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Papiamento is spoken by about 330,000 people across the former Netherlands Antilles (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao) We have expert translators working for us to help you deal with anything in the language. If you would like to know more about our translation services, then please get in touch with us, with no obligation, and ask for a free quotation. Papiamento is one of the three official languages of the Netherlands Antilles, the others being Dutch and English. Dutch is the most important written language, while Papiamento is the most widely spoken language (with the exception of Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Dutch Sint Maarten, where English is the most widely spoken language). There is no standard form of writing or speaking Papiamento, and the differences between the islands can also be highly notable. If you would like a closer relationship with your business partners in the Netherlands Antilles, or even with the large Papiamento-speaking community in the Netherlands, we can help you with the translation of your documents. You can find more information about doing business in the Caribbean below. Contact one of our project managers for more information, or request a no-obligation quotation now. |
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About PapiamentoPapiamento, or Papiamentu, is a Creole which is related to Cape Verdean and Guinea-Bissau Creoles. It contains Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English, French Arawak (the indigenous language), and various African languages. The diverse mix of languages can be traced back to the occupation of the islands by various colonisers, including the Spanish, Portuguese, and Dutch, who brought African slaves to the Caribbean. To encourage communication, the colonisers learnt Creole, to which they added their own words. The first evidence of writing in Papiamento dates back to the name of a Jewish ship, Awa pasa Harina, in 1769. There is also mention of Papiamento in notes in Dutch in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. By the end of the eighteenth century, when many missionaries had gone to the islands, the sermons were also held in Papiamento. The language was properly set down in writing for the publication of the Bible at the start of the nineteenth century. It has been used in literature since 1930, but it was only in 2005 that primary schools in Curacao and Bonaire began to teach in it exclusively. |
Doing business in the Netherlands Antilles
Dutch is often spoken in the Antilles, but Papiamento and English are sometimes used in business. Regulations can be confusing given that some islands are autonomous countries while others are special municipalities of the Netherlands. It is, therefore, a good idea to do your research before you start doing business on any of the islands. Our experts have therefore compiled some tips for you.
As mentioned earlier, the Antilles are a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, but some of the islands are autonomous countries within that kingdom with their own legislation and rules. This has been the case for Aruba, Curacao, and Sint Maarten since 2010. It is, therefore, important that you do your homework before you start a business or start trading in the Caribbean. Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba have been special municipalities of the Netherlands since 2010, which means that Dutch legislation and regulations apply.
Although the temperature is tropical for almost the entire year, Antilleans are generally smartly dressed. You won’t often be confronted by someone wearing short trousers and a t-shirt. Antillean men will at least wear long linen trousers and a light shirt, but they will generally wear suits for business meetings.
Antilleans can be somewhat reserved and won’t immediately discuss matters they consider too personal. On the other hand, they are friendly and will genuinely be interested in the person to whom they happen to be talking. An initial business meeting will generally begin by talking about children and family. Humour is also very important; you can certainly have a laugh at a meeting.
There are three official languages in the Antilles: Dutch, English, and Papiamento. When you first get to know potential business partners in the Netherlands Antilles, it is very much appreciated if you know a couple of words or sentences in Papiamento.
You have come to the right place for professional translations of your documents into Papiamento or Dutch. We work with dedicated Papiamento translators who have extensive experience in various fields of expertise. We will be happy to help you translate business documents or daily correspondence. Feel free to contact one of our project managers for more information.
English-Papiamento
English and Papiamento are often in daily contact with each other. They are both recognised as official languages in the Netherlands Antilles. This means that they are both often used on the street, when out at night, and in shops. The languages also come into contact with each other a great deal in politics and business, within and beyond the Netherlands Antilles. Although a logical consequence is that Papiamento has many loan words from English, the languages are not so similar that they are mutually intelligible. Translations are, therefore, no luxury. If you are looking for good quality translations out of English and into Papiamento, we will be happy to help you.
Specialist translators
We deliver high-quality translations that are ready to be used. One of the ways in which we endeavour to do this is to use only translators who are native speakers of the target language. We work with translators from all over the world to achieve this. Furthermore, our translators are often specialists in certain fields of expertise. We have translators who have dedicated themselves to translating legal documents, but we also have translators who specialise in medical or commercial translations. You can, therefore, be confident that the relevant terminology is correctly translated.
French-Papiamento
Papiamento is one of the official languages of the Netherlands Antilles, but French is also spoken in Sint Maarten. Translations may be needed on the other islands so that individuals and businesses can understand each other. This is an area in which we will be happy to help you.
Our agency does everything necessary to make sure that your translation is as good as it can be. We only use translators who speak the target languages as native speakers. If you need us to translate a document out of French and into Papiamento, the translator who handles the work will speak Papiamento as a native speaker. They will then know how the original message can best be conveyed in that language. Another characteristic of our translators which sets them apart is that they are specialists in particular fields of expertise. If you need materials on tourism translated, they will be handled by someone who specialises in that area, and if you need medical documents translated, they will be handled by someone with a medical background. This is why we can provide high-quality translations of all sorts of documents.
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