Translate German Video to English

What you get back

• An English transcript next to the original German 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.
• German is detected automatically. The tool above is already set to English, so you only drop in the file.

German to English at a glance

German to English shortens sentences and unpacks compound nouns. Because German verbs often come last, long German sentences can split awkwardly across subtitle cues.

German's long compound nouns are unpacked into several English words, and verb-final clauses are reordered. The English is usually shorter, so the voice track fits easily.

Engineering, manufacturing and automotive companies use this direction for training and product videos. Technical terms are generally translated well, but check internal jargon and part names.

German formality (Sie) disappears in English, which has a single 'you', so the English often reads warmer than the original. German speakers also say numbers units-first (einundzwanzig is 'one-and-twenty'), which occasionally trips up figures in fast speech — double-check numbers in the German transcript.

False friends to check

German and English share many words that look alike and mean different things. "Bekommen" means to get or receive; "eventuell" means possibly; "aktuell" means current; "Chef" is a boss; "sensibel" is sensitive; "Handy" is a mobile phone. Machine translation usually gets these right in context, but a literal "eventually" or "actual" in a training video changes the instruction. They are quick to search for in the English transcript.

Titles, job names and formality

German speakers use titles where English speakers use first names: "Herr Dr. Müller", "Frau Professorin Weber". Translations may keep "Dr." and drop "Herr", or keep everything. Job titles are another trap: "Geschäftsführer" is usually rendered "managing director" or "CEO", and "Meister" (a master craftsperson qualification) has no exact English equivalent. Decide how to render titles for your audience and keep it consistent across a series.

Austrian and Swiss speakers

Austrian German transcribes well; regional words such as "Jänner" for January or "Paradeiser" for tomatoes may be translated literally. Swiss speakers using Standard German also work well. Swiss German dialect is less reliable, as the FAQ below explains.

Units, standards and figures

German writes 1.000,5 where English writes 1,000.5, and dates come day first (05.04. is 5 April). Translation converts most of these, but check prices, tolerances and quantities against the German transcript, especially in technical training where a figure is an instruction. Standards and norms (DIN, VDE) are kept as they are; product and part names are worth reading line by line. The guide to translating names and technical terms covers building a term list for a series.

An English dub with room to breathe

German sentences are long and English versions are usually shorter, so the English voice fits inside the original timing without speeding up. Each line is placed where the German line was spoken. Because German verbs often come at the end of a clause, the English meaning sometimes arrives earlier than the German speaker's emphasis, which is barely noticeable in narration. Each person is dubbed in a copy of their own voice, up to 8 people per file.

Text in the picture, such as slides, machine labels and on-screen safety warnings, stays in German. For safety training, safety training video translation explains what to check before rolling a translated version out.

Costed examples

Cost: 1,200 credits ($1.20) for the English dub, which includes the subtitles and both transcripts, or 24 credits (2.4¢) for English subtitles and transcripts without a voice.

Cost: 1,500 credits ($1.50) for the English dub, which includes the subtitles and both transcripts, or 30 credits (3¢) for English subtitles and transcripts without a voice.

Cost: 300 credits (30¢) for the English dub, which includes the subtitles and both transcripts, or 6 credits (0.6¢) 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.