If you rely on automated translation software for your seasonal greetings you do so at the risk of being misunderstood or even embarrassed.

Machine language translation, otherwise known as automated or automatic translation, has certainly come a long way, but apparently not far enough to always send reliable and correct holiday greetings.

For example, if you were to translate "happy holidays" from English to French using an automated language translation application, you’re likely to end up with "bonnes vacances", which means "have a great vacation," which of course isn’t what you were meaning to relay at all.

And in Spanish, it might generate "Pasa buenas vacaciones" meaning "enjoy your vacation", which again would obviously reflect how little you know of the recipient's language and culture.

Here are some common missteps to avoid:

Be on the lookout for automated language translations that use the wrong writing system. For example Chinese characters used in Taiwan are different from those used in Mainland China.

Don’t assume a country's official language is the correct one to use in your particular greeting context. In some countries languages and dialects can differ immensely from one region to another, but automatic translations won't detect these variations.

And the biggest mistake of all — do not translate your phrases word for word. Doing so using automated translation software would likely result in gibberish.

According to Renato Beninatto, Chief Marketing Officer of Moravia, more than 50 percent of Internet users now rely on online language translation services, but it's important to understand their limitations.

"Holiday greetings are a simple way to build relationships with colleagues and friends," Beninatto said. "But don't let their simplicity catch you off guard. The wrong translation can lead to the wrong message about you."

If you’ve ever experienced a problem with automated language translation, we’d like to hear from you. Please tell us about it by posting a comment on our blog.

By Alex Dupont
Marketing Communications Specialist
Language Translation Inc.

See Also

• Machine or automated translation may not always deliver accurate results
  Raw machine translation may be sufficient for communicating via social networks, or getting the gist of a foreign language website.
• Moravia Gives Tips to Avoid Holiday Translation Errors
  Don't Rely on the Web for Seasonal Greetings, Beninatto Says

If you rely on automated translation software for your seasonal greetings you do so at the risk of being misunderstood or even embarrassed.

Machine language translation, otherwise known as automated or automatic translation, has certainly come a long way, but apparently not far enough to always send reliable and correct holiday greetings.

For example, if you were to translate "happy holidays" from English to French using an automated language translation application, you’re likely to end up with "bonnes vacances", which means "have a great vacation," which of course isn’t what you were meaning to relay at all.

And in Spanish, it might generate "Pasa buenas vacaciones" meaning "enjoy your vacation", which again would obviously reflect how little you know of the recipient's language and culture.

Here are some common missteps to avoid:

Be on the lookout for automated language translations that use the wrong writing system. For example Chinese characters used in Taiwan are different from those used in Mainland China.

Don’t assume a country's official language is the correct one to use in your particular greeting context. In some countries languages and dialects can differ immensely from one region to another, but automatic translations won't detect these variations.

And the biggest mistake of all — do not translate your phrases word for word. Doing so using automated translation software would likely result in gibberish.

According to Renato Beninatto, Chief Marketing Officer of Moravia, more than 50 percent of Internet users now rely on online language translation services, but it's important to understand their limitations.

"Holiday greetings are a simple way to build relationships with colleagues and friends," Beninatto said. "But don't let their simplicity catch you off guard. The wrong translation can lead to the wrong message about you."

If you’ve ever experienced a problem with automated language translation, we’d like to hear from you. Please tell us about it by posting a comment on our blog.

By Alex Dupont
Marketing Communications Specialist
Language Translation Inc.

See Also

• Machine or automated translation may not always deliver accurate results
  Raw machine translation may be sufficient for communicating via social networks, or getting the gist of a foreign language website.
• Moravia Gives Tips to Avoid Holiday Translation Errors
  Don't Rely on the Web for Seasonal Greetings, Beninatto Says