Quechua interpreters and translators for the NHS, solicitors, police, courts and researchers anywhere in the UK, with face-to-face, telephone and video interpreting, certified translation between Quechua and English, Spanish to English translation of Peruvian and Bolivian records, and bookings taken 24 hours a day.
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Quechua interpreting services
Linguists split Quechua into two main branches: the central varieties of the Peruvian highlands, and the much larger southern and northern branch that runs from Ecuador through Cusco and Ayacucho to Bolivia and north-west Argentina. An interpreter from one branch may understand little of the other, so the speaker's province tells us more than their passport. Spanish loanwords are everywhere in modern Quechua, which helps a bilingual speaker but can hide misunderstandings when a borrowed word has shifted meaning.
Listen for "we". Quechua has one word for "we including you" and another for "we but not you", and an interpreter must decide which the English means before asking a question. Consecutive interpreting, one short passage at a time, leaves room for that.
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 Quechua 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 Quechua translation
Birth certificates, identity documents and court papers from Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador are written in Spanish, so most certified work for Quechua speakers is really Spanish into English. Quechua appears in recorded interviews, letters, community documents and academic fieldwork, and those need a translator who reads the variety in question. Whichever direction the text goes, the translator writing the result is a native speaker of the target language.
Andean names follow the Spanish pattern of two surnames, father's then mother's, and many are Quechua words in Spanish spelling. Quispe may appear as Qispi and Huamán as Waman in modern Quechua writing. We copy names from the identity document, not from how they would be spelled today.
- 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 Quechua audio and video recordings, with an English translation if you need one.
English to Quechua translation
Before translating English into Quechua, decide who will read it. Peru's official alphabet uses three vowels, a, i and u, while some writers and churches still spell with five, and Ecuador writes its own Kichwa standard. A text in Cusco Quechua will serve readers from southern Peru and Bolivia; central Peruvian readers need their own version. Many adult speakers read Spanish more easily than written Quechua, so a bilingual leaflet or an audio recording often works better than Quechua text alone.
Quechua court and police interpreters
Quechua is rarely heard in UK courts, but when a defendant or witness from the Andes has limited Spanish, the court must still find them an interpreter. We seek out Quechua interpreters with legal experience and, where anyone holding them can be found for Quechua, the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (Law) or registration with the National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI). Often no such interpreter is available in the UK, and relay interpreting is used instead: a Quechua and Spanish interpreter works alongside a Spanish and English one. The court should agree that arrangement in advance, since relay doubles the time every answer takes.
How to book a Quechua 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 Quechua language
Quechua is a family of Quechuan languages, spoken mainly in the Andes of Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador, and parts of Colombia, Argentina and Chile. It is an official language of Peru and Bolivia.
Quechua is written in the Latin alphabet.
Before you book: Quechua from southern Peru (Cusco, Ayacucho) and the Kichwa of Ecuador are not fully mutually intelligible, so tell us the speaker's region.
| Name in Quechua | Runa Simi |
|---|---|
| Language family | Family of Quechuan languages |
| Where it is spoken | The Andes of Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador, and parts of Colombia, Argentina and Chile |
| Writing system | Latin alphabet |
| Language code | qu |
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Quechua interpreters near you
We send Quechua 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.
Quechua interpreter and translator FAQs
How quickly can I book a Quechua 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 Quechua interpreters work nearby.
How much does a Quechua 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 Quechua 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.
Do you provide Quechua 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 Quechua interpreter with the right legal experience and qualifications.
