The challenges of localisation in translations into Arabic (part 1)

Here we take a closer look at the characteristics of translations into Arabic and try to give some practical examples.

Translating from one language into another one is never a simple transposition of words. This is even more true when translating between two languages that are culturally very different.

In this article, we focus on:

• regional/local variant
• language structure
• writing from right to left

In the second part of our article, we focus on:

• numerals and symbols
• technical and scientific terminology
• Cultural aspects and linguistic sensitivities

Click here to go to the second part of the article:

The challenges of localisation in translations into Arabic (part 2)

Regional/local variant

In our previous article, we talked about local variants and when to opt for them rather than for Modern Standard Arabic.

Although Modern Standard Arabic is the language understood throughout the Arab world and the one commonly used in the media and in official documents, there are cases in which it is better to opt for the local variant.

Let’s take the example of a company that produces voice assistant software.

A voice assistant designed for Saudi Arabia may need to support the Najdi dialect for better interaction with local users.

Language structure

The syntax of Arabic is different from that of Indo-European languages.

For example, the verb often precedes the subject in a sentence, and there are strict rules for agreement between verbs, subjects and adjectives. The Arabic language depends more on context than on text.

Translating a user interface for an e-commerce application may be complicated.

In English, ‘Add to Cart’ is a short and direct sentence, whereas in Arabic it can become ‘أضف إلى عربة التسوق’, a longer sentence that can alter the interface design.

In general, the Arabic language is more synthetic and this leads to have empty spaces in case of translation of long texts or sentences.

Writing from right to left

Writing from right to left (RTL) means that the layout has to be adapted and when there are several languages in the same document, this aspect should not be overlooked.

When we deal with translations into Arabic, the problem of numbered or bulleted lists should also be considered, especially when these are next to an image.

In the instructions for medical devices, for example, the patient information leaflet is usually available in many languages, so the graphic designer has to be careful and cannot simply copy and paste the translated text because in formats such as Word the texts move according to the software configuration. Sometimes you have to create the layout by inserting the texts into text boxes and then convert the Word document into PDF.

Or again, a bank that translates its online platform into Arabic must completely reverse the arrangement of buttons and navigation menus to ensure a consistent user experience.

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