How can I find a good translator if I don’t speak the target language?

Translation is more than just transferring words from one language to another, it is the art of bringing content to life and making it understandable for a new audience.
But how can you ensure that a text is well translated if you don’t speak the target language yourself? This is precisely the question many clients ask themselves. Without linguistic competence, it can be difficult to judge quality. Fortunately, there are criteria you can use to identify professional translators and guidelines to help you assess their work.

Would you like to have your text—perhaps a book or a guide—translated, but you don’t speak the target language? Then you are rightly asking yourself: How can I recognize a good translation if I can’t judge it myself? The answer is simple: pay attention not only to the text itself but also to the working methods and attitude of the person who translates it.

References or published work are a good initial indicator of professionalism. Has the person already translated texts in the same genre? Are there customer testimonials or reviews of previous projects? Membership in a professional association such as the VdÜ or BDÜ can also be a sign of quality—it shows that someone adheres to professional standards.

A key criterion is the target language itself: reputable translators work exclusively into their native language. Only in their mother tongue can they truly master tone, cultural nuances, and stylistic subtleties. This is especially important for creative texts such as novels, biographies, or marketing content. The text must sound lively, strike the right tone, and read like an original.

It’s not about translating word-for-word. On the contrary: a good translation is meaningful, not literal. It conveys content, imagery, and mood without slavishly adhering to sentence structure. Irony, sarcasm, and wordplay, in particular, require linguistic creativity and sometimes the courage to restructure the text so it works just as well in German.

Another sign of professionalism is the willingness to provide a short sample translation. This helps both sides: you get a sense of the style, and the translator can better estimate the workload. Ideally, you should have the sample reviewed by someone fluent in the target language. This doesn’t have to be a professional; sometimes a native speaker with a good feel for the language is enough.

Communication is another key factor: if a translator asks questions, points out ambiguities in the source text, or highlights inconsistencies, this shows they are thinking critically. Good translators don’t just deliver a text; they engage, ask questions, and even make suggestions if something sounds awkward or off.

And even if you don’t always consider it as a client: a translation should be edited and proofread. Nobody catches every single mistake after multiple rounds—not even a professional. Ideally, a second person should be involved for proofreading, or at least the finished version should be reviewed by someone else.

Of course, price also matters. But be careful: cheap is rarely good. If someone charges 1 or 2 cents per word, you can be almost certain that there’s no time for research, style, or editing. For a literary or stylistically demanding translation, expect to pay between 6 and 8 cents per word, depending on the text type and effort required. Quality comes at a price—and pays off in the long run.

In summary: even if you don’t speak the target language, you can recognize a good translation by the care, communication, willingness to collaborate, and professionalism involved. Pay attention to experience, style, attitude and trust your gut feeling. Because a good translator doesn’t just think linguistically, they think for themselves.

Want to play it safe with your next translation project? 

Use these tips to find the right professional for your texts, whether novels or technical documents. If you like, I would be happy to help you find the right translator or take care of your project myself as an experienced translator. Just get in touch!