Free French English Translator and French Translations Guide

Need French translations in a hurry? Talk with your French English translator to plan a realistic timeline that will meet your schedule requirements while allowing enough time for a high-quality job. Below is important advice to help you manage your translation timing and avoid problems. (If you were looking for a free online translation, click here).

Tips on translation timing

How long will your translation take? Generally speaking, calculate at least one day for every 2500 to 3000 words in your document. Apart from this very general rule, the actual timing of a translation can vary widely.

"The calculation is that more or less 2500 words can be translated in a day. Some translators can do 3000. But if, for example, you have a 5000-word project, and the translator offers to give it to you tomorrow, it's little bit worrisome.

Of course, if they're working with Trados [a computer-assisted translation tool] or another tool with a translation memory, then that can speed things up. But if the translation's not repetitive at all, then you can't translate 5000 words in a day and have a good result.

Calculate more or less 2500 words a day. And then if you need formatting work, that takes time too. And you have to ask the translator for it. For example, if there are a lot of graphics, sometimes translators charge for the formatting work separately. "

- Perrine Souffez, French Translator and Project Manager

1) Communicate clearly. Always agree on timing with your French English translator before giving the green light to go ahead with the translation. Send the text to the translator in advance so that he or she can see the kind of work that will be involved before giving you a timeline. Confirm your timing agreement in an e-mail or another written form so that there can be no confusion about it later.

2) Be realistic. Do not ask for a 20,000 word technical translation in 24 hours. Normally, you should not expect a French English translator to manage more than 2500 to 3000 words a day. If you find a translator who offers to translate a huge volume in a short time, then you should be worried about quality.

Translation takes time. Your translator needs to think about the document and look for the best way to express the information in another language. There might also be some research involved. And a good translator will always go back afterward to proofread and polish his or her own work.

3) Negotiate when you need to. Within a realistic range, the timing of your French translations may be negotiable, especially if you are willing to pay a "rush" surcharge. The translator might be able to rearrange other obligations to give your translations priority. If you are working with a translation agency, they may be able to work outside of office hours to move your translations along faster. Both freelance translators and agencies are often willing to extra-fast turnaround at an additional cost.

On the other hand, they can't perform miracles. You may find an agency somewhere that is willing to turn around 20,000 words overnight, but don't expect a quality job in that case.

4) Provide a high-quality source document. If the original text is confusing or hard to understand, the translator may have to spend a lot of time trying to decipher it. This is also likely to lead to translation mistakes.

"The longer it takes the translator to understand your text, the longer it will take to translate it."

- Lindsay Gasser, German, Dutch, and French to English Translator

6) Avoid last-minute changes. Ideally, the text you send the translator should be the final version. If you decide to make changes in the document after the translation has already started, this can add significantly to the timing and cost of your French translations. It can also turn into a chaotic situation with various versions of the document going back and forth, making it easy for either you or your translator to get confused.

7) Check in. If you haven't heard from your French English translator in a day or two, check in to make sure everything's going according to schedule and ask if any questions have come up. The translator might have questions that are slowing him or her down but which he or she feels shy about asking you.

Often translators are reluctant to "bother" clients by contacting them during the translation, so it's important for you, as the client, to be proactive about communication. This helps keep the translation moving smoothly forward and gives you more control over the project. And if a problem does come up with the translation timing, it's always better to know about as soon as possible so that you can look for a solution.

French English Translator Guide: Plan the Timing of Your French Translations

Tips on translation timing

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