French Translation

Are you looking for a fast and specialized French translation service that delivers the best linguistic quality and accuracy at affordable prices? Then look no further than Target Language Translation Services–we work with native-speaking subject specialist French linguists to support clients in all areas including Financial Services, FMCG, Legal, Insurance, Medical and across the broader business landscape and help global companies communicate with customers in French and Canadian French with confidence.
We ensure that every aspect of our translation service is accurate, secure, specialized and fast. Whether your project is for written documentation, localization or multi-media, our expert team of linguists and project managers is here to advise, guide and ensure outstanding results. 

  Regions where French is the main language

  Regions where it is an official language but not a majority native language

  Regions where it is a second language

  Regions where it is a minority language

About French
French is a member of the Gallo-Romance branch of the Romance language family. It is spoken as a native language about by about 60 million people, as a second language by about 202 million people, and as a foreign language by many more people. It is the third most spoken language in Europe, after German and English, and is also spoken in parts of Africa, North America, South America, Asia and Oceania.

Status of French
French is an official language in Belgium, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, France, Gabon, Guinea, Haiti, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mali, Monaco, Niger, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Switzerland, Togo, and Vanuatu.
There are also French speakers in Algeria, Cambodia, Laos, Lebanon, Morocco, Mauritius, Mauritania, Tunisia, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Guadeloupe, Guernsey, Jersey, Martinique, Mayotte, New Caledonia, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint-Martin, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, Vietnam, Wallis and Futuna, and in parts of the USA, particularly Louisiana.
French was widely used as a diplomatic language from the 17th century until the middle of the 20th century, when English replaced it in that role. It is still used in many international organisations, such as NATO, the UN, EU institutions, and the World Trade Organisation.

Written French
French first appeared in writing in 842 AD, when it was used in the Strasbourg Oaths. Before then, Latin was the language used for literature throughout Europe. During the 10th and 11th centuries, French appeared in a number of documents and religious writings. However, French literature didn't start to take off until the late 12th / early 13th century. The first great work of French literature was the 'Chanson de Roland' (Song of Roland), which was published in about 1200.

The French alphabet (l'alphabet français)

French pronunciation

Notes

• ay = [ɛji] before a consonant, [aj] elsewhere
• c = [s] before i, e or y but [k] elsewhere
• g = [ʒ] before i, e or y but [g] elsewhere
• i = [ i ̭] before vowels, but [i] elsewhere
• ie = [i] at the end of a word, [j̃ɛ] before n, [je] elsewhere.
• ill =[j] after vowel(s): e.g. travailler [tʁava'je]
• m and n are mute at the ends of words and preceeding vowels are nasalized.
• At the ends of words, r, s, t, x and z are mute, unless the next word begins with a vowel, e.g. vous êtes [vuz εt]
• u = [ɥ] before vowels, but [y] elsewhere
• x when in final position = [s~z~Ø]
• k and w only appear in loan words
• y is used mainly loanwords but also in placenames
• Letters with accents are not considered part of the French alphabet
• The ligature Œ is used in certain French words, and in words of Greek origin, to represent a single sound (/œ/ or /ø/). In alphabetical ordering it is treated as o plus e
• The ligature Æ is used in a few words of Latin or Greek origin. In alphabetical ordering it is treated as a plus e

Canadian French
Here are some of the discrepancies in the pronunciation of Canadian French.
• In all words except loan words, the letter before the vowels i and u is pronounced [dzi] and [dzy], as in dimanche [dzimãːʃ]. For the other vowels, nasal vowels and consonant clusters, remains , d, .
• In all words except loan words, the letter before the vowels i, u and y are pronounced [tsi] [tsy] and [tsi], as in tige [tsiːʒ]. In all other instances, follows its usual pattern.
• The presence of these lax vowels /ʏ/, / ɪ/, /ʊ/ (allophonic to their tense counterparts: /y/, /i/, /u/ but not all words have interchangeable pronunciation), e.g. the word pile is usually only realized as [pɪl]
• These pairs are allophonic: /ɛ̃/, /ẽ/, /ĩ/, /ɑ/̃ and /ã/, /œ̃/ and /ũ/, /ɔ/̃ and /õ/, /ɲ/ and /ŋ/. also has the allophone /ɔ/.
• also has the pronunciations of /a/, /ɑ/ (less) and /we/, /wɛ/ (the latter two being used more in informal speech).
• The existence of diphthongs (considered to be informal speech) where long vowels exist. e.g. pâte can be either [pɑːt(ə)] or diphthongized as [pɑʊt] informally

Did You Know?
French words in English
English has borrowed many words from French. They are too numerous to list. Below is a short sampling of French loan words related to cooking, and those that occur in common usage.
Food                                Common usage
bon appétit                      attaché  
cuisine                             avant-garde  
du jour                              c’est la vie
blanch                               chic  
sauté                                 déjà vu  
fondue                               encore  
purée                                 en route
flambé                               haute couture
à la carte                           matinée
à la mode                          née
escargot                            par excellence
julienne                              protégé
canape attaché                  vis-à-vis

How much does a translation into French Translation cost?
The standard rate for translations from English into French Translation is $ 0.11, and rates for translations from French into or French from other languages vary. For urgent jobs that need several linguists working simultaneously, we will apply a surcharge.

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