T
he promise of MTPE (Machine Translation Post-Editing) is appealing: faster turnaround time, lower costs, same quality. But after years of working with MTPE and language quality assurance for the English-Dutch language combination, I see a persistent pattern: companies underestimate what post-editing really requires. The result? Content that technically “reads well” but falls short in certain areas, undermining its credibility with Dutch-speaking audiences.
The Misconception: “AI Translates, Humans Just Correct Typos”
This is the most dangerous assumption in today's language industry. Machine translation programs, even the latest LLM-based ones, have become remarkably good at superficial accuracy. For simple, factual sentences, the output often looks neat. But “looking neat” and “being correct” are not the same thing.
The problem lies mainly in how humanity disappears from the expressions. This is particularly evident in the reuse of words and word combinations. The translator is confronted with a client who demands maximum consistency, because this is also more cost-effective. The result is that words and combinations that recur elsewhere and have the same meaning must appear in the same way throughout the text. However, humans often say the same thing in different ways through the creative use of synonyms. This was already common practice before the advent of AI.
Repeated terms are copied 90–100% in CAT systems. AI is able to pick out nuances — such as conjugations or different sentence structures — that regular CAT systems systematically cannot detect, and includes them in the correct unambiguous translation. That is a genuine improvement. But it comes at a cost: the output starts sounding like no one in particular. The human voice vanishes.
Each person has their own recognizable use of language. The choice of words reflects the person in terms of origin, education, work, region, culture, environment, and upbringing. In conversation, people often paraphrase simply to ensure they understand each other properly. Although this is particularly noticeable in spoken language, it can also be traced in written texts. People have certain fixed ways of expressing themselves that are typical of them.
This may seem to contradict the demand for consistency, but there is a crucial distinction: someone will be recognized by their preferred language use, yet over a large volume of text, it is also typical that people will hardly ever reuse the same words and word combinations in exactly the same way. Because that is human nature.
The same source, three human translations
English source:
“Ensure that the manual has been studied before starting work and carefully follow the procedures that are specifically applicable.”
NL1:
“Zorg ervoor dat u de handleiding hebt bestudeerd voordat u aan het werk gaat en volg zorgvuldig de specifiek van toepassing zijnde procedures.”
NL2:
“Zorg ervoor dat u de bijsluiter hebt gelezen voordat u aan het werk gaat en volg de geldende procedures zo nauwkeurig mogelijk.”
NL3:
“Raadpleeg zorgvuldig de gebruiksaanwijzing voordat u aan het werk gaat en volg nauwgezet de relevante procedures.”
Three valid translations with completely different word combinations. Something that would be entirely normal and acceptable in professional communication. A machine would pick one pattern and repeat it throughout.
Translators who review translated works should also indicate the extent to which the language used is up to date. It is precisely by repeatedly choosing popular or frequently used language that creativity in language use is undermined. The language industry follows the masses because they determine the trends, but as a result, the choice of the majority is further reinforced. The use of creative alternatives is slowly but surely being punished. This makes the role of human translators essential — but that requires awareness on the part of clients.
Where AI Falls Short in English-Dutch
The English-Dutch language pair presents specific challenges that machines have difficulty dealing with:
1. Register and Formality
Dutch makes a sharper distinction between formal (“u”) and informal (“je/jij”) language than English. MT often uses a single standard register that is not consistent within the same document. In business communication, this can make a company appear unprofessional or strangely distant.
2. Compound Words
Dutch constructs compound words that are unknown in English. “Arbeidsongeschiktheidsverzekering” (disability insurance) has no direct structural equivalent in English. MT often splits these incorrectly or generates non-standard forms that a Dutch reader will immediately notice.
3. Idiomatic Expressions and Cultural Context
MT translates literally. “It's raining cats and dogs” can produce something absurd in Dutch instead of “het regent pijpenstelen.” More subtly, marketing language that “sounds energetic” in English often sounds exaggerated or even untrustworthy when translated literally into Dutch.
Using literal translations in these cases is out of the question, but this must be handled consciously. Each translator has to make their own choices, and based on their feel for the language, they can get quite far. In practice, many English idiomatic expressions can be traced back to similar expressions in Dutch. However, it becomes problematic when the English text is literally elaborated upon — for example, when rhyming or referring to exact words from those expressions. In Dutch, the translation often cannot follow the rhyme, because the expression looks completely different.
