Our Comprehensive Polish Translation Services
Green Crescent’s team of expert Polish translators is well-equipped to handle the linguistic and cultural nuances of various industries. Our services are designed to meet the specific requirements of diverse sectors, and we specialize in regional variations of Polish, ensuring localized accuracy where needed.
- Standard Polish (Poland)
- Silesian Polish (Upper Silesia region)
- Kashubian (Kashubia region)
- Podhale dialect (Goral Highlanders)
We offer professional English to Polish and Polish to English translation services, including:
Simple Translation
Our simple translations in the English/Polish language pair are designed for basic communication needs. These translations are completed by a single Polish translator without the involvement of an editor or proofreader, and therefore should not be considered final or polished work for most professional or formal use cases. While they are typically of high quality, simple translations are essentially "rough drafts" that do not go through additional editing, proofreading, or other quality control processes. These translations are ideal for personal letters, informal communications, initial drafts that will later be revised, or for situations where you need to quickly understand the general meaning or "gist" of a Polish text.
Standard Translation (TEP)
Our Standard Polish Translation service is designed to provide high-quality translations for everyday use, including business correspondence, websites, reports, presentations, and similar content. This service includes translation, editing, and proofreading (TEP) to ensure the highest level of accuracy and clarity in your Polish communications.
Organization Critical Translation (TEP+)
Our Organization Critical Polish Translation service is designed for situations where perfection is essential. This option is recommended for texts intended for large-scale printing, technical documents, legal contracts and patents, medical documents, or any case where an error could be critical or costly. Each translated line is reviewed by a minimum of three linguists, with multiple rounds of proofreading. Subject matter experts (SMEs) may be involved as needed throughout the Polish translation, editing, and proofreading (TEP) process.
Bilingual Editing
Bilingual Editing for Polish Translation is the process of editing a translated text by comparing both the source and target texts in the English/Polish language pair. The editor, fluent in the source language and a native speaker of Polish, ensures that the translation is accurate, consistent, and faithful to the source text while also maintaining clarity and fluency in Polish. This step occurs after the initial translation in our TEP (Translation, Editing, Proofreading) Organization Critical and Standard Translation services. We also offer this service as a standalone option for translations completed by individuals or organizations not affiliated with Green Crescent.
Proofreading
With each additional round of editing and proofreading, the error rate of a document approaches the perfection horizon. Our proofreading service for English to Polish and Polish to English translations involves reviewing a single-language text to identify and correct surface-level errors, such as spelling mistakes, grammar issues, punctuation errors, and formatting inconsistencies. This step is the final phase in our TEP (Translation, Editing, Proofreading) Organization Critical and Standard translation services. We also offer proofreading as a standalone service for translations completed by individuals or organizations not affiliated with Green Crescent.
Legal Translation
Green Crescent's elite team of linguists, each with subject matter expertise in specialized legal fields, is ready to assist you with the translation of a wide range of judicial, administrative, and private legal documents between Polish and English. Nearly all countries recognize that submitting documents for translation does not compromise attorney-client privilege. Furthermore, we can implement enhanced security measures to ensure strict confidentiality upon request.
Technical Translation
Technical translations involve any text that features specialized vocabulary or language registers, necessitating additional research and terminology verification. Common technical subject matter includes legal, medical, scientific, engineering, and IT topics, but any text that utilizes industry-specific terminology or neologisms may be considered technical in nature. These translations cannot be executed by generalists alone; they require the expertise of linguists with in-depth knowledge of the relevant technical field in both Polish and English.
Medical Translation
Green Crescent has established protocols to ensure compliance with HIPAA and HITECH regulations, which you can learn more about here. Our Polish medical translations are treated as "organization critical," unless otherwise specified, and we are committed to implementing the necessary digital security measures and legal safeguards for every project subject to HIPAA and HITECH requirements. Our team of skilled linguists, specialized in medical terminology, ensures that your translations are both accurate and secure.
Localization
Our translation services are tailored for specific target markets that require non-standard varieties or dialects of the Polish language. Green Crescent is equipped to accommodate requests for localized Polish translation, ensuring that your content resonates with the intended audience. For example, we offer translations in regional dialects such as "Silesian" and "Kashubian." Our experienced linguists are well-versed in the nuances of these dialects, allowing us to provide translations that are not only accurate but also culturally relevant and engaging. By focusing on the unique linguistic characteristics of each Polish dialect, we help you effectively connect with your audience and enhance the impact of your message.
Website, App, and Software Localization for Polish
At Green Crescent, we leverage our extensive experience in software development to provide specialized Polish localization services. We excel in adapting your website, app, or software’s content, design, and functionality for Polish-speaking audiences. Whether you need a fully multilingual solution or specific adaptations for Polish, our services encompass translating text, adjusting images, and modifying layouts. We also adapt and program code for both mobile and desktop applications, ensuring that your app functions seamlessly across Polish-speaking regions while adhering to platform-specific guidelines. Let us help you create an engaging and culturally relevant experience for your Polish-speaking users.
