Facts to go
Where Italian is spoken – and who finds it easier to understand and learn
With over 85 million speakers, Italian is one of the most widely spoken languages in Europe. It is the official language of Italy, Switzerland, the Vatican and San Marino. But both pure Italian and various dialects are also spoken in other parts of the world. Variants of Italian are common in individual regions of Croatia, Slovenia and Albania, as they are in the former Italian colony of Somalia, where Italian is the second language. In addition, there are Italian emigrant communities in many countries throughout the world, in particularly in North and South America and in Australia.
As a Romance language, Italian is closely related to
Spanish,
Portuguese,
French and – perhaps slightly surprisingly –
Romanian. The differences between the languages lie in their vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. Italian and Spanish are most closely related. The grammatical rules are similar, but there are differences in spelling and emphasis. Portuguese also sounds familiar to Italians, even though the pronunciation sounds a little stranger than Spanish. Even further away is the sound of French (lots of silent letters) and Romanian (lots of loan words from Turkish and Hungarian). Despite all the (little) differences, people from Spain, Portugal, France and Romania have a clear advantage when it comes to understanding and learning Italian.
Why Italian sounds so melodic – and what that means for translation
The Italian language is known for its musical tones and passionate forms of expression, which make it one of the most appealing languages in the world. But why is it that the language sounds so harmonious? Italian pronunciation is melodic and has a strong rhythm. The stress often falls on the penultimate syllable of a word, while vowels have a long sound (and are read that way, too). This gives the language a soft, musical sound. The natural melody of the sentences, with plenty of rising and falling tones, is shaped by the musical tradition of Italy. Many well-known operas, songs and sonatas were written and are sung in Italian. And you can still sense that today.
For a translation, all of this is important because a translated text makes a better impression if it not only reflects the content perfectly but also corresponds to the linguistic tone and style of those for whom it is intended. And in Italian, that is especially complex and important. But of course, it is not important in every context for the text to make an appealing impression in terms of sound or the way it reads. In a
technical translation, precision is still paramount, for example, and in
medical translations, using the right technical terminology is key.
How to create lively Italian translations – and when that is helpful
Capturing and reproducing the temperament and unique charm of the Italian language is the great skill of a
professional translation. An effective translation is not only true to the meaning of the original, but also corresponds to its style and tone. Companies can benefit from this in particular. Those that adapt their communications to the linguistic habits of their (international) target audience will make a better impression on (potential) customers – and that works its way through into sales.
A good Italian
marketing translation should therefore always be prepared by a native speaker. Only those who speak Italian every day know which expressions are common in everyday usage, which formulations are appealing and what sounds forced. These nuances determine the success of a (marketing) translation. You will find native-speaker translators through a professional
translation agency.
