Greek Translation & Interpreter Services
English to Greek Translations
People have been speaking Greek since 1400 BC, making it one of the world’s oldest languages. In fact, Greek was the very first language to include vowels.
The Greek language has made some major strides since then. Today, there are more than 600,000 words in the language, and they’re used by more than 15 million people. Greek is the official language in Greece and Cyprus, and it’s an official minority language in Italy, Turkey, and Albania.
Why do you need to worry about it?
Greece is a major agricultural hub, but it’s even bigger in the shipping industry. In fact, 16% of the world’s merchant fleet is owned by Greek companies. And, because it sits so close to so many European countries, Greece is a natural trade connection.
Bottom line — the odds are high that your business will need a professional Greek translation at some point!
Interestingly, though, Greek kids start learning English in the third grade, so most Greeks speak both languages. However, if you want to make the very best impression with your business contacts, you’ll need to have your documents translated into Greek. That will show you’ve taken the time to consider their homeland — something they’re extremely proud of.
In fact, they’re so proud of their heritage that your Greek translation should never question the word of another Greek — even if it’s a competitor. For example, if your marketing documents attack another Greek product, it would be seen as a major insult to the person reading them.
So, what can you do to make sure that your English to Greek translations make the right impression?
Professional Greek Translation — As Relevant Today as It Was in the Days of Gods
Show respect, but don’t be overly-formal in your English to Greek translations. Each Greek translation should start with a title, and you should use a person’s surname until you’re invited to do otherwise. However, remember that Greeks are very passionate — and they want to work with people who are just as enthusiastic as they are. If you send a letter or a packet of corporate information that’s too formal, it may be seen as standoffish. In the end, you may be viewed as someone who’s really not all that interested in what he’s doing.
Build a relationship
Like many other European countries, in Greece, it is expected that you will not do business with someone until you get to know them. So, count on having to do a number of English to Greek translations in order to build trust.
Be prepared to work slowly
Once you build that relationship, your Greek business ventures will move along slowly. If you’re in a rush, this is not the country to expand to!
Part of the delay comes during the negotiating phase. Greeks are big negotiators, but they don’t get right to the point like other cultures do. Instead, they meander along.
Cater your translated Greek documents to a hierarchy
Your translated Greek documents will head directly to the senior members of the company. Since they will be in charge of making all of the decisions, it’s important that you tailor the documents to their exact tastes and specifications. Find out all you can about these people before you have anything translated.
Don’t be surprised by nepotism
In fact, it’s a time-honored tradition of sorts in Greece! Most of the country’s companies have family members working as the higher-ups. So, you won’t just be working with a small group of senior members; you’ll be working with a tight-knit group, too.
It may seem like a lot to take in now, but the business opportunities in Greece can make all of this “homework” well worth it! And by using the right Greek corporate document translation service for your Greek to English and English to Greek translation needs, you’ll generate great results for your business!
Contact our litigation translation service to hire a Greek remote deposition interpreter for a video deposition via Zoom or a Greek in-person deposition translator for an on-site deposition, a Greek medical interpreter, or to get the U.S. documents apostilled for use in Greece or in Cyprus.
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