Machine Translation Post-Editing into European Languages

What MTPE is, and where it fits

Modern machine translation is fluent, and fluent is not the same as accurate: it produces plausible text that can be confidently wrong. MTPE keeps the speed and cost advantage of the machine while a qualified linguist removes the errors, to a level you choose.

• Light vs full post-editing. Light post-editing fixes only errors that affect meaning, for content that must be understandable; full post-editing also aligns terminology and style to human-translation quality.

• The right content only. MTPE fits high-volume, lower-risk material — internal documentation, support content, product catalogues. Contracts, marketing and regulatory text are translated by humans.

• A qualified human in the loop. Post-editing is done by linguists, not by running a second machine pass, so the output is checked against the source by someone accountable for it.

• Transparent about the service. We tell you which service you are getting. Some providers sell lightly checked machine output as human translation; we scope light or full post-editing explicitly.

Frequently asked questions

Is MTPE the same as using DeepL or ChatGPT?

No. Those produce raw machine output. MTPE is that output corrected by a qualified human linguist working to a defined level, so meaning is checked against the source rather than trusted because it reads well.

What is the difference between light and full post-editing?

Light post-editing fixes only errors that affect meaning, for content that just has to be understood. Full post-editing also aligns terminology and style so the result reads like a human translation.

When should I not use MTPE?

For contracts, marketing and regulatory documents. There, a confidently wrong but fluent sentence is a liability, so these are translated and revised by humans rather than post-edited from a machine.

How much can MTPE save compared with full translation?

It depends on the content and the language, but MTPE is generally cheaper than full translation for suitable material. We advise honestly where the saving is real and where full translation is the safer choice.

Does a human actually check the translation?

Yes. Post-editing is done by a qualified linguist who compares the output against the source, not by a second automated pass, aligned with ISO 18587 principles for full post-editing.