How Knowing Spanish Can Help You Learn Portuguese

Knowledge of any Romance language automatically offers learners a leg-up when they undertake the study of another language in that family; however, those with a solid base in Spanish have a particular advantage when it comes to studying Portuguese, given that the two languages share a great deal of vocabulary and similar grammar. While linguistic […]

How to Type Foreign Language Characters and Accents

For translators, those studying a foreign language, or anyone living in a bilingual environment, the need to type foreign language characters or accents frequently arises. This situation poses a problem for those utilizing English language keyboards, since accent keys and other characters unique to Spanish or Portuguese, for example, are non-existent. However, it’s simple to […]

Spanish Ranks as World’s Second Fastest Language

A recently published study in the journal Language presented evidence that Spanish ranks as the world’s second fastest commonly spoken language, just behind Japanese. Linguistics researchers from the University of Lyon in France discovered that native speakers of Spanish talk faster than speakers of languages such as English, German or Mandarin Chinese; however, the trade-off […]

The Meaning of ‘Pibe’

In Lunfardo, the word “pibe” means kid or boy. While the word is unique to the Rioplatense dialect, experts in Lunfardo disagree on its origins. Some say that “pibe” is derived from the word “pive” of the Genoese dialect of Italian, meaning “errand boy” or “apprentice.” Another possible candidate for the forerunner of “pibe” is […]

Transpanish Announces New Manual Translation Page

Transpanish is pleased to announce a new page describing the company’s manual translation services. As the business world continues to diversify, so do the customer bases and workforces of many companies, necessitating the translation of employee handbooks, technical manuals, and guides into other languages. We offer companies Spanish-English and English-Spanish translations of manuals, handbooks, and […]

The Meaning of ‘Atorrante”‘

Argentine Spanish is strewn with words and colorful phrases from Lunfardo, a rich vocabulary born on the streets of Buenos Aires in the second half of the 19th century. Now considered a fixture of the Spanish language in Argentina (especially in and around Buenos Aires) and Uruguay, linguists cite the use of Lunfardo as a defining […]

Translation and Interpretation Challenges in the Field of Criminal Justice

Professionals specializing in court interpretation and translation provide an extremely important service during criminal justice proceedings. However, despite these professionals’ best efforts, controversy over the interpretation of testimony or translation of legal documents frequently arises in court cases. Mark Cohen, a New York defense attorney with Spanish fluency, remarked that interpreters encounter occasional difficulties when […]

Translating for Non-profits

Non-profit organizations and NGOs focus on improving the lives of others through diverse initiatives targeted at issues such as housing, social welfare, the environment, health care, education and human rights. These organizations typically require translation services to effectively explain their vision to a global audience, carry out their campaigns and fundraising efforts, and to communicate […]

The Meaning of Yeta

Argentine Spanish is strewn with words and colorful phrases from Lunfardo, a rich vocabulary born on the streets of Buenos Aires in the second half of the 19th century. Now considered a fixture of the Spanish language in Argentina (especially in and around Buenos Aires) and Uruguay, linguists cite the use of Lunfardo as a defining […]

Hispanic Employees in the Workplace

Hispanic participation in the workplace continues to grow, with Latino workers accounting for 15% of the U.S. workforce in 2010, according to U.S. Department of Labor statistics. Latinos are projected to make up 18% of the total American workforce by 2018. Working in industries such as construction, manufacturing, hospitality, and agriculture, Latinos make an important […]