The best programs for translating text into different languages

A mobile translator is a convenient application: you always have your smartphone with you, and you have to translate foreign words from Russian into English (or vice versa) quite often. If you travel or write text in English (or another) language, this software is indispensable.

We have already looked at online translation tools, dictionaries and similar services. Mobile versions for Android OS also appear here, and we have selected the best of them according to rating:

Among the main functions, we note offline work on the phone, photos and voice translation. At the end of the article there is a comparison table, from which you can quickly choose the best translator for Android based on its functionality. If you have any questions, please ask, also pay attention to frequently asked questions.

Translators are available for download here

Mobile translator Google Translate for Android

A popular translator, its name (Google Translate) has become a household name and is used when it comes to machine translation of low quality.

However, we must admit that today Google Translate is the optimal method for automatically translating web pages, individual words, text fragments and even audio messages via phone. From year to year, the quality of the service increases, and Translate APIs are used by services for translation from English and other languages ​​into Russian.

Main application window

Main features of Google Translate for Android:

• About 100 directions supported
• Recognition from a picture or camera in 26 different directions
• Two-way translation of voice messages into 40 languages: text-to-speech and recognition of text spoken into the microphone
• Handwriting support when drawing on the device screen
• Selectively download language extensions to Android as needed
• Add words to favorites, save translations for offline use

Offline compression settings
Translation features are not available for all languages, but English and Russian are fully supported on the phone.

Let’s talk about the features that we liked right away.

1) Offline translation supported. If you're offline and try to type a word that's not in the dictionary, Google Translate will offer to download language packs.

2) Alternative input is handwritten, voice, and recognition from a picture.

Voice input feature in action:

Photo recognition:

3) Great interface. The developer pays more attention to usability, which improves convenience.

How to work with Google Translate without the Internet

Let's show how the application works. To translate text offline:

1. Open Google Translate,
2. Call up the menu, select Offline Translation,
3. Download the required dictionary,
4. Return to the main screen and select the transfer direction,
5. Enter the word(s) using any of the input methods,
6. Look at the translation,
7. Listen to pronunciation, transcription,
8. Add it to your favorites list.

Summary . Google Translate for Android is not exactly multifunctional, but it confidently contains the most necessary tools for working with large texts. Convenient for quickly recognizing words in all languages ​​included in the kit.

Rating:

4,4

How to install Google Translate on your computer?

To download Google Translate on a PC, you will need a special program that creates an Android environment on a personal computer - an emulator. Users identify three main types of utilities that are the most popular, according to reviews: Bluestacks, Droid4X and Nox App Player. To download the service, you need to go to the official website of the developer, install the emulator, unpack the file and create a shortcut on the desktop.

For further use, you need to go to the Google Play application store after completing a simple authorization process. In the search bar you need to enter the name of the application and perform simple steps familiar to every smartphone owner:

• click on the “Install” column;
• accept user terms and conditions;
• wait for the application to download completely.

The emulator is convenient not only because it is designed to work with mobile applications on a personal computer. If you want to play multiple games at once, you can simply move between open tabs without worrying about freezing or crashing.

Yandex.Translate - offline translator for Android

About the same as Google Translate, but for those who are used to using Yandex products. There aren't many differences. The Yandex.Translate service has increased its functionality and now translates text from a picture and recognizes speech and audio messages.

The main difference compared to Google Translate is the quality (it’s just different) and the number of supported languages ​​- there are not 90, but more than 60, which is enough for most users. There is also a mobile web version of the application at.

Interface and settings of Yandex Translator

Some differences are purely “taste”. The signature yellow color predominates in the design of the translator. Abbreviations and word completion also work in Yandex.Translate. One of the convenient functions of the text translation program is the automatic change of language when typing. Google Translate (version for Android) surprisingly does not have this, although the web version of the translator has been doing this for a very long time.

Other mobile translation settings available in the Yandex product:

• synchronous work (between two interlocutors),
• language definition,
• hints and simplified input,
• translation of words from the clipboard,
• activation of offline mode.

How to use Yandex Translator offline

1. Go to settings by clicking on the wheel,
2. Activate the Offline mode option,
3. In the settings menu, tap on the Download offline translation section,
4. Upload the required files by clicking on the button to the right of the item,
5. While offline, return to the main window and enter text.

Rating:

4,4

Summary . In general, the Yandex product is worthy software, with its own features and conveniences, with a full set of translation functions. Works autonomously and is available as a convenient electronic dictionary. The only drawback of the application is its impressive size (offline databases must be downloaded in advance without fear of traffic consumption).

