English to Indonesian Translation

Look out for linguistic and cultural differences

The English and Indonesian languages come from two different language families – Indo-European and Austronesian respectively. They also come from two different parts of the world – the West and the East. This means that there are quite significant linguistic differences between the two languages, as well as big cultural differences between English- and Indonesian-speaking countries, which can make English to Indonesian translation quite challenging.

For example, unlike English, the Indonesian language doesn’t have tenses, articles, or a plural suffix. The notions expressed by these language aspects in English are implied through context or expressed lexically in Indonesian, which must be taken into account when you translate English into Indonesian.

It is important to consider cultural differences as well, whether you translate documents in a business context or any other types of texts. For instance, expressing politeness is essential in Indonesian culture. One and the same English phrase can be translated differently if the speaker is addressing a superior or an elder and when they are addressing a friend.

Do not settle for low-quality translation

Navigating the cultural and linguistic differences in English and Indonesian translation is a serious task. Although it might be tempting to opt for free-of-charge machine translation or cheap freelance services, it may eventually do a lot of harm, as some mistakes and misunderstandings can be damaging for a business.

Our translation company in Singapore employs highly trained experienced translators who translate English to Indonesian with the highest quality end results. As the Top translation agency in Asia Pacific, we also translate from Vietnamese, Thai, Malay, Tamil, Chinese, Japanese and Korean to English as these are popular Asian languages. 

The language of the world

At the moment, English is the most widely spoken language of the world, as well as the most popular foreign language among learners. It can truly be called the language of the world!  

English is used by international organizations such as the United Nations and the World Health Organization. It is the language of science, business, sport. It is the language of the Internet – according to some estimates, over 80% of all the information on the Internet is in English.

Nevertheless, not everyone in the world speaks English. Translating from and into English is in high demand, including English to Indonesian translation.

An old language

The English language is around 1500 years old. Of course, it is hard to pinpoint exactly when this or that language appeared exactly. However, historical records show that Old English – the language that eventually developed into the modern language we use today – was in use from the 5th century CE.

English has changed a lot over the centuries. Not much of the Old English vocabulary – less than 15% – remains in use. However, these are the most basic words of the English language: say, think, water, day, and others.

Throughout its history, English has been exposed to influence from many other languages. One of the most prominent ones was the French influence during the Norman conquest that began in 11th century CE. As a result, there are a lot of words with French origin in the English language.