Chinese interpreters and translators anywhere in the UK, whether the person speaks Mandarin, Cantonese, Hokkien, Hakka or another variety, for NHS trusts, courts, councils, universities and companies. We cover face-to-face, telephone and video interpreting, provide certified translation between Chinese and English in either script, and take bookings 24 hours a day.
- 8,000+ linguists
- 350+ languages
- Bookings 24/7, every day of the year
- Free quotes
Chinese interpreting services
The quickest route to the right Chinese interpreter is to ask where the person grew up, because a passport can mislead. A Malaysian passport, for example, says nothing about the spoken language: Cantonese is widely spoken among the Chinese of Kuala Lumpur, Penang is known for its Hokkien, Sabah has a large Hakka population, Johor Bahru a Teochew one, and Sibu in Sarawak was settled from Fuzhou and is still nicknamed New Fuzhou. Ask what the person calls their own language, too; the answer is often more precise than anything on a form. Most appointments are interpreted consecutively, which gives the interpreter a moment to check a name or a number.
Face-to-face interpreting
The interpreter comes to you: a hospital ward, a courtroom, a council office, a home visit or a business meeting. It is the best choice when people need to read expressions as well as words, or when the conversation is long or sensitive.
Telephone interpreting
The quickest option to set up. It works well for short calls, triage, appointment reminders and quick checks with a client.
Video interpreting
A Chinese interpreter joins by video for remote hearings, consultations and meetings, which helps when there is no interpreter near you.
We also provide medical interpreting and conference interpreting.
Certified Chinese translation
Chinese documents come to us from mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau and South-East Asia, and each place has its own paperwork. Mainland records for use abroad usually arrive as notarial certificates, issued by a Chinese notary office with an English version bound in; where a UK organisation wants a translation that carries the translator's own details, we prepare a certified one. Hong Kong birth certificates normally give the name in English as well as Chinese, and Macau issues much of its paperwork in Chinese and Portuguese, so we translate whatever on the page is not already in English.
Every translator we use works into their native language: Chinese into English is done by a native English speaker, and English into Chinese by a translator who grew up reading the script your readers use.
- Certified translation of birth, marriage and death certificates, passports, driving licences, degree certificates and bank statements, for the Home Office, courts, universities and employers.
- Legal translation: witness statements, court bundles, contracts and immigration papers.
- Document translation of medical reports, letters, leaflets and patient information.
- Urgent translation when a deadline is close.
- Transcription of Chinese audio and video recordings, with an English translation if you need one.
English to Chinese translation
Turning Simplified text into Traditional, or back, is not a find-and-replace job, because the two sets do not match one to one. The simplified 发 stands for both 發 (to send or issue) and 髮 (hair), so a machine conversion can put the wrong one into a medical leaflet. Vocabulary differs as well as characters. A document for readers in Hong Kong or Taiwan is best written for them by a translator from there rather than converted from a mainland version, and if your readers include both, we can produce two versions.
Chinese court and police interpreters
A court's interpreter request should name the variety rather than just say Chinese, because a Mandarin interpreter cannot help a defendant who speaks only Hokkien. For legal work we look for an interpreter with experience of courts or police stations in the right variety and, where people holding them exist for that variety, the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (Law) or registration with the National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI). Mandarin and Cantonese interpreters with those credentials are much easier to find than Hakka or Teochew ones, so allow extra time for the smaller languages.
How to book a Chinese interpreter
- Tell us about the assignment: the date, time and address, or that you need telephone or video; how long it should last; and what it is for, such as a hospital appointment, a hearing or a business meeting.
- Tell us about the speaker: their country or region and, if you know it, their dialect. Mention any preference for a male or female interpreter.
- Get your quote. We email you a quote, with no obligation to book.
Call 0800 2425 125, email info@uklinguisticservices.co.uk or request a quote online.
About the Chinese language
Chinese is a group of Sinitic languages of the Sino-Tibetan family, spoken mainly in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore, and Chinese communities worldwide.
Chinese is written in Chinese characters: Simplified in mainland China, Singapore and Malaysia, Traditional in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. Varieties include Mandarin, Cantonese, Hokkien, Hakka, Teochew and Shanghainese.
At the 2021 Census, 55,555 usual residents of England and Wales aged three or over gave Cantonese as their main language, 30,820 gave Mandarin, and 118,271 gave another form of Chinese or did not say which. The local authorities with the most were Manchester (8,032 people), Birmingham (6,809) and Sheffield (5,121). Source: Office for National Statistics.
Before you book: Chinese is one written language shared by speakers of several spoken ones. For interpreting, tell us whether the person speaks Mandarin, Cantonese or another variety; for translation, whether the reader uses Simplified or Traditional characters.
| Name in Chinese | 中文 |
|---|---|
| Language family | Group of Sinitic languages of the Sino-Tibetan family |
| Where it is spoken | Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore, and Chinese communities worldwide |
| Writing system | Chinese characters: Simplified in mainland China, Singapore and Malaysia, Traditional in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau |
| Language code | zh |
| Main language in England and Wales (Census 2021) | Cantonese 55,555; Mandarin 30,820; other or unspecified Chinese 118,271 |
Related languages
Chinese interpreters near you
We send Chinese interpreters to appointments across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and telephone and video interpreting work wherever you are. Choose a town for its local page.
Chinese interpreter and translator FAQs
How quickly can I book a Chinese interpreter?
We take bookings 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Telephone and video interpreting are usually the quickest to arrange. For a face-to-face appointment, give us as much notice as you can: same-day cover is often possible, but it depends on where you are and how many Chinese interpreters work nearby.
How much does a Chinese interpreter cost?
The price depends on the type of interpreting (face-to-face, telephone or video), how long the appointment lasts, where it is and how much notice you give. We quote before anything is booked, and quotes are free: call 0800 2425 125 or use our online quote form.
Does the Chinese dialect matter when booking an interpreter?
It can. Chinese varieties include Mandarin, Cantonese, Hokkien, Hakka, Teochew and Shanghainese. Tell us where the speaker is from, or the dialect they use, so the interpreter is a good match for them.
Can you certify Chinese translations for a UK visa or immigration application?
Yes. We translate and certify documents such as birth and marriage certificates, passports and police certificates for visa, settlement and citizenship applications. UK Visas and Immigration asks for each translation to confirm that it is accurate and to show the date and the translator's full name, signature and contact details, so tell us when you order that the document is for an immigration application. Because Chinese is not written in the Latin alphabet, send us the passport spelling of every name so the translation matches it.
Do you provide Chinese interpreters for courts, tribunals and police interviews?
Yes. Tell us the setting when you book, for example a Crown Court trial, an immigration tribunal hearing or a police interview under caution, so we can match a Chinese interpreter with the right legal experience and qualifications.
How many people speak Chinese in the UK?
At the 2021 Census, 55,555 usual residents of England and Wales aged three or over gave Cantonese as their main language, 30,820 gave Mandarin, and 118,271 gave another form of Chinese or did not say which. The local authorities with the most were Manchester (8,032 people), Birmingham (6,809) and Sheffield (5,121). The census asked for each person's main language, so people who speak Chinese at home but gave English as their main language are not in that figure. Scotland and Northern Ireland count languages in their own censuses.
