翻译
to translate; translation; translator
fānyì
What does 翻译 mean?
翻译 (fānyì) is both the verb 'to translate / to interpret' and the noun for the act of translation OR the person who translates. As a verb: '把这句话翻译成中文' 'translate this sentence into Chinese.' As a noun for the person: '他是我的翻译' 'he is my interpreter/translator.' Two contrasts with English help: first, English splits 'translator' (written) and 'interpreter' (spoken) — Chinese collapses both into 翻译 in everyday use, with 笔译 and 口译 reserved for professional distinction.
Second, the pattern for translating between languages is '把 X 翻译成 Y' (translate X into Y); the result language uses 成 'into,' not 到. Saying '翻译成中文' is correct; '翻译到中文' sounds off. 翻 alone means 'to flip/turn over' (turning pages of a book to translate, historically), and 译 carries the 'interpret' meaning — a meaningful compound.
Note:
Character breakdown
to flip; to turn over; to rummage
to translate; to interpret (言 'speech' radical signals language)
Memory hook: 翻 'flip pages' + 译 'speech across' = turn the words of one language into another.
Example sentences
请你把这句话翻译成英文。
Qǐng nǐ bǎ zhè jù huà fānyì chéng Yīngwén.
Please translate this sentence into English.
neutral
他的中文很好，常常做翻译。
Tā de Zhōngwén hěn hǎo, chángcháng zuò fānyì.
His Chinese is excellent — he often works as a translator.
neutral
这个词不好翻译。
Zhège cí bù hǎo fānyì.
This word is hard to translate.
spoken
我用手机翻译菜单。
Wǒ yòng shǒujī fānyì càidān.
I'm using my phone to translate the menu.
spoken
明天的会议有翻译吗？
Míngtiān de huìyì yǒu fānyì ma?
Will tomorrow's meeting have a translator?
neutral
Common phrases with 翻译
Hear it in real Fluentide episodes
翻译 appears in 4 podcast episodes at natural native speed, with full Chinese script, pinyin, and line-by-line English translation.
Synonyms
口译 specifically means oral interpretation — what an interpreter does live at a meeting. 翻译 covers both written and spoken; specify 口译 only in professional contexts.
笔译 specifically means written translation (笔 'pen' + 译). Use 笔译 to distinguish written work from interpreting; otherwise 翻译 is fine.
译 alone appears in compounds (译者 translator, 译文 translated text, 翻译) and in formal/literary contexts. 翻译 is the everyday spoken word.
Don't confuse 翻译 with
翻 alone means 'to flip / turn over / rummage' (翻书 flip through a book, 翻过去 turn over). Only when paired with 译 does it mean translate.
解释 means 'to explain' — clarify meaning, often in the same language. 翻译 specifically converts between languages. '请解释一下' please explain (the meaning); '请翻译一下' please translate (into another language).
FAQ
Related words from the same episodes
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Hear 翻译 in real Chinese, not in a flashcard.
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