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Get Quick Translations on Your Apple Device with Siri

Q: Do I need to prepare anything?

You'll need an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max , or an iPad/Mac with an M-series chip , running iOS 18, iPadOS 18, or macOS Sequoia (or newer). These devices are necessary as they are powered by Apple Intelligence, which is Apple's advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system. Ensure Siri is enabled on your device. You can check this in your device's Settings under "Siri & Search&quo

Q: What mistakes should I avoid?

Not specifying the language: If you just say "Translate 'hello'," Siri might ask for the target language. Always state both the phrase and the language, like "Translate 'hello' into Spanish." Speaking too quickly or unclearly: Siri, like any voice assistant, works best with clear speech. If it misunderstands, try speaking a little slower and articulating your wo

Learn how to get instant, spoken translations for phrases during everyday chats or while traveling using Siri, powered by Apple Intelligence.

6 min read·July 21, 2026

This guide was written by AI. It passed automated fact and quality checks, and our editor spot-checks published guides every day.

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Ever been in a situation where you needed a quick translation during a chat, perhaps overseas or helping someone locally? This guide will show you how to use Apple Intelligence, accessed through Siri, to get instant spoken translations for individual phrases. By the end, you'll be able to easily ask Siri to translate phrases, making communication simpler in everyday life.

💡 Tip: tap a step’s number when you finish it — a green tick appears and your browser remembers how far you got.

✅ Before you start

You'll need an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max, or an iPad/Mac with an M-series chip, running iOS 18, iPadOS 18, or macOS Sequoia (or newer). These devices are necessary as they are powered by Apple Intelligence, which is Apple's advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system.
Ensure Siri is enabled on your device. You can check this in your device's Settings under "Siri & Search".
The whole process takes about 5-10 minutes to learn.

Step 1 of 5

Activate Siri

Start by waking up your device's voice assistant, Siri, to begin the translation process.

To do this, either press and hold the Side button on your iPhone (the large button on the right edge) or, if you have "Hey Siri" enabled, simply say "Siri" aloud. On an iPad or Mac, you might also find a Siri icon in your dock or menu bar to click. You'll know Siri is listening when you see a colorful, animated waveform or a small Siri icon appear at the bottom of your screen, or hear a short chime.

💬 Example(Press and hold the Side button)

🔄 If it looks different

don't worry – sometimes the visual cues change slightly with updates, but as long as you hear the chime or see an indication that Siri is active, you're on the right track.

✅ You'll know it worked when

a vibrant, animated Siri waveform or icon appears on your screen, ready for your command.

Next step ↓

Step 2 of 5

Ask for a translation

Now that Siri is listening, clearly tell it what phrase you want to translate and into which language.

Once Siri is active, clearly speak your translation request. For instance, you can say "Translate 'how are you' into French" or "Say 'thank you' in Japanese." Apple Intelligence, the clever AI behind Siri, processes your voice and understands both the phrase you want to translate and your target language. You'll see your spoken words appear as text on the screen, confirming Siri understood your request. If Siri mishears you, its text might not quite match what you said – just tap the text on screen to edit it or start over.

💬 Try typing this"Translate 'where is the nearest bus stop' into German"➤

✅ You'll know it worked when

your spoken request appears as text on the screen, and Siri begins to process it.

Next step ↓

✏️ Sketch — your screen may look a little different

Step 3 of 5

Hear the translation

Siri will now provide you with the spoken translation, allowing you to use it straight away.

After you've spoken your request, Siri, powered by Apple Intelligence, will speak the translated phrase aloud for you to hear. It will also display the translated text on your screen, often with the phonetic spelling to help you pronounce it yourself. This is helpful if you need to repeat the phrase or show it to someone. If Siri speaks too quickly, you can usually ask it to "Repeat that" or "Say it slower." It’s designed for quick, practical use in real-time exchanges.

💬 Example(Siri says "Wo ist die nächste Bushaltestelle?" and displays the text)

✅ You'll know it worked when

Siri speaks the translation aloud and shows the translated text on your screen.

Next step ↓

✏️ Sketch — your screen may look a little different

Step 4 of 5

Translate another phrase (if needed)

If you need to translate more phrases in the same conversation, you will need to reactivate Siri for each new request.

