How to translate the tender document into English: steps and precautions

Key points of this article

Before you start, confirm whether the original is a PDF with Chinese characters optional, a scan, a Word, or a picture. This determines the next steps.
When the bid document is translated for internal review, bilingual comparison is selected. When submitted for submission, only the translation is usually selected and the original format is retained.
The quotation, date, qualification number and company name must be compared item by item with the original text, and the machine translation results need to be manually checked.
For pages that require sealing and signature, translations cannot be used in place of the originals. The English version must be filed together with the Chinese original.

People who need to translate Chinese tender documents into English usually have dozens or even hundreds of pages of documents: catalogs, technical parameter tables, quotation lists, qualification certificates, and pages that need to be stamped. If you copy it paragraph by paragraph into a general translation tool, the table will easily be misaligned, and the numbering and page numbers will not match up. In the end, it will take a lot of time to rearrange.

This article talks about a process that can be followed: first determine the format of the original document, then use OmniDoc's document translation function to process the entire document, choose bilingual comparison or only translated text output according to the purpose, and finally check the numbers, terms, and signature pages one by one. After reading it, you should be able to judge which translation method is suitable for your bid document, and know what to check before submitting it.

It should be noted that the results of machine translation can only be used as a first draft. The amount, qualifications and commitment terms involved in the bid must be checked paragraph by paragraph by someone familiar with the bidding business.

How to translate the tender document into English? One sentence conclusion

If you just want to understand the content of the tender document first, or hand it over to internal colleagues for discussion, it is usually more convenient to keep the Chinese and English translations; if you want to submit it directly to the English tendering party, generally only the English translation is needed. The following table lists common situations and corresponding actions.

your situation	Recommended practices	reason
For internal review, the team needs to compare the original Chinese text	Bilingual comparison output	Each paragraph is written in Chinese and English side by side, making it easy to confirm the meaning paragraph by paragraph.
Submit directly to the English tendering party	Only the translated text is output, and the format remains consistent with the original.	The tenderer only needs the English version, the page numbers and table positions are closer to the original
The original is a scan or picture PDF	Upload the translation directly and check key pages after completion	Scanned copies can also be uploaded for translation, but you need to focus on checking the identified numbers.
The bid document contains a large number of technical parameters and tables	Select the technical style and only check the translation table by table after outputting it.	The terminology is closer to the technical text, the table structure is retained by the system, and the content still needs to be reviewed manually.
The tender document contains business terms and legal statements	Choose business or legal style	Terms are worded more formally to reduce ambiguity caused by inappropriate wording

Before you start: Confirm these points first

Taking a few minutes to make these judgments before starting can save a lot of rework.

Confirm original format. Common formats for tender documents are Word or PDF. If you get a PDF, you can try to select a piece of text in the reader and copy it: if it can be selected, it means it is a text version; if it cannot be selected, it is probably a scanned copy and needs to be processed as a scanned copy. The format of the original document is different, and the subsequent verification points are also different.
Confirmed version is final. Tender documents often go through multiple rounds of revisions, and the Chinese version and the attached version may be inconsistent. First determine which version shall prevail before starting the translation, otherwise the English version and the actual bid content will not match.
Confirm the tenderer's language and format requirements. Some bidding documents stipulate the page order, binding method or attachment list of the English version. These requirements should be read clearly before translation to avoid discovering that the structure does not meet the requirements after reading.
Organize the list of proper nouns. The company name, project name, qualification certificate name, personnel title, etc. should be written in English as much as possible in advance and kept consistent throughout the document.
Prepare a solution for the signature page. For pages that require stamping or signatures, such as business licenses, authorization letters, and deposit receipts, the English version usually cannot replace the originals. It is necessary to plan in advance how to bind and file the Chinese and English originals.

Steps to translate the entire tender document in OmniDoc

The following steps apply to processing bids in PDF or Word format in the omnidoc.top web or desktop client.

