How to translate PDF document in seconds

If you need to translate PDF document, you have at your disposal different methods that allow you to do it in a simple and free way. We explain step by step the most popular formulas, take note!

Due to its multiple advantages, PDF (Portable Document Format) is one of the most popular and widespread digital document formats among users of all types of devices. Among its most outstanding properties we find that it is a multi-platform format that can be presented in the main operating systems, which can be opened and created by many applications and programs. Another interesting quality is that it maintains its structure as well as its appearance, regardless of the device in which it is opened.

As a consequence, the PDF is one of the preferred formats for exchanging documents, since it guarantees that virtually anyone can view it without any problem from any device, with the advantage that its design will not be affected.

If a document in this format written in another language has arrived at your hands, or if you have created a PDF content that you would like to express in another language, do not panic because you have the possibility to translate it in a very comfortable and fast way through different formulas.

Below we explain step by step some of the most popular methods to translate PDF. All the alternatives that we propose are completely free and you do not need to install any program on your computer.

All you need is a browser and Internet access, and in a matter of seconds, you will have your document translated. Pay attention, take note of the steps you have to take and choose the alternative that best suits your needs.

How to translate PDF with Google Translate

Without a doubt, Google Translator is one of the most popular and preferred tools for users to translate all types of content for free, whose effectiveness is backed by extensive online translation experience. Thanks to this service, all you need is a browser with an Internet connection to translate PDF document in a matter of seconds to more than 100 languages. 

As you should know, Google Translate offers you many useful and practical functions, and one of them is the translation of documents. Thanks to it, it is not necessary to manually copy and paste the contents of your file, but you only need to upload the file and the system translate PDF completely automatically, showing you the content page by page. The length of the document does not matter, so you don’t have to worry about any limitations to translate it.

If this is the translation alternative that suits you best, first enter the Google Translator page and click on the documents tab to access the desired function. You will see that, in addition to PDFs, you can also upload DOC, DOCX, ODF, PPT, PPTX, PS, RTF, TXT, XLS or XLSX files.

Then, click on the Scan Computer button, go to the folder where you save your document, and select it. Select the Detect language option in the toolbar at the top so that the system automatically identifies the original language of the document, or if you prefer, search it manually by clicking on the arrow to show all available languages. Then, indicate the language to which you want to translate the document on the right side of the toolbar.

Once this is done, press the Translate button and wait for the system to process the content. Google Translate PDF performs the translation in a few seconds, so you’ll hardly have to wait, even if your document is very dense.

The translation is obtained on the website itself, in-text, and without images, with the content divided by pages. If you place the mouse cursor over a word or sentence you will see the original text, and if it does not seem appropriate you can suggest a better translation.

How to translate PDF with DocTranslator

If what you want is to obtain a copy of your translated document in a PDF file, DocTranslator allows you to get it in a minute, completely free of charge, and without having to install any program on your computer.

It is a web service that uses Google Translate technology to carry out the translation, so as in the previous case it is possible to translate from more than 100 languages. In addition, this online application is committed to maintaining the format, design, and style of the original document, which constitutes its main advantage.

Thanks to this, instead of consulting the translation on a web page you can get it integrated into the original design of your PDF. On the other hand, it also supports other file formats: DOC, DOCX, PPT, PPTX, XLS, XLSX, ODT, ODS, ODP, SRT, and TXT.

The benefit from the functions of this service is the simplest. The first thing you have to do is enter the official website of DocTranslator and go to the Translator tab, which you can find in the menu at the top. Then, drag the document to the center box or click the Upload file button and select it in the folder where you save it on your computer.

Once this is done, you will see that the PDF will appear loaded, indicating its weight in MB. At the bottom, under the advertising banners, you will see two drop-down: the first indicates the original language, which has been automatically identified by Google Translate, and the second the language to which you want to translate the file. Check that the source and destination languages ​​are appropriate and click on the Translate button.

In the next step you can follow the evolution of the translation, seeing the number of words that have been translated and the percentage that they suppose of the total of the document. When the process is finished, you can download the translated file in its original format from the link to the text Download your translated document! located below the advertising banners. In addition, if you wish, the service allows you to convert your PDF to Word in a couple of clicks. 

How to translate PDF with Google Docs

Google Docs also allows you to obtain the translation of your PDF into a document, so it is another alternative that you have at your fingertips if you want to save a file with the translated PDF. To benefit from this service, you just have to have a Google Drive account, so this method is also completely free and you do not need to install any program on your computer.

The first thing you have to do is enter your credentials to access Google Drive. Then, click on the New button in the upper left corner, navigate to the directory where you have saved your PDF file, and press the Upload button. Wait until your document is loaded, and when it has been uploaded, double click on it to open it. Next, look at the top of the screen and click on the Open with Google Documents option.

Seconds later, you will see that a new tab opens in the browser with a copy of the document in Google Docs, which, except for some details such as colored backgrounds, retains a design and style similar to the original PDF. 

The next step is to perform the translation, which will not take you more than a few seconds. To do this, click on the Tools tab in the top menu and then select the Translate document option. Then, enter a title for the translated document in the text field and choose the language to which you would like to pass the content. Press the Translate button and in a few moments, a new tab will open in the browser with the translated document.

The copy of the translated PDF will be saved in the main Google Drive directory, but if you wish you can download the file to your computer. To do this, select the tab in which the document is open and select the File tab from the top menu. Then, place the mouse cursor on the Download option, choose the output format (PDF, DOCX, or EPUB, among others), and wait until the file is downloaded.

If you do not have the translated document open, another option to download it is to find it in your Google Drive directory, place the mouse cursor over it, right-click and select the Download option. Of course, in this way, you will get the document in DOCX format, which is the default download format.