Common Translation Mistakes to Avoid

Translation between Korean and English presents unique challenges due to significant structural and cultural differences between the two languages. Understanding common pitfalls can help you avoid costly mistakes in your business communications.

1. Ignoring Cultural Context

One of the most frequent mistakes in Korean-English translation is treating it as a purely linguistic exercise. Korean culture places great emphasis on hierarchy, formality, and indirect communication, which doesn't always translate directly into English.

Example: A direct translation of Korean business correspondence might sound overly formal or even stilted in English, potentially creating distance with Western clients who prefer more casual business communication.

Solution: Work with a translator who understands both cultures and can adapt the tone appropriately for your target audience.

2. Literal Word-for-Word Translation

Korean and English have fundamentally different grammatical structures. Korean follows a Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) order, whilst English uses Subject-Verb-Object (SVO). Simply swapping words position-by-position creates awkward, unnatural English.

Korean also relies heavily on context and often omits subjects that English requires explicitly. Idiomatic expressions rarely translate literally – "눈 밖에 나다" literally means "to go outside the eyes" but actually means "to fall out of favour."

3. Mishandling Honorifics

Korean has an elaborate system of honorific language (존댓말/jondaetmal) that doesn't have direct equivalents in English. The challenge lies in conveying the appropriate level of respect and formality without sounding unnatural.

Common mistake: Either completely removing all formality (losing important professional tone) or over-compensating with excessive politeness that sounds awkward in English.

Best practice: Understand the relationship dynamics and choose appropriate English formality markers like titles, modal verbs, and sentence structure.

4. Overlooking Technical Terminology

Different industries have specific terminology that requires specialised knowledge. Using general dictionaries for technical translation often leads to incorrect or imprecise terms.

For example, legal translation requires understanding of both Korean and common law systems. Medical translation demands knowledge of anatomical terms and pharmaceutical conventions. Software localisation needs familiarity with UI/UX terminology.

5. Ignoring SEO Considerations

When translating websites, many overlook the fact that Korean and English-speaking users search differently. Keywords that work in one language may not be the optimal terms in another.

Example: Koreans might search using Konglish terms (Korean-ised English words), whilst English speakers use different phrasing entirely. A literal translation of meta descriptions and titles will hurt your search rankings.

6. Inconsistent Terminology

Using different English terms for the same Korean concept throughout a document creates confusion. This is especially problematic in technical documentation, legal contracts, and marketing materials where consistency is crucial.

Solution: Professional translators maintain glossaries and style guides to ensure terminology consistency across all your translated materials.

7. Neglecting Formatting and Layout

Korean text is generally more compact than English. A Korean sentence might expand by 20-30% when translated to English, affecting layout, button sizes, and user interface design.

Not accounting for this expansion can lead to broken layouts, truncated text, and poor user experience on translated websites and applications.

Best Practices for Quality Translation

• Hire native speakers: Work with translators who are native speakers of the target language.
• Provide context: Share background information, target audience details, and intended use.
• Allow review time: Quality translation requires multiple review passes.
• Use professional translators: Machine translation can assist but shouldn't replace human expertise.
• Maintain consistency: Use translation memory and glossaries for ongoing projects.

Conclusion

Avoiding these common translation mistakes requires more than just bilingual ability. It demands cultural knowledge, industry expertise, and translation experience. Whether you're translating business documents, websites, or marketing materials, working with a professional Korean-English translator ensures your message is accurately conveyed whilst maintaining cultural appropriateness and natural language flow.

Need help with your Korean-English translation project? Get in touch for a free consultation and quote.