Our English to Portuguese translator Bruno became a Wordsmith by impressing customers with his high-quality translations, even without the help of paid tools. Find out how much he enjoys his full-time translation career and how working with Gengo has greatly impacted his quality of life.

Nationality: Brazilian
Location: São Paulo, Brazil
Occupation: Full-time professional translator
Gengo translator since: November 2013
Language pair: English to Brazilian Portuguese

What languages do you speak?

Besides my mother tongue, Portuguese, I speak English. Since childhood, I learned English by myself and having been a big fan of movies and TV shows, I have always watched them in English with Portuguese subtitles.

Great view from his home in Brazil

If you could be fluent in any other language, what would it be and why?

Italian because it’s the language of my ancestors.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how much do you enjoy being a translator and why?

10. It’s good to know that I’m helping break down barriers between people and cultures.

How has translating for Gengo impacted your life?

It changed my life completely. Now I can work from home, or from anywhere, anytime. Living in a huge city like São Paulo, where traffic jams are terrible, this job brought a major improvement in my quality of life.

Supporting his favorite football team with his wife, Mayara at the Allianz Parque

Name three of your favorite translation / language learning tools.

I only use free online tools. For the basics, I use Google Translate, which helps give a good overview. When it comes to expressions, slangs and words that I don’t understand, I use the Google Search, which brings me many results like The Free Dictionary and Urban Dictionary, among other dictionaries, and after I access them, I decide on the best way to translate. Google Images also help.

Where all the translation gets done

What advice would you give to new or aspiring translators?

Always give your best, take the time to fully understand the source text and don’t hurry to finish the job. High quality should be the top priority. If you consistently do a great job and keep a good scorecard, the customers will be happy and you may be added to the list of preferred translators, which will give you access to more jobs with less competition.

Another important thing to remember is good time management because most customers come from different time zones. Sometimes you’ll have jobs outside your usual working hours so be prepared to work odd hours and even on holidays. The best part about Gengo is you can work anytime and anywhere, but time management is key.

What advice would you give to your 18-year-old self?

Be more patient!

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