Kissflow

The test assignment turned out to be really small, which is why we decided to provide several translations. We prepared four stylistically different versions so that the client could choose the one that suits them best. The Kissflow developers decided that one of them was appropriate, so we passed the Japanese language test.

The Kissflow team originally wanted to order a machine translation of their application which would be post-edited. However, we understood that IT projects require a special approach that only a human could provide. There are many specialized terms and nuances which have to be taken into account when translating into other languages. This was the exact reason why we concentrated on flexibility and creativity. We paid a lot of attention to the selection of translators as they had to have an excellent understanding of the specific features of this project.

When we were selecting the team for Kissflow, we focused on those factors which were important to us: experience in IT translation, good reviews, a record of reliably keeping to deadlines and of course the successful completion of the test assignment. It was important to the developers that those who worked on the project remained the same, as it allowed for a consistent style to be preserved.

Let's use the word "task" as an example, as it is one of the most frequently used words in online trackers. Instead of using the loanword "태스크" we used the Korean word "업무" every time. The translation creates a better impression on native speakers this way.

We decided to use the "귀하" pronoun, which is one of the most respectful forms of address. It was only used in those cases where the user had to be addressed directly. We had to avoid using the "you" pronoun in other cases, as Koreans practically never use it.

We asked for examples of use for every section of this kind. This is important in order to avoid errors with the gender of adjectives, noun cases and verb forms in the Russian language.

For instance, the "Sign Up" line could be translated as "зарегистрироваться", "зарегистрируйтесь", or even "регистрация". There were times when the line only consisted of the "ON" preposition. We understand that it is used to indicate time, but this is not enough for a translation into Russian. The statements "on Monday", "on Mondays" and "on February 14" would look completely different:

"on Monday" — "в понедельник";
"on Mondays" — "по понедельникам";
"on February 14" — "14-го февраля".

In the end, we used a colon in the Russian translation to avoid confusion.

(Something will happen) on (Monday/ February 14)

(Что-то должно произойти) : (Понедельник/14 февраля)

In our conversation with the client, we found out that these "items" can be subdivided into "tasks", "requests" and other elements. An understanding of this hierarchy was essential to keep to the logic of the translations in those cases where it was not obvious from the text itself:

{{flow_name}} - {{action_user}} assigned {{item_id}} to you.

{{flow_name}} — {{action_user}} назначил(а) вам объект {{item_id}}.

In order to keep the translation grammatically correct, it was necessary for us to add an explanation before the placeholder, because the Dative case in Russian would have required case changes in the placeholder itself (at least for Feminine nouns).

We knew that in this system, the object could be a task, so we understood that the use of the verb "assign" — "назначить" remained appropriate. However, the concept of an "object" is broader than that of a "task", which meant that the safest option was for us to use "object" as a complement.