Why is the translation into Arabic different from the translation into other languages?

We have been offering translations into Arabic for 25 years thanks to a team of professional mother tongue translators specialised in different fields: statutes, contracts, financial statements, manuals, certifications and much more.

Arabic is the official language of 25 countries, mainly in the Middle East and North Africa, and is also one of the six official languages of the United Nations.

Let’s find out more about this language.

Characteristics of translation into Arabic

Translation into Arabic has unique characteristics that distinguish it from translations into other languages.

From writing from right to left to the complex variety of ‘dialects’, Arabic requires special attention to ensure accuracy and intelligibility.

In addition, the cultural context plays a crucial role in translation, making a deep knowledge of the Arabic language and culture essential.

Let’s see it step by step.

Structure of the Arabic language

Alphabet

Arabic uses an alphabet consisting of 28 letters and is written from right to left.

Furthermore, the shape of the letters changes according to their position in the word: at the beginning, in the middle, at the end or isolated.

The sentence can be verbal or nominal, depending on whether the focus is on the verb/action or on the subject.

Many countries prefer to use the Indian numerals instead of the Arabic numerals (e.g. Saudi Arabia) and the same goes for the calendar (preferring the lunar calendar instead of the solar one).

Writing from right to left

The text direction not only affects the layout, but can also create technical problems when languages that are written in opposite directions are combined.

For example, when English and Arabic are present in the same document and there is a bulleted list next to a photo.

Variants

Arabic is a language that changes a lot from country to country.

The Arabic spoken in Morocco, for example, is different from the Arabic spoken in Egypt, but Modern Standard Arabic is a common language of communication for all Arabic-speaking countries.

The main variants of Arabic are:

• Arabic of the Arabian Peninsula: Saudi Arabia, Yemen, UAE, etc.
• Levantine Arabic: Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, and Israel.
• Egyptian Arabic: Egypt and some areas of Sudan, even though it is understood throughout the Arab world.
• Maghrebi Arabic: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya.

When translating a text, it is useful to understand whether it is correct to use Modern Standard Arabic or if the customer prefers to use another variant.

Please see the article on the Academy of the Arabic Language in Cairo.

The importance of cultural context in translations

Cultural adaptation

Arabic is the fifth most widely spoken language in the world as a mother tongue, with about 300 million speakers. This number rises to 420 million if we also consider those who speak it as a second language.

It goes without saying that, with such a high number of speakers located in different countries, idiomatic expressions, cultural references and concepts can have different meanings depending on the Arab country in which they are used.

Linguistic and religious sensitivity

Arabic is also linked to Islamic culture and religion.

Some words or expressions may not be appropriate in certain contexts or may require a more neutral formulation to avoid misunderstandings.

Design and graphics must also respect cultural sensitivities, avoiding images or symbols that could be offensive.

Localisation and adaptation of content

In sectors such as marketing and advertising, translations into Arabic must not only be accurate, but also engaging and culturally appropriate.

Please see our article on transcreation (currently available in Italian): transcreation is a kind of rewriting of the message to adapt it to the audience without losing its original meaning. It’s like seeing the text be created anew by writing it from scratch!

Contact us for your translation into Arabic!

Translation into any language is much more than just replacing words, and this is particularly true with Arabic.

Script, ‘dialectal’ variant and cultural context require advanced skills and an in-depth knowledge of the language and local customs that only professional mother tongue translators can have.

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