Google Translate Does Not Work
 

In the Language Help section the generous folks that take their time to give assistance to those struggling with the language always appreciate (and sometimes demand) that the person with a question give their own attempt at a translation before giving a free answer.

Of course for some people, with no Japanese background whatsoever, this is more difficult.

However, I am seeing more and more often people "making an attempt" by using Google Translate, Babelfish, or other online translators.

The point of this thread is to say, that doesn't count. Undoubtedly they get a gibberish response causing even more confusion.

Online (or "machine") Japanese translators work alright for single words and very simple phrases, but even child-level language will be mashed into language mush because of the vast difference between Japanese and English.

Bottom Line: Don't use an online translator as your "attempt" to translate that game text, email, instructions, etc. There is something about doing it the old-fashioned way: it works!

Agreed! Old Fashioned way the next time around for me! :)

Definitely learned my lesson... it was super confusing.

I would only use it to get a general idea of what is being said. And by general, I mean in the broadest sense of the term. Ambiguity is a major understatement, when it comes to describing it.

Justin, I wasn't picking on you specifically, but just a trend I have seen on JF, and in society in general: "Why put in an effort, when machines can do it for free?...only they can't actually do it, it just says they can do it, and the Internet doesn't lie...so why can't I understand what this machine is telling me?"

And I don't disagree, John, only very often I find that really important concepts, like positive and negative verbs, get lost in translation.

"Is my penpal who I have a crush on saying she REALLY REALLY WANTS me to come to Japan, or she REALLY REALLY DOESN'T WANT me to come to Japan?!?"

Haha! I know that MMM :) No worries! I read other Japanese Language threads too... any the first response is always give an attempt first. I didn't have much to give an attempt with though, and I thought the message was urgent :P.

Hope all of us who needs help now will try a bit harder than just google translate!

完全なIつは知っているので訳者がある俗語を等知って� �いのでとMMMそこにであるする訳者が実際にことができ� �い言語の相違による多くの事一致する。

Lol.

At some point software will be developed capable of understanding the meaning of a sentence IBM Creates 'Electronic Brain' Computer Chip | Technology | Sky News, let's hope this gets fully developed soon, those WOULD be useful to learn a foreign language.

I don't recommend google translator or any other translator to translate phrases, only use it to translate separated words. In general translators can't treat the verbal concordances, verbal valency and nominal valency between two different languages, for that reason sometimes you can't understand even the general idea from some text "mecanically translated".

There aren't any algorithm or AI applicable till this moment to make translators have syntactic and semantic sense of distinction, so, don't wait for miraculous translators.