In addition to the default language you have chosen when you added the form, you can translate your form into multiple other languages while keeping the same structure, validation and skip logic across all translations. Adding and translating your form in multiple language is available on all our paid plans.
Adding a language
Before you can translate your form, you first have to add the language(s) that you want to translate your form to. Translations can then be entered directly into the form designer.
To add a language:
- From the Design page, click on the language icon in the toolbar and select 'Manage Languages' from the drop-down list.
- Select the language you wish to add from the list of languages.
- Select 'Add'.
- Repeat these steps to add multiple languages.
There are more than 150 supported languages. If the language you'd like to add is not available, please contact our support team (help@mobenzi.com) with your request.
Viewing your form in your default language, you will notice red warning icons indicating the field properties requiring a translation in at least one of the other languages you have added. This might include field (display) text, hint text and option labels. Once the field property has been translated across all languages, the 'translation missing' warning icon will disappear.
Note: Field names are used as field identifiers for data analysis. They will remain the same across all languages and cannot be translated.
Translating individual fields
After adding a language, it now appears in the drop-down on the form's design page. Select a language from the drop-down to edit your form in that language.
A red warning icon will indicate any field properties requiring a translation in the added language. Translations for each field property can be entered directly into the form designer. As soon as you edit this field property, the 'translation missing' warning icon will disappear for the selected language.
Hint: Select Preview to view your form in the selected language to get an idea of what the fieldworkers will see in the field.
If a form has been translated into multiple languages, the data collector will have the option to choose which language they want to launch the form in. They will simply open the form on the mobile app and choose the language. Please see screenshot below.
Note that once a form is started in a language, it cannot be switched to another language on the mobile app.
Bulk translations
After adding languages to your form, you can edit and update the translations in bulk.
1. Download the translation file
Download the translation template by selecting the download icon. A template file is produced based on your form structure and the languages you've added.
Working with the CSV file is covered in our article: How to open a CSV file in Excel
2. Update the translation file
The first column in the template file, with the heading "Reference", indicates the field's name, hint texts and option labels in your form. A column is generated for each additional language and is indicated by the column heading, e.g. "ENG", "AFR", "ZUL".
The translator must work through each cell and replace the untranslated text with the relevant translation.
Operators, field references (e.g. $Member_Name) and other placeholders in your form must be left intact but should be positioned so that the result of the expression or reference is placed correctly within the translated sentence. It's recommended that you explain to the translator what the expected output of the placeholders are so that they can correctly interpret and place them.
Note: Field names are used as field identifiers for data analysis. They will remain the same across all languages and cannot be translated.
3. Import the completed translation file
Once the file has been updated with all the translations, the completed file can be imported back into the form designer to apply the translations.
Simply open the language settings page by selecting 'Manage Languages', choose and upload your translation file, and select to "Apply translations".
Use the Preview to view your form in the selected language to get an idea of what the fieldworkers will see in the field.
Removing a language
If you no longer want your form to be available in a certain language, you can remove it.
Note: When removing a language, all translation text entered in your form design will be removed and you will not be able to undo this action. Once removed, submissions associated with the removed language will no longer be visible from the Analyse tab.
To remove a langue:
- Navigate to the language settings page by selecting 'Manage Languages'.
- Click on the bin icon next to the language you wish to delete.
- Confirm that you wish to delete the selected language.
Note: You cannot delete the form's default language.