Google document translator

How to translate a document that is on your device and not on the Internet? If above, to translate a web page, you had to specify a link to it in the translator, then for a document stored on a computer, there is no such link, but there is a file with the document. This file can be uploaded to Google Translator:

• open the translator,
• in the left window we set the original language (1 in Fig. 8),
• and on the right - the translation language (2 in Fig. 8),
• Click on the “translate document” link (3 in Fig. 8):

Rice. 8 (clickable). Link to download the document that needs to be translated in Google Translator

The “Select file” window will appear (Fig. 9), click on it:

Rice. 9. Link to download the document for translation

Now we look for the document on our computer (1 and 2 in Fig. 10), click the “Open” button (3 in Fig. 10):

Rice. 10. Open the document on your device for further translation

After the file with the document is uploaded to Google Translator (1 in Fig. 11), click the blue “Translate” button (2 in Fig. 11):

Rice. 11 (clickable). The document is uploaded, click “Translate”

We enjoy the translation of the document, especially if the translation turned out well, which, alas, is not always the case.

Mobile translator Translate.ru

The PROMT company is known for its long-standing developments in the field of machine learning. Translate Ru is one of the interesting products available for Android. As Promtovians say, Translate provides fast and high-quality translation of texts in popular directions, including English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, etc. Naturally, Russian can also serve as a language direction.

Phrasebook in Translate.ru (PROMT)

Main features:

• Integrated translation from any open application in Android OS. It's easy to copy text and get results in Translate.ru;
• Electronic dictionary and phrasebook in one set;
• Choice of topics: studies, biography, social networks, computers, travel and others.

After extensive testing, a few things stand out. Firstly, the interface is not as modern as in G.Translate or Yandex. In addition, it is less convenient when translating on a phone with a small screen. You not only need to enter the word, but also press the enter button, since the text is not converted on the fly. On the other hand, the translator can independently change the topic and language direction.

Briefly about the offline mode of operation of the dictionary. Offline work is available in a paid version, but some tools (phrase book) are free - just download the corresponding expression database. The last 50 words translated online are also available in the story without an internet connection.

Since the price of the program is low - about $3 - we advise you to think about purchasing it if you liked the free version for its translation capabilities from English into Russian or in other areas. In the paid version, in addition to the availability of offline mode, there are no advertisements at the bottom of the window.

Summary . The program is not perfect, but nevertheless it is one of the best representatives of its category. It offers a very high-quality translation with the reinforcement of new words. So Translate.ru has every chance to gain a foothold in your list of favorite tools.

Rating:

4,4

"Microsoft Translator"

Microsoft has excelled in the field of machine translation, which is why its software is one of the most advanced on the market. The application performs two-way translation into more than 60 languages. The most popular of them can be worked offline.

The feature of the application is a built-in chat with instant translation of remarks for each participant. You can chat with friends from different countries, and the program will make sure that all interlocutors see the contents of the conversation in their chosen languages.

Microsoft Translator recognizes spoken language and text in pictures. You can view the history of old translations and save any of them in a special section of the program.

Download QR Code

Microsoft Translator

Developer: Microsoft Corporation

Price: Free

Babylon: electronic dictionary and translator in one bottle

At one time, Babilon was a fairly popular translator for the desktop platform. The developers decided to take revenge by porting the software to Android and iOS.

Mobile transfer with Babylon

From a user's point of view, Babylon is relatively inconvenient for online text translation. Why don't developers just learn from other translate apps and make the GUI shell more user-friendly?

Babylon is divided into 2 tabs: text entry and electronic dictionary. The logic is clear, but inconvenient. In addition, to translate you need to press extra buttons. And considering that the usage variant for each word is downloaded from the Internet, the process is not much fun.

Comparing Babylon with the other mentioned candidates, it does not have such necessary tools as recognizing text from a picture and translating it, or even a simple phrase book.

What are the advantages of the mobile version of Babylon? Despite the outdated shell, it is worth noting the good quality of the terms. The program produces an entire dictionary entry when translating from English into Russian and vice versa. Transcription and pronunciation can be found by clicking on the corresponding icon.

Thus, the Babylon electronic translator is unlikely to satisfy the needs of an active user who often accesses the dictionary. Unfortunately, Babylon has many inconveniences and a small set of functions for translation in various language areas. The only positive point is the high-quality, detailed articles that the program produces when translating individual terms. If you need an offline mode, we recommend turning to the free applications from our list.

Rating:

4,2

Google translator of a website or web page

To translate a single page on a website or an entire website, you will need to enter the address of what needs to be translated in Google Translator. To do this, you need to open the page or site in a new tab, and then first select the link in the address bar of the browser and then copy it, for example, by pressing the Ctrl + C keys.

Next, open Google Translator, in which:

• you need to indicate the original language in the left window, and the target language in the right window (1 and 2 in Fig. 6);
• insert a link to a website or web page into the left window - number 3 in Fig. 6;
• Be sure to click on the blue “Translate” button (4 in Fig. 6):

Rice. 6 (clickable). Translating a web page

The result of translating a web page whose address was entered in the left window in Fig. 6 is shown below:

Rice. 7 (clickable). The result of translating a web page using Google Translator

iTranslate - text and voice translator

iTranslate is another prominent representative of mobile translators. Distributed mainly through the App Store in the form of an iOS edition. In addition, the iTranslate translator is also popular among Android mobile users.

