Got a translation question?

Finding answers about a translation question you might have can be a daunting task.

If you're a translator, or interested in becoming one, you probably have questions. But the biggest one of all might be the following:

Where can I go to get real answers?

A lot of times I go to Yahoo! Answers and notice that there are a lot of questions from would-be translators and that there are an equal amount of answers from those who aren't translators or don't know anything about the translation industry.

To me, this isn't very helpful. When I was just starting out, I wanted answers from real translators who had been through what I was going to experience, not from people who had no idea what I needed.

So in that vain, I've put together this translator F.A.Q. If you've got a question about the translation industry, how to get started, what to charge, how to get clients, etc., use the form below to submit your question.

And if you're a translator, please feel free to answer/comment on any question you see. This page is meant to be an interactive give and take between translators with questions and those with answers, so please contribute! It will become a great resource for everyone involved.

I get a lot of questions asked everyday and try to answer each one as quickly as possible. If you want to get yours answered a litter faster, though, consider helping me out with a donation of just a couple bucks. A little caffeine goes a long way towards helping me answer questions!

Question Categories

1. Questions about Spanish and English slang translation
2. Questions related to translation education
3. Questions about becoming a certified translator
4. Questions regarding Spanish Bible translations
5. Questions about dictionaries
6. Questions about interpretation
7. Questions about translation associations
8. Questions regarding translation tools
9. Questions about ATA membership

Feel free to ask any questions you might have about translation. And don't forget to help others by answering their questions.

Click below to see answers from other visitors to this page...

Become a professional translator 
I will like to know a way to become a profetional or certified Spanish translator. I live in Findlay, Ohio and right now I'm doing some Spanish and some ...

Finding an interpreter in Guatemala 
I'm looking for a Spanish interpreter to spend a week with me in Guatemala this fall (in November) but I don't know where to start. I need someone to ...

WLS Certificate in Translation 
Why is it that, if the WLS courses based out of Ireland seem so comprehensive (and cheaper than the rest), I cannot find any information or reviews on ...

Translation of phrase 
hooOoOoOla tio k onda como estas espero bien bueno kuidta y ora kuando veas asofi y miguel y gastoni me los slaudas porfis va bueno y ya no le des a nacho ...

List of Spanish words 
Does anyone know where can I find a list of free Spanish words?

Lyrics to a song 
What does Mark Anthony's song "lo que no di" translate to in English?

Translation for skate holder 
How would you translate skate holder?

spanish to english translation 
What does this mean: "Adoro a papa"

Translation of Symbol 
Does the @ symbol translate as "at" in the Spanish language?

Translating client testimonies 
Hi,

I realize this may be a little work to do, but I am a classical guitarist in need of translating client testimonies from english to spanish. I have ...

Argentine Spanish Help 
Can anyone help me with a translation of the following:

gordito paso
t dejo miles de besitos :)
cuidate y suert:$

La Bamba translation 
I've got an issue with your translation of "La Bamba", specifically with the following:

Se necesita una poca de gracia
Una poca de gracia para mi para ...

Any reviews on Ectaco products 
I'm looking for any reviews on Ectaco products. I was about to purchase a product in Canada.

Originally I thought that the product was sold from a Canadian ...

How to become a translator 
I would like to know how to become a translator.

This includes: Do I have to study something first (undergraduate)?

Do I have to study in some place ...

Starting out in Translation 
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to dialogue and get help!

I am a Spanish Medical Interpreter who is trying to break into the document translation ...

Becoming a medical translator 
I am interested in becoming a certified court translator or a medical translator as in hospitals and I constantly see a need for such services.

I speak ...

Where can I apply for an in-house tranlslator job? 
I am graduated since 2007 as a translator but so far I have had some difficulties in getting jobs as a translator.

Can anyone help me in suggesting ...

Advantages and disadvantages of being a translator 
What are some of the advantages and disadvantages that translators might face while pursuing a career in translation? Also, what kind of salary can a translator ...

Making money as a translator 
Does anyone know how much you can earn a year by working in a hospital as a translator?

How would you spell this? 
Burrio, it sounds like that, but i don't know how to spell it correctly.

Disadvantage to Using a Translator  Not rated yet
Becca asked: What is the disadvantage of using a translator?



The Spanish Translator: Thanks for the question, Becca, but to be honest, I'...

How do I get started in translation?  Not rated yet
Actually i heard about this translation project from my lecturer, but i dont have a clear knowledge about how to start with and whether it requres any ...

English name of Anameal  Not rated yet
My new son-in-law is Guatemalan and is named Anameal, he says it is a name from the bible but doesn't know where. They are looking at an English middle ...

