Dutch to Native English Translations
Why you need a native English speaker to translate your Dutch text into English
We all know that the Dutch are amazing when it comes to learning and using other languages. So it's not surprising that a lot of Dutch-to-English translations are done by Dutch speakers who speak near-perfect English. But they aren't native speakers, and it often shows. That's a huge shame because, if a piece of writing has just a smidge of Dunglish or a bit of phrasing that's slightly off, it can impact – even if only subconsciously – how the reader perceives the company or writer behind the text.
Why should you want me to translate your Dutch text into English?
I was born in the UK, and I have a degree in English and teaching from a fancy redbrick university. Instead of becoming an English teacher, I moved to the Netherlands, where I spent 16 years immersed in the Dutch language and culture. I'm a native speaker of English who actually understands Dutch, which is a bit of a rarity in the translation world. It's something I hope you'll find makes my translations stand out from the rest. But don't just take my word for it – see what my clients say about my translation work.
Despite what the Dutch might tell you, the language of the Netherlands is actually reasonably straightforward. However, it's also deeply influenced by its history and character. Almost regardless of a Dutch text's purpose, audience, or tone, it will be peppered with idioms. As well as understanding their meaning (often not at all obvious!) and the culture behind them, you'll need creativity and a lot of pen chewing to translate idioms into something that makes sense and flows well in English. Because Dutch and English are so closely related, there are also a lot of false friends to watch out for. Dutch translators sometimes miss these, often with amusing results. As a native English speaker, I know how to spot these sneaky words and translate them correctly.
What can I do for you?
My creative approach results in an English translation of your Dutch source text that is not only accurate and correct but also feels natural and is pleasant to read. I'll say what you want to say, the way you want to say it, transcreated and localised so that it works for an English-speaking audience. The reader will never suspect they're reading a translation.
I've translated four novels for one of the 'Big Five' publishers, including all three of Jeroen Windmeijer's bestselling Peter de Haan mysteries. In addition to skills in creative writing, these books demanded extensive and dogged research into religion and history, with hours devoted to finding exactly the right words for an arcane artefact or idea. I bring this doggedness to all of my work, taking time and care to ensure that I'm getting things just right.
But I'm not just a book translator. I understand how to make a text engaging, compelling and persuasive to boost brand engagement and drive conversions. My clients value me for my ability to turn Dutch copy into knockout English copy, whether it's web content, a social media post, a quick B2B email, or an entire product catalogue.
I can turn my hand to a variety of other things and have translated thousands of words for a variety of other purposes, including:
• Websites
• Blog posts and web copy
• Product descriptions
• Brochures and flyers
• Press releases
• B2B communications
• Training materials
• Reports
• Case studies
• FAQs
• Commemorative books
• Interviews
• CVs
• Letters
• Menus
• Invoices
• Police Reports
• Handbooks
If you'd like to see evidence of the quality of my translations, take a look at my portfolio. I'm also happy to do a free sample translation of up to 400 words for you so you can assess whether I'm a good fit for your text. To arrange this, visit my contact page and send me a message.
I will never attempt to translate something if I'm not confident that I can do it to a high standard. So, if you need a translation of a legal, medical, financial, or technical text, I'm probably not the right linguist for the job.
Am I qualified?
I have an honours degree in English, so you know I won't confuse their, they're, and there. Because I fell into translation by accident, I don't have a degree in translation. However, the Chartered Institute of Linguists accepted me as a Full Member based on the quality and volume of my body of work. Additionally, I am a Proz.com Certified Pro and uphold the CPN code.
An added bonus is that I studied proofreading with the CIEP, and I have a proofreading qualification from the Publishing Training Centre, two bodies that set industry standards. This means you can trust that my work will be accurate and correct and that the translation I deliver will need little to no editing.
I'm trained in and work with SDL Trados Studio 2021, and I'm SDL-certified in Machine Translation post-editing.
Above all, I'm flexible, friendly, and scrupulous about deadlines. My clients agree that I'm great to work with!
To find out what a well-written, readable, localised Dutch to native English translation of your text will cost, see the translation rates page. Or get in touch by sending me a quick email or using the contact form on this site.
