To translate means to convert words from one language into another while keeping the same meaning. When you translate a story written in Spanish into English, you're finding English words that express what the Spanish words say. A translator might read “Buenos días” and write “Good morning,” or take “Je suis heureux” from French and render it as “I am happy.”

Translation requires understanding both what words literally say and what they actually mean, because languages express ideas differently. If a French person says “J'ai froid” (literally “I have cold”), a translator knows to write “I am cold” in English, because that's how English speakers naturally express the feeling. A good translator must grasp the full meaning behind the words and find the best way to express that same meaning in the target language.

The word can also mean explaining something complicated in simpler terms. When your teacher translates a difficult math concept into an example you understand, she's converting abstract ideas into concrete ones. Scientists often need to translate their technical findings into language that regular people can grasp.

Translation is the noun form. A translator is someone who does this work professionally, and a translation is the converted text itself. Thanks to translation, people can read ancient Greek philosophy, Japanese novels, and German scientific papers, even if they only speak English.