french language services

the complexities of the french language

French is the fourteenth most-spoken language in the world, with roots in 53 countries. From there, the dialects only spread like webbing. Consider the cultures in Canada, Haiti, and France: all vastly different from one another. French is the official language in parts of all three of those countries.

When communicating with French-speaking persons around the globe in writing, one cannot simply cater to a universal tongue; Haitians will have their own variations, as will Canadians, as will those in the mother country of France.

literary / refined

extremely formal and elegant

formal

polite, respectful in tone

normal

the most commonly used between speakers

informal

expresses closeness, typically used between friends and family

familiar

largely used between friends

slang

exceptionally informal, used between younger generations

As a Romance language, the French alphabet, which was borrowed from Latin and identical to English, has been cemented since the 12th century, but pronunciations have changed drastically in the last millennia.

As one can expect, an ever-changing language requires deep cultural knowledge to accurately decipher. Today, the language consists of over 1 million words, with 20,000 new words being added annually.

The differences between the different dialects of French may be vast, but CQ fluency’s ability to translate languages and adapt to cultures will ensure the correct message, and not just “words” being changed.

importance of cultural translations

Knowing how to target and help a culture – not just a language – is paramount.

We are experts in both language and culture, ensuring an accurate French translation every time. This means more effective communication, resulting in improved healthcare and ultimately savings for the providers with greater consumer compliance to policy and/or guidelines.