Google Translate App: How I got around Tokyo with Google Translate

How well does Google Translate really work? Times reporter Sarah Hashim-Waris embarked on a conversational quest in Tokyo to answer that question.

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LET'S CONNECT:

[AlexNobbeToussaint]

One of the main reasons people did not understand the Japanese version of your questions was the lack of question marks at then end of your English text. Punctuations are extremely important when it comes to apps like Google Translate. P.s. you can also use it as a camera that translates texts from books or billboards live. Good luck!

[DangrMouSe]

Writing w/ proper punctuations & keeping the translations to a sentence at a time makes a big difference

[dkfury]

Wow, this is so stupid without proper sentence structure.  The simple two questions at 1:12 of "what can you tell me about the new year how do people around here celebrate" translates to what she showed but with the two proper question marks in their places translates to "Nani o shin'nen ni tsuite oshiete moraemasu ka? Dono yō ni kono atari no hitobito ga iwau nodesu ka?"; that is a major difference... no wonder they couldn't understand her.

Google Translate isn't very accurate but she entirely wasted their time by not writing sentences properly.

[joshuawalker]

When using these apps, you must ensure you use simple sentences only. The person in the video used sentences that were far too complex resulting in messy translations.

[Mickelraven]

I also just had my first Portuguese conversation over at Discord. Someone who spoke Portuguese reached out to me and asked a question from. Of course I didn't understand what he was saying, so then I got the idea to use Google Translate to do the conversation. I went completely blind on this one since i had no idea what i was saying after i did the translation. I always had to double check that the translated phrase is the same when i translate it back to English. I told him that i was gonna use Google Translate since i don't speak Portuguese. Then after the conversation i asked him that was the translation good and according to him i did pretty well and i feel so good about myself. :)

[aWERFRGTBGFG]

You need question marks otherwise its not a question

[nattsurfaren]

2:44 What is the technique called when she moves the head left right left right?
I would guess something like "an attention grabbing head twist in series" or something.

[fredreeves]

It's clear that when using these types of apps one must ask more specific and direct questions minus the set ups, e.g., "can you tell me..." Just state the request or question directly with as few other words and helper phrases as possible, please give me directions to the grocery store. In conclusion, the problem is not so much with the app as it is with the user.

[brianbrewster]

Boy does this bring back strange yet fond memories of my trip to China in 2008. If anyone can invent a voice-to-voice Chinese-English translator that works in real time - WOW! It would be worth a king's ransom. It sucks that all the tech out there in world and no one is diligently working night and day on something potentially worth billions of dollars.

[ReiAyanami]

We'll get to the Star Trek UT some day.

[ya]

It's still shit today. Any other recommendations?

[cowpoke]

try using three words or 5 .. simple simple effective .. got to fancy .. to the point . this is blank . my name is joe . where is bathroom ? where is food ? where is food market ? where is grocery store ? talk like that .. help a lot .

[samgold]

Can you provide?

New Tap
"Precise language transaction communication"

Start on January 1, 2026 and Beyond

Inspired Keigo 3 Japanese Language for all Languages on Google Translate

By the standard

1
Friendship Communication
(close friends or family members)

2
Standard Communication
(making new relationship bonds)

3
Responsibility Communication
(particular in your work environment)

[rAndOm-qqyu]

She pronounced goodbye in Japanese wrong hahahah but great video!

[plmvypu]

google translate japanese is so broken

[wsjacksonjr]

How I got around Tokyo, covered in too much make up

[grisebankventer]

are we not gonna talk about how HOT she is?

[cowpoke]

they saying to much . use simple sentences ... few words .. you used it wrong/./ break it up into one verb/noun/adjective/ even better no adjectives ... you made a big mess so it couldn't translate //

[airgunplanet]

Google translator sucks ass. I try to use it with my international customers and they always say I must be using google translate because the translation sucks ass!!!!