Meaning & use
translate
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Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
To change words from one language into another language.
Grammar: Can take an object (translate a text) or be used without one (She translates for a living). Often followed by 'into' or 'from'.
Patterns
- translate something into something
- translate from something
- translate something as something
Can you translate this letter into English for me?
She translates Spanish novels into English.
The phrase doesn't translate well into Japanese.
verbintransitivefigurative
To lead to a particular result or change; to be converted into something.
Grammar: No object; often followed by 'into': The ideas translated into real improvements.
Patterns
- translate into something
- translate to something
Hard work in training translated into success on the field.
The company's higher profits did not translate into higher wages for workers.
Word forms
| third person singular | translates |
|---|---|
| past tense | translated |
| past participle | translated |
| -ing form | translating |
Common combinations
- translate into English
- He translated the poem into English.
- translate from Spanish
- She translates from Spanish and French.
- translate literally
- If you translate literally, the joke loses its humor.
- translate into action
- The new policy has not yet been translated into action.
- translate well
- Some idioms don't translate well into other languages.
Synonyms and how they differ
- interpret
- 'Interpret' is usually used for spoken language, especially in real time, while 'translate' is more common for written texts.
- render
- 'Render' is a formal word meaning to express something in another language or form; it often appears in literary or technical contexts.
- convert
- 'Convert' means to change something into a different form, but it doesn't involve language; 'translate' focuses on language.
Word family
- translation noun
- The act of translating, or a text that has been translated.
- translator noun
- A person who translates written texts from one language to another.
- translatable adjective
- Able to be translated; often used in the negative: 'not easily translatable'.
Commonly confused: translate or transliterate?
translate vs transliterate
'Transliterate' means to write letters or words in the alphabet of another language (e.g., writing Greek letters in Latin letters), not to translate the meaning.
Practice
Could you ______ this sentence into French?
Choose one answer.
After 'could you' we need the base form of the verb, so 'translate' is correct. 'Translation' is a noun and cannot follow 'could you' directly.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “translate”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.