Onat Translations | Frankfurt

In all European countries, we offer written and oral translations in the official languages of the EU, including conference and conference technology consulting, simultaneous and consecutive interpreting, escort interpreting, and travel guiding.

The Interpreter Group Frankfurt is a network of independent, freelance interpreters with many years of professional experience in a wide variety of languages and fields of expertise. We interpret simultaneously and consecutively at international conferences, official events, negotiations, meetings, and many other occasions with foreign participants, and we know from experience what successful communication depends on.

We can competently advise you on which interpreter is especially qualified for your event and will also put you in direct contact with a suitable person within our network. This colleague will then discuss the details of the interpreting assignment with you, advise you on the selection of appropriate interpreting and conference technology, and prepare a tailored offer—even at short notice—that meets your needs.

We are not an agency but have formed a non-legal association as freelance interpreters to pool our expertise and offer you numerous language combinations. Contact us directly — we know what matters!

All members of the Interpreter Group Frankfurt are members of the Federal Association of Interpreters and Translators (BDÜ), the largest professional association in Germany representing our profession. Its members commit to a professional and ethical code of conduct.

Detailed information on formal qualifications, working languages, and fields of expertise can be found on the information pages of our members.

We are a network of self-employed, independent interpreters with many years of professional experience in numerous languages and specialist areas. As professional language mediators, we provide simultaneous and consecutive interpreting, assemble multilingual interpreting teams, and advise on conference technology selection. We also ensure a high level of professional consulting, quality control, and legal security. All our members belong to a professional interpreters’ association.

Under “Interpreter Search,” you will find contacts listed by language. Scheduling appointments is handled quickly and reliably. Due to our central location in Frankfurt am Main, assignments can often be realized at short notice.

Ask us or visit the forum.
Interpreter Search – by languages
Click on the desired language to access the information page of individual members. There you will find detailed information on languages, fields of expertise, and experience, and you can contact the desired interpreter directly.

Languages include:
Bosnian, English, French, Italian, Croatian, Polish, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Spanish, Czech, Turkish …

Fields of expertise

Politics
In political contexts, interpreting requires the right tone. Evasive messages, country-specific nuances, and statements with serious consequences place the highest demands on the interpreter. Thanks to cultural and linguistic knowledge, professional interpreters understand and convey diplomatically sensitive content precisely and correctly. Political interpreting usually involves simultaneous and whispered interpreting, but consecutive interpreting is also occasionally requested.

Economics
Given the increasing globalization of the economy, the use of one or more interpreters enables successful communication between partners speaking in their native languages. Negotiators can express their points of view in detail and rely on their arguments being accurately conveyed. Good understanding and precise translation by the conference interpreter promote mutual comprehension and cooperation and help avoid misunderstandings. The well-prepared conference interpreter has thoroughly familiarized themselves with economic topics, such as accounting, purchasing, marketing, sales, and logistics. Depending on the situation, whispered interpreting, speech interpreting, or negotiation interpreting may be used.

European Works Council, Works Council, Europe Forum
Due to the internationalization of production and distribution channels, many companies in Europe have established branches in several EU countries. During cooperation and meetings of European works councils and forums as well as their steering committees, all participants should have the opportunity to present the concerns of the represented workforce accurately and fully understand the information provided by management. Simultaneous interpreters make an invaluable contribution. Interpreter teams ensure the smooth running of multilingual meetings.

Media
Interviews with personalities from business and politics abroad provide insights into foreign cultures, thinking, and actions in the respective country and promote international understanding and opinion formation. The conference interpreter knows the cultural peculiarities, which, together with the interpreters’ high linguistic competence, fosters excellent mutual understanding. The interpreter works almost invisibly in the background as a simultaneous interpreter. Occasionally, consecutive and negotiation interpreting is also used.