Prepare original documents. Select the final version of the Chinese document, either in PDF or Word format. Scans can also be uploaded directly, but it is recommended to first make sure the page is clear and not severely skewed.
Upload files. Upload the file at omnidoc.top, or open the document translation feature in the desktop client and select the file.
Set translation direction. Select Translate from Chinese to English.
Select text style. The commercial tender document can have a commercial style, an optional technical style that contains a large number of technical parameters, and an optional legal style that involves contract terms.
Select the output method. For internal review, select bilingual version; for submission, select translation only. Both results retain layout, tables, formulas, and images.
Start processing and wait for completion. Large files take longer, do not close the page or interrupt the network during processing.
Download results. After downloading the English file, do not send it directly yet and proceed to the verification process in the next section.
Adjust in the PDF editor if modifications are needed. The PDF editor on the desktop client can directly modify the text of the paragraph, or you can export the result to Word and then modify the wording uniformly, and then export the PDF for submission.

Check each item after completion

The layout of machine translation is usually more stable than manual typesetting, but numbers, proper nouns and signature pages still need to be checked one by one.

Check items	How to see	What to do if there is a problem
Amount and Quotation	Compare the Chinese quotation table to check the unit price, total price, currency and tax rate item by item.	Modify directly in the PDF editor, or export to Word and re-export after modification.
Date, duration and number	Check project number, contract period, validity period, page reference	After correction, synchronize and check whether the directory and attachment numbers are consistent.
Company and personnel names	Check whether the English writing is consistent by comparing it with the noun list compiled in advance.	Use the search function to replace one by one to avoid two ways of writing the same company.
Technical parameters and units	Check whether the model, specification, and unit conversion are consistent with the original	Leave the parameters in question to technical personnel for confirmation. Do not rewrite them based on your feelings.
Tables and layouts	Check page by page to see if tables are misaligned, text is truncated, and page numbers are continuous.	When the layout is obviously messed up, go back to the original and upload it again, or adjust it and then export it.
Scanned document identification content	Check whether the numbers and proper nouns in the scanned pages are consistent with the originals	For unrecognized paragraphs, manually change them to be consistent with the original content.
Signature page and attachments	Confirm whether the original page that needs to be stamped is retained, and whether the English version is marked with the corresponding relationship.	Do not replace the original with the English version. Keep the Chinese original and indicate it in the English version.
Consistency between Chinese and English	If using the bilingual version, randomly select several passages and read them for comparison.	If you find that an entire paragraph has been missed or mistranslated, go back to the original and check whether the paragraph is complete.

🎯 Which method is suitable for you?

If you are an internal member of the bidding team, the bilingual version is more suitable for review and discussion. You can understand Chinese and English at the same time, reducing communication costs.

If you are the person in charge of direct contact with the English tendering party, a translated version only is a more appropriate submission form. Before submitting, try to ask an experienced colleague to do another round of reading, focusing on the amount, qualifications and commitment terms.

If the bid document contains a large number of pages with signatures and seals, it is recommended that the English version and the Chinese original be filed separately. The English version only serves the reading function and does not replace the materials that require the original.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Can the scanned version of the tender document be translated directly?

Can. OmniDoc supports document translation of scanned PDFs, but the recognition results require manual spot checks. Focus on checking numbers, amounts, and proper nouns, as these are prone to deviations due to scan quality.

2. Will the table be misaligned after translation?

OmniDoc preserves the layout of tables, formulas, and images. However, for complex merged cells or manually typed pages in the bid, it is still recommended to review them page by page and correct them if misalignments are found.

3. Does the English version of the tender document need to be stamped?

This depends on the requirements of the bidding documents. Generally, business licenses, letters of authorization and other materials that require sealing must be submitted as originals or certified copies. The English version is only an auxiliary reading material. Please refer to the bidding documents for specific requirements.

4. How to translate the company name in the tender document?

The company name generally retains the officially registered English name. If there is no official English name, it can be transliterated and the original Chinese name can be indicated when it first appears. The entire document should be written in a consistent manner to avoid inconsistency.

5. Can the translation results be given directly to the tenderer?

It is not recommended to submit directly. Machine translation results require manual reading and verification of key contents, especially amounts, qualifications and commitment terms. After confirming that it is correct, export the PDF for submission, the effect will be more reliable.

📝 Summary

The key to translating the bid document into English is to first determine the purpose and original format, then use the document translation function to retain the format, and finally check the numbers, names, and signature pages one by one. Following this process can significantly reduce rework, but manual review before submission cannot be omitted.

Open OmniDoc, upload the document and start translation