Can You Translate a Google Sheet? Here’s the Best Way

Google Sheets is one of the most powerful tools for organizing and managing multilingual content — until you need to translate it.

While Google Sheets offers basic translation functions (like the GOOGLETRANSLATE formula), these are manual and cell-based. If you’re dealing with large spreadsheets or full-document translations, you’ll need a more efficient and professional approach.

At Smallpdf, we help you translate entire spreadsheets in one go — securely, accurately, and without losing your layout. Here’s your step-by-step guide to translating a Google Sheet using our Translate PDF.

Why You Might Need to Translate a Google Sheet

There are plenty of use cases where spreadsheet translation matters:

• International project tracking
• Global financial reporting
• Multilingual HR or payroll records
• Education or research data shared across regions
• Internal team documents with localized content

Manual translations can be time-consuming — and error-prone. Luckily, there’s a smarter way.

What Google Sheets Can (and Can’t) Do

Yes, Google Sheets has a GOOGLETRANSLATE function. It looks like this:

It translates the content of a single cell (in this case, from English to French). That’s helpful for short bursts of text, but it falls short if you want to:

• Translate full sheets or multiple tabs
• Keep formatting, colors, and data validation intact
• Translate content with images, charts, or merged cells
• Export a translated version for sharing or printing

If you try to translate a full sheet this way, you’ll need to duplicate the entire structure and formulas manually — something that’s not feasible for complex spreadsheets.

The Better Way: Translate Your Google Sheet with Smallpdf

Smallpdf’s Translate PDF lets you upload, translate, and download entire documents — spreadsheets included. You get accurate translations, preserved layout, and full file security.

Step-by-Step: Translate a Google Sheet with Smallpdf

1. Export Your Google Sheet as a PDF

First, you need to convert your sheet into a format we can translate.

• Open your Google Sheet
• Go to File > Download > PDF Document (.pdf)
• Customize export settings (like paper size or scaling)
• Save the file to your computer

Tip: If you want to keep your columns readable, select “Fit to width” under export settings.

2. Go to Smallpdf Translate PDF

Head to Translate PDF, where you can:

• Translate entire files, not just cells
• Preserve layout and formatting
• Use OCR (optical character recognition) for scanned PDFs
• Choose from over 20 languages

3. Upload Your File

Drag and drop your exported PDF, or upload from Google Drive or Dropbox. We’ll process your file securely and never save your content for training or reuse.

4. Choose Translation Settings

Pick between:

• Entire Document – Translate every word on the spreadsheet, with formatting and fonts preserved
• Summary Only – Get a brief translated overview of the content

Then, choose your source and target language — from Arabic and Japanese to Spanish, French, German, and more.

5. Download Your Translated Spreadsheet

Click Translate, and within seconds, your new spreadsheet will be ready for download as a translated PDF.

Want it back in spreadsheet format? Just use our PDF to Excel converter to restore the editable format.

Translate Your Google Sheets Without the Hassle

If you're tired of copying and pasting cells, rebuilding tables, or reformatting everything after translation, there’s a better way. Smallpdf lets you translate entire spreadsheets in one go — safely, accurately, and beautifully.

FAQs

Can you translate a whole Google Sheet?

Not natively. Google Sheets only allows cell-by-cell translation. To translate an entire sheet while preserving layout, use Smallpdf’s Translate PDF.

Can I use formulas to translate columns or rows?

Yes, you can use GOOGLETRANSLATE, but it's limited to one cell at a time and doesn't preserve styling or structure.

Does Smallpdf support scanned spreadsheets?

Absolutely. Our built-in OCR engine converts scanned PDFs to readable and translatable text — even for spreadsheets.

Can I edit my translated sheet?

Yes! After translating, convert your PDF back to Excel using PDF to Excel and keep working with your file.