Spanish language current events  Not rated yet
Where can I find Spanish current events written in Spanish?

Starting an English Spanish Translation Business  Not rated yet
I want to start a small business with a partner doing translations and was wondering if we should we go as a LLC or S Corp. Any suggestions?

Cost of Online Translator  Not rated yet
What's the cost of getting a Spanish translator online?

Fees as translator  Not rated yet
Hello, I have found quite interesting your site. I have been studied for a while to become a translator, I am still working on it, but I think sooner I ...

Translation Fees  Not rated yet
How much and how do I charge for a translation? by the word? by the hour?

Charging for translation  Not rated yet
Although I have had experience translating things from German to English for friends, I have never worked professionally. My mother tongue is English and ...

bum in spanish  Not rated yet
How do you say bum or somebody that takes cans from the public garbage can?

Sleeping on the job  Not rated yet
What are the consquences if an employee is caught sleeping on the job? The employee has been warned various times, yet he still does it. I need to put ...

Dictionary for the iPhone  Not rated yet
I need a Spanish dictionary for the iPhone that you don't have to be connected to the Internet to use. Does anyone have any recommendations on a dictionary ...

Google Spanish Translator  Not rated yet
I tried the Google English to Spanish translation on my Home Page and it tranlated much better than I expected . (Good enough for my purposes)

My site ...

translator income  Not rated yet
How much do you, the author of this site, make per month and per year being a freelance translator?

And to established translators who read this site,...

Desmonds in Spanish  Not rated yet
What is Desmonds in Spanish?

Translations Fees  Not rated yet
I was recently contacted for my translation services. This is my very first job and I don't know how much to charge. It there is an average per word or ...

meaning of Spanish holidays  Not rated yet
Why can't you give a brief summary about each of the holidays? What good are the names if you don't know what the holiday means? Can you give me a sentence ...

Translation salary  Not rated yet
What do Spanish/English translators charge per hour on a contract basis job?

Translation of En Masa  Not rated yet
In Argentina if someone refers to a person as "en masa" what does it mean?

Becoming a translator  Not rated yet
I have recently moved back to the US after living in Spain for two years and traveling through Central America for five months. I have done very minimal ...

Starting work as a translator  Not rated yet
I am writing today with regards to a query about starting work as a translator.

I am Spanish and have been living in the UK for over ten years. I ...

Mexican Soccer Terms  Not rated yet
What do the soccer terms sigale and llegate lo mean?

Translation Software  Not rated yet
I just graduated from The University of Texas at El Paso with a B.A. in Linguistics and a minor in Translation English-Spanish. I am currently working ...

Court translators in Texas  Not rated yet
Does anyone know how much a court translator makes in Houston, Texas?

Leore in Spanish  Not rated yet
What is the Spanish name for Leore?

Spanish surname  Not rated yet
Trying to figure out a Spanish surname from handwriting - it looks like "Narcuaguaga" but I can't find any trace of this name at all. Need this to locate ...

comisaria in english  Not rated yet
How does "comisaria municipal" translate in English?
The terme refers to an administrative division and is used in Mexico.

Deck the halls in Spanish  Not rated yet
What do they call Deck the Halls in Spanish?

spanish speaking countries  Not rated yet
What are the 21 countries that speak spanish and in spanish, what is the money called?

Chrismas in Spanish  Not rated yet
How do you say Christmas and Christmas Eve in Spanish?

Telephone Interpreting  Not rated yet
How much can I expect to get paid for telephone interpreting?

Spanish Song  Not rated yet
What is "Deck the Halls" in Spanish?

English to Spanish  Not rated yet
How do you write a type of bread used to shape like the dead?

How to work in London as a translator  Not rated yet
I am a Spanish and English translator, with a law degree from the U.S, and I want to work in London as a translator, please advice on what I should do ...

Getting started as a translator  Not rated yet
How does one become a Spanish translator? Is there any certification or special requirements like a degree? I'm interested also in where a translator ...

Spanish states  Not rated yet
What states in the United States mean something in Spanish?

Translating a nickname for court document  Not rated yet
I am a court reporter, the man calls two different people...."the taxi driver" and "the quiet one" one sounds like citio and other sounds like serio ...

meaning of a phrase  Not rated yet
What does 'Que Me Vez' mean?

Translation Language Help  Not rated yet
Does anyone know the word for the carrier used on the head for market vendors?

Argentine Spanish Help  Not rated yet
Can anyone help me with a translation of the following:

gordito paso
t dejo miles de besitos :)
cuidate y suert:$

How to become an interpreter  Not rated yet
Any suggestions as to where I can go to take training to become an interpreter?