For older Taishanese speakers, their families and the services that support them, we arrange Toishanese interpreters and translators anywhere in the UK: face-to-face, telephone and video interpreting, certified translation between Chinese and English, older family papers included, and bookings taken 24/7.
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Toishanese interpreting services
Linguists place Toishanese in the Siyi, or Four Counties, branch of Yue, named after Taishan, Kaiping, Enping and Xinhui, while the Cantonese of Guangzhou and Hong Kong belongs to a different branch. Until the middle of the twentieth century it was the main Chinese language of the Chinatowns of the United States and Canada, and Taishan still calls itself the first home of the overseas Chinese. When you book, tell us the county the family comes from and any other languages the person uses. Allow time: older speakers often need the interpreter to go at their pace, a little at a time, and to check names and dates twice.
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 Toishanese 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 Toishanese translation
Papers issued in Taishan today look like any from Guangdong: standard written Chinese, simplified characters. Older family material is different. Letters and certificates from before the simplification of 1956 use traditional characters, and names in English-language records from those years may be spelt from Toishanese or Cantonese sounds, Moy for the surname Mei (梅) or Yee for Yu (余), with the county itself written Toisan. We follow the passport where there is one and note the other spellings, so that records can be matched.
As with all our work, the translator is a native speaker of the language they translate into, and the certified translation is set out the way UK authorities ask.
- 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 Toishanese audio and video recordings, with an English translation if you need one.
English to Toishanese translation
For a Toishanese reader, write standard Chinese, not Toishanese, which has no written standard of its own. Then choose the characters by where and when the reader went to school. A Taishan reader schooled in China from the late 1950s on will expect simplified characters. Someone who learned to read before then, or in Hong Kong, is used to traditional characters, which also stayed in use far longer in overseas Chinese writing. Tell us who the Toishanese reader is and we will choose.
Toishanese court and police interpreters
Toishanese in a UK court is unusual, which is exactly why the language must be named correctly on the booking rather than written down as Cantonese. For hearings, interviews under caution and solicitors' meetings, we look for Toishanese interpreters with legal experience and, where interpreters holding them exist for Toishanese, the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (Law) or registration with the National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI). Legal interpreters for Toishanese are very few, so a qualified Cantonese interpreter from a Toishanese-speaking family may be the best available; tell the court which language will actually be used. Wills and lasting powers of attorney for older clients deserve the same care as a hearing.
How to book a Toishanese 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 Taishanese language
Taishanese is a Yue Chinese language, spoken mainly in Taishan in Guangdong, China, and long-established Chinese communities abroad.
Taishanese is written in Chinese characters.
Before you book: Toishanese (Taishanese) was the language of many early Chinese emigrants. It is related to Cantonese but hard for Cantonese speakers to follow.
| Name in Taishanese | 台山話 |
|---|---|
| Language family | Yue Chinese language |
| Where it is spoken | Taishan in Guangdong, China, and long-established Chinese communities abroad |
| Writing system | Chinese characters |
| Language code | yue |
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Toishanese interpreters near you
We send Toishanese 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.
Toishanese interpreter and translator FAQs
How quickly can I book a Toishanese 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 Toishanese interpreters work nearby.
How much does a Toishanese 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 Toishanese 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 Taishanese is not written in the Latin alphabet, send us the passport spelling of every name so the translation matches it.
Do you provide Toishanese 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 Toishanese interpreter with the right legal experience and qualifications.