Back-translation
Back-translation is often a crucial component of the quality control process, particularly when translating highly technical documents or for critical translations in the Polish/English language pair where an error could have significant consequences. This process involves an independent linguist translating a previously translated text back into its original source language—either Polish or English—without reference to the original document. The resulting text is then compared to the original translation to verify its intelligibility, accuracy, and suitability for its intended use. Back-translation is also relevant in situations such as the translation of legal documents, medical texts, and marketing materials, where precise wording is essential. It can be particularly beneficial when adapting content for different cultural contexts, ensuring that the intended message is preserved and resonates appropriately with the target audience in both Polish and English.
Peer Review
Green Crescent offers professional focus group services that include a comprehensive "read-through" conducted by one or more linguists who were not involved in the original translation process. This approach allows for an unbiased assessment of the translation's quality, style, and overall fitness for its intended purpose. The focus group can evaluate various aspects of the text, including linguistic accuracy, cultural relevance, and the effectiveness of the messaging in reaching the target audience. Feedback is provided on how well the translation conveys the original intent and nuances of the source material, ensuring that it resonates with readers in both Polish and English contexts.
SME Review
Subject Matter Expert (SME) review is a specialized form of peer review conducted by non-linguist professionals with deep expertise in specific fields. This process is particularly important for Polish to English or English to Polish translations of highly technical texts, ensuring that the content is both linguistically accurate and technically precise. In fields such as legal, medical, scientific, and engineering, SMEs help verify the correct use of industry-specific terminology, adherence to regulatory or technical standards, and the contextual relevance of the translated material. By incorporating SME review into the translation process, we ensure that your final product is not only fluent and culturally appropriate but also technically sound and ready for professional use in both Polish- and English-speaking markets.
Transcreation
Our Polish Transcreation Service goes beyond simple translation by creatively adapting your content to resonate with Polish-speaking audiences. At Green Crescent, we ensure that your brand’s messages, campaigns, and communications maintain their original intent, emotional impact, and tone, while aligning with the cultural and linguistic nuances of the target market. Whether it’s marketing, branding, or advertising, we reimagine your content to feel authentic and compelling in Polish, helping your brand connect meaningfully and effectively with Polish-speaking audiences.
MTPE-Full (Machine Translation Post-Editing - Full)
MTPE-Full (Machine Translation Post-Editing - Full) refers to the comprehensive post-editing of a machine-translated text between Polish and English, ensuring the final product meets the highest standards of linguistic quality. In this process, once the machine generates the translation, a skilled human editor thoroughly reviews the entire content, ensuring that it is not only accurate in meaning but also flows naturally and fluently in the target language. This detailed editing process includes correcting grammar, syntax, and terminology, adapting the text for the intended audience, and ensuring consistency throughout. MTPE-Full is ideal for professional or customer-facing content where polished language and precise communication are essential.
MTPE-Light (Machine Translation Post-Editing - Light)
MTPE-Light (Machine Translation Post-Editing - Light) is a more streamlined approach to post-editing machine-translated content between Polish and English. It focuses on correcting only the most critical errors, ensuring that the translated text is comprehensible and conveys the intended meaning. This service is suitable for internal documents, drafts, or content that does not require the highest level of linguistic precision or polish. MTPE-Light is a cost-effective solution for those who need basic clarity and accuracy in Polish-to-English or English-to-Polish translations but can forgo the stylistic perfection that comes with more intensive post-editing services.
Additional Language Services and Options for Polish
Certified Translation
Green Crescent provides certified translations of a wide range of legal documents, including birth, marriage, and death certificates, diplomas, school transcripts, passports, and more, in both Polish and English. Our certified translations are known for their accuracy and compliance with legal standards, making them ideal for official use in various contexts, from immigration procedures to academic admissions. You can receive hard copies of our standard certificate of translation mailed directly to your home or business.
Rush Service
If you require expedited service, Green Crescent offers rush Polish translation services to accommodate tight deadlines. However, rushing a translation may result in additional fees, and it can impact consistency depending on the scope of the project. We advise consulting with a project manager to discuss the trade-offs and timelines, ensuring your requirements are met without compromising quality.
Discounts
We offer volume discounts for large Polish translation projects, long-term clients, as well as non-profits, charities, NGOs, and government organizations. Our commitment to supporting important causes allows us to provide cost-effective solutions for organizations making a difference.
Minimum Fee
A minimum project fee of $75.00 USD per language is applicable for all Polish translation projects. For our regular clients, this fee may be reduced or waived based on project scope and frequency.
