Hindi and Indian Languages Translation Services
Ellipse World provides professional Hindi translation, English to Hindi and Hindi to English, as well as Gujarati, Tamil, Urdu and Telugu translation, for civil records, legal documents, business with India, community publications and family papers, by native-speaking linguists.
Hindi and the languages of India
Hindi is an Indo-Aryan language, part of the wider Indo-European family. Written in the Devanagari script, it is one of the two official languages of the Government of India, alongside English, and the most widely spoken language in northern and central India. It is also widely understood across the country and in the Indian diaspora, thanks in part to Indian cinema and media.
India, however, is a country of many languages. Gujarati, also Indo-Aryan, is the language of Gujarat and has its own script. Urdu is very close to Hindi in everyday speech, but it is written in a Perso-Arabic script, from right to left, and draws more formal vocabulary from Persian and Arabic, while formal Hindi draws more from Sanskrit. Tamil and Telugu belong to a different family altogether, the Dravidian languages of southern India, each with its own script. Tamil is also an official language in Sri Lanka and Singapore.
Ellipse World provides Hindi translation and translation in these four other Indian languages with native-speaking linguists who know the script, vocabulary and conventions of each language. Every translation is revised by a second linguist before delivery.
Hindi translation services
Ellipse World covers every type of Hindi translation, and the same services in Gujarati, Tamil, Urdu and Telugu.
Certified Hindi translation
Certified translations of Indian certificates, affidavits, academic records and police clearances. Sworn translations in the language pairs for which a sworn translator is admitted by the High Court.
Certified translation
Legal Hindi translation
Property documents, wills, powers of attorney, court orders and family law records from India, and South African legal documents for use in India.
Legal translation
Business Hindi translation
Correspondence, company documents, presentations and product information for trade with Indian partners and customers.
Business translation
Hindi marketing translation
Campaigns, websites, tourism and education marketing adapted for Hindi-speaking audiences in India and the diaspora.
Marketing translation
Technical Hindi translation
Manuals, specifications, safety instructions and training material for equipment and staff working with Indian partners.
Technical translation
Medical Hindi translation
Medical reports and hospital records from India, and patient information translated into Hindi or another Indian language.
Medical translationIndian languages with deep roots in South Africa
South Africa is home to one of the largest communities of Indian origin outside Asia, concentrated above all in KwaZulu-Natal, in and around Durban and Pietermaritzburg, with significant communities in Gauteng and elsewhere. Its history goes back to the indentured labourers who arrived in Natal from 1860 to work on the sugar plantations, followed by traders and other migrants, many from Gujarat.
These families brought Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Gujarati and Urdu with them. Today most South Africans of Indian origin speak English as their home language, but the ancestral languages remain alive in temples, mosques, cultural organisations, music, festivals, vernacular schools and family life. The South African Constitution itself names Gujarati, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu among the languages whose respect should be promoted.
This history creates specific translation needs that Ellipse World handles with care:
Family and genealogical records
Many families hold old letters, religious books, horoscopes, marriage records and documents in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati or Urdu that younger generations can no longer read. Ellipse World translates these into English, preserving names, places and older expressions, and adding short notes where a term needs explanation.
Community and religious publications
Temples, mosques, cultural societies and schools publish newsletters, programmes, prayer booklets and educational material in English and an Indian language. Ellipse World translates these with respect for the religious and cultural vocabulary, and keeps transliterated terms consistent with the community's usage.
Links with India today
South Africans of Indian origin also travel, marry, study and invest in India. Ellipse World translates the documents these moves involve, in both directions.
Indian documents for use in South Africa
India and South Africa are partners in BRICS and have close trade, investment, education and family ties. Indian nationals living and working in South Africa, and South African companies working with India, need Hindi to English translation and translations from other Indian languages for:
- Civil records: birth, marriage and death certificates and affidavits issued in Hindi or a state language, for Home Affairs, visa and residence applications.
- Academic records: diplomas, mark sheets and transcripts for SAQA evaluation, universities and professional registration.
- Property and family documents: land records, wills, partition deeds and family settlements involving property in India.
- Court documents: orders and judgments from Indian courts, including documents from lower courts that use Hindi or a regional language.
- Commercial documents: invoices, contracts and correspondence from Indian suppliers and partners.
- Medical reports for patients treated in India who continue care in South Africa.
Reaching Hindi-speaking readers
English is widely used in Indian business and government, so many companies wonder whether Hindi translation is worthwhile. It often is: Hindi reaches a far broader readership than English, especially outside large cities, and readers respond better to information in their own language. Ellipse World translates into Hindi, and into Gujarati, Tamil, Urdu or Telugu, for:
- Tourism businesses welcoming visitors from India, from lodges and safari operators to wine estates and attractions.
- Universities and colleges recruiting Indian students and informing their families.
- Exporters presenting products, specifications and labels to Indian buyers.
- Employers with Indian staff who need safety rules, policies and training in their language.
- Community organisations in South Africa publishing in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati or Urdu.
What makes a good Hindi translation
Ellipse World's Hindi linguists, and its linguists for the other Indian languages, pay particular attention to the following points.
The right level of Hindi
Hindi ranges from highly Sanskritised formal Hindi, used in government and some legal texts, to the everyday Hindi of media and conversation, which freely uses words of Persian, Arabic and English origin. A translation that is too formal can be hard for ordinary readers; one that is too casual may not suit an official document. Ellipse World chooses the register to suit your readers and purpose.
