How to translate a PDF for free
- Add your PDF. Drop it on the page or click to choose it. It opens in your browser and is never uploaded.
- Pick the language. The original language is detected for you. Choose what you want to read it in, from 70+ languages.
- Translate and download. Read it paragraph by paragraph next to the original, then download it as Word, PDF or text.
Private by design
Most online PDF translators upload your whole document to their servers. This one never uploads the file: it is opened in your browser with PDF.js, the same PDF engine Firefox uses. In Chrome the translation itself also happens on your computer, using the translation model built into the browser, so not a single word leaves your device. That makes it a good fit for contracts, medical letters, invoices and anything else you would rather not hand to a stranger.
In other browsers the text (never the file) is translated through MyMemory, a free translation service, one paragraph at a time over HTTPS.
| Chrome (on-device) | Other browsers (online) | |
|---|---|---|
| Your PDF file | stays on your computer | stays on your computer |
| The text | stays on your computer | sent to MyMemory, paragraph by paragraph |
| Daily limit | none | about 5,000 characters, or 50,000 with an email |
| Languages | the most common languages | 70+ languages |
Guide — read any PDF in your own language
Original and translation side by side, 75 languages, export to Word, PDF or text. The file is never uploaded.Drop it on the page or press Choose PDF. The text is read in your browser; a scanned PDF without selectable text gets a warning to run OCR first.
From is set to Detect automatically; choose the target in Translate to (75 languages) or tap one of the 12 popular-language chips. ⇄ swaps them.
Translate All pages or Choose pages. The label shows Translated on your device (Chrome) or Online engine · MyMemory; More options can force the online engine or add an email for a higher limit.
Press Translate or Ctrl+Enter. Read Side by side or Translation only, copy a page or Copy all, and use Retry failed if a paragraph did not come back.
Open Download and pick Word (.doc), PDF (through the print dialog, choose "Save as PDF"), plain text (.txt) or a bilingual Word file with both versions in two columns.
Quick reference
- your text
- stays on your computer
- limit
- none; a language pack downloads once
- languages
- the most common pairs
- sent
- the text, one paragraph at a time, never the file
- daily limit
- about 5,000 characters; 50,000 with an email
- languages
- all 75
- .doc
- Word, Google Docs, Pages; also bilingual
- via the print dialog
- .txt
- plain text
PDF translation, explained
Is my PDF uploaded to a server?
No. The PDF is opened in your browser with PDF.js and never leaves your computer. In Chrome the translation also happens on your device. In other browsers only the text is sent to MyMemory, one paragraph at a time over HTTPS, and the file itself is never sent.
How do I translate a PDF to English?
Drop the PDF on the page. The original language is detected automatically, and English is one tap away in the language chips. Press Translate, then use Download to save the English version as a Word document, PDF or text file.
Can I download the translated PDF?
Yes. Choose Download and then PDF to open the print dialog and pick Save as PDF. You can also download a Word document (.doc) that opens in Word, Google Docs and Pages, a plain text file, or a bilingual Word document with the original and the translation in two columns.
Does it keep the layout of my PDF?
It keeps the structure: paragraphs, headings and page breaks stay where they were, and you can read every paragraph next to its original. Exact positions, images and columns are not rebuilt, because a translated sentence rarely has the same length as the original.
Why is there no text to translate?
Your PDF is probably scanned: each page is a picture, not selectable text. Run it through OCR first (in Adobe Acrobat, Preview or another PDF app look for "Make searchable" or "Recognize text"), then drop the new file here.
Which languages are supported?
More than 70, including English, Dutch, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Turkish, Russian, Ukrainian, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Hindi and Vietnamese. On-device translation in Chrome covers the most common ones and switches to the online engine for the rest.
How accurate is the translation?
It is machine translation: good for understanding a letter, contract or manual and for a first draft, but have important legal, medical or official documents checked by a professional translator.