Quick check
Guess first, no penalty. A corporate client wants formal French. The MT draft says "Peux-tu confirmer la date de livraison ?" Is it right?
Register is how formal or casual a text is: "tu" or "vous", "du" or "Sie", a friendly app message or a bank letter. MT tools pick a register, and it may not be the one your client wants.
Register errors look fine to anyone who doesn't know the client. Only the client brief catches them, so put the register in your instructions every time.
A client brief sheet
A client brief sheet is a few lines about a client that you paste into every job for them.
Client: Northwind Bank, French (France).
Register: formal. Always "vous", never "tu".
Tone: calm and clear. No exclamation marks.
Terms: "compte courant" for "current account" (glossary attached).
Numbers: spaces for thousands (1 000), comma for decimals (2,5 %).Fill the gaps
Fill the gaps so the sheet sets the register.
Brief sheet
Register: . Tone: . Numbers: .
Try it
Your steps, about 2 minutes
- 1.Write a five-line brief sheet for one client you translate for: language and country, register, tone, two key terms and number format. Add it to your post-editing kit.2 min