German translations from €0.05/word German translation services.
German translations for entering the market in Germany, Austria or Switzerland. Native-speaker specialist translators deliver the right DACH variant (DE-DE, DE-AT, DE-CH), the terminology your industry uses, and the regulatory wording expected under the Machinery Regulation, the German Civil Code or CE conformity. Ask for a quote, no obligation.
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- Language pairs: 220+ source languages into German. The most common pairs: EN→DE, FR→DE, ZH→DE, JA→DE, ES→DE. DACH variants included (DE-DE, DE-AT, DE-CH).
- Translators: native German speakers with industry experience in mechanical engineering, law, pharma and e-commerce. Checked to ISO 17100 (four-eyes principle).
- Cost and turnaround: specialist translation from €0.05/word (EN→DE), from €0.12/word for rarer pairs. Standard delivery 3 to 6 working days, express in 24 hours.
- What sets it apart: separate termbases for Germany, Austria and Switzerland, so each variant stays consistent. Compound nouns formed correctly, and the regulatory terminology that goes with each legal system (BGB, ABGB, OR).
Three countries, one language, plenty of differences
What separates DE-DE, DE-AT and DE-CH
German is an official language in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Luxembourg, with around 100 million native speakers. Selling into the DACH region takes more than standard High German, though. The three main variants differ in vocabulary, legal language and cultural convention.
| Feature | DE-DE (Germany) | DE-AT (Austria) | DE-CH (Switzerland) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal system | BGB, HGB, Machinery Regulation | ABGB, UGB, ÖNORM | OR, ZGB, SN norms |
| Spelling | ß is used | ß is used | No ß, always ss |
| Vocabulary examples | Gehsteig, Krankenhaus, Januar | Gehsteig, Spital, Jänner | Trottoir, Spital, Januar |
| Search market | google.de, 83 million users | google.at, 9 million users | google.ch, 8 million users |
tolingo puts every project with native speakers who live and work in the target market. The termbase carries DACH variant tags, so a contract written for the Austrian market does not arrive with German vocabulary in it.
Entering the DACH market
100 million native speakers and Europe's largest economy
Germany is the world's third-largest exporting nation. Together with Austria and Switzerland it forms a market of more than 100 million German-speaking consumers with high spending power. For international companies moving into that market, accurate translation into German is business-critical.
The usual scenarios: a US software company needs software localisation for the German market. A French machine builder has to supply its operating manual in German under Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230. A Chinese automotive supplier needs contract translation for a joint venture in Stuttgart. The pattern is the same every time: German regulatory requirements are strict, and readers expect the language to be right.
Subject areas and document types
What we translate into German
As an ISO certified translation agency based in Hamburg, we translate into German from every language we cover. The most common jobs:
Operating manuals, maintenance handbooks and safety data sheets. Under the Machinery Regulation, the manual has to be in the official language of the country it is sold in. XML, DITA and InDesign are handled in their native formats.
Sales, licence and employment contracts, terms and conditions, and compliance documents. Written for the legal system that actually applies (BGB, ABGB or OR). Our translations are not a substitute for legal advice.
SEO-driven website localisation for google.de, google.at and google.ch. Keyword research done separately for each DACH country.
Marketing authorisation dossiers, study protocols and patient information leaflets for the German market (BfArM/PEI) and the Austrian market (BASG). Our translations are not a substitute for medical advice.
Localisation of user interfaces, help centre articles and release notes. German users expect proper German, not "Denglisch".
Transcreation of campaigns and press releases. Cultural adaptation matters here: German consumers respond to understatement, facts and quality arguments more readily than to emotional superlatives.
Prices and turnaround
German is the target language we work in most
We are a German company based in Hamburg, and German is by some distance the target language we are asked for most often. Prices depend on the source language and the service level:
| Service | From | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| MTPE (post-editing) | €0.05/word | High volumes, internal documents, knowledge bases |
| Specialist translation (ISO 17100) | €0.05/word (EN→DE) | Contracts, manuals, regulatory dossiers |
| Editing | €0.04/word | Checking existing translations, revising AI output |
| Express (24 hours) | +30% to 50% surcharge | Contract deadlines, trade fair material, product launches |
Worked example: an English operating manual of 12,000 words costs from approx. €600 as a specialist translation into German (EN→DE). Across repeat versions of the same manual, your translation memory brings that down by up to 70%. Standard delivery is 3 to 6 working days.
Entering the DACH market, or already mid-project?
Upload your document. You get a no-obligation quote with a binding fixed price in about 10 minutes.
Free · No obligation · Reply in ~10 minutes (within business hours)Certified translation into German
For government offices, courts and registry offices
Certificates, diplomas, marriage records and court documents need a certified translation by a sworn translator. You can order certified translation into German directly from our partner shops:
Typical pitfalls when translating into German
Where machine translation keeps falling down
German has a few features that give translators and AI systems trouble in equal measure:
| Pitfall | Problem | How tolingo handles it |
|---|---|---|
| Compound nouns | German noun compounds (Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz) have no equivalent in other languages. AI often builds them wrongly or splits them in the wrong place. | A termbase holding validated compound terms for each industry. |
| DACH variants | AI tools default to DE-DE: "Krankenhaus" where the market says "Spital", ß where the market uses ss, German legal terms where Swiss ones belong. | Native speakers from the target market. Variant tags in the translation memory. |
| The sentence bracket | German pushes the verb to the end of a subordinate clause, and most source languages have nothing like it. Carry the structure across word for word and the result reads awkwardly. | Native speakers build the sentence in German rather than tracking the syntax of the source. |
| Text expansion | German text usually runs 20% to 30% longer than English. UI elements, tables and print layouts have to be adjusted. | DTP service for InDesign, plus character-width adjustment in software interfaces. |
For internal documents and high volumes, AI-assisted post-editing (MTPE) to ISO 18587 is an efficient option. For contracts, technical manuals and anything a customer will read, we recommend human translation to ISO 17100.
100 million German-speaking consumers. Your text needs to be right.
Talk to our specialists about your German project.
ISO 17100 & ISO 27001 certified · Express in 24 hoursGlossary: German translation
Terms from language, law and the translation process
- DACH variants
- The three main variants of German: Germany (DE-DE), Austria (DE-AT) and Switzerland (DE-CH). They differ in vocabulary (Krankenhaus/Spital), legal terminology (BGB/ABGB/OR) and spelling (ß vs ss). Getting the variant right is what makes a text read as local rather than imported.
- Compound nouns (Komposita)
- German technical language joins nouns into long single words that other languages do not form, such as "Maschinenrichtlinie" or "Drehmomentschlüssel". Building them correctly takes industry knowledge, and it is one of the most common machine translation errors.
- Translation memory (TM)
- A database that stores every sentence you have had translated and offers it again the next time it comes up. Especially valuable for technical documentation into German, where repetition rates are high. Cuts costs by up to 70%.
- Certified translation
- A translation confirmed by a sworn translator with a stamp and a signature. In Germany it is governed by section 142 of the Code of Civil Procedure (ZPO). Required for certificates, court documents and applications to public authorities.
- Four-eyes principle (ISO 17100)
- Where the job calls for it, a second independent native speaker checks the translation for content, terminology and style. It is the international quality standard for professional translation services.