After Siri provides a translation, it will typically close itself after a few seconds. If you need another translation, simply reactivate Siri using the same method as in Step 1 (e.g., press and hold the Side button or say "Siri"). Once active again, you can then speak your next translation request, specifying both the phrase and the language as you did in Step 2. This allows you to handle follow-up questions or new topics in a quick, step-by-step manner.

💬 Example(After the first translation, reactivate Siri) "Siri, translate 'can I pay with card' into German."

✅ You'll know it worked when

Siri's interface reappears, ready to accept your new translation request, and then provides the next translation.

Next step ↓

✏️ Sketch — your screen may look a little different

Step 5 of 5

Finish or change language

When you're done with your translation needs, you can simply let Siri close, or easily switch to a different language if required.

To translate into a different language, simply reactivate Siri (as in Step 1) and tell it the new target language along with your phrase (e.g., "Siri, translate 'thank you' into Spanish instead"). To end your translation session, you can just wait a few seconds for Siri to automatically close itself, or if it remains active, you can dismiss it by swiping down on the screen. Siri will then return to its normal listening mode or disappear from your screen.

💬 Example(Reactiving Siri) "Siri, translate 'how much is this' into Japanese."

✅ You'll know it worked when

Siri provides the new translation in the newly specified language, or the Siri interface disappears from your screen.

⚠️ Common mistakes

Not specifying the language: If you just say "Translate 'hello'," Siri might ask for the target language. Always state both the phrase and the language, like "Translate 'hello' into Spanish."
Speaking too quickly or unclearly: Siri, like any voice assistant, works best with clear speech. If it misunderstands, try speaking a little slower and articulating your words.
Expecting long document translations: Apple Intelligence through Siri is designed for short, immediate phrases and conversational snippets. It can't translate entire webpages or long documents – that's a job for dedicated translation apps or services.

🚀 Try it now

Pick up your Apple device that supports Apple Intelligence. Activate Siri and say, "Translate 'good morning' into French." Listen to Siri's response and see the text on your screen. It's that easy to get started!

🎯 Next guideDraft quick text messages with Apple Intelligence’s predictive writingSave time on everyday chats by letting your iPhone finish sentences for you with just a tap.

❓ Quick questions

How long does this take?

About 6 minutes — the guide has 5 steps, and you can tick each one off as you go.

Which tool do I need?

This guide uses Apple Intelligence — but the approach works very similarly in other AI assistants.

Do I need to prepare anything?

You'll need an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max, or an iPad/Mac with an M-series chip, running iOS 18, iPadOS 18, or macOS Sequoia (or newer). These devices are necessary as they are powered by Apple Intelligence, which is Apple's advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system.
Ensure Siri is enabled on your device. You can check this in your device's Settings under "Siri & Search".
The whole process takes about 5-10 minutes to learn.

What mistakes should I avoid?

Not specifying the language: If you just say "Translate 'hello'," Siri might ask for the target language. Always state both the phrase and the language, like "Translate 'hello' into Spanish."
Speaking too quickly or unclearly: Siri, like any voice assistant, works best with clear speech. If it misunderstands, try speaking a little slower and articulating your words.
Expecting long document translations: Apple Intelligence through Siri is designed for short, immediate phrases and conversational snippets. It can't translate entire webpages or long documents – that's a job for dedicated translation apps or services.

Keep reading

📘 Build a Simple Siri Shortcut to Create a Weekly Grocery List (Apple Intelligence Ready) Learn how to set up a basic shortcut on your iPhone that records meal ideas and turns them into a shopping list, ready for future Apple Intelligence enhancements. 📘 Build a simple AI habit tracker with Siri on your iPhone Turn your iPhone into a gentle daily coach that nudges you to drink water, stretch or take medication — no extra apps needed. 📘 Draft quick text messages with Apple Intelligence’s predictive writing Save time on everyday chats by letting your iPhone finish sentences for you with just a tap. 📘 Activate Apple Intelligence on Your iPhone: A Beginner’s Step‑by‑Step Guide Learn how to turn on Apple's built‑in AI helper, use it to draft messages and summarize emails, and see how it can make everyday tasks feel a little smarter. 📘 Turn Voice Memos into Clear Notes with Apple Intelligence Record a thought, transcribe it, and let Apple Intelligence summarize it into a tidy note you can read or share. 📘 Organize Your Photos with Apple Intelligence: Smart Search & Editing Use Apple Intelligence to instantly find, group and edit your photos so your memories are always at your fingertips.

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