Hong Kong arrivals
Christians are a noticeable part of the families who came from Hong Kong, and many looked for a church in their first weeks, in Sutton, Reading, Manchester, Bristol and towns that had never had a Chinese congregation. Some joined Chinese churches; many joined the local parish or free church near home and school. The children soon feel at home in English. Parents, and especially grandparents, often find a long English sermon tiring, however good their everyday English is.
A word about Cantonese
Most Hong Kong families speak Cantonese at home, so be clear with them: ChurchTranslate offers Chinese in two scripts, Simplified and Traditional, but the spoken translation is not in Cantonese. Traditional Chinese is the script people in Hong Kong and Taiwan read every day, so Traditional captions are usually what Hong Kong listeners want. Many read the captions with the translated audio switched off and hear the preacher in the room. Let them try it on an ordinary Sunday and tell you what works for them.
Chinese students
British universities have many students from mainland China, and plenty of churches near a campus run international student work: Sunday lunches, English conversation, a Chinese Bible study. Some students are Christians; many have never been inside a church. They read Simplified Chinese. For a curious student, being able to follow the sermon on their own phone, without asking anyone for help, can make the difference between one visit and many.
Simplified or Traditional?
| Option | Usually read by |
|---|---|
| Chinese (Simplified) 简体中文 | Mainland China, Singapore, Malaysia |
| Chinese (Traditional) 繁體中文 | Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, many older overseas Chinese families |
You can switch on both. They count as two languages, and each only uses credits while someone is listening to it, so offering both costs nothing extra on a Sunday when only one is used.
How listeners use it
- 01Scan
The QR code is on the screen, the notice sheet or the church's WeChat or WhatsApp group. The page opens in the browser.
- 02Choose a script
Listeners pick 简体中文 or 繁體中文 from the languages your church has switched on.
- 03Listen or read
Captions run on screen a few seconds behind the preacher, with a translated voice for those who want it. The original English can be shown alongside.
What to expect
The translation follows the line of a sermon well. Bible names and church terms are the hardest part: Chinese Protestants and Catholics use different words for God and for many biblical names, and the automatic translation will not always choose the one your listeners know. ChurchTranslate keeps a terminology list per language and corrects known terms in the captions. Ask a Chinese member to read along in the first weeks and tell you what sounds wrong; see Bible names and terms.
Cost
A 90-minute service into Traditional Chinese uses 90 credits, however many people listen. With Simplified Chinese alongside it is at most 180. See the pricing.