A reliable German translation
partner for your company
Individual approach
Each request for German translation is processed according to the individual requirements of the client, within the agreed deadline and preserving the appearance of the original text.
Unambiguous terminology
Clarity and consistency with professional terminology is a prerequisite for high-quality translations of German texts. You can rely on the terminology in the translations to correspond to established practice or to your requirements.
Quality assurance
The quality of our services and processes is confirmed by the ISO 9001 quality management system and ISO 17100 translation services certificates. Your translation is in good hands with us, you can count on that.
Professional translators
Thanks to 20 years of experience and modern technology, we can engage several German translators, revisers or native German speakers at the same time and translate even large texts within short deadlines.
Speed and flexibility
Thanks to 20 years of experience and modern technology, we can engage several German translators, revisers or native German speakers at the same time and translate even large texts within short deadlines.
Technology on your side
Modern translation support software recognises similar or already translated parts of the text. It creates a database from the translated German text in real time, so there is no need to translate the same sentence twice. German translations are also more uniform and translated in less time thanks to them.
Why order German translation in Otago?
- We work exclusively with verified translators,
- our translators cover dozens of specialisations,
- we will provide an additional check for native German speakers,
- we provide official translations of documents from and into German,
- ordering and delivery of the translation is quick and easy,
- we approach each request individually.
Interesting facts about the German language
German is the most widely spoken mother tongue in the European Union
German is one of the most widely spoken languages in Europe and the third most spoken language in the world after English and Russian. Around 130 million people have German as a first or second language. German is also the most widely spoken native language in the European Union, spoken in Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein and the Italian province of South Tyrol. It is also one of the official languages of Switzerland, Belgium and Luxembourg. Spoken German in its purest form is used practically only in written form, and in oral form it is tried to be approximated, for example, in the mass media.
German as a foreign language
According to the latest statistics available, it is estimated that around 15.4 million people worldwide are learning German as a foreign language in 2021. This figure includes students who learn German as a compulsory subject or as an elective subject at school, but also people who learn it at universities, language schools or online courses.
The largest groups of people learning German as a foreign language are from France, Italy, Spain, Great Britain, China, Turkey, Japan and Russia. It is important to note that these are only estimates and the actual number of people learning German as a foreign language may be slightly higher or lower.
German grammar and vocabulary
German belongs to the group of collective languages. Nouns in German have four cases, three genders and two numbers. Most of its vocabulary comes from the ancient Germanic branch of the Indo-European language family, while a smaller part is partly derived from Latin and Greek, along with a smaller number of words taken from French and modern English.
The grammar of the German language may seem difficult, but with a little patience and effort, even its most complex rules can be mastered.
As already mentioned, the German language, like Slovak, has three genders, masculine, feminine and neuter. Each word also has a definite article, either nominative, accusative, dative, or genitive. Falls are used to distinguish the meaning of words and their relationships in a particular context.
The German language is also characterised by a rich conjugation of verbs. Verbs are inflected according to person (I, you, he/she/it, we, you, they/it), tense (present, past, future), manner (indicative, subjunctive, imperative) and, to make matters worse, negative form. Verbs in German can also be weak or strong, which affects the way they are conjugated.
The German language also uses the definite and indefinite articles. At the same time, there are also a number of prepositions that affect the meaning of words and the relationships between them in a particular context. The perfect and imperfect vid have disappeared from contemporary written German.
Interesting facts about the German language
- German belongs together with English and Dutch to the group of West Germanic languages.
- All nouns are capitalised in German.
- German uses the Latin alphabet, but it also has a sharp S, which looks like the Greek beta ß and never stands at the beginning of a word.
- German is known for its long words, some consisting of 40 to 60 letters, such as Kraftfahrzeughaftpflichtversicherungsteilnehmer.
- German consists of almost 23 million words, of which the average person uses only about 12,000 to 16,000.
- The most commonly used words are the definite articles “der”, “die” and “das”.
German is known for its ability to create complex, meaningful words by combining multiple expressions. These compound words often carry meanings that can be difficult to translate into other languages. For example, “Wanderlust” perfectly captures the desire to travel and explore, while “Fingerspitzengefühl” captures the sensitivity and intuition in dealing with tricky situations. Mastering the world of compound words allows language enthusiasts to immerse themselves in the intricacies of German culture, where efficiency and precision are valued.
Writing nouns in capital letters
Unlike English, where only proper nouns are capitalised, German grants this distinction to all nouns. This seemingly minor grammatical feature plays a key role in the visual arrangement and ease of reading German written text. When reading a German sentence, the capitalised nouns immediately stand out, which helps to understand the subject and the relationships between the elements.
The origin and development of German
The Germanic tribes of ancient Europe laid the foundations of what later became the German language. Through a series of linguistic shifts and influences over the centuries, the Old High German language was created, which created the conditions for the development of regional dialects. In the Middle Upper German period, a standardised written form began to take shape, which was heavily influenced by Latin due to its religious and academic context.
Martin Luther’s influence on the German language
The translation of the Bible into German by the leader of the Reformation in the 16th century marked a significant turning point in both religious and linguistic history. Prior to Luther’s translation, religious texts were mostly accessible only to clerics and scholars in Latin. By translating the Bible into German, Luther wanted to make the Scriptures accessible to ordinary people, to promote religious literacy and cultural unity. His use of the Saxon dialect spoken in Saxony became the basis of modern standard German. Luther’s translation greatly influenced the standardization and development of the German language and left a lasting legacy that continues to shape the linguistic and cultural identity of the German-speaking world.
German in pop culture and literature
The German language and culture have made a significant contribution to the world’s artistic milieu. Timeless fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm, such as “Snow White” and “Cinderella”, continue to enchant audiences around the world. The literary genius Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, famous for “Faust” and “The Sorrows of Young Werther”, left an indelible mark on world literature. In addition to literature, German cinema boasts a rich history, to which renowned directors such as Werner Herzog and Rainer Werner Fassbinder have made significant contributions. In addition, the German music scene has produced cult groups such as Rammstein and artists such as Beethoven and Bach. Exploring the influence of German culture on pop culture and art reveals a treasure trove of creativity and influence.
Oktoberfest and German cuisine
German cuisine is an enticing fusion of flavours and traditional dishes such as hearty sausages, soft pretzels, spicy schnitzels and aromatic sauerkraut. German beer is celebrated worldwide for its quality and variety. The world-famous Oktoberfest, held annually in Munich, is a lively celebration of German culture, with live music, folk dancing and, of course, plenty of beer and delicious food. The event attracts millions of visitors from all over the world, making it a cultural icon and a testament to German hospitality.
