How to Translate a PDF

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Darlene Antonelli, MA. Darlene Antonelli is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. Darlene has experience teaching college courses, writing technology-related articles, and working hands-on in the technology field. She earned an MA in Writing from Rowan University in 2012 and wrote her thesis on online communities and the personalities curated in such communities.

The wikiHow Tech Team also followed the article's instructions and verified that they work.

This article has been viewed 529,021 times.

This wikiHow teaches you how to translate a PDF file into a different language. You can use a free online application called DocTranslator to do so; if you just need to read the PDF's text in a different language, you can also use Google Translate.

Method 1 of 2:

Using Google Translate

Step 1 Open Google Translate." width="460" height="259" />

Fair Use (screenshot)
\n"> Open Google Translate. Go to https://translate.google.com/ in your computer's web browser.

Click the Documents button. You'll see this above the blank text fields on the left side of the page.

Click Browse your computer . This option is in the center of the page. Clicking it opens a File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac) window.

Select your PDF. Go to the location in which your PDF is saved, then select your PDF by clicking it.

Click Open . It's in the bottom-right corner of the window. Doing so uploads your PDF to the Google Translate page.

Select a translation language. On the right side of the page, click a language, or click

Android 7 Dropdown

You can repeat this process for the language on the left panel. However, if you leave this highlighting Detect Language, Google Translate will try to automatically detect the language.

Fair Use (screenshot)
\n">

The file that is produced it text-only; any images that were in the original PDF will not appear here.

Fair Use (screenshot)
\n">

Review your translated PDF. Scroll through the translated PDF's page. While you won't be able to view any images, you should see any text that was in the PDF translated into your specified language.

Advertisement Method 2 of 2:

Using DocTranslator

Step 1 Open the DocTranslator website." width="460" height="259" />

Fair Use (screenshot)
\n">

DocTranslator supports over 104 different languages and can maintain your PDF's original formatting and images upon translation.

Click Translate now . It's an orange button in the middle of the page.

Fair Use (screenshot)
\n">

Click Upload file . This button is in the middle of the page. Doing so opens a File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac) window.

Select your PDF. Go to the location in which your PDF is saved, then select your PDF by clicking it.

If you see a warning about PDFs taking longer to format than other documents, just click OK.

You can scroll up or down through the available languages if needed.

Fair Use (screenshot)
\n">

Click Translate . It's an orange button on the right side of the page. Doing so prompts DocTranslator to begin translating your PDF.

Wait for your PDF to translate. As noted by DocTranslator, PDFs can take a few minutes to translate due to formatting requirements.

Depending on your browser's settings, your file may download automatically once it's available.

Community Q&A

How do I translate on my Android phone? Community Answer

Just use Chrome/whatever browser (it can be any it only needs to access the internet) and go to translate.google.com.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

Unfortunately, Google Translate and OnlineDocTranslator are restricted to 10 MB, while deftpdf is restricted to 10,000 characters. Anyone know a real unrestricted online PDF?converter?

Community Answer

If it is only one PDF, FreePDFConvert offers a free trial for an unlimited-size document. It can convert to and from a PDF.

Ask a Question 200 characters left Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Advertisement

Remember that no translation service, save for a professionally contracted (and paid) one, is going to be perfect. Both DocTranslator and Google Translate will likely have some mistakes in their translations.

Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Please provide your name and last initial Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

Unfortunately, Google Translate won't let you save a copy of a translated PDF. You'll need to use DocTranslator if you want to download your translated PDF.