Translation costs are generally calculated according to the number of words in the source text.
It is particularly important to bear this in mind when comparing the cost of Japanese to English Translation and English to Japanese translation.
The Japanese language condenses more information into kanji, hiragana, and katakana characters than English does into words. The expansion rate is roughly 1 to 1.8 meaning that 1,000 Japanese characters will become approximately 1,800 English words when translated.Â
Were a Japanese to English translation charged according to the number of characters in the target text, the costs would be much higher.
English to Japanese translations are usually more costly than Japanese to English translations due to the higher word count in the source text.
The cost of any translation will also be impacted by several additional factors.
Which factors impact translation charges?
A translator or translation company will look at all aspects of a project before proposing their charges as there are several factors that could increase their costs. The aspects of translation work that must be considered are as follows:
Structure and grammatical complexity of target language
Languages vary greatly in their structures and complexity. The closer two languages are to each other in these regards, the quicker and easier translations become and so the lower the cost of the translation work.
Japanese is a highly complex and context-dependent language, and one featuring three sets of Japanese characters - kanji, hiragana, and katakana. Japanese grammar and syntax differ significantly from English and other European languages. These complexities ensure that translating English into Japanese is challenging and that the work requires considerable expertise.
Availability of translators
A translation involving less widely spoken languages or languages with fewer available translators will be more costly. Translators capable of working on such projects will be in great demand and so are in a position to charge higher rates.
Subject of source material
Technical projects, legal documents, medical and other specialized source texts will require specialist, professional translators with knowledge and experience of the field to work on them. For this reason, they command higher rates.
Required schedule
Urgent work supplied at short notice may attract higher charges due to the additional challenges that it presents. Urgent projects may involve translators working longer and less convenient hours or reorganising their schedules. Urgent work can also leave translation companies with fewer choices regarding which Japanese translators they can use.
Document layout and formatting
Source texts with complex layouts that feature images, logos, intricate formatting or multiple headings are more time consuming to translate and so will inevitably be charged at a higher rate. Technical documents may require more editing and reviewing than certified translations that demand more attention to legal technicalities.
Project volume
With any type of work there are economies of scale and translation projects are no exceptions. Discounts may be offered for handling larger projects and minimum charges could be applied to the smallest undertakings.
On average, a translation will feature 2000 words and 6 headings. But projects can be considerably smaller, larger or more complex than this.
Service level
The higher the level of service needed, the greater the cost will be. Projects requiring both translation and editing will be charged at a higher rate than those requiring translation only.
Many translations will benefit from localisation. This is the adaptation of the target text to feature culturally appropriate references, terminology and expressions that will be understood by or appeal to the new audience.
Depending on the scale of the project it might be preferable to call for Translation Agencies as opposed to Freelance Translators. Agencies tend to have a repertoire of experienced translators and keep a database of translation memories.
Thanks to Translation Memory, some projects may be easier than expected. With the help of these databases the translators can spend time on the more difficult tasks at hand in order to deliver accurate translations.
Additional Services
Additional Japanese translation services could be needed to complete a project. These may include proofreading, typesetting, certification, apostilling or notarization. Additional services will usually result in increased rates being applied.Â
Some agencies offer machine translation. This is a consideration more and more people tend to have with the advancement of AI technologies. These should be considered carefully as not all fields of translation benefit from this.
In summary
No two translation projects are identical. At Word Connection, we will always look at every aspect of any prospective translation work before providing a quotation. Our rates are calculated in consideration of the size, nature and complexity of a translation, and also to reflect the level of service requested.Â
English to Japanese translations will generally appear to be more costly than Japanese to English translations. As explained above, this is because there are more native English speaking translators available than native Japanese speaking translators. In addition, the word counts of English texts will almost always be higher than those of Japanese texts.
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