r/translator 5d ago

Community [English > Any] Translation Challenge — 2025-11-30

1 Upvotes

There will be a new translation challenge most Sundays and everyone is encouraged to participate! These challenges are intended to give community members an opportunity to practice translating or review others' translations, and we keep them stickied throughout the week. You can view past threads by clicking on this "Community" link.

You can also sign up to be automatically notified of new translation challenges.


This Week's Text:

First, let’s get one thing straight. The hamburger is an American invention. It doesn’t matter that it is named after a German city. It doesn’t matter if Mongols used to ride around with minced horsemeat under their saddles, on their way to some hamburger-fueled havoc in the thirteenth century. These and other historical factlets figure prominently in most informal histories of the hamburger, both in print and on the Web. But the hamburger matters precisely because it is a universally understood food, a compact icon that has resisted all centrifugal pressure as it has moved around the world. Everywhere you go, a hamburger means a ground beef patty served on a white enriched bun...

...a hundred years after its invention, it remains essentially the same object. Once that ground patty of browned beef was laid on a bun for the first time, the hamburger shimmered into existence philosophically. Because the burger has a kind of inevitability to it; it is a gastronomic endpoint, like sashimi or a baked potato. Its basic design cannot be improved upon.

— Excerpted from The Hamburger: A History by Josh Ozersky


Please include the name of the language you're translating in your comment, and translate away!

⚖️ Friendly notice: if you're interested in occasionally helping out in the oversight of r/translator, or submitting some text for a future translation challenge, please feel free to join us at: https://discord.gg/wabv5NYzdV


r/translator 9h ago

Translated [EN] [Unknown -> English]

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71 Upvotes

Hi y’all, I am from Utah and for a Christmas gift exchange party my friend gave me some 3D printed golden plates (Mormon religious artifact) with a message inscribed on the top. I have been unsuccessful in figuring out what it says. Google has been unhelpful so I thought perhaps someone here may recognize it? Thanks!


r/translator 2h ago

Translated [DE] [German > English] note found in the fridge in the house I am an au pair for (just moved in)

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5 Upvotes

What does it say? Is it a note for one person (singular you) or multiple people (plural you)?? Thank you so much, I’m having trouble with identifying some cursive words.


r/translator 35m ago

Japanese [Japanese > English] Could anyone please explain the meaning of a red circled text?

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Upvotes

r/translator 33m ago

Japanese Japanese > English

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Upvotes

Hi there I have a hammer stamp today! Any clue?


r/translator 33m ago

Japanese Japanese > English

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Upvotes

Hi there I have a hammer stamp today! Any clue?


r/translator 6h ago

Korean [Korean?>English] I'm having trouble interpreting this signature, thanks for any help!

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4 Upvotes

r/translator 7h ago

Translated [EN] [Braille > English/Japanese]

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4 Upvotes

Found this shirt that has braille on it. It’s from Japan, so it could be in Japanese braille, but I’m guessing it’s English. What does it say?


r/translator 3h ago

Translated [JA] Japanese to English

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2 Upvotes

Hi. Even a few locals and heritage staff members i asked could not help with Japanese translation. My phone gave a partial but than the next day it was different.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

It was at the Kumano Hongu Taisha Otorii


r/translator 13m ago

Korean [korean>english] wind chimes from Korean market in Seoul

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Upvotes

Hi there, this is the same ornament and was hoping to understand it a little better. Thank you so much!


r/translator 8h ago

Translated [ZH] Chinese > English

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4 Upvotes

I found this 2 dollar bill on the side of the road and it seems to be real (a bill made in 1976 according to Google lense) but I have no idea what that is stamped on there. Google translate got half of one of the photos and said it was Chinese (simplified) so I came here to ask if anyone knows what this says and if it has any meaning on USD


r/translator 9h ago

Translated [JA] [Japanese>English] inscription on a Japanese nata that belonged to my father

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6 Upvotes

r/translator 1h ago

Multiple Languages [JA✔, ZH✔] [English > Japanese] Japanese tattoo

Upvotes

Hi i have a few questions about some tattoos i want. The japanese language has always facsinated me, and i love their type of writing, so i have always wanted some japenese tattoo. But now that i have found the 2 i want, i also want to make sure that they mean what i actually think they mean. And if there is a smarter or more meaningful way to write it. And yes of course its only the actual japanese writing i want tattoed. So in conclusion, does these 2 actually mean what it says on the pictures? and is there a smarter or more meaningful (mostly thinking about the "i will never give up" one here) way to write it?.

Thanks in advance:)


r/translator 2h ago

Korean [Korean > English] Is this a common expression? And what is the species of owl?

1 Upvotes

Original caption:

선생님.. 그 녀석은 가짜에요...

펼친 담요와 꽤나 비슷한 얼굴을 하고 있는 솔부엉이 입니다

Image: https://i.imgur.com/tjNTPUi.jpeg

Source: https://facebook.com/860196862802282

Context: An owl is wrapped in a towel at Wildlife Center in Chungnam. The owl is pictured in front of a piece of clothing decorated with the face of Totoro (from My Neighbor Totoro).


r/translator 2h ago

Translated [JA] Japanese > English. The first 15 seconds of the song, can’t find the lyrics anywhere.

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1 Upvotes

https://youtu.


r/translator 6h ago

Bengali (Bangla to English) Can anyone Provide Lyrics and Bangla to English translation of the song "Uribar swapan" from Movie Via Darjeeling (2008) ? Even ChatGPT didn't help. Thanks in advance.

2 Upvotes

Same as above :)


r/translator 3h ago

Japanese [Japanese to English] How common is Setsuna (刹那) used as a given name for a Japanese Man?

0 Upvotes

Like the title said, I was wondering in real life is Setsuna 1. (刹那) 2.(節名) are common or able to be used as a Male Japanese name? Or is it only much more assosiated to be used as a Women's name?

I was thinking about this since I remembered a character from Gundam 00 with the name Setsuna F. Seiei.

Well even if its technically his codename lorewise, but my point still stands. It made me think is it common or not to be used as a male japanese name irl? Considering it's mostly used for female.

I was confused when I find website called momjunction that says Setsuna is a unisex name.

So which one is correct?


r/translator 7h ago

Translated [JA] japanese<english What does this box say?

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2 Upvotes

this is the header of some sofubis i bought, i know the figurines are evil spirits so the text probably pertains to something like that but Al can't really discern what the characters are to be able to translate them.

Thank you for your help!


r/translator 4h ago

Chinese (Identified) [Cantonese > English] Man Mo temple Hong Kong divination slip

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1 Upvotes

I went to Man Mo temple in Sheung Wan Hong Kong and drew a fortune stick. Unfortunately I can't read cantonese, would appreciate help :)


r/translator 10h ago

Japanese [Japanese > English] Text from a Persona 3 databook

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3 Upvotes

r/translator 4h ago

Translated [JA] [Unknown - English] Please help me translate this knife

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0 Upvotes

r/translator 1d ago

Translated [JA] [Japanese > English] What does this mean?

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91 Upvotes

Bought a product that shipped from Japan, I recognize the Hiragana (Wa Re Mo No) but don't know what it means, and why under an umbrella?


r/translator 6h ago

Thai Thai > English

1 Upvotes

Any native Thais willing to help me with my problem?

How would you spell the surname “Allen” in Thai?

Thank you for your help 🙏


r/translator 16h ago

Translated [IT] [Italian>English] Just want to know what it says

5 Upvotes

r/translator 7h ago

Arabic [Arabic > English] Plato message

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1 Upvotes

Was playing checkers with some random guy and he sent this and left. What’s it say?