Facebook is used by over 2 billion people around the world, making it one of the most widely used social media platforms globally. With users from different countries speaking different languages, Facebook provides a translation feature that allows you to view Facebook in the language you’re most comfortable with.
The Facebook translation feature allows you to translate text, posts, and comments into 100+ languages with just a click. This makes Facebook a more inclusive space where people can connect across language barriers. Whether you only speak English or multiple languages, translating content on Facebook can help you have a better experience on the platform.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk through how to use the Facebook translation tools to read and write English content on Facebook. We’ll cover:
- How to translate your Facebook feed into English
- How to translate individual Facebook posts and comments into English
- How to post English content on Facebook so it translates for your friends
- Tips for communicating across languages on Facebook
Let’s get started!
Translating Your Facebook Feed into English
The first step to accessing English content on Facebook is to translate your entire News Feed. This will transform all the text you see on Facebook to English.
Here’s how to translate your Facebook feed on desktop:
- Click on the arrow in the top right corner of your Facebook page.
- In the dropdown menu, select “Settings.”
- On the left sidebar, click “Language.”
- Under “Facebook language,” select “English.”
And here’s how to do it on mobile:
- Tap the three line “hamburger” menu icon in the top right of your Facebook app.
- Scroll down and select “Settings & privacy.”
- Tap “Settings.”
- Tap “Language and region.”
- Under “Facebook language,” select “English.”
Once you update your Facebook language to English, you’ll see all public posts and profiles get translated to English. This makes it easy to use Facebook comfortably if you only speak English.
However, there are a few caveats:
- Private messages between you and your friends won’t get translated.
- Names of people and places won’t translate.
- Any text in images won’t translate.
So changing your Facebook language won’t translate everything. Next, we’ll go over how to translate specific posts and comments into English.
Translating Individual Facebook Posts & Comments into English
While changing your News Feed language will provide an English translation for most public content, you may still come across untranslated text on Facebook. This includes posts from people who haven’t enabled translation on their posts or text within images.
When you need to translate a specific post or comment on Facebook, use the “See Translation” button:
- Hover over the post or comment you want to translate and click the three dots icon in the top right corner.
- Select “Translate post” from the dropdown menu.
- Choose “English” under “Translate to”.
This will instantly translate the post or comment into English. The translation will appear above the original text, so you can read the English version.
However, there are limitations to the translation:
- It may not provide perfect grammar.
- The meaning can sometimes get lost in translation.
- It doesn’t translate images or videos.
So use caution when relying on the translations of specific posts and comments. The automated translations may not always be accurate.
If you want translations of better quality, we recommend using the following professional translation services:
| Translation Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Gengo | $0.06 – $0.12 per word |
| One Hour Translation | $0.09 – $0.16 per word |
| Tomedes | $0.09 – $0.15 per word |
| RWS | $0.14 – $0.19 per word |
These human translators will provide more accurate and meaningful translations. But they come at a price.
Next, we’ll go over how you can post English content on Facebook so it automatically translates for your friends and followers.
Posting English Content on Facebook for Translation
If you want to post updates in English so your friends can read them in their native language, Facebook’s translation feature makes it easy.
When you publish a post in English, friends who have a different Facebook language set will see your post automatically translated.
Here’s how it works:
- You write a post in English, as you normally would.
- For friends with English set as their Facebook language, they’ll see your original English post.
- For friends with another language set, Facebook will translate your post into their language.
This allows you to easily post English updates while still engaging your international friends and followers.
However, the same translation limitations apply:
- The automated translations may have inaccuracies.
- Any nuance or humor may get lost in translation.
- Text within images won’t translate.
To improve translation quality, you can enable human translations:
- Go to your post and click the three dots in the upper right corner.
- Select “Enable human translations.”
- Choose a language to enable human translations for.
This will have native speakers provide higher quality translations for your post. However, it can take over a day to receive the human translations.
Pro tip: Try to write shorter posts and use simple language. This helps increase the accuracy of automated translations.
Let’s recap the key points for translating English on Facebook:
| Goal | How To Do It |
|---|---|
| Translate your News Feed | Change your Facebook language to English in Settings |
| Translate specific posts/comments | Use the “See Translation” option in any post |
| Post English updates for translation | Write posts as normal in English |
| Improve translation quality | Enable human translations for a language |
Now that we’ve covered the built-in translation tools, let’s go over some tips for communicating across languages on Facebook.
Tips for Cross-Language Communication on Facebook
Facebook’s translation features help bridge language gaps, but some meaning can still get lost in translation.
Here are some tips for more effective communication on Facebook across multiple languages:
- Use short, simple sentences to improve translation accuracy.
- Avoid slang, idioms, and cultural references that may not translate well.
- Add context to help clarify your meaning and intent.
- Double check translations using professional services if needed.
- Let friends know you used a translation tool so they understand limitations.
- Offer to translate comments you receive into English.
- Translate key details (dates, locations, names) yourself for accuracy.
While the translations may not be perfect, Facebook provides a way for billions of people worldwide to connect across cultures and languages. With some understanding of the limitations, you can have meaningful conversations in languages you don’t speak fluently.
Conclusion
Facebook’s translation tools make it possible to view and share English content with your friends and followers around the world. While machine translation has its flaws, it enables more inclusive communication across language barriers on one of the world’s largest social platforms.
We walked through how to:
- Translate your entire Facebook feed into English.
- Instantly translate individual posts and comments.
- Post English updates that translate automatically.
- Use tips to improve cross-language communication.
So try out the translation features on Facebook to bridge language gaps with your international friends and family. While the translations won’t be perfect, they can help open the door to more meaningful connections on Facebook across diverse languages and cultures.