German-English translator; English-German translator

German and English - target languages in high demand in the Swiss market

Target language German – language variants

German is spoken by around 130 million people and is the national language of Switzerland, spoken by over 65% of the population. The demand for translations into and from this language is correspondingly high.

German is mainly spoken in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and Belgium. It is also spoken as a minority language in countries such as Italy, France, Denmark and Poland.

There are several varieties of the German language, but the main ones are:

• Standard German: the official language of Germany, Austria, and Liechtenstein. It is also used as the standard language in Switzerland.
• Swiss German: the dialect spoken in Switzerland. It is not a written language and differs significantly from Standard German.
• Austrian German: the dialect spoken in Austria. It also differs from Standard German in terms of vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.
• Luxembourgish: National language of Luxembourg. It is closely related to German and is considered a West Germanic language.

What are the characteristics of Swiss German?

Swiss German is a group of dialects spoken in Switzerland that differ significantly from standard German in terms of vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. It is not a written language and there is no standard form of Swiss German. Instead, there are many regional variations of Swiss German, and the dialect spoken in one region may be difficult for speakers of another region to understand.

Swiss German dialects are mainly spoken in informal settings, such as conversations with friends and family, and are rarely used in formal situations, such as business or academic contexts. The use of Swiss German in the media has increased in recent years, with some television and radio programmes being broadcast in Swiss German.

Swiss German is an important part of Swiss culture and identity, and its use is often seen as a way of distinguishing the Swiss from Germans or Austrians. It is also a reflection of Switzerland’s unique political and linguistic history, which has led to the development of a distinct Swiss German dialect.

We are also very familiar with the particularities of Standard German in Switzerland and will make sure that this is taken into account in every translation, according to your specifications.

The same applies when our translation agency translates content for other German-speaking countries. We use the right specialist resources who are familiar with these language variants and have the necessary market expertise.

Target language English – language variants

Switzerland is considered one of the world’s top 20 economies and is renowned for its international business orientation. English is the most widely spoken language in commerce and business worldwide. Along with Portuguese, Spanish, Serbian, Croatian and Albanian, English is one of the most widely spoken foreign languages in Switzerland. The English language therefore plays an important role in communication between private and public organisations in our country.

English is spoken by millions of people around the world as a native language and by many others as a second language. There are several main varieties of English, which differ in pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar.

Some of the main varieties of English are:

• British English: spoken in the United Kingdom, with several regional variants such as Scottish English, Welsh English and Northern Irish English.
• American English: spoken in the United States, with several regional variants, including South American English, Midwestern American English and California English.
• Canadian English: Spoken in Canada, with some differences from British and American English.
• Australian English: spoken in Australia, with some differences from British English.
• New Zealand English: spoken in New Zealand, with some differences from British and Australian English.
• South African English: spoken in South Africa, with some differences from British English.
• Indian English: spoken in India, with some influences from Indian languages.
• Singaporean English: spoken in Singapore, with influences from both British English and the various languages of the country.
• Nigerian English: spoken in Nigeria, with influences from Nigerian languages and Pidgin English.

There are also varieties of English spoken in other regions, such as Jamaican English, which is spoken in Jamaica and has influences from African languages and Jamaican Creole. Within these main varieties, there are numerous dialects and accents of English, depending on the region and background of the speaker.

We ensure that your translation assignments and projects are carried out in accordance with your requirements, taking into account the spelling and idiosyncrasies of each language variant.

Professional and certified translations English-German and German-English

Since 2012, our Zurich-based translation agency has been working successfully with numerous Swiss and foreign companies and organisations in the field of German-English and English-German translations.

In these language combinations, we handle a wide range of formats and documents in a variety of subject areas, such as:

Certified translations

Certified translations are usually required for documents to be submitted to the authorities. These documents include various contracts (e.g. sale and purchase agreements, wills, marriage contracts, certificates, diplomas, birth certificates, expert reports, extracts from the commercial register, criminal records, driving licences, marriage certificates, divorce certificates and similar legal documents).

We have been providing certified (sworn) English-German and German-English translations for individuals and organisations for many years. Our sworn translation service also includes an apostille upon request.

We can also provide apostilles upon request. Our certified translation services, together with our personalised customer service, are consistently rated highly by numerous private and institutional clients.

Quality assurance and translation technology

We process all translation assignments and projects in accordance with the recognised industry standards for translation services (ISO 17100:2015 for translation services). For short-lived content, such as content produced for internal use only, simplified editing processes may be applied in consultation with you.

We use bespoke translation and terminology software (including machine translation tools) to manage your language data and ensure consistency of content. This enables us to handle a wide range of document formats.

If required, we can put together a team of translators specifically for your project. Our specialist translators and proofreaders are also continually evaluated to ensure the quality of all projects and to optimise processes.

Fast turnaround times and excellent value for money are guaranteed.

Other language services for the target languages German and English

Our translation agency also offers other language services in the language combinations English-German and German-English.

Satisfied customers - Proven expertise

Renowned clients at home and abroad have relied on our expertise for many years to translate long and complex texts and content from German into English and from English into German.

We have long-standing relationships with:

• a Zurich-based financial institution of systemic importance to the Swiss financial centre,
• a leading Swiss transaction bank,
• a major pension fund service provider,
• a telecommunications provider,
• a well-established architectural firm with offices in Switzerland, Germany and Austria,
• a Swiss institution in the field of research funding,
• an international organisation in the field of environment and biodiversity,
• a non-profit organisation active throughout Switzerland,
• law firms and notaries’ offices,
• numerous offices of the cantonal and federal administration.