Looking for expert Sango translation services? Since 2003, Green Crescent has been delivering professional translation services between English and Sango to clients globally. We specialize in a range of sectors, including legal, business, community, and marketing. Our team ensures accurate, high-quality translations tailored to your unique needs. Get a fast, free Sango translation quote today!
Our Comprehensive Sango Translation Services
Green Crescent’s skilled team of Sango translators includes subject matter experts for industry-specific needs. We provide translations tailored to the linguistic characteristics of Sango, ensuring cultural and contextual accuracy across various dialects.
- Standard Sango
- Regional variations of Sango
We specialize in both English to Sango and Sango to English translations, offering the following services:
Simple Translation
Our simple translations in the English/Sango language pair are designed for basic communication needs. These translations are completed by a single Sango translator without the involvement of an editor or proofreader, and therefore should not be considered final or polished work for most professional or formal use cases. While they are typically of high quality, simple translations are essentially "rough drafts" that do not go through additional editing, proofreading, or other quality control processes. These translations are ideal for personal letters, informal communications, initial drafts that will later be revised, or for situations where you need to quickly understand the general meaning or "gist" of a Sango text.
Standard Translation (TEP)
Our Standard Sango Translation service is designed to provide high-quality translations for everyday use, including business correspondence, websites, reports, presentations, and similar content. This service includes translation, editing, and proofreading (TEP) to ensure the highest level of accuracy and clarity in your Sango communications.
Organization Critical Translation (TEP+)
Our Organization Critical Sango Translation service is designed for situations where precision is essential. This option is recommended for texts intended for large-scale printing, legal contracts, medical documents, or any case where an error could be critical or costly. Each translated line is reviewed by a minimum of three linguists, with multiple rounds of proofreading. Subject matter experts (SMEs) may be involved as needed throughout the Sango translation, editing, and proofreading (TEP) process.
Bilingual Editing
Bilingual Editing for Sango Translation is the process of editing a translated text by comparing both the source and target texts in the English/Sango language pair. The editor, fluent in the source language and a native speaker of Sango, ensures that the translation is accurate, consistent, and faithful to the source text while also maintaining clarity and fluency in Sango. This step occurs after the initial translation in our TEP (Translation, Editing, Proofreading) Organization Critical and Standard Translation services. We also offer this service as a standalone option for translations completed by individuals or organizations not affiliated with Green Crescent.
Proofreading
Our proofreading service for English to Sango and Sango to English translations involves reviewing a single-language text to identify and correct surface-level errors, such as spelling mistakes, grammar issues, punctuation errors, and formatting inconsistencies. This step is the final phase in our TEP (Translation, Editing, Proofreading) Organization Critical and Standard translation services. We also offer proofreading as a standalone service for translations completed by individuals or organizations not affiliated with Green Crescent.
Legal Translation
Green Crescent's elite team of linguists, each with subject matter expertise in legal fields, is ready to assist you with the translation of a wide range of judicial, administrative, and private legal documents between Sango and English. We can also implement enhanced security measures to ensure strict confidentiality upon request.
Technical Translation
Technical translations involve any text that features specialized vocabulary or language registers, necessitating additional research and terminology verification. Common technical subject matter includes legal, medical, scientific, and IT topics. These translations require the expertise of linguists with in-depth knowledge of the relevant technical field in both Sango and English.
Medical Translation
Green Crescent provides professional Sango medical translations with a focus on accuracy and confidentiality. Our team of skilled linguists, specialized in medical terminology, ensures that your translations are both precise and secure.
Localization
Our translation services are tailored for specific target markets that require localized varieties of the Sango language. Green Crescent ensures that your content resonates with the intended audience. Our experienced linguists provide translations that are not only accurate but also culturally relevant and engaging.
Back-translation
Back-translation is a crucial component of quality control, particularly for critical translations in the Sango/English language pair. This process involves translating a previously translated text back into its original language, either Sango or English, and comparing the result to the original translation for accuracy.
Peer Review
Green Crescent offers professional peer review services where one or more linguists not involved in the original translation process assess the quality, style, and overall fitness of the translation for its intended purpose.
SME Review
Subject Matter Expert (SME) review is a specialized form of peer review conducted by non-linguist professionals with expertise in specific fields. This process ensures that Sango to English or English to Sango translations of highly technical texts are both linguistically accurate and technically precise.
Transcreation
Our Sango Transcreation Service adapts your content creatively to resonate with Sango-speaking audiences. We ensure that your brand’s messages maintain their original intent, emotional impact, and tone while aligning with the cultural and linguistic nuances of the target market.
MTPE-Full (Machine Translation Post-Editing - Full)
MTPE-Full involves comprehensive post-editing of machine-generated translations to meet the highest standards of linguistic quality. This includes correcting grammar, syntax, and terminology to ensure the text flows naturally in Sango or English.
MTPE-Light (Machine Translation Post-Editing - Light)
MTPE-Light is a streamlined version of post-editing designed for situations where speed and cost-efficiency are prioritized. The human editor fixes major errors, ensuring the overall meaning is clear and understandable.
