If you are an individual needing a translation of a birth certificate or a small business requiring a manual for a tool, you don’t need a strategy. You simply need a translator.
And choosing the right translator for your needs is a topic for a completely different article.
However, if your income or the realization of your goals depends on the image you project in Polish (or another language) and on communication in that language, you will reap huge benefits from finding the optimal process for your translation.
The Three Pillars of Linguistic Assets
I frequently explain to my clients that the linguistic assets of any company operating in a multilingual environment are based on three pillars:
• Style guides
• Glossaries or termbases
• Translation memories
Style guide provides a general overview of the desired message conveyed in your communication.
Unlike glossaries and translation memories, it is legible without any special software. In fact you may even distribute it in PDF format.
These features make it a perfect first step in building your Polish translation strategy.
What are the qualities of a good Style Guide?
A style guide doesn’t have to be lengthy or contain excessive amount of details. One should remember that it is just the first step of the process, and is meant to provide a central point of focus and guide all other work.
While it may eventually expand to a dozen pages or more, I aim to keep the initial style guide I create for my clients to just one or two pages.
Advantages of a Concise Style Guide
1. Quick to create: I can usually draft the first version after a short consultation lasting 15–30 minutes. (This assumes I’ve already researched your company and goals, and come to a meeting with a list of questions and ideas.)
2. It is easy to maintain and update: A short guide is simpler to revise as adjusting it to evolving market and objectives of your company.
3. Clear separation of content: A concise guide focuses on main principles and is not burdened with detailed lists of desired Polish translations of various terms. They belong to the glossary which is the next step in your translation strategy). I usually suggest two exceptions from this rule: your brand name and slogan.
4. Better compliance: A shorter guide is more likely to be read and remembered by translators and proofreaders.
What Should a Translation Style Guide Include?
Your identity
Start with a brief introduction to your brand, including what you do, your mission, and your values.
Identity of your audience
Define the Polish audience you are targeting. These two factors—your brand identity and the identity of your target audience—shape the rest of the style guide.
Key matters you should include
Brand Name
• Are you going to use in Poland the same name?
In most cases, the answer will be yes. However, when your name describes your service (e.g., “Cleaning Solutions”), it may be beneficial to translate it into Polish (e.g., „Usługi Sprzątające”). This is especially important for SEO, as your Polish name could double as a key phrase.
Another situation when you may want to consider acting in Poland under a different brand is if the original name is offensive or otherwise inappropriate in Polish. I suppose that is the well known brand OSRAM were entering the Polish market now they would consider a different name.
The brand OSRAM, while internationally recognized as a leading manufacturer of lighting products, has a name that can inadvertently create amusement or confusion among Polish speakers due to its similarity to a colloquial expression in Polish. In Polish, the word osram resembles the first person singular of the verb srać (a crude term for “defecate”), which translates to “I will defecate” or “I will poop.”
• Should your brand name be inflected?
Polish is a highly inflected language, so deciding whether your name will follow Polish grammar is crucial.
• Example of inflected: Samsung → Samsunga, Samsungowi, Samsungiem.
• Example of uninflected: Apple, Sony.
Translation of your slogan/tagline
Slogans are more commonly translated than brand names, but many companies keep them in English. For instance:
• Nike: “Just Do It” remains in English.
• Google: “Don’t Be Evil” is rarely translated.
Still some companies decide to translate their slogans to establish a better connection with their Polish audience.
As a good example of such approach I usually give L’Oréal. They translated their tagline “Because You’re Worth It” to Polish „Ponieważ jesteś tego warta” in Polish.
Whichever approach you choose, I can provide suitable solutions to help you make the most of it.
Tone of Voice
This section defines the language of your communication with your Polish audience. Some of the aspects you need to consider are:
• Formality: Will you use formal (Pan/Pani) or informal language (ty)? This distinction is much stronger in Polish than in English.
In fact Polish in this respect is much closer to such languages as French, German or Spanish, if your company is present on these markets you may take inspiration from your work there.
• Gender: Polish requires decisions about gender. Will your copy address one gender (for example if your company serves mostly women), include both genders, or aim for gender-neutral language?
• Passive Voice: While passive voice can avoid gender-specific phrasing, it is used less frequently in Polish than in English. If you want your copy to sound natural, it’s better to limit its use.
Additional Considerations
• Units of Measurement: If your company uses imperial units you will need to convert them to the metric system. It will involve also some other choices like for instance if you want to include imperial measures along with the metric ones.
I usually advise against it, as imperial measures are so unknown in Poland that providing them is in no way helpful. However there are some rare exceptions – for example diameters of some kinds of pipes and hoses are typically provided in inches and fractions thereof.
• Localization: Will you adapt names and surnames in case studies to something more familiar for your Polish audience?
• Addressing Clients: How will you address customers in newsletters, emails or other materials? For example, will you use first names, last names, or a gender-neutral salutation like the Polish equivalent of “Hello”?
Or maybe you will go in the direction of plural “Państwo” which is at the same time suitable for both genders?
The Process of Creating a Style Guide
For small to medium projects (e.g., website localization), my process typically includes the following steps:
1. Initial contact via email to establish your basic needs and expected outcome.
2. My individual research when I familiarise myself with both your company and with the approach taken by your competitors.
3. Phone or video consultation.
4. Preparation of a draft style guide.
5. Finalizing the style guide typically through email exchanges.
While larger projects may require more consultations, the process is generally straightforward and efficient—one of the advantages of working with a professional.
Pricing
My fee is based on an hourly rate. While the exact time required may vary, I always try to provide upfront range of time required for this task.
If you’re thinking about entering Polish market or reaching out to Polish community abroad, I am always happy to discuss your needs and suggest optimal strategy for your needs. It may include creation of a style guide, but also choice of translation process, coordination of various translators, choice of tools, potential taking advantage of AI and many other aspects.