Looking for expert Yoruba translation services? Since 2003, Green Crescent has been providing professional English to Yoruba and Yoruba to English translation services to clients worldwide. Our expertise spans various fields, including legal, cultural, business, and academic sectors. We ensure precise, high-quality translations customized to meet your specific needs. Request a fast, free Yoruba translation quote today!
Our Comprehensive Yoruba Translation Services
Green Crescent’s skilled team of Yoruba translators includes subject matter experts for industry-specific needs. We provide translations based on Standard Yoruba, which is widely used in formal education, media, and official communications across Nigeria and other Yoruba-speaking regions. Our services also take into account dialectical variations when needed.
We specialize in both English to Yoruba and Yoruba to English translations, offering the following services:
Simple Translation
Our simple translations in the English/Yoruba language pair are designed for basic communication needs. These translations are completed by a single Yoruba 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 Yoruba text.
Standard Translation (TEP)
Our Standard Yoruba 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 Yoruba communications.
Organization Critical Translation (TEP+)
Our Organization Critical Yoruba Translation service is designed for situations where perfection is essential. This option is recommended for texts intended for large-scale printing, technical documents, legal contracts and patents, 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 Yoruba translation, editing, and proofreading (TEP) process.
Bilingual Editing
Bilingual Editing for Yoruba Translation is the process of editing a translated text by comparing both the source and target texts in the English/Yoruba language pair. The editor, fluent in the source language and a native speaker of Yoruba, ensures that the translation is accurate, consistent, and faithful to the source text while also maintaining clarity and fluency in Yoruba. 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
With each additional round of editing and proofreading, the error rate of a document approaches the perfection horizon. Our proofreading service for English to Yoruba and Yoruba 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 specialized legal fields, is ready to assist you with the translation of a wide range of judicial, administrative, and private legal documents between Yoruba and English. Nearly all countries recognize that submitting documents for translation does not compromise attorney-client privilege. Furthermore, we can 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, engineering, and IT topics, but any text that utilizes industry-specific terminology or neologisms may be considered technical in nature. These translations cannot be executed by generalists alone; they require the expertise of linguists with in-depth knowledge of the relevant technical field in both Yoruba and English.
Medical Translation
Green Crescent has established protocols to ensure compliance with HIPAA and HITECH regulations, which you can learn more about here. Our Yoruba medical translations are treated as "organization critical," unless otherwise specified, and we are committed to implementing the necessary digital security measures and legal safeguards for every project subject to HIPAA and HITECH requirements. Our team of skilled linguists, specialized in medical terminology, ensures that your translations are both accurate and secure.
Localization
Our translation services are tailored for specific target markets that require non-standard varieties or dialects of the Yoruba language. Green Crescent is equipped to accommodate requests for localized Yoruba translation, ensuring that your content resonates with the intended audience. Our experienced linguists are well-versed in the nuances of Yoruba, allowing us to provide translations that are not only accurate but also culturally relevant and engaging. By focusing on the unique linguistic characteristics of Yoruba, we help you effectively connect with your audience and enhance the impact of your message.
Website, App, and Software Localization for Yoruba
At Green Crescent, we leverage our extensive experience in software development to provide specialized Yoruba localization services. We excel in adapting your website, app, or software’s content, design, and functionality for Yoruba-speaking audiences. Whether you need a fully multilingual solution or specific adaptations for Yoruba, our services encompass translating text, adjusting images, and modifying layouts. We also adapt and program code for both mobile and desktop applications, ensuring that your app functions seamlessly across Yoruba-speaking regions while adhering to platform-specific guidelines. Let us help you create an engaging and culturally relevant experience for your Yoruba-speaking users.
Back-translation
Back-translation is often a crucial component of the quality control process, particularly when translating highly technical documents or for critical translations in the Yoruba/English language pair where an error could have significant consequences. This process involves an independent linguist translating a previously translated text back into its original source language—either Yoruba or English—without reference to the original document. The resulting text is then compared to the original translation to verify its intelligibility, accuracy, and suitability for its intended use. Back-translation is also relevant in situations such as the translation of legal documents, medical texts, and marketing materials, where precise wording is essential. It can be particularly beneficial when adapting content for different cultural contexts, ensuring that the intended message is preserved and resonates appropriately with the target audience in both Yoruba and English.
Peer Review
Green Crescent offers professional focus group services that include a comprehensive "read-through" conducted by one or more linguists who were not involved in the original translation process. This approach allows for an unbiased assessment of the translation's quality, style, and overall fitness for its intended purpose. The focus group can evaluate various aspects of the text, including linguistic accuracy, cultural relevance, and the effectiveness of the messaging in reaching the target audience. Feedback is provided on how well the translation conveys the original intent and nuances of the source material, ensuring that it resonates with readers in both Yoruba and English contexts.
SME Review
Subject Matter Expert (SME) review is a specialized form of peer review conducted by non-linguist professionals with deep expertise in specific fields. This process is particularly important for Yoruba to English or English to Yoruba translations of highly technical texts, ensuring that the content is both linguistically accurate and technically precise. In fields such as legal, medical, scientific, and engineering, SMEs help verify the correct use of industry-specific terminology, adherence to regulatory or technical standards, and the contextual relevance of the translated material. By incorporating SME review into the translation process, we ensure that your final product is not only fluent and culturally appropriate but also technically sound and ready for professional use in both Yoruba- and English-speaking markets.
Transcreation
Our Yoruba Transcreation Service goes beyond simple translation by creatively adapting your content to resonate with Yoruba-speaking audiences. At Green Crescent, we ensure that your brand’s messages, campaigns, and communications maintain their original intent, emotional impact, and tone, while aligning with the cultural and linguistic nuances of the target market. Whether it’s marketing, branding, or advertising, we reimagine your content to feel authentic and compelling in Yoruba, helping your brand connect meaningfully and effectively with Yoruba-speaking audiences.
