Minnan interpreters and translators anywhere in the UK, for Hokkien speakers from southern Fujian, Taiwan and South-East Asia. Face-to-face, telephone and video interpreting, certified translation between Minnan and English, usually of Chinese documents issued in Fujian, and bookings taken 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
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Minnan interpreting services
Within southern Fujian, the speech of Quanzhou and that of Zhangzhou differ in accent and in some words, and Xiamen's, which blends the two, has long been treated as the reference. Taiwan's Hokkien grew from the same two sources, so an interpreter from Taiwan can usually work with a speaker from Fujian, and the other way round. Modern vocabulary is where they part company: Taiwanese speech carries Japanese loanwords that a speaker from Fujian is unlikely to use. When booking, ask for the speaker's home county and whether they would be happy with an interpreter from Taiwan or Singapore. Nearly all Minnan interpreting is consecutive.
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 Minnan 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 Minnan translation
Documents from southern Fujian are mainland Chinese documents in Simplified characters, such as household registers, notarial certificates, marriage records and school and degree papers, and they are translated as Chinese; the language the family speaks at home does not change who translates them. Our translators translate into their native language only, so the certified English version is written by a native English speaker.
Recordings are different. A voice message, a phone call or an interview recorded in Minnan has to be transcribed by someone who speaks it before it can be translated, and a Mandarin speaker would miss much of what is said.
- 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 Minnan audio and video recordings, with an English translation if you need one.
English to Minnan translation
Write for a Minnan-speaking reader from Fujian in standard Chinese with Simplified characters, the way they learned to read at school. Written Minnan, in characters or romanised, turns up mostly in Taiwan and in church publications, and few readers from Fujian were ever taught it. For a reader from Taiwan, use Traditional characters and Taiwanese vocabulary instead, and in either case keep names and addresses in the form the reader's own documents use.
Minnan court and police interpreters
A court or tribunal may record the language as Minnan, Min Nan, Hokkien or Taiwanese, and all four lead to the same pool of interpreters, though the Fuzhou speech of northern Fujian does not. For legal work we look for an interpreter with experience of courts or police interviews and, where interpreters holding them exist for this language, the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (Law) or registration with the NRPSI, the National Register of Public Service Interpreters. Give as much notice as you can, since interpreters with both the language and legal experience are few.
How to book a Minnan 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 Minnan language
Minnan (Southern Min) is the Chinese name for the language group that includes Hokkien and Taiwanese. See also our Hokkien interpreter and translator page.
Hokkien is a Southern Min Chinese language, spoken mainly in southern Fujian in China, Taiwan, and Chinese communities in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Hokkien is written in Chinese characters; a romanised spelling (Pe̍h-ōe-jī) is also used.
Before you book: Hokkien and Taiwanese are essentially the same language, part of the Southern Min (Minnan) group. Neither is intelligible to Mandarin or Cantonese speakers.
| Name in Hokkien | 閩南語 |
|---|---|
| Language family | Southern Min Chinese language |
| Where it is spoken | Southern Fujian in China, Taiwan, and Chinese communities in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines |
| Writing system | Chinese characters; a romanised spelling (Pe̍h-ōe-jī) is also used |
| Language code | nan |
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Minnan interpreters near you
We send Minnan 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.
Minnan interpreter and translator FAQs
How quickly can I book a Minnan 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 Minnan interpreters work nearby.
How much does a Minnan 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.
Can you certify Minnan 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 Hokkien is not written in the Latin alphabet, send us the passport spelling of every name so the translation matches it.
Do you provide Minnan 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 Minnan interpreter with the right legal experience and qualifications.
