translation

IPA/trænzˈleɪʃn/
KK[trænzlˈeʃən]IPA/trænzˈleɪʃn/

translation — noun

  • translationsingular
  • translationsplural

1. The work of converting written or spoken material into a different language, or

1.nounB1
Definition

The work of converting written or spoken material into a different language, or the piece of writing that results from this work.

Example

Jisoo spent three hours checking her translation of the Japanese poem into Korean.

translation + of [text] into [language]

The Watanabe family used an online translation tool to read the Portuguese news article.

Common collocations
  • literal translation
  • free translation
  • machine translation
  • translation service
  • translation error
  • rough translation
  • official translation
Synonyms
  • rendering

    Often suggests a more interpretive or artistic version of a translation

  • version

    A particular translation among several possible ones in a given language

  • conversion

    Rare in language contexts; more common for changing units or formats (sense 3)

Antonyms
  • original

    The source text before any translation is performed

Grammar Patterns

the translation of [language/text] into [language]

Common Mistakes

The translate of the book was published last year.
The translation of the book was published last year.
'translation' is the noun form; 'translate' is a verb.
I need a translate from Chinese to English.
I need a translation from Chinese to English.
Use the noun 'translation' after 'a', not the verb.

2. A way of referring to a written or spoken work that has been changed into a lang

2.nounB2
Definition

A way of referring to a written or spoken work that has been changed into a language different from the original one, often with the suggestion that some subtle meaning or quality is lost.

Example

Chidi read the Russian novel in translation because he never learned the Cyrillic alphabet.

in translation — reading a work not in its original language

Marta believes that poetry always loses something important when read in translation.

Common collocations
  • in translation
  • lost in translation
  • read something in translation
  • exist in translation
Synonyms
  • adaptation

    Broader than translation; can involve changes to suit a different audience or medium

  • translated version

    A more explicit way to say 'in translation', but less idiomatic

Grammar Patterns

in translation

lost in translation

Usage Note

This sense occurs mainly in the fixed phrases 'in translation' and 'lost in translation'. It is rarely used in other grammatical structures. Distinguish from sense 1, which can take objects and modifiers freely (e.g. 'a translation of the document').

Common Mistakes

I read the book in translation version.
I read the book in translation.
'in translation' is already complete; do not add 'version' after it.

3. Conversion of something from one shape, system, or condition into a different on

3.nounB2
Definition

Conversion of something from one shape, system, or condition into a different one, typically without human language being involved.

Example

The librarian supervised the translation of the old handwritten letters into digital text files.

translation + of [physical object] into [digital format]

Minho studied the translation of sunlight into electrical energy using solar panels.

Common collocations
  • translation of [X] into [Y]
  • direct translation
  • data translation
  • translation process
Synonyms
  • conversion

    The most precise synonym; interchangeable in most technical contexts

  • transformation

    Implies a more thorough or structural change than translation

  • adaptation

    Suggests adjustment for a new purpose rather than a direct form-for-form change

Grammar Patterns

the translation of [something] into [something else]

Usage Note

Common in academic and technical writing. The object usually names a medium, format, or state being changed. This sense differs from sense 1 in that no human language is involved.

Common Mistakes

The translation of the plan was done by the team' (when meaning 'execution' or 'implementation').
The translation of the plan into action took two months.
Be specific about what form or system something is being changed into.

Word family

  • translate
    verbB1
  • translator
    nounB1
  • translational
    adjectiveC1
  • translatable
    adjectiveC1
  • untranslatable
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Translation, interpretation, rendering, and version all refer to expressing something from one medium into another, but they differ in scope and formality. Translation is the broadest term, covering the transfer of written or spoken material from one language into another while preserving meaning. Interpretation is narrower: it applies specifically to spoken-language transfer in real time — for example, what an interpreter does at a United Nations meeting. A rendering is often a more creative or personal translation, especially in the arts (e.g. a pianist's rendering of a sonata, or a rendering of a poem into modern English). A version is one specific translation among several competing ones, as in 'the King James Version of the Bible' — it highlights the existence of alternative choices. In everyday use, say 'translation' for general language transfer, 'interpretation' for live speech, 'rendering' for artistic re-expression, and 'version' when comparing different translations of the same source.

translation ↗interpretation ↗rendering ↗version ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • in translation
  • lost in translation
  • translation from [language] into [language]
  • translation of [text]

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinAnglo-Norman FrenchEnglish

The word 'translation' comes from Latin 'translātiō', meaning 'a carrying across' or 'a transfer'. This was formed from 'trānsferre' (to carry across), which combines 'trāns' (across) and 'ferre' (to carry). The word was used in Latin to describe both physical movement and the metaphorical idea of transferring meaning between languages. English borrowed it through Anglo-Norman French 'translacioun' in the 1300s, and it gradually replaced the Old English word 'awendung' (turning/changing) as the standard term for converting text from one language into another.