Mandarin isn’t native to all parts of China—it was spread across the country through government promotion after being made the official language of the country. So, even though most Chinese people today speak Mandarin fluently, it may not be their first language—and in many cases, it’s certainly not the native language of their region. Most minority Chinese languages are not mutually intelligible with each other or Mandarin—and that applies to writing as well. One example of a sizable minority Sinitic language is Hakka.
Hakka is not to be confused with Hokkien, although both are minority Chinese languages spoken in southeastern China. It is distinct from Mandarin, but many Hakka speakers also speak Mandarin, and the combined prestige and ubiquity of Mandarin is a threat for the continued vitality of Hakka. This is why, even though Hakka has around 47 million speakers, you can hardly find a translation firm willing to offer translation services for the Sinitic language. TranslationServices.com is happy to fill this void, as we’ve put together a superb Hakka translation team for anyone who needs Hakka translation services.
Need Hakka translation services? Start by contacting us and asking for a free quote!
Let’s discover what Hakka is.
Hakka, which comprises various dialects across the regions where it’s spoken, boasts roughly 47 million speakers in the Chinese provinces of Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, and Sichuan. It’s also spoken in Taiwan by a large minority and by some older people in Hong Kong (youth have largely shifted to Cantonese, the dominant language in Hong Kong). Hakka bears no resemblance to Mandarin, Wu, Yue, and other major Chinese subfamilies—its closest relative is the Gan branch of Chinese languages. A number of Hakka dialects exist, including the Huizhou dialect, the Meixian dialect, the Wuhua dialect, and more.
Southern Chinese languages are known for their preservation of Old Chinese vocabulary that has become archaic in Mandarin, and Hakka is no exception. Many Hakka words are monosyllabic, as they were in Old Chinese, whereas Mandarin has largely shifted to disyllabic words. Hakka also uses different characters from Mandarin for many words, which can confuse a Mandarin speaker trying to read a Hakka text. Even the pronouns use entirely different characters, which could really throw Mandarin speakers for a loop.
With the differences between Hakka and Mandarin so stark, it makes since to hire translators like ours who are dedicated to translating Hakka specifically.
Exploring your Hakka translation options
What kind of services do we offer regarding Hakka translation? We strive to offer the utmost flexibility, enabling clients to receive the precise Hakka translation services that they need. To this end, we’re pleased to announce that we offer translation both to and from Hakka. What are some examples of our translation services? You could translate historical documents from Hakka to showcase Hakka history or Hakka literature to share with the world the wonders of Hakka culture. Or maybe you’re more interested in translating business content into Hakka to cater to Hakka-speaking customers, or perhaps you’d like to translate books, poetry, games, websites, and other media into Hakka to give this minority Chinese language more representation. Whatever you need, our Hakka translation team is here for you.
We’re committed to flexibility in our Hakka translation offerings. Just reach out and tell us what you’re looking for so we can get started.