Dutch is a widespread Germanic language natively spoken in Belgium, the Netherlands, and parts of Southern Africa. It is a sister language to English, although not mutually intelligible. Many influential companies operate out of the Netherlands and conduct business in Dutch.
Translating Dutch for Canadians can be uniquely challenging due to the diverse range of demographics present in Canada. There are also many dialects that can be difficult to translate English to Dutch for Canadians doing business in the Netherlands and elsewhere.
Best Dutch Translation Services for Canadians
1. The Word Point
The Word Point is a well-reviewed and established agency for translation with widely reported customer satisfaction. They have language professionals working from all over the globe and offer many effective translation services.
Their prices are affordable and have a good ratio of price to quality of translation. This is a good all-around option for people looking for accurate and high-quality Dutch to English translation services in Canada.
2. Genius Translation
GeniusTranslation.com is an agency that specializes in a smaller number of language pairs compared to other translation companies. They provide a number of services, including localization, voice work, proofreading, and more. Their prices are a bit higher than other entries we have reviewed for this list.
The price-quality ratio for this company is less than stellar, and their services can be hit-or-miss. However, they have a decent turnaround time, and could be a viable option if you need something done quickly.
3. Translate Hub
TranslateHub.org stresses the importance of human translation, as well as providing services for lower prices than their competitors. Some customer reviews say that the translations from this agency are not always entirely accurate.
This is a good option for casual Dutch to English or English to Dutch translations for clients that are looking for something affordable. However, it might not be so good for more serious translation work.
4. Aldus
Aldus.ca is an experienced translation company with many customer reviews saying they are reliable and accurate. Their quality is said to be simply “acceptable”, but they are frequently able to meet deadlines or even deliver early.
This may not be the best option for people looking for a professional Dutch translation, since the quality of their translations appears to be inconsistent. However, it might be a good option if you need your translation delivered in a short period of time.
5. Worldwide Express
Worldwideexpress.ca has more than 14 years of experience with translating various languages, including Dutch to English. Their service is rather expensive, and the quality of their translations may not be the best depending on the skill and experience of the translator you end up with.
Overall, not a good option for people looking for a good price to quality ratio. It’s possible that some customers may end up getting lucky with their translation, but the overall quality is inconsistent.
English to Dutch nuances and challenges
There are many industries that are popular for Dutch to English translation. These include medical translations, business, finance, and legal translation. Each of these fields may present unique challenges for English to Dutch translators.
Although Dutch and English are closely related, English has been heavily influenced by Norwegian and French, while Dutch is mostly based on earlier Germanic dialects. In particular, the pronunciation of Dutch words is radically different than many of their English counterparts.
Dutch to English Examples (Translating Dutch to English)
Dutch has a lot of words that were used in English centuries ago, but subsequent linguistic evolution has made both languages fairly different from one another. Although earlier examples from middle and old English were mutually intelligible with old Dutch, this is no longer the case.
Dutch to English translation is particularly difficult because Dutch has retained certain grammatical aspects that have been lost in English. For example, Dutch has retained a gender system where English has not.
Translating Dutch to French
Both Dutch and French are highly influential languages throughout history. At one point, both cultures maintained a colonial empire, resulting in these languages being spread to other parts of the world. French businesses may need to translate to Dutch more often than expected.
French grammar is more complex than Dutch grammar, and both languages are radically different in terms of pronunciation and vocabulary. One major area of difficulty is voice work, since the two languages use very different sounds and syllables.
Translating Dutch Documents
Dutch documents also have unique problems for foreign translators. One major problem is that many foreign Dutch speakers will translate Dutch to English words and phrases literally when they are meant figuratively in Dutch.
Dutch has a large number of euphemisms and metaphors in common speech that require lots of experience to understand. Native Dutch translators are usually required to translate Dutch into English.