Accurate and grammatically correct – but does it sound like English?
An English translation can be completely accurate and grammatically flawless, yet still not sound as though the text was originally written in English. English has countless conventions that readers instinctively recognise and expect, even if they couldn’t explain them. These shape how information is organised, how ideas are expressed and which words naturally belong together.
For a company or organisation, this is more than a stylistic detail. A press release, annual report or website that reads like a literal translation rather than original English can quietly undermine the professionalism and confidence it is intended to inspire.
English puts the main message first
One of the biggest differences between written Finnish and English is the way in which information is organised. English generally puts the main message first and then adds supporting detail. Finnish, by contrast, often builds gradually towards the main point, providing background and context before revealing the key message.
As a result, readers of English expect to understand quite quickly what a sentence is trying to say. If they have to work through several lines of background before reaching the main point, the text can feel heavy and require more effort to read.
Here is a typical Finnish sentence structure translated literally:
Following discussions held during the spring and after considering customer feedback received from several markets, the company has decided to launch the new service in September.
There is nothing grammatically wrong with this, but many writers of English would instinctively put the news first:
The company has decided to launch the new service in September, following discussions held during the spring and customer feedback from several markets.
The reader learns the news immediately.
The same principle applies here:
Despite the challenging market conditions and the continued uncertainty in the global economy, supported by successful cost-saving measures implemented during the year, the Group’s profitability improved.
A more natural English version is:
The Group’s profitability improved despite challenging market conditions and continued uncertainty in the global economy, supported by successful cost-saving measures implemented during the year.
Both versions are correct. One simply gets to the point sooner. This is also something AI-generated translations often miss because they tend to preserve the Finnish sentence structure instead of reorganising the information to suit English.
English prefers actions over abstract concepts
Corporate and official Finnish often express ideas through abstract nouns, whereas English more often expresses the same ideas through verbs. Compare these common examples:
- carry out an assessment → assess
- conduct an investigation → investigate
- give consideration to → consider
- make a recommendation → recommend
The verbs are preferable not because they are shorter, but because they keep the sentence moving. Verbs express actions directly, whereas abstract nouns turn those actions into concepts.
Compare:
Following the completion of the implementation of the monitoring programme…
with
After implementing the monitoring programme…
The second doesn’t just use fewer words – it also feels lighter. Each word does more work, allowing the reader to move through the sentence more smoothly.
A literal translation often preserves the nouns used in the Finnish original. Skilled translators will frequently reorganise sentences around verbs instead, producing English that sounds more natural without changing the meaning.
Words that naturally go together
Translation isn’t just about finding equivalent words – it is about finding words that belong together. Every language has preferred ways of expressing ideas and preferred combinations of words. Linguists use the term collocation to describe these natural word partnerships.
A word that looks like a direct equivalent doesn’t always behave like one – it may not combine naturally with the words around it. As a result, a translation can be grammatically perfect yet still sound translated because the word combinations don’t quite fit the conventions of English. Readers may not be able to explain why, but they instinctively recognise when something doesn’t sound entirely natural.
A good example is the Finnish adjective vahva. In many cases strong is a good translation:
- vahva kahvi → strong coffee
- vahva kilpailuasema → strong market position
But not always:
- vahva näyttö → compelling evidence
- vahva osaaminen → extensive expertise
This is one of the reasons a text can sound effortlessly English instead of literally translated. It is not usually possible to deduce collocations from grammar or logic alone. This is why dictionaries are rarely enough. They tell you what a word means, but not always which other words it naturally combines with. Native speakers acquire these unwritten rules gradually through years of reading, listening and speaking. That’s why collocations are among the hardest aspects of language for language learners and AI systems to fully master.
The difference is in the details
A good translation does more than transfer meaning accurately. It follows the conventions of English in the way it organises information, expresses ideas and combines words. The effect is subtle but readers recognise it instinctively. When information is organised naturally, ideas are expressed through active language and words combine naturally, the result is English that doesn’t feel translated. It simply reads as though it were written in English.
That distinction matters because language shapes perception. Bellcrest’s clients aren’t simply paying for accurate translations; they are investing in communication that inspires confidence. Annual reports, websites and press releases all contribute to the way an organisation is perceived. If the English feels translated, it could subtly undermine the professionalism and credibility those documents are intended to convey, even when every fact and figure is correct. A translation can be accurate without sounding natural. A good translation achieves both.