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GOOGLETRANSLATE

The GOOGLETRANSLATE formula is a Google Sheets function that can be used to translate text from one language to another. This formula uses Google's translation service to automatically detect the source language and translate it to the target language specified by the user. This function is most commonly used to translate text from one language to another without leaving the Google Sheets application.

Usage

Use the GOOGLETRANSLATE formula with the syntax shown below, it has 2 required parameters and 1 optional parameter:

=GOOGLETRANSLATE(text, [source_language], [target_language])
Parameters:
  1. text (required):
    The text to be translated. This parameter can be a cell reference or a string value.
  2. source_language (optional):
    The language of the text to be translated. If not specified, Google will automatically detect the language.
  3. target_language (required):
    The language to translate the text to.

Examples

Here are a few example use cases that explain how to use the GOOGLETRANSLATE formula in Google Sheets.

Translate text from one language to another

One common use case for the GOOGLETRANSLATE formula is to translate text from one language to another. For example, you might have a list of phrases in one language that you want to translate to another language for a language learning exercise.

Translate text in real-time

Another use case for the GOOGLETRANSLATE formula is to translate text in real-time. For example, you might have a chat log that includes messages in different languages, and you want to translate them to a common language to be able to understand the conversation.

Translate text in bulk

A third use case for the GOOGLETRANSLATE formula is to translate text in bulk. For example, you might have a large amount of data in one language that you want to translate to another language for analysis or reporting purposes.

Common Mistakes

GOOGLETRANSLATE not working? Here are some common mistakes people make when using the GOOGLETRANSLATE Google Sheets Formula:

Incorrect language codes

One of the most common mistakes is providing incorrect language codes for the source_language and target_language arguments. Make sure to use the correct ISO language codes for the languages you want to translate from and to.

Missing text argument

Another common mistake is forgetting to provide the text argument. The GOOGLETRANSLATE formula requires a text argument to be provided as the first parameter.

Unsupported language pair

If you receive an error message that says 'Unable to translate', it could be because the language pair you are trying to translate is not supported by Google Translate. Make sure to check the list of supported languages before using the formula.

Related Formulas

The following functions are similar to GOOGLETRANSLATE or are often used with it in a formula:

  • GOOGLETRANSLATE

    The GOOGLETRANSLATE formula is a Google Sheets function that can be used to translate text from one language to another. This formula uses Google's translation service to automatically detect the source language and translate it to the target language specified by the user. This function is most commonly used to translate text from one language to another without leaving the Google Sheets application.

Learn More

You can learn more about the GOOGLETRANSLATE Google Sheets function on Google Support.