How To: ImTranslator for Chrome
HOW TO DOWNLOAD IMTRANSLATOR?
On the Chrome web store page, search for ImTranslator.
Click "Add to Chrome" button to install the extension, then confirm the extension.
After the installation, ImTranslator button 
appears on the Chrome’s toolbar and in the context menu.
HOW TO RUN IMTRANSLATOR?
- click ImTranslator button
on the Chrome toolbar - use the context menu "ImTranslator: Translation, Dictionary,TTS", then choose ImTranslator
- use the shortcuts Alt+Z (default)
ImTranslator application opens:
To translate, select a text on a webpage, then:
- click ImTranslator: Translation, Dictionary, TTS button on the Chrome toolbar to launch ImTranslator application (shortcuts Alt+Ctrl+Z )
- choose ImTranslator: Translate selection from the context menu ImTranslator: Translation, Dictionary, TTS to run ImTranslator
- choose Inline Translation from the context menu ImTranslator to run Inline Translation (shortcuts Alt+C)
- click on the floating button to run the Pop-up Bubble translator (shortcut Alt)
- choose Pop-up Bubble Translation from the context menu ImTranslator to run Pop-up Bubble
Refer to Run ImTranslator tutorial.
HOW TO USE HOTKEYS?
You can use the hotkeys to launch ImTranslator application, to make translations, or perform other tasks.
To translate a selected text:
- highlight the text to translate and hold the key BEFORE or AFTER TEXT selection
The translation will appear instantly, either in ImTranslator window, pop-up bubble or inline.
Hotkeys customization
ImTranslator hotkeys are fully customizable, and can be defined for each translation application using Options.
To set preferred hotkeys, go to Options and choose the application tab to make desired changes.
The fastest way to access Options is to right-click ImTranslator button on the toolbar.
To change the hotkeys:
- click inside the Hotkeys field you want to make changes
- enter new hotkeys
- after a short delay the new hotkeys appear
- click Save options to keep your changes
You can use the following keys: Ctrl, Alt, Shift, A-Z, 0-9 in any combination, but no more than three keys.
Choosing identical hotkeys for different tasks is not allowed, as it will result in hotkeys conflict.
If the new key combination has been already reserved, the alert message will appear; the previous hotkeys will be restored.
In this case you need to choose other key combinations.
The hotkey engine will detect the conflicting keys and display the alert window.
In Shortcuts window you can assign unique hotkeys for each task.
You can also temporarily deactivate hotkeys if desired by clearing the checkbox next to the hotkey title.
After Saving hotkeys, you will be redirected back to the application tab.
Some hotkeys fields include the clear button. Clicking on this button removes the hotkeys and replaced by None. This mode allows you to activate translations on mouse selection.
Note: this translation mode is not recommended. It may interfere with other tasks where making text selection with the mouse is implemented.
HOW TO ACCESS OPTIONS?
- right-click on ImTranslator button on the toolbar
- Options link on any translation application
Refer to Options tutorial
WHEN I OPEN IMTRANSLATOR, IT ALWAYS TRANSLATES TO SPANISH. HOW DO I CHANGE THE DEFAULT LANGUAGE?
ImTranslator is fully customizable. You can easily change settings of each translation application using Options. To access Options, right-click on ImTranslator button on the Chrome toolbar, or click the Options link in any translation application, and change your preferences:
- translation direction
- auto language detection
- back translation
- hotkeys
- font size
- enable/disable pop-up bubble application
- enable translation history
You can configure each ImTranslator's application - ImTranslator, Pop-up Bubble, Inline Translator, Webpage Translation - by opening the corresponding tab.
Do not forget to save new settings.
HOW TO USE TRANSLATION HISTORY?
First, enable Translation History in ImTranslator Options: either using the History tab or in each translation tool.
After you enabled the Translation History, all of the translations will be recorded and stored along with the source text or links to the corresponding webpages.
To access Translation History, click the History link on the translation application, or go to ImTranslator Options, then open the History tab.
Refer to the Translation History tutorial.
HOW TO USE IMTRANSLATOR DICTIONARY?
Just select one word and run ImTranslator application
or Pop-up Bubble Translator:
In addition to the translation variants, each dictionary entry displays a set of reverse translations into the original language, if available.
or Inline Translator:
The Dictionary translations are provided by Google Dictionary. So, make sure to select Google (G) provider when translating words in Pop-up Bubble Translator.
The Dictionary covers more than 90 language combinations with English language and some other language pairs.
If you select more than one word to translate, you will get a regular translation done by Google Translate.
HOW TO QUICKLY TRANSLATE WORDS ?
