Google Translate is now better at translating slang terms and idioms using AI
Google is rolling out a new Gemini-assisted feature in search and its Translate app. It claims its AI can now provide more natural and accurate text translations for sentences with “more nuanced meanings.” Translate will now take into account slang terms and colloquialisms rather than providing sometimes unnecessary direct translations.
The latest update to its text translation feature is rolling out first in the US and India, translating between English and just under 20 other languages, including German, Spanish, Chinese and Arabic. It works in the Translate app for iOS and Android and on the web.
Gemini’s speech-to-speech translation feature has also been updated, so you can now hear real-time translations in your headphones, just like with Apple’s. Google says the new feature, which is now in beta in the Translate app for Android (iOS coming next year) in the US, attempts to “preserve each speaker’s tone, accent, and cadence” so you can better understand the direction of the conversation and who said what. It works with any headset and supports over 70 languages.
Finally, Google is adding more tools to its AI-based language learning tools, potentially competing with Duolingo, which it integrated into the Translate app in August. Like Duolingo, Translate can now track how many consecutive days you’ve attempted to learn a new language, so you can check your progress over time. It’s unclear whether this will nag you as persistently as the Duolingo owl does for slacking.
The feedback feature has also been improved, so you should receive more useful tips on how you pronounce words or sentences. Germany, India and Sweden are among the 20 new countries that can now use these educational tools.
After not showing it much love for a while, Google has recently been busy adding new features to Translate. In addition to the new language practice feature, an update last month added the ability to choose between “quick” and “advanced” translations that let you prioritize speed when you’re in a hurry (ordering a drink at the bar, for example) or receive more accurate translations using Gemini.
