Google Translate becomes your personal interpreter and tutor

Imagine being in a restaurant in Tokyo, with an incomprehensible menu in front of you and a waiter who only speaks Japanese. Or having to negotiate a price in a souk in Marrakech without knowing a word of Arabic. Until yesterday, Google Translate could translate static sentences, but today it becomes something much more powerful: a simultaneous interpreter that follows the natural flow of a real conversation.

Google launches conversational translation with AI Gemini and Practice for practice

Google has integrated Gemini directly into Translate , transforming an app that translated words into one that understands conversations. The difference is substantial. No longer sentence-by-sentence translation with awkward pauses, but a continuous flow that recognizes when one person stops speaking and the other starts.

The Real-Time Translation feature works with over 70 languages, from Hindi to Korean, Spanish to Tamil. The app automatically identifies natural pauses, regional accents, and even intonations that change the meaning of a sentence. It's designed to work in the chaos of the real world: noisy airports, crowded markets, and noisy restaurants.

How it works

Open the app, tap " Real-time Translation ," select your languages, and start speaking. The app understands the natural rhythm of the conversation, translates aloud for both speakers, and displays the transcripts on the screen. It's particularly good at handling voice overlaps and interruptions, those chaotic yet normal situations in any real-world conversation.

For now, the feature is only available in the United States, India, and Mexico, but global expansion is a matter of time.

Google has also added a “Practice” mode that turns Translate into a personalized language tutor . The system creates interactive exercises based on your level and goals. Planning a trip to France? The app acts as a tutor with simulated conversations at restaurants, hotels, and train stations. Want to learn Spanish for work? The exercises focus on professional vocabulary and business situations.

The system adapts as you learn. If you struggle with past tense verbs, it offers more exercises on that. If your culinary vocabulary is solid, it moves on to more complex topics. And when you get stuck, instead of immediately giving you the answer, it offers gradual suggestions that help you find the right word on your own.

Available and upcoming languages

Practice mode starts with limited combinations: English speakers studying Spanish or French, and Spanish, French, and Portuguese speakers studying English. This strategic choice covers the most popular language combinations in the world.

But this is just the beginning. Google has already announced that more languages ​​will arrive in the coming months, with priority given to those with the most active users. Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, German, and Italian are likely next on the list, although Google hasn't provided any specific timelines.