SheetSkill

TRANSLATE function

Translates text between languages using Microsoft’s translation service.

Works in desktop Excel only

Syntax

=TRANSLATE(text, [source_language], [target_language])

How to use TRANSLATE in Excel, step by step

TRANSLATE doesn’t run in a web practice sheet because it uses Microsoft’s online translation service. Follow these steps in Excel itself.

You’ll need

  • Microsoft 365 with the newest Excel features
  • An internet connection
  1. Put text in a cell. In A1 type Good morning.
  2. Translate it. In B1 type =TRANSLATE(A1,"en","es"). It returns “Buenos días”.
  3. Let Excel detect the source. Leave source_language empty: =TRANSLATE(A1,,"de").
  4. Translate a whole column. Use =TRANSLATE(A1:A20,"en","fr") — the results spill down.

Example

=TRANSLATE("Good morning","en","es")

Result: Buenos días

Language codes are short: en, es, fr, de, it, pt, ja, zh-Hans …