When you’re looking for something on the web, you may sometimes end up on a site written in a foreign language. It could happen for any number of reasons – you might be making foreign travel arrangements, you could be reading about your sports team playing in a different country, or you could be finding out about your favorite foreign celebrity, musician or films. Whatever the reason, the information is on that page and you want to read it.
Fortunately, you have many options you can choose from when it comes to translating websites. They’re all free to use, and pretty simple once you’ve found them and installed them. Before we go through them, just check the site you land on for a language menu or some little flags in the corner of the screen. If you click on the flag for your language, the site will automatically switch languages and you’ll save yourself some time. If there are no flags, here are some website translation tips.
1 – Google Translate
Many web browsers have their own applications which help you translate websites, but whatever browser you’re using, there’s always good old Google.
Google is at the forefront of free website translation services. We’ll find out about their native Chrome app later, but if you’re not using Chrome, there’s always Google Translate. Here’s how it works.
- Copy the URL of the site you want to translate.
- Go to the Google Translate site: https://translate.google.com/
- Select the languages that you are translating (or leave it for Google to do it automatically).
- Paste in your URL and click on Translate.
- You’re done!
Google Translate is very handy if you’re only translating a tiny bit of text. Just copy and paste the text in there, set your languages and you’re all set. You can even do it directly from the Google Translate search results screen.
2 – Bing Translator
If you’re a Microsoft person rather than a Google person, Bing has a translator too. Like Google Translate, this application is web-based so it works in whatever browser you’re using at the time. Here’s how it works.
- Copy the URL of the site you want to translate.
- Go to the Bing Translator site. https://www.bing.com/translator
- Select the languages that you are translating (or leave it for Google to do it automatically).
- Paste in your URL and click on Translate.
- Enjoy reading your newly translated website.
3 – Google Chrome Automatic Translator
Even though they brought you Google Translate, Google took website translation to the next level with their Chrome browser.
If you’re using Google Chrome to browse the web, it will automatically detect if you’re on a foreign language site. It will offer you the option of whether you want to translate it. Click Translate, and you’re done.
4 – Firefox Add-ons
If you’re a Firefox fan you have the facility to translate too. It’s a bit more fiddly than Chrome, but once it’s done, It’s done. Here’s what to do.
- On Firefox, go to the top of the screen and click Tools, then Add-ons. A new tab will open with your Add-ons screen.
- Click on Get Add-ons on the left of your screen, then See more Add-ons at the bottom.
- Type ‘translate’ into the search box on the right of the screen and press Enter.
- You’ll be presented with an add-on called Translate Now. Click Add to Firefox.
- Once the add-on is installed, an icon should appear on the top-right of your screen.
- Go to the site you want to translate and click on the icon.
- Firefox will now translate your site.
5 – Safari on iOS
So far, we’ve only talked about ways to translate when using your desktop computer. However, even if you’re mobile, you still have the ability to translate websites. There are few different ways you can do it. Here’s one.
- Install the Microsoft Translator app to your iPhone.
- To enable website translation, go to Safari, click on the arrow button at the bottom of the screen.
- Scroll along the lowermost row of icons until you get to More. Scroll down and enable Microsoft Translator. A Microsoft Translate icon will appear in that row of options.
- Go to the website you want to translate. Click on the Arrow button at the bottom of the screen.
- Touch the Microsoft Translate icon.
- Job done.
6 – Google Chrome on Android (or iOS)
If you’re an Android user, your best bet is to use the Google Chrome browser and let it work as you would with the desktop version. You can also translate sites with the iOS version of Chrome.
- Log on to your mobile Chrome browser.
- Click on to the site you want to translate.
- You’ll see the translate options magically appear at the bottom of the screen.
- Click to translate, and you’re ready to go.
To conclude, find the option that suits you the best, and you’ll find translating websites very easy indeed, wherever you are. It’s certainly easier than learning a language anyway!
