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1 Line = 55 Characters (incl.spaces) in the Target Language (TL) |
(Note: some translators or agencies will specify 50 or even 45 characters per line, but 55 is more common.)
North America
In the US, translation jobs tend to be charged on a per word basis. Simply do a word count on the text to be translated, multiply the number of words by the agreed per word rate, and hey presto – your price.
Europe
For texts in the language pair German-English:
One Line = Roughly 8 Words |
Source or Target?
Whether in the US or Europe, be sure to clarify whether the prices are based on the Source Language (Ausgangstext)or Target Language (Zieltext).This varies from agency to agency. I tend to charge according to the length of the target language English) but, as German and English are pretty similar in length, in my case the discrepancy in length between source language and target language is minimal.If you want a definite figure in advance, then it’s easiest to agree that the charge will be based on the Source Text.
Language Translation Services: A Cost Comparison:
(July 2009: €1.00 = US$1.40)
| Word € | Line € | Word US$ | Line US$ |
| 0.125 | 1.00 | 0.175 | 1.40 |
| 0.150 | 1.20 | 0.21 | 1.70 |
| 0.175 | 1.40 | 0.24 | 1.95 |
| 0.20 | 1.60 | 0.275 | 2.25 |
| 0.225 | 1.80 | 0.31 | 2.50 |
As a rough guide, the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (www.wko.at) issues information to buyers of translations which states that for a standard DIN line translated by one of its members you can expect to pay anything between €1.20 and €1.80, excluding tax, and depending on the language combination. This is not an official recommendation and nor are these fixed prices.
| TIP! If you are buying language translation services regularly then you'll normally benefit greatly from using the same translator. As well as providing consistency across your texts, your translator will often agree a lower rate if you can guarantee them a set number of jobs over a specific time frame. |
“What does it cost to translate one page (A4) of text?”
I often get this question. Naturally this depends on the font size, spacing, layout etc., but as a very rough rule of thumb, one standard A4 page is usually around 35-40 lines. Use your computer’s word count facility (a standard application) to get a word count or character count (which you then divide by 55) for your text.
These word and line rates include:
• If your rate is quoted by an agency, then is should include the translated text being checked over by a second, qualified translator in that particular language pair, before you receive it.• Unless otherwise specified, a freelance translator working on their own will probably quote less. Their quote will not include a checking by a third party.
They do NOT include:
• VAT or sales tax (where applicable)Expect to pay more for:
• 24 hour service• Producing over 2,000 words / 250 lines per day
• Working over the weekend
• Particularly difficult texts needing extensive research
• Difficult formats (standard formats = MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel)
Minimum charges (Mindestübersetzungspauschale) for translation jobs:
Whether your text is 10 or 1,000 lines in length, every translation entails administrative work - filing, recording, printing, emailing, billing, accounting etc.. So it is usual for translators to charge a minimum rate for a short, one-off translation – usually equivalent to their standard hourly charge.But translators are usually pretty flexible and keen to maintain good client relations, so if you have a series of small translations which need doing over a short-ish time span, many will be happy to combine these into a single job, chargeable by the overall total line length.
Exceptions:
- Where a translation demands a significant degree of creative English writing, a translator may charge by the hour rather than by line, to more accurately reflect the work involved. (I did this recently for a prayer, and earlier this year a book of poems and creative prose.)- Where a text is extremely repetitive (often the case with technical texts) and the translator is required to use professional CAT software, it is common to see offers for translation jobs demanding a scale of percentage reductions on standard line rates.
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