MTPE-Full (Machine Translation Post-Editing - Full)
MTPE-Full (Machine Translation Post-Editing - Full) refers to the comprehensive post-editing of a machine-translated text between Yoruba and English, ensuring the final product meets the highest standards of linguistic quality. In this process, once the machine generates the translation, a skilled human editor thoroughly reviews the entire content, ensuring that it is not only accurate in meaning but also flows naturally and fluently in the target language. This detailed editing process includes correcting grammar, syntax, and terminology, adapting the text for the intended audience, and ensuring it adheres to any stylistic preferences or regulatory requirements. MTPE-Full is suitable for business-critical texts where precision and quality are paramount.
MTPE-Light (Machine Translation Post-Editing - Light)
MTPE-Light (Machine Translation Post-Editing - Light) is a more streamlined version of post-editing, designed for situations where speed and cost-efficiency are prioritized over linguistic perfection. In this process, the human editor focuses primarily on fixing major errors and ensuring that the overall meaning of the machine-translated text is clear and understandable in the target language (Yoruba or English). While MTPE-Light may not deliver a translation that is fully polished or ready for publication, it provides an efficient and cost-effective solution for internal documents, reports, and communications where basic comprehension is sufficient.
Additional Language Services and Options for Yoruba
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 Yoruba 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 often comes with trade-offs, which may 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 Yoruba language services, including interpretation, transcription, website design and development, and desktop publishing.
About the Yoruba Language
Yoruba, known locally as "Èdè Yorùbá," is a Niger-Congo language spoken by over 45 million people, primarily in Nigeria, but also in neighboring countries such as Benin and Togo, as well as among the Yoruba diaspora in the Americas and Europe. Yoruba is one of Nigeria's four major languages and plays a central role in the cultural and religious identity of the Yoruba people. It is also a key language in West African religion, particularly in traditional practices and the Ifá system of divination, which has spread to Afro-Caribbean and Afro-Latin American communities.
The Cultural Context, History, and Linguistic Features of Yoruba
Yoruba has a rich cultural history, deeply intertwined with the history of the Yoruba people, one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. Yoruba culture is known for its advanced political structures, art, and music, as well as its religious traditions, which include the Orisha deities that are central to many African spiritual practices. Yoruba is the primary language for religious texts, poetry, and folklore, which are still highly relevant today.
Linguistically, Yoruba belongs to the Volta-Niger branch of the Niger-Congo language family and is notable for its use of three distinct tones—high, mid, and low—which can change the meaning of words. This tonal aspect of the language is essential for correct understanding, as different tones applied to the same word can convey entirely different meanings. Yoruba also has an elaborate system of noun classes and verb conjugations that add complexity to the language.
The Writing System: Latin Script
Yoruba is written using the Latin alphabet, which was adapted during the missionary period in the 19th century. Diacritical marks are used to indicate tones, which are crucial for distinguishing meaning. These marks include acute (´) for high tones, grave (`) for low tones, and macron (¯) for mid tones, making Yoruba writing highly phonetic and precise.
Vowels and Consonants: Yoruba has seven vowel sounds, and its consonant system includes several sounds that are not common in English. The use of nasalized vowels and tone markers are particularly important in conveying the correct pronunciation and meaning of words.
Yoruba Alphabet
The Yoruba alphabet, based on the Latin script, includes both capital and lowercase letters:
- Vowels: A, a, E, e, Ẹ, ẹ, I, i, O, o, Ọ, ọ, U, u
- Consonants: B, b, D, d, F, f, G, g, GB, gb, H, h, J, j, K, k, L, l, M, m, N, n, P, p, R, r, S, s, Ṣ, ṣ, T, t, W, w, Y, y
Key Linguistic Differences Between Yoruba and English for Translation
When translating between Yoruba and English, several important linguistic differences must be taken into account:
Tonal Language: Yoruba is a tonal language, with high, mid, and low tones used to differentiate meaning. This tonal system is not found in English, where tone is primarily used for emphasis or intonation. Translators must rely on context to convey meaning accurately when tones affect the meaning of a word.
Noun and Verb Classes: Yoruba uses noun classes and has a complex system of verb conjugation that is based on tense, mood, and aspect. This system is different from English, which requires careful handling to ensure that verb tenses and meanings are properly translated.
Pronouns and Politeness: Yoruba has a rich system of personal pronouns that reflect social relationships, formality, and politeness. In English, politeness is conveyed through word choice or phrasing, but in Yoruba, it is embedded directly in the language. Care must be taken to maintain the appropriate level of respect and formality in translation.
Loanwords: Yoruba has borrowed a number of words from Arabic, English, and Portuguese due to historical contact through trade, religion, and colonization. Many of these loanwords have been adapted to fit Yoruba’s phonological system, and their meanings may differ slightly from the original. Translators must be familiar with how these loanwords are used in Yoruba.
Word Order: Yoruba typically follows a Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) structure, similar to English. However, there are instances where word order in Yoruba is more flexible, particularly in the arrangement of modifiers. This flexibility requires careful consideration to ensure that meaning is preserved when translating between the two languages.
By considering these linguistic and cultural differences, Green Crescent ensures that translations between Yoruba and English are accurate, culturally relevant, and sensitive to the nuances of the Yoruba language and culture.
An Insight into Yoruba Expression
This passage is from Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, a cornerstone of African literature that explores themes of tradition, change, and resilience.
- Yoruba: "Ẹni tí a kò fìlé kọ, kò lè kọ ilé kan tó gùn fúnrarẹ."
- English Translation: "He who is not taught how to build a house cannot build a proper one on his own."