Japanese Proofreading Services
The most accomplished writers can make mistakes, even when working in their native language. For this reason, proofreading is an essential aspect of document writing and content creation. As Japanese script presents unique challenges, it is particularly crucial to proofread all translated copy. Our Japanese proofreading service will ensure that your Japanese texts are grammatically correct, error-free and convey their intended meaning.
What is the difference between editing and proofreading?
Editing is the process of revising texts. The aim is to create well-structured and consistent copy that presents ideas to readers as clearly as possible. Editors will consider both tone and style while eliminating repetition and assessing whether the text delivers a logical argument. Machine translation post-editing (MTPE) is a similar process in that humans revise translations to produce the most appropriate and polished results.
Proofreading is the process of identifying spelling mistakes, poor grammar, punctuation errors and typos. Due to the nuances which are unique to the language, a Japanese proofreader must look beyond grammar and spelling to analysis the intended meaning of the chosen words. They must also consider the context in which the copy will be presented as this could necessitate the use of more formal language. Due to the complexities of proofreading Japanese, there are two words for proofreading in Japanese. Kousei (校正) refers to basic grammar and spelling checks. kouetsu (校閲) refers to the detailed analysis of meaning. Our Japanese proof reading service encompasses both. There is no substitute for the best Japanese proofreading practices.
Speak Your Customers’ Language
Our talented linguists are all native Japanese speakers, industry experts and professional translators. Working closely as a team and guided by their project manager, they deliver polished and unified documents, digital content and videos.
Your messages retain their integrity and unique character and yet are perfectly adapted to your Japanese audience.
The unique challenges of Japanese proofreading
Our professional Japanese proofreaders are highly skilled specialists. Their work could make all the difference to your documents, marketing materials, manuals and online content. Japanese proofreaders must tackle far greater linguistic complexities than proofreaders assessing copy written in European languages. Machine translation and artificial intelligence have advanced dramatically in recent years but will still produce errors and cannot proofread. Only experienced human proofreaders possess the ability to properly review translations.
Japanese Characters
Three different character sets are utilised in Japanese script; Hiragana (syllabary characters), katakana (syllabary characters used for loanwords from other languages) and kanji (Chinese characters with multiple readings and meanings). It is far easier to make mistakes in written Japanese than it is in written English due to the interaction between these characters. It is also much harder for non-native writers to identify errors of meaning.
Homophones
Japanese is a language rich in homophones (words which sound the same, but which have different meanings). Many Japanese homophones have dramatically different meanings. However, the characters for these words may be very similar, creating even greater potential for confusion. Native Japanese speakers would usually be able to deduce the intended meaning when errors are made. However, a presentation with such errors would appear to be unprofessional.
Typing in Japanese
The difficulties of writing in Japanese are exacerbated by the fact that Latin script keys are used to input copy. The Latin script is rendered on the screen in Hiragana and then the typist must select the Kanji from a menu. If predictive text is also in the mix, a single erroneous keystroke could produce a completely different word or phrase to that which was intended. Our japanese proof reading service will ensure that mistakes are found and corrected.
Dokunji
Certain Japanese homophones have very similar meanings but are written differently, according to the context in which they are used. These words are called dokuniji. In some cases, the different characters utilised are visually very similar, making errors much harder to identify. Our Japanese proof reading services will address Dokuniji to produce error-free translations.
Okurigana
Sometimes words expressed in kanji may have hiragana appended to them to clarify their precise meaning. These words are known as okurigana. Many such words can be written using kanji alone and still make sense. Others cannot and so removing the hiragana would result in misspellings. Okurigana can easily lead to grammatical errors as in certain cases, the addition of hiragana identifies whether the word is a noun, a verb or an adjective.
Keigo
The Japanese language features keigo, a series of formal words and phrases which replace more colloquial words in certain contexts. It is impolite rather than grammatically incorrect to choose the less formal words in those contexts. Expert Japanese proofreaders can identify when keigo should be utilised to ensure that content or correspondence does not appear to be impolite.
Only experienced human proofreaders possess the ability to properly review translations.
Word Connection – a Japanese proof reading company
At Word Connection, we can undertake proofreading tasks of any size or scope. A Japanese proofreading company, we boast experienced professionals who will correct the errors that would otherwise diminish the quality of your documents and content. You will have greater of peace of mind knowing that your words will communicate your message correctly, professionally and politely while retaining their meaning. Our Japanese proof reading services deliver polished copy that will always make the right impression.
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