In translation agencies we know that a term base or a TB as we call it for short in our jargon, meaning a dictionary of terms or a glossary, represents one of the key tools for consistent use of terminology based on the client’s expectations, and hence the superior quality of the translation.

Thus, when providing you our Turnkey Translations, we can in no way imagine working without these miraculous suggestions on the blue-coloured background in the translation tool.

What are we talking about? What is a term base, how do we get it, and what do we use it for?

What is a term base and how is it created?

A term base is simply a dictionary of terms, i.e. one word in the original language, which is attributed an appropriate translation in the target language or target languages. One of the possibilities is to create it on the go during translation in the translation tool, export it after translation and before editing in the form of a table, and send it to you, our client, for review. You complement it with your remarks, wishes, and the desired terminology, and return it to us in order to receive a translation with the exact terminology you have always wanted after editing.

How does it help us in our work?

A properly prepared term base is shown to the translator during their work in a translation tool as a terminology hit, while words recognised by the translation tool as terms in the translation editor are coloured blue.

In this way, the translator and the editor immediately know that it is a word for which there is already a specific and mandatory translation. The Quality Assurance or QA function (we will talk about it on another occasion) before the next step verifies whether this terminology was appropriately used, and warns us if it wasn’t.

Wouldn't it be better to use this terminology from the beginning?

The short answer is, of course, “yes”. However, since language is a considerable part of our daily bread, we don’t settle for short answers. We are delighted if we receive precisely determined preferential terminology from the client before the start of work on the project. Especially if you already have this terminology written down, preferably in some of the most popular formats, such as .doc. or .xls(x) (which we prefer). If you have prepared your terminology in an Excel table, for example in a similar form to this one 

there is nothing left to do but edit what needs to be edited, and import the dictionary of terms into the translation tool. Of course, there can be several languages, which you can place in separate columns. And so we are delighted from the very beginning because you save us time spent on searching the terminology (you have no idea what kind of joy this brings to a translator and an editor), and you don’t have to worry at night how many terms from this huuuge project still need to be harmonised after receiving the translation. Of course, we don’t mind doing that either; after all, this is stated in our guarantee and Turnkey TranslationsTM. But why wouldn’t our guarantee be just a silent assurance, and our Turnkey Translations in your hands from the very beginning?