| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Standard document translation | From UAH 600 |
| Written text translation | From UAH 600 |
| Consecutive interpreting | From UAH 5,000 |
| Apostille or legalisation | From UAH 1,900 |
| Notarial certification | On request |
The Moldovan language
The Republic of Moldova is a country in Eastern Europe, situated between Ukraine and Romania. Its geographical location, history and long-standing cultural contacts with neighboring peoples have shaped a diverse linguistic environment in which, alongside Romanian, Russian, Ukrainian, Gagauz and Bulgarian are also spoken.
The official language of the Republic of Moldova is Romanian, which uses the Latin alphabet. It is used in public administration, education, the judiciary, official correspondence, the media and business.
At the same time, in everyday life, the term ‘Moldovan language’ is still used. It has historical origins, appears in old documents and remains common in everyday speech and search queries. In Moldova’s current official linguistic sphere, the term ‘Romanian language’ is used.
For Ukraine, this field is of particular practical importance. A shared border, education, employment, family ties, and business activities generate a constant flow of documents between the two countries and a corresponding demand for professional translation services.
Moldovans and the geographical distribution of the language
Moldovans have historically developed within the territory of modern-day Moldova and neighboring regions and belong to the Romanian-speaking cultural sphere. Over the centuries, the language has remained one of the key elements of everyday life, traditions, education and the cultural self-identity of the population.
However, its use has long extended beyond the country’s borders. Significant communities of Moldovan citizens live in Romania, Italy, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Canada and other countries. For many of them, Romanian remains the language of the family and a cultural link to their homeland, whilst in professional settings the languages of their country of residence are used in parallel.
Contacts with Ukraine are particularly close. Personal, educational, legal and commercial documents are constantly exchanged between the countries: birth and marriage certificates, diplomas, references, contracts, corporate materials and employment documents.
Such a high volume of international exchange makes the accurate rendering of names, institutional titles and geographical names a vital component of translation work.
Moldovan or Romanian: origin, history and current status of the language
The language spoken today by the majority of Moldova’s population belongs to the Romance group of the Indo-European language family and is related to Italian, French, Spanish and Portuguese. Vulgar Latin laid its foundations, and its subsequent development was shaped by cultural and linguistic contact with neighboring peoples.
From a linguistic point of view, the modern official language of Moldova is Romanian. The name ‘Moldovan’, however, has a historical tradition and has been used at various times to refer to the language spoken by the region’s population.
Particularly significant changes took place in the 20th century. During the Soviet period in the Moldavian SSR, the Cyrillic script was used for the so-called Moldovan language. As a result, many certificates, references, official records, and other documents from that time are written in Cyrillic.
In 1989, the official transition to the Latin script began, which subsequently became the standard in public administration, education and official correspondence.
This history is directly relevant to translators. Within a single set of documents, one may encounter modern Romanian text in the Latin alphabet, older text in Cyrillic, and different spellings of the same surname or geographical name.
Language features: alphabet, pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary
Modern Romanian uses the Latin alphabet with the distinctive letters ă, â, î, ș, ț. These represent specific sounds and form an integral part of the spelling system; consequently, their correct use is particularly important in proper nouns and official texts.
The phonetic system has several distinctive features: the pronunciation of individual letters and letter combinations depends on their position within a word. Consequently, rendering surnames, city names, and the names of institutions and organizations in another language requires knowledge not only of the spelling but also of established rules of transliteration.
Romanian grammar shares characteristics with other Romance languages, yet also features its own distinctive constructions. Nouns have gender and number, and the definite article is often attached to the end of the word rather than placed before it. The well-developed verb system allows for the precise expression of tense, mood, condition and degree of obligation.
The core of the vocabulary consists of words of Latin origin, though Slavic, Greek, Turkish, Hungarian and other historical influences are also evident in the language. In Moldova, the spoken language may also contain elements resulting from long-standing contact with Russian and Ukrainian.
Moldovan and Romanian in documents and professional translation
In translation practice, the Moldovan language specialization is most commonly associated with personal, legal, educational, and business documents. These include civil registry certificates, diplomas and transcripts, references, employment documents, contracts, applications, corporate documentation and materials for government bodies.
Documents from the Soviet period require specialized expertise. They may contain Moldovan text in Cyrillic, Russian-language details or the parallel use of several languages. In such cases, it is important to correctly identify the document’s linguistic standard and accurately convey it using modern methods.
Complexities often arise from different spellings of first and last names. The same person may be referred to in documents from different years using Cyrillic, the Latin alphabet, or various transliteration rules. For an official set of documents, it is advisable to identify such differences before the translation is finalized.
Legal and administrative terminology does not always have literal equivalents either. A professional translator works with the context, the purpose of the document and established terminology to ensure that the final text is clear and suitable for practical use.
Professional translation for Moldova and from Moldovan documents
The STATUS KO Translation Center provides translations of documents for use in Ukraine, Moldova and other countries. We work with modern Romanian, as well as with older Moldovan documents written in Cyrillic or in multiple languages.
We translate civil registry certificates, diplomas and transcripts, reference letters, passport documents, contracts, applications, and corporate and legal materials. In our work, we take into account the purpose of the document, the terminology, the structure of the original, and the consistency of the key details.
If required, the translation can be certified in accordance with the requirements of a specific institution or the country of submission. STATUS KO works with both private clients and companies, handling individual documents and comprehensive orders.
To find out the exact cost and turnaround time for a translation, please send a photo or scan of the document. Our specialist will assess the volume, language pair, material complexity, and required format, and will propose the best option to fulfill your order.
