If you live in China, you need to learn some Chinese. You really do. Unfortunately, Google has just it that much easier to get by in Beijing without any language skills.
I’m not sure if that is good news or bad news, but I do know that the new universal translator/babble-fish app from Google is pretty cool. It’s available on iPhone/iPod Touch and Android. It takes voice input from 15 different languages and text input from 50 different languages, but, for our purposes, we’re most interested in how well it works with Chinese. It’s better than the other language dictionary apps that I’ve used for the following reasons:
- It takes voice input from both Chinese and English (and 13 other languages).
- It handles phrases and whole sentences really well.
- It can speak back those phrases in Chinese. (This is really helpful if you suck at tones.)
- It has a full-screen, large character option, so it’s very easy for the person you’re communicating with to read it.
- It’s free. Yeah!
Here’s how to use it:
1) Download and launch Google Translate app on your iPhone/iPod Touch or Android Phone.
2) Click the ‘microphone icon, and say “I would like Kung Pao chicken.”
3) Check the transliterated English and get the the Chinese character and pinyin translation.
4) Click the ‘speaker’ icon for spoken Chinese or turn the phone/ipod sideways for larger characters.
The biggest downside is that you need WiFi or data network access to use it. You can, however, store phrases for future use by star-ing them. In this case, just speak some common phrases that you might need while you have WiFi access and take them with you for later.
Here are some of the real life situations that I can see this app being really helpful:
- Some guy/gal comes to your door and you’re not sure what they want or if it’s important. Just have them speak into your Google Translate app and it can translate it into English for you.
- Cab drivers always misunderstand you when you say the name of your building complex (probably because you got the tones wrong again). Store your address in your phone and show the driver the large, easy-to-read characters in full-screen mode.
- You can’t communicate effectively with your ayi. You can both speak into the phone and translate whole sentences into English/Chinese.
- You can’t remember how to order at the local Chinese restaurant. Save the names of your favorite Chinese dishes, and any special instructions like “no MSG” or “extra spicy.”
- You suck at tones. Practice your tones by listening to the spoken Chinese translations.
Do you have any favorite translation apps? What other practical situations could you see using the Google Translate app?
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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Have you actually used this app in China? I’m traveling there soon and was worried government filtering of all Google domains might render this app useless.
Yeah we have been using it. Gmail has been a bit spotty recently and some other Google products are blocked but the Translate app hasn’t had any problems.
Excellent! Thanks for the post.
Hi, I am moving to China, and I need this app! I want to know if it is easier to get a phone that works with it while I am here in the states, or once I am over there. Any info you could give would be greatly appreciated.
Peter,
If you’re looking for something a bit cheaper I’d probably go onto eBay and pick up a used phone that runs Android OS, you should be able use google translate app with that. Phone plans and data plans in China are really cheap, but the actual electronics are not usually any cheaper than in the States, and ofter are more expensive.
Thanks, Matt. So there aren’t any compatibility issues that you are aware of for US phones on Chinese networks? Is it as easy as swapping SIM cards?
It needs to be a GSM phone that uses a SIM card (you can’t use Verizon phones). We both use iPhones (unlocked and jailbroken).