Text and voice input is supported. Translation is carried out in 92 language areas. The program saves the history of the latest translated phrases and works offline without any restrictions (you must first download a dictionary for the desired direction - for example, English-Russian).

In addition to regular translation, iTranslate reproduces everything written on the phone. The application is free for Android users, but it broadcasts unobtrusive banners with advertising in the bottom panel of the screen.

Other features of iTranslate:

• More than 90 directions for translation
• Voiceover of translated text. Voice acting, optional, male/female
• Selecting regions for the selected language
• Built-in database of synonyms and extended articles for each word
• Transliteration and access to previously entered phrases are supported
• Sending results to other users and posting on social networks

iTranslate for Android
In addition to the normal mode, iTranslate can reproduce everything written on the phone. This application has non-intrusive advertising banners in the bottom panel of the screen. To work you will need an Internet connection. There is an addition from the same developer - a full-featured voice translator iTranslate Voice.

Rating:

4,2

Microsoft Translator - a convenient translator for text and photos

The Microsoft Translator application can translate in more than fifty different languages. In addition, it performs voice recognition, recognizes phrases photographed on an Android phone, as well as screenshots taken on the phone. It works both online and offline; in the second case, you need to download dictionary databases for the tool to work without an Internet connection. The “Offline languages” section in the settings is for this purpose.

When translating, a transcription is displayed (for the Russian-English direction), and voiceover of the text is also available by clicking on the corresponding icon. However, it seemed inconvenient that Microsoft Translator does not offer alternative translations of individual words. Also, the application does not display hints as you type.

The function of translating inscriptions and images is quite convenient. Another convenient feature is a phrasebook. It contains popular language phrases that are useful when traveling.

Rating:

4,6

Download Microsoft Translator

Offline dictionaries: a translator for Android that works without the Internet

The program allows you to access dictionaries without connecting to the network. This is convenient if you are on a plane, traveling abroad, working where there is no Internet, or just want to save battery.

Definitions can also be read by a smartphone using a text-to-speech module (some mobile devices do not support this module - therefore, some languages ​​may not be available. Convenient to use in conjunction with e-book reading devices.

There are over 50 multilingual offline dictionaries to choose from, including English, French, German, Spanish, Arabic, Japanese, Korean, Hindi, Hebrew, Russian, Italian, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, Czech. The kit includes a database of synonyms and anagrams.

Other important features:

• self-replenishment of dictionaries
• adding personal notes
• Synchronize notes with all devices via Google account

The free version of Offline dictionaries displays ads, but there is also a pro version without ads.

How to work with online dictionaries

1. Download the files you'll need for translation to your SD card the first time you launch the app.
2. Perform a search using patterns.

Rating:

4,1

ABBYY Lingvo

ABBYY Lingvo is both a dictionary and translator for mobile platforms (iOS, Android).

Lingvo works quite simply - enter words on the keyboard - you get a detailed article with terms and usage options, transcription and pronunciation, and set expressions.

If desired, it is easy to create phrasebooks from your own words or add thematic and explanatory dictionaries in English, German and other languages.

The program works not only with text; you can use ABBYY Lingvo as a translator for videos and photos. True, this option is only available in online mode; all other functions can work offline, without an Internet connection.

For autonomous operation, just download all dictionaries to the phone's memory through the settings menu.

Basic languages ​​include English, French, Spanish and Italian, German. Additional - about 160.

Rating:

4,7

Feature comparison table

Results: which Russian-English translator to choose?

All of the translators presented above have advantages and disadvantages and are suitable for different cases. Having a constant Internet connection and requiring a large package of languages ​​from the program (especially if we are talking not only about the Russian-English direction), you will most likely make a decision in favor of Google or iTranslate. In addition, G.Translate will be convenient to use for translating web pages on a smartphone.

If you want to work closely with a small list of the most popular foreign languages, you should pay attention to Translate.ru or a Yandex product.

If Internet access is limited, download “Offline Dictionaries” on Android and translate foreign words anywhere.

Dictionary without internet

Oddly enough, there are not many dictionaries relevant for offline mode, that is, without the Internet. The app I used before is called Offline Dictionaries. I found only for Android, here is the link. The application is free.

I haven’t tried it myself, but there is another option “ABBYY Lingvo Dictionaries”, this time for both Android and iPhone. Mostly also free.

We return to the “Offline Dictionaries” application. This is a good dictionary that copes with its function quite well. There are basic languages, it translates. Language packs, which must be downloaded in advance to be used without the Internet, weigh 5-10 MB. That is, the dictionary itself is very easy, if that matters to someone.

But it must be remembered that this is a dictionary, not a translator. You can search for individual words in it, but it will not be able to translate the simplest phrases. However, the application is quite good.