translate
- 01 B1 Intermediate
v.to change words from one language into another language.
v.to express the sense of words or text in another language. Transitive when specifying the source or target text.
Simple“She had to translate the menu for her parents because they didn't speak French.”
In context“The poet spent years attempting to translate the ancient epic into modern English while preserving the original meter and emotional resonance.”
PitfallCan you translate this book to Spanish? Can you translate this book into Spanish?Use the preposition 'into' when naming the target language.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to change something into a different form or to have a specific result.
v.to lead to or manifest as a particular result or state. Often used with the preposition 'into'.
Simple“Hard work in the gym will eventually translate into better performance on the field.”
In context“Economists are concerned that the recent increase in raw material costs will eventually translate into higher prices for the average consumer.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to explain something difficult in a way that is easier to understand.
v.to rephrase or interpret technical or complex information into a simpler or more accessible register.
Simple“Can you translate this legal document into plain English for me?”
In context“The consultant's primary role was to translate the engineers' technical jargon into a strategic plan that the board of directors could approve.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
v.to move a shape or object to a new position without turning it or changing its size.
v.to move a figure or a set of points a fixed distance in a specified direction without rotation or reflection.
Simple“In the geometry lesson, we learned how to translate a triangle across the graph.”
In context“To solve the problem, the student had to translate the entire coordinate system along the x-axis to align with the primary vector.”
- 05 C2 Proficiency
v.the process in a cell where instructions from genes are used to make proteins.
v.to undergo or cause the process by which a sequence of nucleotide triplets in messenger RNA gives rise to a specific sequence of amino acids.
Simple“The cell uses ribosomes to translate genetic code into the proteins our bodies need.”
In context“The research team investigated how certain environmental toxins might interfere with the cell's ability to translate mRNA accurately during protein synthesis.”
- 06 C2 Proficiency
n.a set of points moved by a specific distance and direction.
n.the result of a translation; a set of points obtained by adding a fixed vector to each point of a given set.
Simple“The teacher asked us to find the coordinates for the translate of the square.”
In context“In Euclidean geometry, any translate of a line is a line parallel to the original.”
Synonyms
From Middle English translaten (“to transport, translate, transform”), from Anglo-Norman translater, from Latin trānslātus, perfect passive participle of trānsferō (“to transport, carry across, translate”). See also -ate (verb-forming suffix). Distant doublet of transfer, see collate and confer, delate and defer, as well as prelate and prefer among others. In this sense, displaced Old English wendan (“to translate,” also the word for “to turn” and “to change”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.