Eurotrad

Are some languages easier or more difficult to learn than others? Yes, and no. As such, no languages are equally easy or difficult to learn for everyone. Instead, it’s better to talk about close and distant languages. The “closeness” of two languages makes learning them easier.

The Braille alphabet is a written communication tool that has allowed millions of visually impaired people to communicate with the same efficacy as the normally sighted.

Neologisms, by definition, are new words that permanently enter spoken language. Many of the new words invented each year don’t stand the test of time, and are perhaps best described as fads that fail to root themselves permanently in spoken language.

Japanese ideograms belong to a writing system that is entirely different from the alphabetic one used by almost all other languages around the world. Given its distance from western languages, translating Japanese is one of the most complex (and therefore expensive) tasks you can ask a professional translator to undertake.

A child’s first words are a real milestone for the rest of the family. Unfortunately, however, there are a few widely held beliefs about language development that have no basis in fact.

How many difficult words are there in the world? And which language contains the most unpronounceable words? In reality, these are not questions that can be answered objectively, since, as linguists will know, a language’s difficulty is entirely subjective.

Words are fun when they sound ridiculous or force speakers to attempt amusing pronunciation. The Italian language has several funny words, but there are numerous memorable cases in other languages, too.

Translating Harry Potter is just about as difficult as literary translation gets, not only due to the book and film series’ global success, but also to the fact that the character names were translated differently, causing confusion among readers, along with a lot of criticism.

Dreaming in different languages is perfectly normal. There are many reasons why someone might dream in different languages and there are various theories about what it all means: read on to find out more.

The most studied languages in the world are not necessarily the most spoken languages in the world. Italians were recently shocked to find out that their mother tongue is the fourth most studied language in the world, despite its apparent complexity.

Which languages are the most sought-after in the world of work? Is it even possible to rank them? Perhaps it would be best to focus on specific industries? You might be unsurprised to learn that the latter approach makes more sense, despite the same few languages topping the rankings, regardless of sector.

Learning languages is never easy, especially if you want to become fluent. However, it’s widely believed that some languages are harder to learn than others.

What are false friends? They are essentially tricky words or phrases that you need to look out for when translating from English into another language. Below are some English words that may deceive you due to their resemblance to Italian words. But watch out, they have very different meanings!

How does we determine whether or not a word is ‘beautiful’? In reality, there is no set way to do so, instead, we rely on a sort of ‘feeling’ that certain words are able to encapsulate concepts with precision or a pleasing sound.

Most translators will be aware that certain cultures can be particularly sensitive to specific concepts, perceiving them in entirely unique ways. Often, this ‘sensitivity’ to specific items, emotions or situations is encapsulated in a word.

While some languages are continuing to gain new speakers, others seem destined for oblivion. In most cases, the latter includes ancient languages spoken by very small and isolated communities, whose inhabitants are progressively diminishing in number or are forgetting their population’s ancient cultural traditions.

Transcreation is a real art, and those tasked with transcreation must ensure that the translated advertising slogan is just as effective in one language as another, while also maintaining the same rhythmic and linguistic features as the original slogan. Let’s take a look at a few of the most famous examples.

The title of a film is its primary selling point. The cast, director and plot are key to longer-term box office success, but it’s usually the title of a film that’s meant to attract viewers.

What are the most translated websites in the world? You may be surprised to hear that the most translated website in the world is not Wikipedia or Google. At the top of this list is a website belonging to an international organisation that has made great strides in online communication .

If we were to ask you what the most translated book in the world might be, you’d likely get it right: The Bible. This ancient text, together with the Quran, is one of the most translated books in the history of humanity.

Translating adverts is a very delicate task, primarily due to the cultural implications that need to be considered in order to avoid producing a disastrous translation that could have a very negative impact on a brand’s overall image.

Sayings – or idiomatic expressions as they’re sometimes called – can be both a blessing and a curse for translators. In fact, the metaphorical meaning of an idiomatic expression often doesn’t correspond to its literal meaning, which is precisely where its suggestive power tends to lie.

Translation errors on restaurant menus are par for the course, just like parmesan on macaroni pasta with tomato sauce (or ‘macarons to the sauce of tomato,’ of course).

Are you wondering why your Turkish contact arrived half an hour late to a company meeting? Do you have a left-handed colleague who was sent by the company to negotiate with an Arab business partner, resulting in disaster?

What are some of the most commonly spoken languages in the world and which are the most important? The answers are complex, especially from a translator's point of view!