What you get back
- An English transcript next to the original French transcript, plus a timestamped version.
- English subtitles as SRT and VTT files.
- With Full translation output on: an English voice track in which each person (up to 8) speaks in a copy of their own voice, the translated audio as M4A, and an MP4 that keeps your original picture, music and effects.
- French is detected automatically. The tool above is already set to English, so you only drop in the file.
French to English at a glance
French to English typically shortens text, so the English voice fits comfortably. Idioms are sometimes translated literally — check expressions in marketing content.
French and English share many cognates, which helps machine translation — but faux amis (actuellement means 'currently', not 'actually') occasionally slip through. A quick read of the English transcript catches them.
African, Canadian, Belgian and Swiss French accents transcribe well. Fast colloquial speech with verlan or slang is harder.
Numbers deserve a check: French counts some tens differently (soixante-dix is 70, quatre-vingt-dix is 90, while Belgium and Switzerland say septante and nonante), and decimal commas become decimal points in English. Prices and statistics are where a misheard number does the most damage.
Vous, tu and English "you"
French speakers choose between vous and tu, and switching to tu partway through an interview signals a closer relationship. English "you" covers both, so that change disappears. Politeness formulas go the same way: "je vous prie de bien vouloir…" becomes a plain "please". For business and training videos this is what you want. For interviews and documentaries, where tone carries meaning, mention the register in your notes.
Times, dates and the 24-hour clock
French uses the 24-hour clock in speech and writing: "14h30" or "quatorze heures trente". The translation may keep 14:30 or convert it to 2:30 pm. Either is clear to most viewers, but a US audience may expect the conversion, so pick one and check the subtitles. Dates come day first ("le 3 avril", 03/04), so 03/04 means 3 April. Write months out in anything you edit by hand to avoid confusion.
Quebec, Belgian, Swiss and African French
French from all these regions transcribes well, but each has vocabulary the translation may not expect. Quebec French has its own everyday words ("char" for car, "blonde" for girlfriend) and swear words built from church terms; West and Central African French borrows from local languages and has its own expressions; Belgian and Swiss speakers say septante and nonante. Words the translation doesn't recognise may come out literally. A viewer from the region can spot them quickly in the English transcript.
English loanwords used in French ("le meeting", "un mail", "c'est cool") pass through naturally. False friends between the two languages are covered in the notes above.
A French source leaves room in the English dub
English is usually shorter than French, so the English voice fits inside the original timing without speeding up, and short pauses appear between lines. Each line is placed where the French line was spoken, and each person keeps a copy of their own voice, up to 8 people per file. Interviews and panel discussions stay easy to follow because host and guests sound distinct. Background music and effects stay under the new voice; sung lyrics are removed with the speech.
Typical French to English jobs
- Canadian organisations
- French-language town halls, training and public information shared with English-speaking staff and audiences
- European companies
- Product demos, webinars and internal updates from French offices
- Research and NGOs
- Interviews and field recordings from France, Quebec and francophone Africa
- Creators
- French-language channels adding English subtitles or an English channel
For subtitle-only work, dual-language subtitles explains how to show French and English together for learners and bilingual audiences.
Costed examples
A Paris museum translates a 20-minute French curator talk into English for international visitors on its website.
Cost: 1,000 credits ($1.00) for the English dub, which includes the subtitles and both transcripts, or 20 credits (2¢) for English subtitles and transcripts without a voice.
A Montreal startup dubs a 9-minute French product demo into English for prospects in the United States.
Cost: 450 credits (45¢) for the English dub, which includes the subtitles and both transcripts, or 9 credits (0.9¢) for English subtitles and transcripts without a voice.
An NGO turns a 35-minute French interview recorded in Dakar into an English transcript for its funding report.
Cost: 1,750 credits ($1.75) for the English dub, which includes the subtitles and both transcripts, or 35 credits (3.5¢) for English subtitles and transcripts without a voice.
Using the tool on this page
- The spoken language is detected automatically; you select the output language — the spoken language itself for an untranslated transcript, or another language for a translation. Files can be up to 2 hours long.
- Only the audio is sent for processing — the video stays on your device — and audio and text are deleted within 30 minutes of delivery (how files are protected).
- You can download a translated video that keeps your music and effects, the translated audio as M4A, a transcript and subtitles (SRT and VTT). Every output, step and limit is explained on the video translator page.
More language pairs
Frequently asked questions
Does it understand African French accents?
Generally, yes. West and Central African French transcribes well; local words and expressions may be translated literally, so have someone familiar with the region read key passages.
Is 14h30 converted to 2:30 pm?
Sometimes. The translation may keep the 24-hour form or convert it. Check times in the English subtitles and make them consistent for your audience.
Does it understand Quebec French?
Yes, Québécois speech generally transcribes well, though strong slang may be translated literally.