Translations from English into Swedish by qualified professional translators

Did you know that...

The Swedish language has a long history – as early as around the 8th century, people began to see Swedish as a separate language. Before that, a common language was spoken in the Nordic region – Old Norse. Did you also know that the Swedish language has undergone many different periods, from runic, classical and early Old Norse, to modern Swedish today? The magazine ”Then Swänska Argus (1732-1734)” published by Olof von Dalin marked the beginning of Younger New Swedish (1732-1900), and with the spelling reform of 1906 the New Swedish period began. The spelling reform included such things as the decision to spell the v-sound with v and not f, fv and hv and that one would write tt instead of dt.

Since 2009, Sweden has had a language law that regulates the status and use of the Swedish language in society. The law also contains provisions regarding the national minority languages and the Swedish sign language (Sources : Swedish Institute , Swedish Parliament )

One of the most common language pairs we’re asked about concerns translations from English to Swedish. However, it’s not uncommon to have translations from languages other than English, as many businesses have connections to other markets or other official languages than English alone. We naturally also support language pairs besides English to Swedish as required.

In the case of the English to Swedish language pair, we’ve built up a large network of specialist translators over the years who translate from British English to Swedish or American English to Swedish. Our translators have various areas of expertise, and before every translation, we carefully review the source material and consult a suitable native-speaking translator, who also assesses the material.

If you’re interested in translations from English into Swedish in a certain subject area or any specific language, we’d be pleased to hear from you. You can do this most easily by completing our form.

Our business areas

We work across a number of different business areas such as medicine, technology, IT, law, finance and marketing. Outlined below are general best practices for translating from English into Swedish, as well as more specific guidelines for each industry sector.

General tips for business areas when translating into Swedish

A good source text is essential for achieving the best possible results. Make sure the manuscript is clear to ensure the best possible translation. Who is your target audience and what is the message? It’s a good idea to provide this information to the translator to help them adapt the text.

A well-crafted text takes time to develop; we understand that. Usually, people talk about the preparation phase being the most time-consuming part, but it’s also incredibly important for the final result. Therefore, be sure to clearly convey the purpose of the material, what you want to achieve with the text and how the material should be used. Don’t forget to let us know if there's any specific deadline for the assignment.

If you're clear about your content from the outset, this will also be reflected in the translation, as the translator will have a better foundation to work from. For translations into Swedish, it’s a good idea to provide as much information as possible, such as the desired tone and register. If you have a glossary or any other business-specific information you think might be relevant to our translation, please share that information with us as well. This will enable us to help you achieve the top-quality translation you're aiming for.

We produce our translations according to your wishes and jointly review your intended tone and register before we begin the translation. We also make sure the text is adapted to your specific industry terminology.

Because translating from English to Swedish should be simple, convenient and time-saving, we always deliver in the same file format in which we received the material.

Tips for translating from English into Swedish in medicine, healthcare and social care

A mistranslation in healthcare can have devastating consequences.It’s therefore extremely important to provide as much relevant information as possible to facilitate our translation into Swedish. For example, good information should include who the material is intended for. Is it for patients and their relatives or healthcare professionals? We would be grateful to receive such information when you place the order.

A translation often needs to be localised to suit different conditions, in which case it will help our translators if they receive information about this when the order is placed.

Tips for translating from English into Swedish in technology and IT

Technical translations from English to Swedish demand a high level of industry expertise from the translators in the field the specific text concerns.

Whether you need to translate user manuals, your website or other documentation, it’s always useful for us to know how the material will be used. Is the material for internal use or is it aimed at consumers, retailers or subcontractors? Does the material contain measurement units? In this case, it’s also important that these be localised to suit the target audience and/or market. A typical example is when the source material contains the unit "inch" in a translation into Swedish. In this case, the translator will convert the unit to suit Swedish conditions as required.

If there’s any reference material that may be relevant for our translators, or specific industry-standard terminology that should be included when translating from English to Swedish, please let us know when ordering the translation.

Tips for translating from English into Swedish in law, economics and finance

Regardless of the industry and the type of operations performed, a company always has a variety of legal and financial documents. Sometimes you need help with translating these documents into Swedish. Below, Språkbolaget provides a few tips on what to keep in mind when translating financial reports or legal documents from English into Swedish.

When translating an annual report or a quarterly report, you need to schedule your translation in advance, as it’s usually a complex process involving many stakeholders. Also, many clients choose the translator they’ve worked with in the past, and who’s become well acquainted with their business. So, be sure to book your translator well in advance to ensure their availability when your company needs translation support.

We run through the schedule together with you. It’s a good idea to prepare the following ahead of the translation:

• What deadlines do we have to work to?
• Would you prefer deliveries of the texts as we proceed or as a single, combined delivery?
• Will the translator need to be on standby for any corrections after translation delivery?

Because your security is important to us at Språkbolaget, we maintain strict confidentiality so you can feel completely secure entrusting your documents to us for translation. We can also draw up separate non-disclosure agreements for assignments that require it. Feel free to contact us for further information.

When translating legal documents, it’s important to provide information about the type of translation you require. Does the document require a certified translation with a stamp or a standard translation without a stamp? A certified translation into Swedish is a verified translation that is always presented as an original on paper and includes the translator's name, the Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency's (Kammarkollegiet) stamp with a unique translator ID and a certificate confirming the translator's responsibility for ensuring the translation has been correctly performed. Certain Swedish authorities and courts, as well as other institutions and organisations, require the stamp for foreign documents to be legally binding. It‘s important to understand that the Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency's authorisation is not a quality stamp for all types of texts. For example, there is no Swedish authorisation for medical texts. The Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency also only authorises translators who translate to or from Swedish

Tips for translating from English into Swedish for communication agencies, advertising agencies, or internal marketing departments

It’s common practice for companies to hire external agencies to help with their communication and marketing. Språkbolaget’s commissions often involve translating everything from websites and social media posts to marketing copy. However, we’re rarely told (unless it’s obvious from the translation material) who the end customer is and what their requirements are. For example, what register and tone of voice should the translation maintain? For translations from English to Swedish, it’s therefore important to let us get to know your end customer, for example through a short introduction. This can range from preferences regarding tone of voice and register, to specific words that need to be included in the translation for better search engine optimisation. Other information that’s good for us to know includes who the target audience is for the text for translation into Swedish. It’s better to provide us with too much information than too little, and all information helps us to deliver a top-quality translation into Swedish for you and the end customer.