How to translate a large document?

Even for those who speak English well and can translate on their own, translating large documents can take a long time. Therefore, in order to speed up the translation, it is necessary to know what are the possibilities for automatic translation of the entire document, and also to ensure that the translation is such that the minimum number of corrections is made later. For this, it is necessary to know modern services and tools that translate the best. In this article, we will take a look at the 7 best free document translation tools that can help you when translating documents.

Popular document formats and which of them are the easiest to translate

Before starting the translation, let’s consider which document formats are the most common and which are best suited for automatic translation.

1. Text documents (TXT, DOCX):
   • Characteristics: Plain text or text with basic formatting.
   • Simplicity of translation: These formats are considered relatively the easiest to translate. They allow you to use online translators or edit directly in text editors. The problems you may encounter are when you have existing tables or formulas, sometimes they may have specific formatting, sometimes they may change during the translation process.
2. Table documents (XLSX, CSV):
   • Characteristics:Tables with numerical information and textual data.
   • Simplicity of translation: Although they can be difficult because tables can sometimes get corrupted after translation, many tools support the translation of table documents.
3. Presentations (PPTX):
   • Characteristics: Contain text, graphics, and possibly video or audio elements.
   • Simplicity of translation: Some tools allow you to easily translate the content of presentations, preserving their structure and format, but mostly such translation is done separately for each slide.
4. PDF documents:
   • Characteristics: Can contain images, text, and be difficult to edit.
   • Simplicity of translation: PDF may require conversion to an editable format before translation, but many tools support this process. Modern translators allow you to translate PDF documents, but it is recommended that you first convert it to DOCX.
5. Pictures (JPEG, PNG)
   • Characteristics: Contains only images, text editing is not possible.
   • Simplicity of translation: Automatic translation of images is difficult but also possible, but if you have a lot of text as an image, convert it to text first, it will greatly improve the translation.

In general, text and tabular documents are often considered easier to translate because they provide structured information that is easier for machine translators to process. However, it is important to consider the specific characteristics and complexity of each document before choosing a translation method. In some cases, it may be more appropriate to use professional translators or specialized services to ensure the accuracy and stylistic fidelity of the translation.

TOP 7 free services for translating documents

1. Google Translate

Google Translate, one of the most popular translation tools, offers support for many languages and can handle large documents with ease. It’s convenient, free, and constantly improving. The tool allows users to upload documents in various formats and receive a translated version in seconds. Although it may not always be perfect, especially with complex syntax, it is a great tool for fast translation.

Specifics:

• User-friendly interface
• Supports a large number of languages
• Provides fast translation
• Ability to translate various document formats
• As for automatic translation, one of the best today

The green color on the picture shows the data that can be translated, and the red color shows the place where you need to drag the document for translation.

2. DeepL Translator

DeepL Translator is known for highly accurate translations using deep learning algorithms. Although its language selection is more limited than Google Translate, the quality of its English translations is very good. If you are looking to translate texts containing different terminology, DeepL can be the tool for you. It also offers a user-friendly interface that makes translating documents smooth and easy.

Specifics:

• User-friendly interface
• Ability to translate various document formats
• In some cases, its translation can be considered the best, but if the text is complex, it also needs additional editing in the translation

As shown in the picture below from DeepL Translator, the fragments that indicate the supported data formats are highlighted in green. The place where you need to select your file is highlighted in red.

3. Microsoft Translator

Microsoft Translator is another reliable tool that integrates well with other Microsoft products such as Word and PowerPoint. This can be especially useful if you work on documents in these programs and need a quick translation. With built-in support for many languages, Microsoft Translator makes it easy to translate documents with just a few clicks.

Specifics:

• Full integration with Microsoft Office
• Compatibility with various file types
• Provides fast translation

Microsoft Translator is integrated into Microsoft products. For example, the picture below shows Microsoft Word, where you can choose to translate the document on the “review” tab.

4. MateCat

MateCat is an innovative online translation platform that combines the power of machine and human translation to produce high-quality and efficient translations of texts in real-time. Based on open source software and developed as part of the “Open Translation Tools” project, MateCat provides a wide range of functionality for convenient and productive document translation.

Specifics:

• View and edit the machine translation results, correcting any inaccuracies
• Choose the translation languages and define a team of translators who will work on the project if necessary
• Supports various file formats

The MateCat interface for document translation is shown below.

5. Reverso Context

Reverso Context  is distinguished by its ability to provide translation not just of words, but also of their use in specific contexts. Reverso Context has become a popular tool for those who seek not only to get an accurate translation, but also to understand how these words are used in different situations. It can be useful if you have specific terms that are not in common use.

Specifics:

• One of the key features is providing translation in context, allowing users to better understand the use of a word or expression in different situations
• Designation of synonyms, expressions and grammatical constructions, as well as the possibility of listening to the correct pronunciation of a word or phrase
• Reverso Context uses advanced neural network technologies, which makes the translation more accurate and natural

6. Services using state-of-the-art artificial intelligence

There are several services that are available free of charge today for translating documents. Such tools are: ‎Bard – a chatbot, a tool from Google, ChatGPT – a chatbot with artificial intelligence developed by the OpenAI laboratory, Claude – an AI assistant from Anthropic. Using these tools, you can not only translate documents, but also improve them taking into account your needs, all you need to do is write a prompt according to your needs.

Specifics:

• Services using artificial intelligence have the ability to improve the text, fill it with new information or, on the contrary, select only the main
• To work with such tools, you need to have experience to get the desired result
• Translation may take more time, but this is a unique way to not only translate, but also to improve the text

Details about the use of artificial intelligence for text translation in the article: Top 10 AI-Powered Translators for Accurate and Convenient Language Translation

7. Services with limitations for free translation

There are many translation services that offer document translation capabilities, providing users with a limited number of free credits or translation volume. This is often done to attract new users and demonstrate the capabilities of the platform before paying for additional services. For example, the service: doctranslate.io.

Specifics:

• Such services use artificial intelligence using the API for ChatGPT, or something similar, or the API of other platforms, such as Google Translate.
• Some services have good, but limited free translation

Choosing the right tool for translating large documents depends on a variety of factors, including the nature of the content and the user’s preferences. While these tools offer affordable solutions, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons to find the best fit for your specific needs. Experiment with these free tools to improve the efficiency and accuracy of your text translations, ultimately overcoming language barriers with ease and saving you time.