Translate instructions for use into Spanish

What changes when instructions are written in Spanish

Spanish instructions follow their own drafting conventions, and they need to be consistent from the first page to the last.

• How commands are phrased. Spanish manuals use either the infinitive (Pulsar el botón de encendido) or the formal imperative with usted (Pulse el botón de encendido). The informal tú form (Pulsa) appears mainly in consumer products with a marketing tone. What matters is not mixing the three in one document.
• Safety signal words. The usual hierarchy is PELIGRO, ADVERTENCIA and PRECAUCIÓN, with Nota for plain remarks. A DANGER in the source must never become PRECAUCIÓN: the severity level has to match.
• Inverted punctuation. Troubleshooting entries written as questions open with an inverted question mark: ¿El aparato no se enciende? Missing it is the error a Spanish-speaking reader notices first.
• Length. Spanish runs noticeably longer than English and close to French. Table cells, warning boxes and numbered callouts are where text overflows first.

Spain or Latin America: vocabulary, numbers and legal requirements

A manual written for Madrid does not read quite like one written for Mexico City or Buenos Aires. Know your market before you review.

• Vocabulary. ordenador (Spain) or computadora (Latin America), móvil or celular, enchufe or tomacorriente, grifo or llave. These words come up constantly in manuals for electrical and household appliances.
• Decimal separator. Spain writes 1,5 l, Mexico writes 1.5 l. Check that specification tables and dosage instructions are consistent.
• Units and dates. A space separates the number from the unit (230 V, 10 min), and dates run day/month/year.
• Legal requirements. For a product placed on the market in Spain, EU rules covering many product types (machinery, toys, electrical equipment and others) require instructions and safety information in the language of the country. In Latin America requirements differ by country, so check those of your destination.

What Manuce returns, and what it does not do

Your instructions go to Dédale, Manuce's technical specialist engine. It accepts Word, PDF, PowerPoint, Excel, plain text, Markdown, HTML, RTF and CSV. The file comes back in its original format with the layout preserved, so numbered steps, specification tables and warning boxes stay where they were. The quote appears as soon as you upload, based on the exact word count, and the translation is kept in your client area.

For instructions shipped with a product, the Professional level is the one meant for documents ready to pass on. Essential is enough to understand a manual you have received from a supplier.

What Manuce does not do:

• It cannot read a scanned PDF, meaning an image with no selectable text.
• It does not provide certified (sworn) translation. Instructions rarely need one, but if an authority requires a version certified by a sworn translator, you will need to use one.
• It does not take glossaries or terminology instructions. If your device display shows START or ECO in English, the manual must quote the label exactly as it appears on screen. Check this in the free sample, then in the translation.

Preparing the file and checking the Spanish version

Before uploading:

• Send the source file (Word is best) or a PDF exported from your layout software. Try selecting a sentence in the PDF. If you cannot, it is an image.
• Look for labels embedded in diagrams. If they are part of the image, they are not text in the file and will stay in the source language.
• Leave room in narrow cells and boxes, since Spanish will be longer than an English source.

After delivery:

• Check that every PELIGRO, ADVERTENCIA and PRECAUCIÓN matches the severity in the source.
• Verify part numbers, electrical ratings and decimal separators for your market.
• Update after-sales contact details: a Spanish or Latin American phone number, address and opening hours.
• Read the troubleshooting tables for the opening ¿ and a consistent command form (infinitive or usted).

In practice

1. Export your instructions as Word or as a PDF with selectable text.
2. Upload the file and choose Spanish; the quote is based on the exact word count.
3. Read the free sample: command form, safety words, on-screen labels.
4. Pay, then download the translated manual in its original format.
5. Check warnings, units and after-sales contact details.