translate

American  

[trans-layt, tranz-, trans-layt, tranz-] / trænsˈleɪt, trænz-, ˈtræns leɪt, ˈtrænz- /

verb (used with object)

• translates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• translated,
  past participle,  past
• translating
  present participle

1. to turn from one language into another or from a foreign language into one's own.

   to translate Spanish.

2. to change the form, condition, nature, etc., of; transform; convert.

   to translate wishes into deeds.

3. to explain in terms that can be more easily understood; interpret.

4. to bear, carry, or move from one place, position, etc., to another; transfer.

5. Mechanics. to cause (a body) to move without rotation or angular displacement; subject to translation.

6. Computers. to convert (a program, data, code, etc.) from one form to another.

   to translate a FORTRAN program into assembly language.

7. Telegraphy. to retransmit or forward (a message), as by a relay.

8. Ecclesiastical.

   1. to move (a bishop) from one see to another.

   2. to move (a see) from one place to another.

   3. to move (relics) from one place to another.

9. to convey or remove to heaven without natural death.

10. Mathematics. to perform a translation on (a set, function, etc.).

11. to express the value of (a currency) in a foreign currency by applying the exchange rate.

12. to exalt in spiritual or emotional ecstasy; enrapture.

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verb (used without object)

• translates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• translated,
  past participle,  past
• translating
  present participle

1. to provide or make a translation; act as translator.

2. to admit of translation.

   The Greek expression does not translate easily into English.

translate British  

/ trænsˈleɪt, trænz- /

verb

1. to express or be capable of being expressed in another language or dialect

   he translated Shakespeare into Afrikaans

   his books translate well

2. (intr) to act as translator

3. (tr) to express or explain in simple or less technical language

4. (tr) to interpret or infer the significance of (gestures, symbols, etc)

5. (tr) to transform or convert

   to translate hope into reality

6. (tr; usually passive) biochem to transform the molecular structure of (messenger RNA) into a polypeptide chain by means of the information stored in the genetic code See also transcribe

7. to move or carry from one place or position to another

8. (tr)

   1. to transfer (a cleric) from one ecclesiastical office to another

   2. to transfer (a see) from one place to another

9. (tr) RC Church to transfer (the body or the relics of a saint) from one resting place to another

10. (tr) theol to transfer (a person) from one place or plane of existence to another, as from earth to heaven

11. maths physics to move (a figure or body) laterally, without rotation, dilation, or angular displacement

12. (intr) (of an aircraft, missile, etc) to fly or move from one position to another

13. archaic (tr) to bring to a state of spiritual or emotional ecstasy

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• translatability
  noun
• translatableness
  noun
• untranslatability
  noun
• pretranslate
  verb (used with object)
• retranslate
  verb (used with object)
• half-translated
  adjective
• intertranslatable
  adjective
• translatable
  adjective
• untranslatable
  adjective
• untranslated
  adjective
• well-translated
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• translating
  present
• translated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• translate
  simple
• translates
  simple
• have translated
  perfect
• has translated
  perfect
• am translating
  progressive
• are translating
  progressive
• is translating
  progressive
• have been translating
  perfect progressive
• has been translating
  perfect progressive

Past

• translated
  simple
• had translated
  perfect
• was translating
  progressive
• were translating
  progressive
• had been translating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will translate
  simple
• will have translated
  perfect
• will be translating
  progressive
• will have been translating
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of translate

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English translaten, from Latin trānslātus “borne across,” past participle of trānsferre “to bear across,” from trāns- trans- + ferre “to bear, bring, carry” ( see also bear ¹); for the suppletive element -lātus, earlier tlātus (unrecorded), see also thole ², tolerate

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Explanation

To translate is to put into a different language or interpret. If your brother says, "Gee, Mom, all of my friends have really cool pets, like snakes and stuff," you can translate that statement to mean "I want a snake." Translate comes from the Latin translates, which means "carry across." The word isn't limited to talking about language. You can translate sales into dollars, or a play into a movie. When used that way, translate means changing something from one form to another.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

translate translates translated translating

Musk’s ambitions, always grand, don’t always translate into reality.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026

He hopes to eventually follow the students into high school and college to examine whether their early academic advantages translate into higher graduation rates and college readiness.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026

Walmart seems to be targeting Amazon.com and Costco Wholesale as it unveils a new membership bundle, but some analysts wonder if the subscription package will actually translate into meaningful benefits for customers.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026

Presentation slides from the company emphasized its gradual reduction of outstanding shares over more than a decade as increasing "the potential for operating performance to translate into stronger per-share results."

From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2026

"Hey there, Carlos, you're going to have to translate for me so I don't end up in the wrong room with you!"

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez

“The speedup directly translates to cost,” said Zeev Farbman, LTX’s co-founder and CEO.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

"When we do our best, it translates into better lives for people."

From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026

Its name translates to "unconquered female warrior," a reference to the powerful predators that later emerged from this evolutionary lineage.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026

"Cannot wait for this," another said while another fan commented "anghygoel", which translates to amazing.

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026

Dan Rather scored 10.46 — which translates to an almost perfectly neutral expression — when he talked about Mondale, and 10.37 when he talked about Reagan.

From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell

The AI systems then extracted descriptions of symptoms that users associated with the medication and translated those descriptions into standardized medical terminology.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 22, 2026

While third-quarter auto sales topped estimates, due in part to an uptick in European markets amid high gasoline prices, better sales have not always translated to Tesla's bottom line.

From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026

“Last Day of a Prior Life,” also translated by Ms. Dillman, is a somewhat more formal exercise—a classic ghost story joined to a psychological mystery.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

There is a specific word for medical “side effects” in Bengali, but the A.I. translated it as “harmful side.”

From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026

John then cut off his buttons and handed them to Charles, who took out the bits of paper and translated the shorthand messages for intelligence officers.

From "George Washington, Spymaster" by Thomas B. Allen

However, translating the discovery into a treatment will require considerable care.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2026

The biggest challenge will be translating an exciting lab finding into a real-world solution.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026

Because revenue bonds, which would be used to fund this program, are riskier than other bonds, investors might demand a higher return, translating to a higher interest rate.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

A Tetum interpreter was present in court and stood beside Soares and Mariano translating the prosecution's account.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

Speaking it, writing it down, translating, and responding.

From "Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two" by Joseph Bruchac

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Related Words

• convert
• decipher
• put
• render
• spell out
• transcribe
• turn

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