For a spoken assignment, specify the language you need, such as Mandarin. For written material, also specify the Chinese writing system and intended audience. “Mandarin translation” alone does not tell a supplier whether you need an interpreter, a translated document, subtitles or a website in Simplified or Traditional Chinese.
A clear request identifies four things: the source material, the audience, the language or writing system required, and the final deliverable. Where you are uncertain, send a representative sample and describe where it will be used instead of guessing the label.
Separate the decisions in your brief
| Your task | Specify | Do not leave implicit |
|---|---|---|
| Supplier meeting | Spoken languages, participants and interpreting format | That every Chinese participant prefers Mandarin |
| Product document | Audience, writing system and editable source | That a country name alone resolves every language choice |
| Recorded interview | Audio language, transcript language and translation output | Whether you want a transcript, translation or both |
| Subtitled video | Spoken source, subtitle language, writing system and file format | That the subtitle script follows automatically from the voice track |
| Website | Audience locale, writing system and pages or interface strings | That changing characters completes market adaptation |
What language codes can tell you
W3C guidance uses zh-Hans for Chinese in Simplified script and zh-Hant for Traditional script. A language tag can distinguish a writing system from a region; these are separate pieces of information. Such labels help a website implementation, but a translation brief should also name the audience in ordinary words. Read W3C’s language-tag guidance.
Is switching between Simplified and Traditional just a conversion?
A character conversion is not a complete localisation review. Unicode describes why conversion between the two systems is more complicated than replacing each character with a fixed counterpart. Separately, a buyer still needs to confirm terminology and audience suitability. Treat conversion as a possible processing step, followed by a review of the resulting text for its intended use. See Unicode’s discussion of East Asian scripts.
Ask to inspect the finished layout
Review the translation in the actual document, website or subtitle presentation. Check whether names, model identifiers and numbers remained attached to the right sentences or table rows. Chinese publishing also has specific punctuation and layout considerations; W3C documents these in its Chinese text layout requirements. A plain-text review does not reveal every problem introduced during typesetting.
A practical enquiry example
“We have an English product guide for readers in Taiwan. Please advise on Traditional Chinese suitable for that audience. We can provide the editable file, approved product terminology and screenshots showing where the text appears. We need the translated source file and a layout-checked PDF.” This is an illustrative brief, not a client example. It gives the supplier decisions to confirm without assuming that a language label answers everything.
Questions buyers ask
Is Mandarin the same as Simplified Chinese?
No. Mandarin identifies a spoken language, while Simplified Chinese identifies a writing system. For written work, specify the intended audience and script as well as the deliverable.
Can I request Traditional Chinese for Mandarin subtitles?
Yes. The spoken language and the subtitle writing system are separate choices. Confirm the audience, terminology and subtitle file requirements in the brief.
What if I do not know which script my document uses?
Send a representative, readable sample and explain who will receive the translation. Ask for the language and script to be identified before the work is scoped.
What should I send for a quotation?
Send the source file or sample, intended audience, requested output, deadline and any approved terminology. For audio or meetings, include the spoken language pair and the recording length or meeting format.
Three requests that need different deliverables
An English presentation for a Mandarin-speaking meeting: confirm whether you need a Mandarin interpreter, translated slides, or both. The interpreter needs the presentation for preparation, but supplying an English deck does not mean a translated deck is included. If you want written slides, confirm the audience and writing system separately.
A Chinese supplier PDF needed in English: provide the whole file, including image-based tables and appendices. Ask whether the output should preserve the layout or deliver editable text. The source script helps identify the input; it does not replace checking whether small captions, scans and handwritten notes are readable.
A product video with Chinese subtitles: specify whether a source transcript exists, whether subtitles are translated from that transcript or directly from audio, and whether timing is included. Agree whether the result is a separate subtitle file or text embedded into the video. A voiceover is another deliverable and should be requested explicitly.
Keep the audience decision consistent across files
When a project contains a website, brochure and video, maintain one short decision record: audience, writing system, approved product names and the person authorised to answer terminology questions. Share it with everyone handling the files. Otherwise, individually reasonable choices can produce inconsistent names across the same launch.
Keep an unresolved-question list alongside the translation rather than hiding uncertainty behind fluent prose. For example, a model name might be a trademark to preserve, an English description to translate, or an old identifier no longer used. The product owner should settle that question before the final output is signed off.
For written projects, see Chinese translation services in India and describe the specific audience and deliverable in your enquiry.
Request a Chinese translation quote
Share a readable sample, the intended audience, the required writing system if known, and your deadline. For spoken assignments, include the language pair and meeting or recording details.
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