Additional Language Services
In addition to translation services, Green Crescent offers a comprehensive range of Polish language solutions. These include interpretation, transcription, website design and development, and desktop publishing, ensuring that all your Polish language needs are met under one roof. Our expertise in these fields allows for seamless integration of Polish content into digital platforms, marketing materials, and multimedia projects.
About the Polish Language
Polish is spoken by over 50 million people, primarily in Poland, where it is the official language, as well as by Polish communities around the world, particularly in countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany. As a West Slavic language, it shares linguistic roots with Czech and Slovak, but Polish has evolved its own distinct structure, rich vocabulary, and phonetic system, contributing to Poland’s strong cultural identity.
Poland: The Cultural Context and Linguistic Features
Polish is known for its inflected grammar, where nouns, pronouns, and adjectives change their forms based on gender, number, and case. This complex grammatical system is one of the distinctive features of the Polish language. For instance, the word "book" can take different forms such as "książka" (nominative) or "książkę" (accusative), depending on its function in the sentence.
Poland’s historical and cultural landscape has heavily influenced its language. The impact of neighboring cultures, especially German, Russian, and Latin, is evident in the Polish lexicon. While Polish retains its Slavic roots, the influence of Latin through the Catholic Church and more modern borrowings from English in fields such as technology and business further enrich its vocabulary.
Polish literature is a reflection of the country’s vibrant culture, with works from renowned authors like Adam Mickiewicz, Wisława Szymborska, and Czesław Miłosz shaping not only Polish literary tradition but also contributing to global literature. The Polish language captures the essence of these contributions through its depth, flexibility, and expressiveness.
The Writing System: A Unique Phonetic Structure
Polish uses the Latin alphabet with the addition of several diacritic marks, including characters like "ł," "ą," and "ź." These marks help represent the full range of Polish sounds, many of which are unfamiliar to English speakers. For example, "sz" is pronounced like the English "sh," and "cz" like "ch" in "chocolate," adding complexity to Polish pronunciation.
Poland: Standard Polish and its Cultural Significance
Standard Polish, based on the dialect of the Masovian region, including the capital city Warsaw, is recognized across Poland and in Polish communities worldwide. While regional dialects exist, such as Silesian and Kashubian, standard Polish is universally understood and used in formal settings like education, government, and media. The language plays a critical role in preserving Poland’s cultural heritage, especially in its national literature, history, and contemporary arts.
Poland’s cultural contributions span across a variety of fields, from classical music (think Chopin) to modern cinema and theater, with the Polish language being a central element of expression in all these domains. Whether in classical literature or contemporary film, the richness of Polish enhances its role as a medium for creative expression.
Key Linguistic Differences Between Polish and English for Translation
When translating between Polish and English, several linguistic differences require careful consideration to ensure clarity and accuracy:
Inflection:
Unlike English, which relies on word order to indicate grammatical relations, Polish uses inflection, meaning that word endings change to express tense, case, gender, and number. For example, the word "student" can become "studenci" (plural) or "studenta" (genitive singular), depending on its grammatical role.
Word Order Flexibility:
Polish has a relatively free word order compared to English. While English typically follows a Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) structure, Polish allows for more flexibility due to its inflection system. For example, both "Kocham cię" (I love you) and "Cię kocham" are valid, but with subtle differences in emphasis.
Phonetic Differences:
Polish contains a range of sounds, particularly nasal vowels like "ą" and "ę," which do not exist in English. These sounds, along with clusters of consonants (e.g., "trz," "szcz"), make Polish pronunciation challenging for English speakers and require careful attention in phonetic transcription.
Gendered Language:
In Polish, nouns and adjectives are gendered (masculine, feminine, and neuter), affecting sentence structure and agreement. For example, "good" is "dobry" when referring to a masculine noun, but "dobra" when referring to a feminine noun. English, in contrast, is largely ungendered in its grammatical structure.
By accounting for these differences, Green Crescent ensures that our Polish translation services provide accurate, culturally nuanced translations that resonate with both Polish and English-speaking audiences. Whether for legal, technical, or marketing content, our team is equipped to handle the complexities of Polish translation with precision and expertise.
An Insight into Polish Wit and Expression
This passage is from Ferdydurke by Witold Gombrowicz, first published in 1937. The novel stands as a significant work in 20th-century Polish literature, renowned for its surreal, satirical take on identity, societal expectations, and the absurdity of human existence.
- Polish: "Człowiek rodzi się w głupocie, żyje w głupocie, i umiera w głupocie. Tylko trochę inaczej niż się urodził."
- English Translation: "Man is born in stupidity, lives in stupidity, and dies in stupidity. Only slightly differently than how he was born."