Look closely
Fifteen languages, handled one at a time
Each one has a script, a regional variant, sometimes a direction and a few habits in how we deliver. Here's what we do for each. Every pair is English to or from the language, at the same price.
Move the lens over the pairs. Small marks change the word.
Polish: sad means orchard. sąd means court.
Five pairs, one mark apart
The same list, all at once.
- Polishsadorchardsądcourt
- Germanschonalreadyschönbeautiful
- Spanishpapapotatopapádad
- Polishlaskawalking stickłaskagrace
- Arabic lettersبone dot belowتtwo dots above
The fifteen
Español
01 · Spanish · Latin
Latin script, left to right. We write neutral Latin American Spanish unless your brief says otherwise. Name the country (Mexico, Colombia, Spain) and we will follow its usual wording. Spanish is the largest non-English language in Wisconsin, so safety notices and handbooks are the work we expect most. Delivery: Word, PDF or your original format.
Hmoob
02 · Hmong · Latin (RPA)
May add one business day for this language.
Written in RPA, the Romanized Popular Alphabet, the Latin-letter script most Hmong readers know. Left to right. Tell us in the brief whether your readers use White Hmong or Mong Leng (Green Hmong), because the words differ. Hmong is the second-largest non-English language in Wisconsin, but linguists for it are fewer, so this pair may add a business day. Delivery: Word or PDF, with tone letters at word ends set correctly.
Polski
03 · Polish · Latin
Latin script with diacritics (ą, ć, ę, ł, ń, ó, ś, ź, ż). Left to right. Standard Polish. Names and addresses keep their diacritics. Numbers move from 1 250,00 to 1,250.00 going into English. Delivery: Word or PDF.
العربية
04 · Arabic · Arabic · Right to left
Arabic script, right to left. We write Modern Standard Arabic, the form understood across countries. Tell us if a regional flavor matters. Text, tables and numbers are set right to left in the file we return, and numerals follow your brief (Western 0-9 or Eastern ٠-٩). Delivery: Word or editable PDF, mirrored where the file allows. Complex layouts are quoted.
中文（简体）
05 · Chinese (Simplified) · Simplified Han
Simplified Chinese characters, as used in mainland China and Singapore. Left to right. Traditional Chinese is not one of the 15, so ask for a quote if you need it. Because there are no spaces between words, the cap is counted in word equivalents. Delivery: Word or PDF, in a standard font.
Русский
06 · Russian · Cyrillic
Cyrillic script, left to right. Standard Russian. Names are transliterated by a stated system, and we will use the spelling on your passport if you tell us. Delivery: Word or PDF.
Українська
07 · Ukrainian · Cyrillic
Cyrillic script, left to right. Ukrainian is its own language, not a version of Russian, and we treat it that way: Ukrainian spellings and Ukrainian transliteration (Petrivna, not Petrovna), done by a linguist who works in Ukrainian. Stamps and seals described in brackets. Delivery: Word or PDF.
Tiếng Việt
08 · Vietnamese · Latin
Latin script with full diacritics and stacked tone marks, which we keep intact. Left to right. Standard (Northern) written Vietnamese, which readers across the country understand. Delivery: Word or PDF, in a Unicode font.
Deutsch
09 · German · Latin
Latin script, left to right. Standard German for Germany. Tell us for Austria or Switzerland. Formal "Sie" unless your brief says otherwise. German runs longer than English, so buttons and tables may need room. Delivery: Word or PDF.
Français
10 · French · Latin
Latin script, left to right. French for France by default. Say so if you want Canadian French. We add the non-breaking space before ? ! : ; that French typing calls for. Delivery: Word or PDF.
Português (Brasil)
11 · Portuguese (Brazil) · Latin
Brazilian Portuguese. Latin script, left to right. This is not European Portuguese: spelling, vocabulary and the way you address a reader differ. If you need Portugal, ask for a quote. Delivery: Word or PDF.
Italiano
12 · Italian · Latin
Latin script, left to right. Standard Italian. Formal "Lei" in business and academic texts. Delivery: Word or PDF.
한국어
13 · Korean · Hangul
Hangul, left to right. We set the politeness level from the brief: formal for notices and business, plainer for onboarding. Names are written in Hangul with a romanization alongside when you ask. Delivery: Word or PDF in a Korean font.
日本語
14 · Japanese · Kanji and kana
Kanji, hiragana and katakana, horizontal text, left to right. Polite desu/masu register unless you ask for something else. Like Chinese, the cap is counted in word equivalents. Delivery: Word or PDF. Vertical text is quoted.
Tagalog
15 · Tagalog · Latin
May add one business day for this language.
Latin script, left to right. We write the Tagalog people actually read at work, which often keeps English terms (pallet, shift, badge) as is. Tell us if you want a more formal register. Rarer pair, so it may add a business day. Delivery: Word or PDF.
Languages around here
Polish and German have been in Milwaukee for generations. Spanish and Hmong are the two largest non-English languages in Wisconsin. Burmese, Somali and Karen aren’t in the 15 yet. If you need one, we’ll tell you straight whether we can staff it.
One price, all fifteen
Chinese or Italian, the price on the card is the same. We blend the cost. You get no surcharge for the harder pairs, and no discount for the easy ones.