- What are all these different terms associated with Chinese: Traditional, Simplified, Cantonese, Mandarin? What do they mean and what do they have to do with Chinese?
- Why do I have to specify which form of Chinese I want to translate into? Isn’t it all the same language?
- If I’ve already had my material translated into Traditional Chinese, can I just convert it into Simplified Chinese using an online tool?
- How do I decide which dialect (Mandarin or Cantonese) and form (Traditional or Simplified) of Chinese are right one for my purposes?
- Why is traditional Chinese more expensive to translate than Simplified Chinese?
1) What are all these different associated with Chinese: Traditional, Simplified, Cantonese, Mandarin? What do they mean and what do they have to do with Chinese?
For those of you who are uncertain about the various terms that are often associated with Chinese (Traditional, Simplified, Cantonese and Mandarin), here is a bit of clarification. The written forms of Chinese are referred to as Simplified and Traditional Chinese and the spoken dialects of Chinese are known as Mandarin and Cantonese. Mandarin and Cantonese can be written in either Traditional or Simplified form. Often you will see further specifications based upon region. For example, you may see Taiwanese Traditional Chinese listed as the language of choice for those in Taiwan.
2) Why do I have to specify which form of Chinese I want to translate into? Isn’t it all the same language?
When simplified characters came into use about a 100 years ago, there was technically no difference between Traditional and Simplified Chinese, except for the writing method. Simplified Chinese characters simply had fewer strokes and were therefore easier/faster to write (and easier to learn). Over time, however, while the fundamentals stayed the same, the two languages diverged in terms of vocabulary and style. Both started introducing new words from different languages around the world, leading to the point that they are now vastly different from each other. Even within each of the forms, there are many differences based upon region. For example, Singaporean Simplified Chinese is different from Mainland China Simplified Chinese, even if both are using the Mandarin dialect. There are even more difference between Taiwanese Traditional Chinese and Hong Kong Traditional Chinese (see Example A in chart below). Even though they use the same type of characters, the syntax is mostly different and two languages are mutually unintelligible. All of this simply demonstrates that Chinese is a language of many variances, and no one form is universally used or understood. Therefore, it is important to understand your target audience so that you can translate into the form of Chinese that they will most likely be familiar with.
3) If I’ve already had my material translated into Traditional Chinese, can I just convert it into Simplified Chinese using an online tool?
There are many tools available online to “convert” one type of written Chinese to the other. However, these tools are not reliable, just as online translation tools are not reliable for any professional purpose . Adapting/localizing between the two forms of Chinese is the much better and safer option.
Adaptation/Localization by a human translator will provide you with correct language, syntax, grammar, and cultural nuances that an online conversion tool can’t provide you with. Some people may mistakenly think that since the two types of Chinese look so similar, they can cut corners and use online conversion tools, but this can lead to some costly blunders.
In the best-case-scenario where the tool does provide you with a translation, it is usually a flawed translation. Using example A from above, we took the word “inside” to test using this free online tool. The tool was only able to convert the 裏面 (Hong Kong dialect) to Simplified Chinese but was not able to convert the Taiwanese dialect of Traditional Chinese at all because it was unable to recognize it. Even when they do recognize and attempt to convert your characters, online tools won’t take into consideration the syntax at all, leading to a flawed translation the vast majority of the time.
Additionally, online conversion tools do not understand correct cultural nuances and taboos. For example, when translating the term 中華民國 (“Republic of China” used in Taiwanese Traditional Chinese) into Simplified Chinese, the term “Taiwan” should be used, as it is the only acceptable term used in Mainland China. This variance to the name is something an online conversion tool would not pick up on, but would be a major political and cultural taboo if overlooked.
4) How do I decide which dialect (Mandarin or Cantonese) and form (Traditional or Simplified) of Chinese are right one for my purposes?
If your audience is in Taiwan, Hong Kong, or in North America, Traditional Chinese might be the best option for you. On the other hand, if your intended audience is Mainland China or Singapore, Simplified Chinese may be your best bet. See the chart below outlining which written form and dialect combination is best for your target audience.
Markets | Spoken | Written |
| China | Mandarin | Simplified Chinese |
| Singapore | Mandarin | Simplified Chinese |
| Taiwan | Mandarin | Traditional Chinese |
| Hong Kong | Cantonese | Traditional Chinese |
Additionally, when it comes to Mandarin vs. Cantonese, when talking about most published materials, from technical journals, to nutrition labels, heavy machinery operation guide to microwave user guide, you usually do not need to worry about if it should be Mandarin or Cantonese. When written in Traditional Chinese characters, the message is conveyed to both languages speakers, despite the fact that some terms are different.
However, if you are translating a conversational/casual script, marketing or other materials targeted to a very specific region/audience group, it is very important to specify the language of choice. While both Mandarin and Cantonese share the same traditional characters base (i.e., standard Traditional Chinese), as a spoken language, they are distinct and not mutually intelligible.
5) Why is traditional Chinese more expensive to translate than Simplified Chinese?
When translating into Traditional Chinese, you may find that it is sometimes a more expensive project than translating into Simplified Chinese. This is mainly due to the fact that it is a more specialized dialect with less speakers. Additionally, it has more stringent grammar rules as compared to Simplified Chinese.
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