About the GOOGLETRANSLATE Function
Overview of GOOGLETRANSLATE
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=GOOGLETRANSLATE( text, source_language, target_language )
Summary The GOOGLETRANSLATE function translates specified text into another language.
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- Extremely useful for automatic text translation.
- Source and target languages are specified using ISO 639-1 codes (e.g., “en” for English, “ja” for Japanese, “es” for Spanish).
- If the source language is left blank, it will be auto-detected.
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When to Use GOOGLETRANSLATE
- When managing multilingual data.
- When dealing with clients or partners who use different languages.
- When automating simple translations.
How to Use GOOGLETRANSLATE
The following table demonstrates the basic usage of the GOOGLETRANSLATE function.
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A |
B |
C |
| 1 |
Original Text |
Translation |
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| 2 |
Hello |
=GOOGLETRANSLATE(A2, “en”, “ja”) |
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| 3 |
Good Morning |
=GOOGLETRANSLATE(A3, “en”, “es”) |
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| 4 |
ありがとう |
=GOOGLETRANSLATE(A4, “ja”, “en”) |
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Results
| |
A |
B |
| 1 |
Original Text |
Translation |
| 2 |
Hello |
こんにちは |
| 3 |
Good Morning |
Buenos días |
| 4 |
ありがとう |
Thank you |
Points to Note
- The accuracy of translations depends on Google Translate’s algorithms, and there may be nuances that are not perfectly captured.
- For long or complex text, only a portion may be translated.
- If the source language is left blank, it will be auto-detected, but there is a chance of misdetection.
- An internet connection is required for the function to work.
Explanation of Arguments
- Text: The string or cell reference to be translated.
- Source Language: The language code of the original text (e.g., “en” = English, “ja” = Japanese). Leave blank for auto-detection.
- Target Language: The language code of the desired translation (e.g., “es” = Spanish, “fr” = French).
Key Languages and Their ISO Codes
| Language Name |
ISO Code |
English Name |
| English |
en |
English |
| Japanese |
ja |
Japanese |
| Chinese (Simplified) |
zh-CN |
Simplified Chinese |
| Chinese (Traditional) |
zh-TW |
Traditional Chinese |
| Korean |
ko |
Korean |
| French |
fr |
French |
| Spanish |
es |
Spanish |
| German |
de |
German |
| Italian |
it |
Italian |
| Portuguese |
pt |
Portuguese |
| Russian |
ru |
Russian |
| Arabic |
ar |
Arabic |
| Hindi |
hi |
Hindi |
| Vietnamese |
vi |
Vietnamese |
| Thai |
th |
Thai |
| Indonesian |
id |
Indonesian |
| Turkish |
tr |
Turkish |
| Dutch |
nl |
Dutch |
| Swedish |
sv |
Swedish |
| Filipino |
tl |
Filipino |
Conclusion
- The GOOGLETRANSLATE function is an extremely useful tool for managing multilingual data within spreadsheets.
- If the source language is not specified, the auto-detection feature can be utilized.
- Combining it with other functions enables efficient data processing.