This is where localization is no longer sufficient, because the content goes deeper. This is where transcreation comes in — formulating expressions that are completely appropriate within the idiomatic and cultural context in Dutch. However, this means investing more expertise and time to get the text to an optimal level. MT lacks transcreation entirely.
The Real Cost of “Good Enough” Translation
When companies treat MTPE as a cost-saving measure rather than a quality process, the consequences are significant:
•B2B customers in the Netherlands notice inconsistent Dutch. This undermines trust, even if they cannot pinpoint exactly what is “wrong.”
•Legal and compliance content with subtle errors can lead to liability: a mistranslated clause in a contract does not mean “more or less” the right thing.
•Marketing content that is mechanically correct but culturally flat generates less engagement than well-localized content. Studies show that 75% of consumers prefer to make purchases in their native language — but only if it actually sounds like their native language.
In practice, I regularly see MT being used to reduce costs. The quality of the software used has the greatest impact. There are reliable translation programs for the Dutch language, but the options come with preconditions that the user determines for each project. As with any software, guidance, framing, and specification are required. AI may now be able to do 90% of the work perfectly well, but a professional is indispensable for picking out the wrong 10%. A message with 10% errors delivers the wrong message, both in terms of content and perception. It does not take much to ruin the whole thing. In communication, too, it could be said that a little leaven leavens the whole lump.
What Good MTPE Actually Looks Like
Effective post-editing is not about correcting grammar. It is a layered process:
AccuracyDoes the translation have the same meaning? MT sometimes “hallucinates” and confidently produces content that was not in the source text.
FluencyDoes it read naturally to a native Dutch speaker? Not “technically correct Dutch,” but “Dutch as someone would actually write it.”
ConsistencyAre terms, register, and style consistent throughout the document? MT often switches randomly between formal and informal.
Cultural fitIs the content appropriate for the target audience? A Surinamese-Dutch audience has different expectations than an audience in the Netherlands.
Brand voiceDoes it match the client's terminology and brand voice?
This requires someone who not only speaks the language, but also understands the domain, the audience, and the cultural context.
The Future: AI Is Improving, but Expertise Is Becoming More Important
Here is the counterintuitive truth: as the quality of MT improves, the need for expert post-editors increases, not decreases. When the easy mistakes disappear, the subtle mistakes remain — mistakes that can only be spotted with in-depth language and cultural knowledge.
The MTPE editors who will succeed are those who combine the following:
1Native-level proficiency in both languages
2Subject matter expertise (legal, medical, marketing, technical)
3Understanding of the capabilities and limitations of AI
4Cultural awareness for specific target groups
Those who will be replaced are those who only spot mistakes that are also spotted by a spell checker.
How to Apply MTPE Effectively
If you are a company considering MTPE for English-Dutch content:
Do not choose your editor based on the lowest rate.
A skilled post-editor who costs €0.08 per word and spots critical errors is cheaper than an editor who costs €0.04 per word and whose output has to be redone.
Provide context.
Share glossaries, style guides, and reference materials. The better your editor understands your brand, the better the result.
Determine the purpose.
A technical manual requires a different level of post-editing than a social media campaign. Light post-editing ≠ full post-editing.
Use qualified linguists, not just bilingual people.
Knowing two languages is not the same as understanding how language works professionally.
The most important consideration is always the realism of achieving your goal with the choices you make. If your reality is a budget that makes your goal less achievable, then adjusting your expectations is appropriate. If your reality is that the goal must be achieved regardless of the circumstances, then an appropriate budget is required. In either case, we want to work with you to find a suitable solution.
Need English-Dutch MTPE That Gets It Right?
At Nofonex, we specialize in English-Dutch MTPE and language quality assurance. If you need content that is not only translated but truly localized for a Dutch-speaking audience, we would love to hear from you.
Get in TouchAbout the author: Xenofon Martokarijo is the founder of Nofonex, a language services and digital content production company based in Suriname. He specializes in English-Dutch translation, MTPE, and language quality assurance, with years of hands-on experience in catching what machines miss.