Forms of address
Hindi has three levels of "you": the respectful aap, the familiar tum and the intimate tu. Verbs agree with the choice, so it shapes the whole text. Ellipse World uses aap for official, business and most marketing content, unless a brand deliberately chooses a more familiar voice.
Hindi and Urdu
Spoken Hindi and Urdu are largely mutually intelligible, but they are written in completely different scripts, Devanagari and Perso-Arabic, and their formal vocabularies diverge. A Hindi translation cannot be used for Urdu readers, or the reverse. Ellipse World assigns each to a native linguist of that language, and handles Urdu's right-to-left layout correctly.
Scripts and names
Hindi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu each use their own script, and names can be romanised in many ways. Ellipse World follows the spelling in the passport or the spelling you specify, and keeps it identical across all documents. Indian documents may also use the lakh and crore numbering system; Ellipse World converts these figures carefully and checks every amount.
Regional and state documents
Indian official documents are often bilingual, in English and Hindi or English and a state language. Ellipse World translates every part that is not already in English, including stamps, seals and handwritten entries, and indicates which parts of the original were in which language.
Hindi and Indian language pairs
Ellipse World translates Hindi and other Indian languages to and from English.
See also: Arabic translation, Chinese translation, Zulu translation and English translation.
Hindi translation across South Africa
Ellipse World serves clients needing Hindi translation and translation in other Indian languages in every province. Demand is particularly strong in Durban and Pietermaritzburg, home to most of the country's Indian-origin community, and in Johannesburg, where many Indian companies and professionals are based.
Because Ellipse World works online, you send your documents by email or upload, receive a fixed written quote, and get your translation by email. When signed originals are required, they are delivered by courier anywhere in South Africa.
Family documents that are fragile or precious do not need to leave your home: a good scan or photo is usually enough to translate them.
Ordering a Hindi translation
Send your document
Upload or email a scan or photo, and tell us the language, the direction and where the translation will be used.
Fixed quote
Ellipse World confirms the type of translation required, certified, sworn or standard, with a fixed price and delivery date.
Translation and revision
A native linguist translates and a second linguist revises the whole text, including names, figures and stamps.
Delivery
You receive the translation by email, and signed originals by courier when they are required.
Certification for South Africa and India
Hindi translations are used by authorities in South Africa, in India and in third countries. Ellipse World adapts the certification to the place where your translation will be used.
- Use in South Africa: Ellipse World confirms whether a sworn translator admitted by the High Court is available for the language pair and, where one is not, provides a certified translation when the receiving authority accepts it.
- Apostille: India and South Africa are both parties to the Apostille Convention. South African apostilles are issued by DIRCO and High Court registrars, and Ellipse World confirms whether to obtain the apostille before or after translation.
- Use in India: many Indian authorities accept documents in English, so South African documents may not need translation into Hindi at all. Ellipse World checks the requirement with you in writing before starting, so you only pay for what is needed.
- Third countries: for emigration to the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia or elsewhere, Ellipse World provides certified English translations with the declarations each authority expects.
Hindi translation and technology
Automatic tools can produce rough Hindi, but they frequently choose the wrong register, mishandle forms of address and misread Indian names and numbers. For other Indian languages and for old handwritten documents, results are weaker still. For anything that matters, Ellipse World uses professional linguists. For large volumes of internal content, it offers machine translation post-editing with every sentence reviewed by a native linguist.
Why choose Ellipse World for Hindi translation
Native Hindi linguists
Hindi translation by first-language speakers who choose the right register for your readers.
Five Indian languages
Hindi, Gujarati, Tamil, Urdu and Telugu, each handled by a native linguist of that language.
Community understanding
Experience with the family, religious and cultural documents of South Africa's Indian-origin community.
Two linguists per text
Every translation is revised in full by a second linguist before delivery.
Certification that fits
Sworn or certified translation chosen according to the authority that will receive it.
Written and transparent
Fixed written quote, firm delivery date and all instructions documented by email.
Hindi translation: frequently asked questions
Do you provide Hindi translation in both directions?
Yes. Ellipse World provides Hindi translation from English to Hindi and from Hindi to English, by native-speaking Hindi linguists, with revision by a second linguist.
Do you translate Gujarati, Tamil, Urdu and Telugu?
Yes. Ellipse World translates Gujarati, Tamil, Urdu and Telugu to and from English, each with a native linguist of that language and its own script.
Can a Hindi translation be used for Urdu readers?
No. Spoken Hindi and Urdu are close, but they use different scripts and different formal vocabulary. Ellipse World translates each language separately.
Can you translate old family letters in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi or Gujarati?
Yes. Ellipse World translates old letters, religious books, marriage records and family documents into English, preserving names and places and explaining older expressions where helpful.
Can you provide sworn Hindi translations?
Ellipse World confirms whether a sworn translator admitted by the High Court is available for your language pair. When one is not, it provides a certified translation if the receiving authority accepts it.
Do Indian documents in English need translating?
No. Many Indian documents are bilingual. Ellipse World translates only the parts that are not in English, including stamps and handwritten entries, and indicates this in the translation.
How long does a Hindi translation take?
Certificates are usually translated within one to two working days. Longer documents follow a written schedule, and express delivery is available on request.
How much does a Hindi translation cost?
The price depends on the language, document type, length, subject and deadline. Ellipse World sends a fixed written quote before starting.
Need a Hindi translation?
Send your document to Ellipse World and receive a fixed written quote with price and delivery date, for Hindi or any other Indian language.