1) Word Translation via Shortcut (Pop-up Translation)
Hold the ALT key while highlighting a word. The Pop-up window opens with the word translation.
2) Word Translation without Shortcut (Pop-up Translation)
Remove the shortcut (Alt) from the Shortcuts menu by clicking on the X sign ("None" will be displayed). Then highlight a word, and the translation pops up .
3) Inline Word Translation (Inline Translation)
Press the the Alt+C shortcuts while highlighting a word. The word translation(s) appears next to the highlighted word embedded into the text.
4) Double-click words translations (Pop-up Translation)
Refer to the tutorial
HOW TO CHANGE THE LANGUAGE ON GOOGLE CHROME?
- Click the Chrome menu
on the browser toolbar. - Select Settings.
- Click Show advanced settings and go to the "Languages" section.
- Select the language you'd like to use from the list. If the language isn't listed, first add it as one of your preferred webpage languages by clicking Add.
- On the right panel, click Display Google Chrome in this language.
- Restart the browser to apply the changes.
HOW TO REMOVE IMTRANSLATOR FROM THE BROWSER?
- click the Chrome menu on the browser toolbar (Customize and Control Google Chrome)
- click More Tools
- select Extensions
- click the trash can icon by the ImTranslator extension
- a confirmation dialog appear, click Remove.
Pop-up Bubble Translator
HOW TO TRANSLATE WITH THE TRIGGER KEY?
Translate on mouse selection with a shortcut key
- hold the shortcut key (Alt by default)
- select the text with the mouse
- the translation will pop up in the bubble window
You can choose a different trigger key Ctrl, Alt, Shift, A-Z, 0-9 in any combination, but no more than three keys.
HOW TO TRANSLATE ON MOUSE SELECTION?
Translate on mouse selection without a shortcut key
- open Pop-up Bubble Options
- removes the hotkeys (NONE displayed)
- save options
To translate:
- select the text with the mouse
- the translation will pop up in the bubble window
HOW TO SEE THE DETECTED SOURCE LANGUAGE?
But you can see a detected language by choosing ANY language from the source language list in Pop-up Bubble Options.
After the language detection is performed, the set language will be switched to the DETECTED language.
Make sure that the "Detect source language automatically" checkbox is on in Pop-up Bubble Options.
HOW TO USE DICTIONARY IN BUBBLE TRANSLATOR?
Make sure that the dictionary is enabled in the Pop-up Bubble Options.
If the dictionary doesn't display translation variants, the searched word may not be present in the dictionary. In this case it will be translated by the Google Translate service.
The dictionary covers over 90 language combinations with English language, and some other language pairs.
HOW DO I CONFIGURE THE BUBBLE TRANSLATOR?
Consult the Bubble Translator Options tutorial.
HOW TO DISABLE THE LANGUAGE DETECTION?
There may be cases when the language detection tool doesn't recognize the language correctly, especially for languages of the same language group. (But, the accuracy of the automatic language detection increases with the amount of the text entered).
If you know the language of the text to be translated, you can unmark the automatic language detection checkbox and set the source language manually using Options.
To access Options:
- Click the Options link on the translation window or click ImTranslator button on the Chrome toolbar, then choose Options.
- Open the Pop-up Bubble tab.
- Set the preferred language direction.
- Clear the checkbox "Detect source language automatically".
- Save Options.
Refer to Language Detection tutorial.
HOW TO DISABLE POP-UP BUBBLE?
- Click the Options link on the Pop-up Bubble Translator window or right-click on ImTranslator: Google Translate button on the Chrome toolbar, then choose Options.
- In the Pop-up Bubble tab locate "Enable ImTranslator Bubble" and clear its checkbox.
- Click "Save Options" to keep your changes.
The Pop-up Bubble will no longer appear.
You can enable this application at any time to get the Bubble translator back. Go to Options, open Pop-up Bubble tab, and re-check the box "Enable ImTranslator Bubble".
Refer to Disable ImTranslator Bubble tutorial.
ImTranslator
HOW DO I KNOW THE LANGUAGE OF THE SOURCE TEXT?
As you enter text and click the Translate button, the language detection tool analyzes the source text, identifies the language and displays the label "Detected: language".
Webpage Translation
HOW TO TRANSLATE A WEBPAGE?
To translate a web page, choose “Translate this page to” a selected language from the context menu
ImTranslator.The context menu provides the choice of a web page translation modes:
- translate an entire web page
- mouseover translation of a text segment on the page
Consult the Webpage Translation tutoria.
HOW TO CHANGE TRANSLATION LANGUAGE?
You can also change the translation language from the Translate toolbar on top of the page.
