Cortana gets native translation support in Windows 10

Microsoft Translator is the translation software that Microsoft crams into a number of apps for smartwatches, tablets, smartphones, and PCs. Microsoft Office also has Translator built in and it powers the Skype Translator as well. The Cortana team has now launched native translation support in Windows 10 US and Chinese versions.

Cortana and Microsoft Translator teamed up to give user's translation tech when they need it to translate anything from single words to phrases and sentences to and from 40 different languages. Thanks to Cortana's voice assistant design you can say things like "Hey Cortana, translate where is the nearest taxi stand in French."

Cortana supports 40 languages including English, simplified Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Spanish, and many others. If you ask Cortana to translate something it doesn't understand, or can't translate it will open a web search page to try to help you translate the word or phrase. If you want to hear the phrase you translated in text-to-speech, you can hit Open Translator to go to the translator page on Bing.

The translation tech behind Cortana is also available as the Microsoft Translator app for Windows Phone and PCs. Those apps are standalone and will work when you aren't connected to the web. Cortana requires a web connection to translate.

SOURCE: Microsoft