If your business works with multilingual translations, you’ve likely come across the terms "termbase" and "translation memory". While both play a crucial role in translation, they serve different purposes. Understanding how they work—and how they complement each other—can significantly improve translation quality, consistency, and efficiency.
A termbase (TB) is a centralized glossary of industry-specific terms, phrases, and definitions used across translations. It ensures accuracy and consistency by providing translators with approved terminology in multiple languages.
It provides translators with a reliable reference for terminology, ensuring accuracy and consistency across all projects. For instance, a legal termbase might include entries such as "jurisdiction," "liability," and "indemnity," while a tech termbase could feature terms like "cloud computing," "cybersecurity," and "digital transformation."
By implementing a termbase, businesses can maintain brand consistency, reduce ambiguity, and ensure that specialised terminology is translated correctly every time—no matter the language or market.
What is a translation memory?
A translation memory (TM) is a database that stores previously translated content in bilingual segments. When a translator works on a new project, the TM suggests previously approved translations for similar or repeated text, helping to:
Save time by avoiding redundant translations.
Improve consistency across documents and languages.
Reduce costs by reusing past translations.
For example, if a manual previously translated “Press the red button to start the machine,” the TM will suggest that translation when encountering “Press the green button to activate the machine.”
Key differences between translation memories and termbases
While both termbases (TBs) and translation memories (TMs) are essential tools for streamlining multilingual translation workflows, they serve distinct but complementary purposes. Understanding their differences can help you maximise consistency, efficiency, and quality across all your translated content.
Purpose: A termbase ensures terminology consistency by providing approved translations for specific terms, while a translation memory reuses previously translated content to improve speed and efficiency.
Content Type: Termbases store industry-specific terms and definitions, whereas translation memories hold full sentences or segments in bilingual format, capturing how entire phrases have been translated before.
Use Case: Termbases are ideal for maintaining brand voice and linguistic accuracy, especially for technical or regulated content. Translation memories help speed up translation processes and reduce costs by eliminating the need to retranslate repeated or similar text.
By using both tools together, businesses can ensure that their content is not only accurate and consistent but also delivered faster and more cost-effectively, supporting high-quality communication across languages and markets.
How do they work together?
Using a termbase alongside a translation memory enhances translation accuracy and efficiency. While the TM ensures consistency by reusing past translations, the TB guarantees that industry-specific terms are correctly applied. Together, they help reduce errors, improve translation quality, and maintain a strong, unified brand voice across multiple languages. This powerful combination also optimises workflows, leading to time and cost savings for businesses.
At LanguageWire, we provide advanced solutions for termbase management and translation memories, ensuring your translations are precise, consistent, and aligned with your brand. Get in touch with us here.
