Excel Translate

What is Excel Translate Function?

The Excel Translate function converts one language to another and is helpful for those who use Excel in different languages. However, sometimes you need to type data in a different language based on your requirements, it could be a simple word or an entire worksheet. In such cases, Excel Translate is used.

Let us try to translate a word into a different language. For example, in cell A1, we have typed “Lion.” Go to Review tab → Translate Button (Language tab) to translate it into a different language. A pane appears on the right. Here, it detects the language you typed in the From textbox.

Next, click the drop-down arrow in the To option and select your desired language. Here, we choose Arabic. You immediately get the solution which you can copy-paste into your cell.

Where to Find Translate Function in Excel?

There are 51 languages you can convert your text to in Excel. For this, you must access the Translate function. To find the Translate function, click Translate in the Review tab in the Language group.

You get a Translator pane on the right side of your worksheet.

In this pane, you have two boxes. One is the From box, which is used to detect the language from which you want to translate.

Your test can be entered in two ways.

• You can either type in your text.
• Select the cell/s which must be translated. They are automatically pasted into the From box.

Before the To box, select the language you wish the text to be translated. You will get the result in the To <language> box.

Note: The Translate feature is available currently in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Outlook. However, there is no Insert button in Excel; you must copy/paste the text you highlighted in the To box.

Examples

Let us look at some examples to understand how Excel Translate works. Through these examples, you will understand how the Translation feature works.

Example #1

In the example, some sentences in a language should be translated into English. Therefore, they are entered in some Excel cells.

• Step 1: Now, select the cells to find what it means in English.

• Step 2: Go to the Review Tab and select Translate from the Language group.

The text is copied in the From box of the Translator, a pane on your sheet’s right side.

• Step 3: You can observe that the language has not been auto detected. If unsure of the language, you can use the Auto-detect option by clicking on the drop-down box.

• Step 4: Now, select the language you want to translate using the drop-down arrow in the To box. In this case, we select English.

• Step 5: Finally, you can see the translated text of all the cells stacked up in the To box.

• Step 6: You have to copy-paste the text into their cells as there is no feature in Excel to insert them for you.

Thus, translation into most languages is possible with the Excel Translate feature.

Example #2

In this example, let us say we have some columns with some sales details of a store. First, let us look at how to Excel translate column A into a different language using Translate.

• Step 1: Select the data in the table from cells A1 to B6. Next, go to the Review Tab and choose Translate.

• Step 2: The Translate pane opens on the right side. By default, it is auto detected as English.

• Step 3: In the box below this, choose the language to be translated to in the “To” drop-down menu. Here, we choose Norwegian.

• Step 4: Once you choose Norwegian, it translates the table data.

Note that the data does not get inserted automatically in the cells in the translated language. Instead, you have got to copy-paste them into their cells.

Example #3

Let us look at another example where some ingredients are written in a language. First, we must find which language it is and translate them into English.

The table is shown below.

• Step 1: To find the language, select the cell range, A2:A13. Go to the Review tab and select Translate.

• Step 2: The selected text appears in the right-side Translate pane in the “From” box. The Auto-detect feature detects the language as French. It’s that simple!

• Step 3: Go to the “To” box and select the language in which you want to translate the text, English, in this case.

• Step 4: Now, you can observe that the entire text has been translated into English.

• Step 5: Copy-paste this list to Column B.

Thus, The Excel Translate feature has proved to be a handy tool ensuring that people across languages can use Excel to its full potential.

Installation of Excel Function Translator Add-In

Besides this Translate feature, Excel also provides the Excel Functions Translate, which enables users to translate formulas into their native language. Thus, it helps users of any language in finding the right function in their language. We can install the Excel Translate add in as follows.

Go to the Insert tab and click on Get Add-Ins.

You get a list of Office Add-Ins available. Choose the Functions Translator Option and click on the Add button.

Press, the Continue button on the next popup screen.

Now, the Functions Translator is added to the Home tab and can be used to translate functions.

Thus, it can be used to translate any function in any language. Just click on this option and copy your formula. Then, you can select the language to translate it to and get the result, as seen below. Here, the SUM excel function is translated into its French version.

Add Excel Translate Function in Quick Access Toolbar

Go to the “File” tab and click on “Options.“

Select the Quick Access toolbar.

Here, we must select– “Choose commands from,” in the window. Then, choose the “Review Tab” and the “Translate” option.

Click on “Add>>.” We get the “Translate” option on the right-side pane; now press “OK.“

The “Translate” function is available in the Quick Access toolbar.

Important Things to Note

• The Excel Translate is available under the Insert tab. The Excel Functions Translator is available under the Home tab.
• The Translate feature is also available for other Office options like Word, Outlook, and Powerpoint.
• You have to copy-paste the data back into the Excel cells (Excel Translate cell) as the Insert button is unavailable in many versions of Excel.
• More than 50 languages available in Excel can be used for translation.

Use of Translator

• The Functions Translator is for those people who use versions of Excel in different languages and need help finding the right translation in the correct language. It enables English users to understand worksheets in local Excel versions.
• It is useful when working with multicultural colleagues or across remote teams so that everyone can use the Translate feature to understand Excel business-related worksheets.
• For businesses working with foreign clients, you could translate your Excel worksheets into their language before sending out the information, increasing the client’s trust in your professionalism.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Download Template

This article must be helpful to understand the Excel Translate, with its features and examples. You can download the template here to use it instantly.

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