Translating Text and Converting Units

Hello, Excel enthusiasts! Welcome to another tutorial where we dive into some of Excel’s most intriguing functions. Today, we’re exploring three fantastic Excel functions that can help you translate text, detect languages, and convert units of measurement right within your spreadsheet. These functions are TRANSLATE, DETECTLANGUAGE, and CONVERT. Let’s jump right in!

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Step-by-Step Guide

1. Translating Text with the TRANSLATE Function

Have you ever wanted to quickly translate text directly in Excel without needing to jump over to Google Translate or another online tool? With the new TRANSLATE function, you can do just that! This function is especially useful when working with forms or documents that need to be translated into multiple languages.

How to Use the TRANSLATE Function

Let’s start with a simple example. Suppose you have a list of form fields in English, and you want to translate them into Spanish. Here’s how you can do it:

Enter the TRANSLATE Function:

• In your Excel sheet, select the cell where you want the translated text to appear.
• Type the formula: =TRANSLATE(text, source_language, target_language)

Provide the Necessary Arguments:

• Text: This is the cell reference or the text you want to translate. For example, if you want to translate the text in cell A2, you’d enter A2.
• Source Language: The language of the original text. For English, this is "en".
• Target Language: The language you want to translate the text into. For Spanish, this would be "es". For example, to translate “Hello” from English to Spanish, your formula would look like this:

   =TRANSLATE("Hello", "en", "es")

Example in Action

Consider the form fields entered in English in column A. We can enter the following formula into cell B8 and fill it down:

=TRANSLATE(A8, "en", "es")

The results are shown below:

Note: At the time of this writing, the TRANSLATE function is currently in limited release. Depending on your version of Excel, you might not see it.

2. Detecting Languages with the DETECTLANGUAGE Function

Next up, let’s explore the DETECTLANGUAGE function. This function is quite handy when working with multilingual datasets where you’re unsure about the language of the text entries.

How to Use the DETECTLANGUAGE Function

The DETECTLANGUAGE function helps you identify the language of a given text. Here’s how to use it:

Enter the DETECTLANGUAGE Function:

• In the target cell, type the formula: =DETECTLANGUAGE(text)
• Text: This is the cell reference or the text for which you want to detect the language.

Formula Example:

• To detect the language of the text in cell B6, you’d write:

   =DETECTLANGUAGE(B6)

Example

The sentences in column B are written in various languages. The DETECTLANGUAGE function is used in the formulas in column A:

Using DETECTLANGUAGE with TRANSLATE

A really cool trick is combining DETECTLANGUAGE with TRANSLATE. For example, suppose you want to translate text from an unknown language in C2 into English:

=TRANSLATE(C2, DETECTLANGUAGE(C2), "en")

This formula first detects the language of the text in cell C2 and then translates it into English. Pretty neat, right?

3. Converting Units with the CONVERT Function

Translation isn’t just about languages! Sometimes, you need to translate units of measure. This is where Excel’s CONVERT function comes into play.

How to Use the CONVERT Function

The CONVERT function helps you easily convert values from one unit of measurement to another.

Enter the CONVERT Function:

• In the desired cell, type the formula: =CONVERT(number, from_unit, to_unit)

Provide the Necessary Arguments:

• Number: The value you want to convert.
• From Unit: The current unit of measurement (e.g., “in” for inches).
• To Unit: The target unit of measurement (e.g., “mm” for millimeters).

Formula Example:

• To convert 3 inches to millimeters:

   =CONVERT(3, "in", "mm")

Example in Action

The formula in E7 is:

   =CONVERT(B7, C7, D7)

Fill the formula down, and the results are below:

Conclusion

There you have it! Three powerful Excel functions—TRANSLATE, DETECTLANGUAGE, and CONVERT—that can transform how you handle translations and conversions right in your spreadsheets. Whether you’re translating text, detecting languages, or converting units, these tools offer a streamlined approach that saves you time and effort.

If you have any questions, suggestions, or alternatives, please share by posting a comment below!

Sample File

Feel free to download the sample file containing all the examples discussed in this post.

FAQs

1. What is the TRANSLATE function in Excel?
The TRANSLATE function is a new feature in Excel that allows you to translate text from one language to another directly within your worksheet.

2. Can I use TRANSLATE to translate multiple cells?
Yes, you can use the TRANSLATE function on multiple cells by dragging the formula down across your desired range.

3. How does DETECTLANGUAGE work?
The DETECTLANGUAGE function identifies the language of the provided text and returns a language code (like “en” for English or “es” for Spanish).

4. Are these functions available in all versions of Excel?
No. At the time of this writing, TRANSLATE and DETECTLANGUAGE are available in Excel for Microsoft 365 subscribers on the most recent update channel. For more information about these functions and availability, check out this Microsoft article.

5. What does the CONVERT function do?
The CONVERT function converts a number from one measurement unit to another, such as from inches to centimeters.

6. Can CONVERT handle temperature conversions?
Yes, the CONVERT function can handle various conversions, including temperature (e.g., Celsius to Fahrenheit).

7. Is there a way to know which units are supported by CONVERT?
Yes, Excel provides a full list of supported units in its function library or by using the function wizard.

8. Do I need internet access to use TRANSLATE and DETECTLANGUAGE?
Yes, since these functions are powered by online services, you need an active internet connection to use them.