Industry
Active trade within the EU means purchasing or selling in or to another EU member state. From initial preliminary talks to contract negotiations to quality controls and acceptance procedures, the experienced interpreter supports the trading partners as a language mediator. For import and export, the interpreter has thoroughly studied the subject matter, such as technology and technical documentation, and compiled a company-specific glossary. The subject spectrum ranges from IT (information technology or computer science) to automotive technology, mechanical engineering, construction (civil and structural engineering), aeronautics (air and space travel), and ultrasound technology to chemistry or pharmaceuticals (pharmaceutical production). Topics such as medical technology, fashion, mail-order business, food production, or railway technology can also be acquired by the professional interpreter through documentation and research. The most common interpreting mode here is negotiation interpreting.

Finance
Syndicated loans, stock market launches, mergers & acquisitions, corporate cooperations, roadshows, takeovers, or financing by investment banks increasingly take place cross-border in our globally connected world. The experienced and well-prepared interpreter supports business partners, conveys the “message,” and enables partners to understand all statements well and to be understood themselves. Depending on the event size (conference, partner meeting, smaller business meetings, board meetings, supervisory board meetings, etc.), simultaneous or negotiation interpreting is used.

Tourism and Event Management
International travel events, hotel chains or cooperations, and international events require communication in several languages. With the support and experience of conference interpreters, every participant can be sure to understand correctly and be understood. Depending on the size of the conference or event, simultaneous interpreting, negotiation interpreting, or whispered interpreting is used.

Education, Vocational Training, Seminars, and Workshops
Determining the comparability of qualifications, cross-border corporate training or continuing education, and international seminars or union training require international negotiations and/or multilingual interpreting. Good simultaneous interpreters allow all participants to follow the speaker in detail and contribute their own input, which is also understood by all participants. The benefit of these trainings and seminars depends not only on the quality of the content and lectures but also on whether they are correctly conveyed by professional interpreters.

Environmental Protection
International cooperation on environmental protection issues, as well as cross-border trade in environmentally friendly technologies and renewable energies, require negotiations and discussions. The interpreter conscientiously familiarizes themselves with the subject matter, prepares glossaries, and then supports the partners or negotiators as a simultaneous or negotiation interpreter.

Law
When negotiating contracts or in court, when interpreting for lawyers and other legal professionals, every word and nuance matters—overlooking something can have far-reaching consequences. High linguistic competence, experience, and careful preparation help the interpreter to understand and be understood precisely. Contract interpreting or court interpreting mostly involves negotiation interpreting or alternating whispered and consecutive interpreting; with small audiences, simultaneous interpreting may also be used.

Types of Interpreting

Four basic types of interpreting are distinguished:

Simultaneous Interpreting
Interpreters sit in soundproof booths and simultaneously convey the speaker’s words into the target languages. Simultaneous interpreters should be employed for larger events, conferences with two or more languages, and meetings where the delay caused by consecutive interpreting would be too long. Because simultaneous interpreting requires high concentration, interpreters must be able to alternate every 20 to 30 minutes, requiring sufficient interpreters to be available.

Video Conferences / Web Conferences / Teleconferences
If in-person events are not possible or desired, we are also happy to serve as conference interpreters remotely (RSI – remote simultaneous interpreting). Special internet platforms designed for RSI can be used. Some technology providers offer “hubs” where interpreters work together with technicians, and conference participants join by computer and can actively participate.

We are happy to advise you.

Consecutive Interpreting
Consecutive interpreting takes place after the original speech, with a time delay. It is suitable for relatively short speeches (e.g., toasts) or negotiations where the interpreter’s presence in the room is important. Consecutive interpreting roughly doubles the duration of an event compared to simultaneous interpreting per target language.

Whispered Interpreting (“Chuchotage”)
The interpreter speaks simultaneously with the speaker but without technical aids. Whispered interpreting is suitable for very small groups, e.g., factory tours, but cannot replace simultaneous interpreting, as the original speaker and interpreter speak in the same room simultaneously, causing unavoidable interference. Since whispered interpreting requires as much or more concentration than simultaneous interpreting, two interpreters per target language are also needed for longer events.

Negotiation Interpreting
Shorter passages in conversations are interpreted consecutively and section by section into another language.