Amazon Translate — Neural machine translation service supporting 75 languages with batch and real-time capabilities.
What is Amazon Translate?
Amazon Translate is a neural machine translation service that delivers fast, high-quality, and affordable language translation. Using deep learning models, it provides more natural translations than traditional statistical methods.
Key Insight: Translate uses neural MT trained on billions of translation pairs — it understands context, idioms, and sentence structure better than word-by-word translation.
Key Features
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| 75 Languages | Supports thousands of language combinations across major global languages and dialects |
| Neural MT Engine | Deep learning for natural, context-aware translations |
| Batch Translation | Translate large volumes of text (documents, content libraries) |
| Real-Time Translation | Single API call for instant translation |
| Custom Terminology | Define brand names, product names, technical terms |
| Formality Settings | Control formal vs. informal tone (for supported languages) |
| Profanity Filtering | Automatic detection and filtering of inappropriate content |
Use Cases
Content Localization
Translate websites, apps, marketing content, and documentation for global audiences.
Customer Support
Enable real-time translation in chat, email, and helpdesk so agents can assist customers in any language.
Document Translation
Batch translate contracts, manuals, reports, and knowledge base articles.
Social Media & User-Generated Content
Translate user posts, comments, and reviews for content moderation and sentiment analysis.
How It Works
1. Send Text: Plain text or HTML
2. Specify Languages: Source (or auto-detect) and target language
3. Receive Translation:
response = translate.translate_text(
Text="Hello, how are you?",
SourceLanguageCode="en",
TargetLanguageCode="es"
)
# Result: "Hola, ¿cómo estás?"4. Use Results: Display to users, store in databases, feed into other services
Pricing & Free Tier
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Free Tier (first 12 months) | 2 million characters/month |
| Standard Translation | $15.00 per 1 million characters |
| Batch Translation | $15.00 per 1 million characters |
| Custom Terminology | No additional cost |
Cost Tip: 1 million characters ≈ 200-300 pages of text. Free tier covers substantial usage.
⚠️ Pricing Disclaimer: AWS pricing is subject to change. Always verify current pricing at the official Amazon Translate pricing page.
When to Use Translate
| Use | Don’t Use |
|---|---|
| Document/content localization | Speech translation (use Transcribe + Translate) |
| Real-time chat translation | Human-quality literary translation |
| High-volume automated translation | Legal/medical documents requiring certified translation |
Supported Languages
Popular Pairs:
- English ↔ Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese
- English ↔ Chinese (Simplified/Traditional), Japanese, Korean
- English ↔ Arabic, Hindi, Russian
- And 60+ more combinations
Custom Terminology Example
Define how specific terms should translate:
{
"Terminology": {
"en-es": {
"CloudCompute": "Computación en la Nube",
"ElasticBeanstalk": "Elastic Beanstalk"
}
}
}Important Notes
- Neural MT: All translation uses neural models (statistical MT is deprecated)
- Auto Language Detection: Can detect source language automatically
- HTML Support: Preserves HTML tags during translation
- Formality Settings: Available for languages with formality distinctions (Spanish, German, French, etc.)
TL;DR
- Translate = Neural machine translation API
- Features: 75 languages, batch/real-time, custom terminology, formality control
- Free Tier: 2 million characters/month for first 12 months
- Pricing: $15 per 1 million characters
- Best for: Content localization, customer support translation, document translation
- Quality: Context-aware neural MT, not word-by-word substitution
Resources
Amazon Translate Official product page and overview.
Translate Documentation Complete API reference and guides.
Translate Pricing Detailed pricing breakdown.