Translation apps

[Lachance]

I've seen Eng/Spanish translation apps recommended in other threads. But not only is the search function here quite laborious and frustrating, it inevitably distracts you into other things. Of course, grateful it exists, but...

Anyway, looking for recommendations for apps which are useful for actual real time conversation. The thread title might help others in future too.

 

[camino-david]

I used Google Translate last year and it was perfectly adequate. I was a hospitalero and my fellow hospitalero was Spanish who knew maximum 5 words in English. I know some Spanish and used Google Translate when I got stuck. The one I have translates both voice and written and in very many languages and is very user friendly.

 

[Mike Trebert]

I've seen Eng/Spanish translation apps recommended in other threads. But not only is the search function here quite laborious and frustrating, it inevitably distracts you into other things. Of course, grateful it exists, but...

Anyway, looking for recommendations for apps which are useful for actual real time conversation. The thread title might help others in future too.

I bought iTranslate Voice and it's magic. I speak into my phone, it displays the typed phrase in English, then (almost immediately) speaks it back in Spanish and displays the typed Spanish. Absolutely magic. I can save favourite phrases. Can't remember the price but I think it was pretty expensive.

Another one for translating signs or a few printed words at a time - live and real time is Wordlens. Check it out it's phenomenal. Just watch a demo, you won't believe it's possible. I've demo'd it to friends and they just laugh as though they're watching some advanced alien technology.

BUT, on the Camino Frances, don't locals speak Basque? These apps work with Spanish, Basque isn't listed as an option. Anyway, I've got English/Spanish/English, hope it works for me.

Have fun and Buen Camino, - Mike

 

[bernhugo]

Hi Mike. Most of the Basques can understand and speak Castilian Spanish, even if they choose not to do so.
The majority will react to Spanish if spoken by a non-resident
Many of them meet English speakers daily.

 

[Bernieoncamino]

Agreed! I use Google Translate App now & find it easy to use. If sentence too long for me to repeat, I break it down, listen to the Spanish then speak my version of into the app & it tells me what I said in English. This has sometimes been an object of great amusement (for me) too as my Aussie twang tries to repeat the Spanish phrases.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

the search function here quite laborious and frustrating

I often use Google to search the forum by adding site:caminodesantiago.me to the search terms for Google.

 

[movinmaggie]

Maybe a naïve question, but for the iTranlate app, will it work with an Android phone? I know my iMac desktop comp doesn't like any devices near it that don't start with 'i'. Thanks.

 

[zzotte]

I also like Jibbigo good for offline, google translate its great, it does amazing things, you can point like a camera to a word and translates for you, you can speak to it and translates for you

zzotte

 

[Mike Trebert]

Maybe a naïve question, but for the iTranlate app, will it work with an Android phone? I know my iMac desktop comp doesn't like any devices near it that don't start with 'i'. Thanks.

Have a look at The iTranslate Voice website. http://itranslatevoice.com
It's available on Googleplay as well as Apple App store so that must mean there's an Android version (I'm an Apple guy, know nothing of Android world.) - Mike

 

[MaidinBham]

I just added Google Translate to iphone home screen - didn't download app. iTranslate looks like a great app also, I may buy this one. Great suggestions. Does the offline feature mean it will not require a internet connection?
Janice

 

[Mike Trebert]

I just added Google Translate to iphone home screen - didn't download app. iTranslate looks like a great app also, I may buy this one. Great suggestions. Does the offline feature mean it will not require a internet connection?
Janice

I haven't used it yet 'out in the field' without a connection. I'd check FAQ on their website. My guess is it would work without an internet connection but not as a full-featured version.

 

[Lachance]

I often use Google to search the forum by adding site:caminodesantiago.me to the search terms for Google.

Great tip! I often get forum results up in a general Google search on camino matters, but never thought of doing a direct Google search on the site. Duh.

 

[Bernieoncamino]

Hi

I just added Google Translate to iphone home screen - didn't download app. iTranslate looks like a great app also, I may buy this one. Great suggestions. Does the offline feature mean it will not require a internet connection?
Janice

The app works without connection on iPhone In that it retains the data you have already put in when you have Internet. It also has the camera option.

 

[MaidinBham]

Hi


The app works without connection on iPhone In that it retains the data you have already put in when you have Internet. It also has the camera option.

Thanks Bernie - I went to iTranslate website and they mention "offline voice" feature, just wasn't clear about offline function. It seems you save phrases, words and then can access without Internet connection. Exactly what I need. Thanks for tip.
Janice

 

[GettingThere]

I used the Google Translate app - it works offline (you have to download the languages you want) except for the voice function which only works when connected to the internet. It was ok - Google Translate is not perfect by any means, so I wouldn't rely on it for writing some important communication without checking another source. Some of the "translations" it comes up with can be hilarious because it's very literal, it doesn't provide any alternatives for different contexts, and it doesn't take into account where particular phrases might be expected for politeness rather than just the Spanish words for a phrase we might use in English. One of the first times I used it was when I saw "Lomo" on a menu and didn't know what it was. It's pork loin, for anyone who doesn't know - Google gave me "back" as the translation - just that. Which was somewhat less than helpful if technically correct, although the owner of the bar where I was checking this also looked up a translation app on his phone (I don't know which one) and it told him it was some kind of sausage! For basic words and phrases Google was mostly fine though.

 

[Seabird]

Be careful about any translation app! I received a response regarding my inquiry about a reservation with a hotel in Santiago. I put this phrase into Google Translate to check my own translation: "De momento hay disponibilidad para la fecha solicitada." Google told me there was NO availability, when in fact the hotel was telling me that "at the moment, there IS availability for the dates I had inquired about." Only after checking with other online services did I confirm that I was correct and Google was wrong.

 

[Lachance]

Be careful about any translation app! I received a response regarding my inquiry about a reservation with a hotel in Santiago. I put this phrase into Google Translate to check my own translation: "De momento hay disponibilidad para la fecha solicitada." Google told me there was NO availability, when in fact the hotel was telling me that "at the moment, there IS availability for the dates I had inquired about." Only after checking with other online services did I confirm that I was correct and Google was wrong.

Out of interest, I tested this and confirmed what you have said. It is another example of a weakness I have noticed before with Google translate: the longer the passage, the less accurate the translation. If you just say 'de momento hay disponibilidad', it is translated correctly. When you add 'para la fecha solicitada', things go haywire. In fact, Google mistranslates the latter phrase as 'for dates' when it should be 'for the date requested'.

 

[Seabird]

Out of interest, I tested this and confirmed what you have said. It is another example of a weakness I have noticed before with Google translate: the longer the passage, the less accurate the translation. If you just say 'de momento hay disponibilidad', it is translated correctly. When you add 'para la fecha solicitada', things go haywire. In fact, Google mistranslates the latter phrase as 'for dates' when it should be 'for the date requested'.

This is interesting. What a curious result. Thanks for checking this out.