Additional Language Services and Options for Sango
Certified Translation
Green Crescent provides certified translations of a wide range of legal documents, including birth, marriage, and death certificates, diplomas, school transcripts, passports, and much more, in both Sango and English. Our certified translations are recognized for their accuracy and compliance with legal standards, making them suitable for official use. You can receive hard copies of our standard certificate of translation mailed directly to your home or business.
Rush Service
If you require expedited service, Green Crescent can usually accommodate such requests. However, please note that rushing translations may come with trade-offs, which could affect both price and consistency. Please consult with a project manager for more details.
Discounts
Volume discounts are available for large projects, long-term clients, and for non-profits, charities, NGOs, and government organizations.
Minimum Fee
There is a minimum project fee of $75.00 USD per language, which can be reduced or waived for regular clients.
Additional Language Services
In addition to translation, Green Crescent offers a range of other Sango language services, including interpretation, transcription, website design and development, and desktop publishing.
About the Sango Language
Sango is the official language of the Central African Republic (CAR) and serves as a lingua franca across the country, uniting over 70 ethnic groups who speak different languages. Originally a Ngbandi-based creole, Sango has evolved into a fully functional language with over 5 million speakers, including native and second-language speakers. It is spoken primarily in the CAR but also in parts of Chad and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Sango plays a key role in government, education, trade, and day-to-day communication, making it essential for unity in this linguistically diverse region.
The Cultural Context, History, and Linguistic Features of Sango
Sango has a unique history, having developed as a trade language along the Ubangi River during the 19th century. It originated from the Ngbandi language, spoken by the Ngbandi people, but over time it incorporated elements from French and other local languages. During the French colonial period, Sango gained prominence as a lingua franca, facilitating communication between the colonial authorities and the local population.
Despite being a creole in origin, Sango has since expanded its vocabulary and grammar, evolving into a fully developed language. It is used in a variety of contexts, from informal conversations to formal governmental and educational settings. Sango’s adaptability and simplicity have contributed to its widespread use, making it one of the most important languages in the Central African Republic.
The Writing System: Latin Alphabet
Sango is written using the Latin alphabet, consisting of 22 letters. The language does not use the letters "q," "x," "c," or "z," but instead relies on phonetic spelling, where words are pronounced as they are written. This makes the writing system straightforward and accessible for learners.
Vowels and Consonants: Sango has five vowels (a, e, i, o, u) and 17 consonants. The vowel sounds in Sango are simple and consistent, which contributes to its relatively easy pronunciation compared to other languages in the region.
The Sango Alphabet
Sango is written using the following alphabet:
- 5 vowels: A, a, E, e, I, i, O, o, U, u
- 17 consonants: B, b, D, d, F, f, G, g, H, h, K, k, L, l, M, m, N, n, P, p, R, r, S, s, T, t, V, v, W, w, Y, y
Because Sango uses a phonetic writing system, words are spelled as they sound. The simplicity of the alphabet, combined with the absence of tonal distinctions in writing, makes Sango a language that is relatively easy to learn and write.
Key Linguistic Differences Between Sango and English for Translation
Several linguistic features distinguish Sango from English, and these must be considered carefully during translation to ensure both accuracy and cultural relevance:
Simplified Grammar Structure: Sango has a simplified grammar compared to English. There are no conjugations for verbs based on tense, number, or person. Instead, tense is indicated by separate words such as "kɛ" for future and "ala" for past. For example, "Ala a yeke na" means "He was there," and "Kɛ a yeke na" means "He will be there." Translators must accurately convey these time markers to maintain clarity in the translation.
Reduplication: Sango often uses reduplication to indicate emphasis or repeated actions. For example, "dédé" means "to walk slowly," while "dédé-dédé" emphasizes the action, meaning "to walk very slowly." Translators must capture the nuance of these repetitions in English, even though English does not have a direct equivalent.
Word Order: Sango generally follows a Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) structure, similar to English. However, word order can be flexible, especially in informal speech. This flexibility may require careful reordering when translating into English to ensure coherence and clarity.
Vocabulary Borrowed from French and Other Languages: Given the influence of French and local languages, Sango has many loanwords. Translators must be aware of these borrowed terms and their usage to ensure that the translation retains its intended meaning, especially when these terms may not have exact equivalents in English.
Lack of Gender and Number Marking: Sango does not mark gender or number on nouns and verbs, unlike English. For example, the word "kété" can mean "child," whether singular or plural, and there are no changes to the verb regardless of whether the subject is singular or plural. Translators must infer number and gender based on context and adjust the translation accordingly to fit English grammar rules.
Politeness and Formality: Like many languages, Sango has different ways of expressing politeness or formality, particularly in how people address each other. Translators must ensure that the level of formality is maintained in the English translation to reflect the social context of the original Sango text.
By addressing these key linguistic and cultural differences, Green Crescent ensures that our Sango translation services are accurate, culturally sensitive, and linguistically precise, ensuring that the message is clear and relevant for Sango and English-speaking audiences alike.
An Insight into Sango Expression
This passage is from the famous Sango proverb collection “Nzoni na Nzoni”, which reflects the wisdom and cultural values of the Sango-speaking people.
- Sango: "Nzoni a yeke nzoni, nzoni a mbata na nzoni."
- English Translation: "Good begets good, and good will always follow good."