Canadian French Translation Services
To better serve customers requiring translation into Canadian
French, it is best to deal with French native-speaking translators
based in Canada. Other translation companies might think that any
French translator can translate into Canadian French, but we only
use Canadian French translators based in Canada. This ensures your
quality translation is most suitable for a Canadian audience.
Differences between Continental and Canadian French
There are many differences between Canadian French and
Continental or Parisian French that must be addressed in order to
obtain the correct meaning and effectively communicate the nuances,
the subtle meanings, and the tone of the original text. The word
accuracy of a translation is important but the cultural differences
need to be considered also and this can only be conveyed by
experienced native language speakers.
The differences between Canadian and Continental French are much
like the British and American English. For example, one might say
"Je veux un chocolat chaud" when ordering hot chocolate in Canada
but they would say "Je veux un chocolat" in France. In Canada
though, if you ask for a "chocolat", you'd get a chocolate bar.
Another example is the daily meals. In Canada, you would have your
"déjeuner", "dîner" and "souper" while in France, it would be
"petit déjeuner", "déjeuner" and "dîner" so if someone invites you
for a meal in France and you're Canadian, or vice versa, you don't
know which meal they're inviting you to! Also, Continental French
accepts a lot more anglicized words such as "email" while in Canada
an email is referred to as a courriel. These subtle differences can
affect the quality and success of your translation.
When a French translation is requested, it is important to
communicate what the target audience will be, and in which country
they will be located, in order to provide quality work. This way,
the differences can be catered for and everybody from the customer
to the translator to the reader is happy!