion of the final negotiations of the agreement. Don’t permit the Chinese side to use a deadline as a weapon. This is because most of the Chinese corporations like signing ceremonies and foreigners fall into the same trap over and over again.

c) Avoid the Alteration in provisions of the signed agreement:

The foreign side must ensure that no changes shall be made after signing a contract with a Chinese company. Otherwise, it shall be treated as a breach of the law, heading towards a lawsuit for damages and termination of the contract. Chinese corporations are famous for practising the signing of an agreement as to the initiative of a fresh negotiating program, not the termination. If the foreign side agrees to it, it should at least have a clear picture of restoring their lawful and Chinese advisory crew. 

The Last Word:

Conducting a successful business in any foreign country is not easy. This is evident from the cultural and linguistic differences across boundaries. China is no less difficult when it comes to setting up a business in the country. Although negotiations take place in every business venture, some negotiations are more difficult than others and require a more careful approach to be executed. By executing negotiations successfully, one can be sure of setting up a business in this commercial giant for a long-lasting profitable business. 

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Antonia January 15, 2021 0 Comments

All You Need to Know about Dragons in Chinese Culture

Chinese culture is one of the most interesting cultures in the world. Belonging to the commercial and economic giant China, the Chinese culture holds many things that are different from the rest of the world. This is why it presents such an interest for travelers, visitors, and culture enthusiasts throughout the world. 

One thing that is distinct and unique in Chinese culture is dragons.

According to Chinese culture, the dragon sign is a symbol of good luck and wealth. Additionally, to Chinese people, it is also considered as one of the four most intelligent creatures amongst unicorn, phoenix, and tortoise. Maybe this is the reason why Chinese rulers and emperors have been emulating dragons since the very start of civilization. In China, the dragon is considered legendary a animal, and its sign has been used to display power in China for a very long time. The extent of importance that the Chinese place on dragons can be judged by the prediction pointing out that the year 2020 will be a lucky one for Dragons, with an excellent development in their professions. 

Dragons and China—some amazing facts

The Dragon is a significant sign, not only in China but globally as well. In China, dragons represent power, leadership, and wealth. Let’s look at some of the amazing facts surrounding dragons in Chinese culture.

Chinese dragons come in many different forms

The philosopher Wang Fu defined the dragon as a blend of numerous animals almost 2000 years ago.  People usually take Chinese dragons as some snake-like creature. But actually, it is more like fish and turtles.

Chinese dragons control the weather

Dragons represent both evil and good, which means sometimes they are blamed for the occurrence of natural disasters.  They have been considered responsible for harsh storms, floods, and tidal waves. Today, anyone can visit the shrines that were built in the honor of dragons. For instance, the “Green Dragon Temple” also known as “Qing long Temple” is situated near “Xi’an” city which was built to honor the dragons. 

Emperors were believed to have descended from dragons

A legendary popular hero named “Fu Xi” was credited with creating the first human dragon. He was described as a man with a human head and the body of a dragon. At the beginning of the Chinese dynasty (c. 2000 BCE), he was considered as one of the first three sovereigns. Additionally, all the way through the imperial age, only the royal leaders and their families were supposed to wear the official colors of the dragon. For instance, the color apricot was used by the crown prince, golden yellow was for the emperor’s other wives and yellow color was for the emperors and empress.

 Dragons are born in China every 12 years

Chinese Zodiac revolves around twelve different creatures consisting of equal but dissimilar qualities. Usually, Chinese people plan their pregnancies so that kids will be born in the dragon year. This fortunate year is said to be the birth year of influencers and rulers. The last dragon kid was believed to have been born in 2012 and the next in the year 2024. 

 In China, dragons paddle and dance at festivals

In China “Dragon Boat Festival” is held, in which dragon decorated boat races through the waters and this festival takes place in many cities of China. The decorated boats consist of long dragon tails, carved dragon heads and these boats are long enough for carrying 20 paddlers. People can also witness a dragon dance during the Chinese New Year. The dance goes along with drums, drama, and music as well. It is believed that evil spirits are afraid of aggressive dance and loud noises. In this festival, a team of dancers manipulates wood puppets and the cloth of a dragon too.

Dragon sons protect places and implements

Chinese believed that there are nine dragon sons, charged with certain traits for protecting belongings and houses. With the help of old Chinese sites, anyone is able to see these entire nine dragon sons featured prominently today. 

 Many historical leaders were born in the Year of the Dragon

Little Dragon or Bruce Lee, Li (November 27th, 1940), Deng Xiaoping (August 22nd, 1904), Martin Luther King (January the 15th 1929) and Vladimir Putin (October the 7th 1952) all of these legends were born in the Dragon year. 

The dragon is the subject of many Chinese idioms

There are some proverbs and idioms in Chinese that revolve totally around dragons: For example:

  • 龙争虎斗 (lóng zhēng hǔ dòu): Literally “a fight between a dragon and a tiger”, it refers to a struggle between two similarly matched forces.
  • 人中之龙 (rén zhōng zhī lóng): “A dragon among men” is used to describe an exceptional, unmatched talent.
  • 群龙无首 (qún lóng wú shǒu): “A group of dragons, but no leader” refers to a group that needs a leader.
  • 望子成龙 (wàng zǐ chéng lóng): “To wish your son becomes a dragon” refers to parents hoping for their kids to succeed.
  • 画龙点睛 (huà lóng diǎn jīng): “Paint the dragon, dot the eyes” means adding the finishing touch to something.

“Leaping over the dragon gate” means success

According to Chinese culture, a carp that can leap over the “mythical Dragon Gate” will become dragons. Unfortunately, none has been able to find the dragon gate. But Chinese say that out of these countless Chinese waterfalls there is one that leads to this sacred gate, for instance, the Jiulong Waterfalls, also known as the Pearl Shoal Waterfall or the Black Dragon Pool Waterfall or Nine Dragon Waterfalls. 

China is home to most places named after dragons:

The name ‘dragon’ conjures up attractive vibes for anyone in the world. The travelers and visitors to Hong Kong can experience this when they go for a hike on the Dragon’s Back trail. Although there are no dragons to view there, the scenic beauty of the place is sure to fill a person with wonder. Moreover, other places such as Longsheng Dragon’s Back Terraces offers a sloping surface that resembles the body of a dragon and is a popular tourist attraction liked by many.

The Last Word

To people residing in the West, a dragon may be a symbol of evil, depicting fury and rage. But in China, it is one of the most popular and powerful symbols. This is the reason why the Chinese rely so much on this symbol and hold it in such high esteem. Nevertheless, a person visiting China is sure to have a good time exploring and learning more about the Chinese dragons and their history as it goes way back into old times. 

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Antonia January 7, 2021 0 Comments