How to Translate an Excel File in 3 Ways

Want to learn how to translate an Excel file? We’ve got you covered! Below, we teach you not one, not two, but three different ways to do it.

Translate Excel files with a professional translation tool

If you are translating a single, simple Excel file for personal use, any translation tool would do. Business files, on the other hand, require professional translation. Here’s why.

Professional translation tools, like Centus, allow you to:

• Preserve file formatting
• Translate Excel files into multiple languages simultaneously
• Arrange a review by human editors
• Run automated QA checks
• Ensure consistent term usage
• Reduce translation costs
• Save time

Here's how to use Centus to translate an Excel file (XLSX):

1. Sign up to Centus
2. Click New project and enter its name

3. In the Imports section, click Select a file

4. Add your XLSX file and Click Upload a file
5. In the Editor section, generate bulk translations with Google Translate, DeepL, or Microsoft Translate
6. Edit translations if necessary and click Save

Voila! Now you have an automatically translated Excel file with formatting intact. To keep it free of errors, arrange professional editing:

1. In the Contributors section, click Add people
2. Enter the editor’s name, email, and other details
3. Click Add project contributor

If you want to ensure that the translated Excel file is impeccable, throw in a little QA automation on top. Centus can automatically detect spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors, leading and trailing whitespaces, and a whole lot of other errors.

Sounds appealing? Try Centus now!

Feeling brave? Let’s explore alternative methods of Excel translation.

Translate Excel spreadsheets using Microsoft Translator

Microsoft Translator is a built-in tool you can use to efficiently translate Excel spreadsheets. It goes like this:

1. Open your Excel spreadsheet and choose the file you want to translate
2. On the toolbar, click Review > Translate

3. Select the source language and target language
4. Click Translate
5. Review translations on the right and manually copy-paste them into corresponding cells

Pros

• Microsoft Translator offers the simplest way to translate Excel files.

Cons

• This translation method requires copy-pasting translations manually.
• Microsoft Translator is not suitable for professional use because it occasionally provides inaccurate translations.
• Functions and formulas are only preserved if the Functions Translator add-on is used.

Translate Excel documents with Google Translate

Google Translate supports multiple types of documents, including XLS and XLSX.

Here’s how to translate an Excel file using Google Translate:

1. In Google Translate, click the Documents tab

2. Choose your source and target languages
3. Click Translate

4. Save your Excel worksheet

Pros

• This translation method eliminates the need for manual copy-pasting or file conversion.

Cons

• Translated Excel files may require substantial editing to be suitable for business use.

Parting thoughts

As you can see, Excel file translation doesn’t have to be challenging. To do it right, remember this simple advice:

Translate personal spreadsheets with free tools and professional spreadsheets with professional tools.

Need more advice?

Check our guides to document translation and business translation.