A free Somali translator for the things that matter: letters and voice-note transcripts from relatives, WhatsApp messages, school and clinic papers, poems and proverbs. Paste Somali - or upload a photo of it - and read it in natural English.
Somali families are spread across the world, from Mogadishu, Hargeisa and Nairobi to Minneapolis, Columbus, London, Toronto and Oslo. Often the grandparents write in Somali, the parents read both languages, and the children are more at home in English. Somali is a Cushitic language with its own grammar - verbs at the end, focus words like 'baa' and 'ayaa', and a rich tradition of poetry and proverbs - so word-for-word tools often produce nonsense. translator.im reads whole sentences and turns them into English that keeps the meaning and the warmth of the original.
Common Somali you will find in family messages and everyday conversation, with an English meaning and a rough pronunciation. Remember: c is a deep throat sound, x is a breathy h, and double vowels are long.
Somali writing online is a mix of standard spelling, informal spelling, Arabic religious phrases and the occasional English word. The AI reads it all in context and gives you English that sounds like a person wrote it.
Somali puts the verb last and marks focus with words like 'baa', 'ayaa' and 'waa'. The model understands these and rebuilds the sentence in normal English order.
Because Somali uses the Latin alphabet, printed Somali is easy for in-browser text recognition. Use Image mode for photos of letters, notices and screenshots, check the text, then translate. Handwriting is less reliable.
Paste up to 5,000 characters at a time - enough for a long family letter, a page of a school report or a full poem.
Messages from relatives do not always follow the textbook. The model can usually work out casual spellings, missing doubled vowels and mixed Somali-English (sometimes called 'Somglish').
Somali is famous for its oral poetry and proverbs (maahmaahyo). Ask for a 'literal translation plus meaning' and you get both the words and what they really say.
Get 10 free translations a day without creating an account. Copy the English or press Listen to hear it read aloud.
The Somali to English translator is used every day by families, students, caseworkers and anyone who receives a message they cannot fully read.
Grandparents and relatives often write in Somali. Paste their message - or upload a photo of a printed letter - and read every line in English, then reply using the English to Somali page.
Read the labels and content of Somali certificates, school records and notices so you know what they say. Immigration offices and courts usually require a certified translation, so use this to understand the document, not to submit it.
Family and community WhatsApp groups move fast. Copy a message or a typed-out voice note into the translator and stay in the conversation.
Somali conversation is full of proverbs, blessings and set phrases. The translator gives you the literal meaning and can explain the sense behind it.
Three habits that help the translator understand your Somali text.
Somali often leaves out words that are clear from context, and focus markers depend on what came before. A full paragraph gives the model what it needs to get names, pronouns and tenses right.
For a printed letter or form, take a straight, well-lit photo and upload it in Image mode. Check the recognised text - especially c, x and doubled vowels - before you translate.
For a proverb, poem or blessing, add 'translate and explain' to your text. You will get the literal English and a short note on what it means in Somali culture.
No account, no install. Paste a Somali message or upload a photo and read it in English in seconds.