Google Translate Blog
The official source for news on Google's translation technologies
Ten years of Google Translate
Thursday, April 28, 2016
Ten years ago, we launched Google Translate. Our goal was to break language barriers and to make the world more accessible. Since then we’ve grown from supporting two languages to 103, and from hundreds of users to hundreds of millions. And just like anyone’s first 10 years, we’ve learned to
see and understand
,
talk
,
listen
,
have a conversation
,
write
, and
lean on friends for help
.
But what we're most inspired by is how Google Translate connects people in communities around the world, in ways we never could have imagined—like
two farmers with a shared passion for tomato farming
, a
couple discovering they're pregnant in a foreign country
, and a
young immigrant on his way to soccer stardom
.
Here’s a look at Google Translate today, 10 years in:
1. Google Translate helps people make connections.
Translate can help people help each other, often in the most difficult of times. Recently we visited a community in Canada that is using Translate to break down barriers and make a refugee family feel more welcome:
2. There are more than 500 million of you using Google Translate.
The most common translations are between English and Spanish, Arabic, Russian, Portuguese and Indonesian.
3. Together we translate more than 100 billion words a day.
4. Translations reflect trends and events.
In addition to common phrases like “I love you,” we also see people looking for translations related to current events and trends. For instance, last year we saw a big spike in translations for the word "selfie,” and this past week, translations for "
purple rain
" spiked by more than 25,000 percent.
5. You’re helping to make Google Translate better with Translate Community.
So far, 3.5 million people have made 90 million contributions through
Translate Community
, helping us improve and add new languages to Google Translate. A few properly translated sentences can make a huge difference when faced with a foreign language or country. By reviewing, validating and recommending translations, we’re able to improve the Google Translate on a daily basis.
6. Brazil uses Google Translate more than any other country.
Ninety-two percent of our translations come from outside of the United States, with Brazil topping the list.
7. You can see the world in your language.
Word Lens is your friend when reading menus, street signs and more. This feature in the Google Translate App lets you instantly see translations in
28 languages
.
8. You can have a conversation no matter what language you speak.
In 2011, we first introduced the ability to have a
bilingual conversation
on Google Translate. The app will recognize which language is being spoken when you’re talking with someone, allowing you to have a natural conversation in
32 languages
.
9. You don't need an Internet connection to connect.
Many countries don’t have reliable Internet, so it’s important to be able to translate on the go. You can instantly translate signs and menus
offline with Word Lens
on both Android and iOS, and translate typed text offline with
Android
.
10. There's always more to translate.
We’re excited and proud of what we’ve accomplished together over the last 10 years—but there’s lots more to do to break language barriers and help people communicate no matter where they’re from or what language they speak. Thank you for using Google Translate—here’s to another 10!
Posted by Barak Turovsky, Product Lead, Google Translate
Labels
alpha languages
Android
api
BBC
Challenge
chrome
football
Google Goggles
Google Translate
Google Translate for Animals
I/O
integrations
Mobile
new languages
partnerships
Research
search
Search Stories
text-to-speech
toolbar
Translate Blog
Translate Community
translation quality
Translator Toolkit
transliteration
Wear
website translation element
Wikipedia
Youtube
Archive
2016
May
Apr
Feb
2015
Dec
Oct
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Feb
Jan
2014
Dec
Oct
Jul
2013
Dec
Nov
Sep
Aug
Jul
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
2012
Dec
Oct
Sep
Aug
Jul
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
2011
Nov
Oct
Aug
Jun
May
Apr
Feb
Jan
2010
Dec
Nov
Oct
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
2009
Dec
Nov
Feed
Follow @google
Follow
Useful Links
About Translate
Translate Community
Translate for Android
Translate for iOS
Give us feedback in our
Product Forums
.
Follow