Translating and Saving Translations

💡This page covers four ways to obtain and save translations in MarginNote: instant in-document translation, AI translation and AI OCR, the Research sidebar (including Custom URL), and plugin translation. You can insert a translation as an extend note, copy it to the clipboard, or save it as a card for side-by-side comparison and later organization.

Recommendations:

• Split-screen side panel: use the built-in Research → Translate sidebar to translate long passages; the sidebar refreshes automatically.
• Fastest to get started: use Built-in Translation (Max feature) → insert as an extend note (good for comparing while reading)
• High quality / automation: use a plugin such as DeepL → Translate or AI translation, combined with AI OCR for recognition → translation → organization, to improve reliability for long sentences and natural phrasing.
• Authoritative terminology: use built-in Research → Dictionary Search, or connect authoritative sites via built-in Research → Custom URL, to ensure precise definitions and example sentences.

1 Built-in Translation (Max feature)

💡The most beginner-friendly way to translate in text and extend note scenarios.

1.1 Translate

Hand tool - Document

Use the hand tool to select text (as shown above), then tap Translate in the pop-up menu to translate the selected text into the target language.

1.2 Changing the Target Language

Tap Language to change the target language

💡If a translation is wrong, check the target language first.

Built-in Translation supports 13 target languages: English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Cantonese, Classical Chinese, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, and Russian.

💡Use built-in Translation frequently?

We recommend checking Translate under pop-up menu - More - Customize to add Translate to the first-level menu for one-tap access.

1.3 Saving Translations

A translation result can be created directly as an extend note or copied.

1.3.1 Adding a Translation to an Extend Note

After the translation is generated, tap extend note, and the translation is inserted into the document as an extend note, side by side with the original.

💡Adding it directly as an extend note makes side-by-side comparison with the original easy. An extend note can be collapsed and expanded as needed while reading, which helps with review and annotation. For more extend note operations, see: Extend Note ① | Basics: Freely Open Up Note Space Between the Lines.

1.3.2 Copying Translated Text to the Clipboard

Tap Copy, and the translation is automatically copied to the clipboard; pasting it directly onto a blank area of the document saves it as a Text box.

💡Copy is used for pasting and organizing across pages or across apps.

2 AI Translation

2.1 Translating in an AI Chat

Use MarginNote 4's built-in AI feature to translate (requires version 4.2.0 or later); it is well suited to optimizing long sentences and natural expression. The generated result can likewise be copied or saved as a card.

2.2 Translating with AI OCR

In the document interface, do the following:

• Double-click the hand tool or any excerpt tool;
• In the settings panel that pops up, check the AI OCR feature; afterward, when making cards from excerpts, the AI will automatically recognize the excerpt content and convert it into editable text;
• In the AI Card Creation Template (Max feature), enter a prompt or choose a preset prompt to have the AI automatically organize, translate, summarize, create flashcards, and more after recognizing the content.

Result:

3 Research → Translate

3.1 Using Built-in Research → Translate

Research

1. In a study set, tap Research under More (as shown by the icon above) to open the Research browser.

   

2. Select Translate and a translation engine (Baidu or Google); as you keep selecting different text in the document, the sidebar refreshes the corresponding translation in real time.

   

   

3.2 Using Built-in Research → Dictionary Search

MarginNote supports a variety of authoritative dictionary interfaces, ideal for precise term definitions and example comparison.

Dictionary Search supports several built-in interfaces: Wikipedia (Auto language), Wikipedia (Local language), Oxford, Wikitionary, Baidu, and built-in Research → Custom URL.

3.3 Using Built-in Research → Custom URL

💡Besides the Translate function built into the native Research feature, Custom URL lets you connect frequently used translation/dictionary sites to the Research sidebar, so you can look up a word as soon as you select it.

3.3.1 Custom URL (Web Address) Setup Tutorial

1. In the top-left corner of the MarginNote home page, choose Settings;

2. Choose Research - Custom URL - and edit the Custom URL.

   

   

3. In Research, select Custom URL.

   

   

• More translation URLs you can use: just copy and paste them into MarginNote's Custom URL field.

  💡Web address rule: replace the website's "search term" with {keyword}, and MarginNote will automatically fill the text you select in the document into that position and run the query. Suitable for connecting translation, dictionary, terminology, and bilingual corpus sites. Portuguese → Chinese: https://fanyi.baidu.com/#pt/zh/{keyword} French → Chinese: https://fanyi.baidu.com/#fra/zh/{keyword}

  German → Chinese: https://fanyi.baidu.com/#de/zh/{keyword}

  Italian → Chinese: https://fanyi.baidu.com/#it/zh/{keyword}

  Spanish → Chinese: https://fanyi.baidu.com/#spa/zh/{keyword}

  Japanese → Chinese: https://fanyi.baidu.com/#jp/zh/{keyword}

  Korean → Chinese: https://fanyi.baidu.com/#kor/zh/{keyword}

  Russian → Chinese: https://fanyi.baidu.com/#ru/zh/{keyword}

💡Advanced reading: for more Research features, see the tutorial.

🔍 Research Features Fully Revealed (Part 2) - Xiaohongshu Besides supporting the built-in wikipedia/Oxford/Wikitionary…, MarginNote's native Research feature also lets you add ✨Custom URL✨. Using "Baidu Baike" as an example, step by step: search for "psychology" in Baidu Baike and copy the entry link; in Research "⚙ Settings", change Dictionary Search to "Custom URL"; paste the copied link into Custom URL, and change "psychology" in the search part to "{keyword}"; the Custom URL is then updated and https://www.xiaohongshu.com/explore/6583075d0000000038022894?xsec_token=ABoIq7bm5DQzExwsbG14kRhauO93s9MyU6GsmCq6ZCFaY=\&xsec_source=pc_search\&source=unknown

4 Plugins → Translate

💡Plugin installation tutorial: handle your MN work efficiently with plugins

4.1 Translation Plugins

• DeepL plugin: focuses on natural expression and accuracy for long sentences.

  【MN Plugin】DeepL Real-time Sentence-Selection Dynamic Translator — an AI translation claimed to outperform Google #May 7 Ver.1.1.3# - Plugin Release Area | Unrestricted editing of the main post allowed - MarginNote Chinese Community :partying_face: How do I install a plugin? :lollipop::lollipop:Introduction 1. Uses DeepL as the translation backend; after selecting text with the "hand tool", the plugin performs dynamic real-time translation (similar to the translation engine in the "Research" feature) 2. Dee\… https://bbs.marginnote.com.cn/t/topic/6113

• SearchInEudic / SearchInEudicPlus+ plugin: calls Eudic to look up authoritative dictionaries in split screen.

  【Third-party MN Plugin】SearchInEudic — automatically searches the selected word in Eudic; tap wherever you're stuck #Ver 1.0 Officially signed# - Plugin Release Area | Unrestricted editing of the main post allowed - MarginNote Chinese Community :partying_face: How do I install a plugin? :lollipop::lollipop:Introduction After enabling the plugin (you must also enable it in MarginNote 3's plugin panel and make sure the magnifier icon in the document interface is activated), select any English word (up to 3 words)\… https://bbs.marginnote.com.cn/t/topic/8143

  Search In Eudic Plus+ plugin — automatically searches the selected word in Eudic; building on the plus plugin, it adds the ability to search the first title by default for cards that contain title links, and adds support for words containing special characters - #13, from jann - Plugins & Automation - MarginNote Chinese Community Plugin features: improved the Eudic word-lookup experience Feature: can include title aliases; when a title alias is present, only the first title is queried; works on cards generated from excerpts as well as cards you create yourself; can look up Chinese and French, with a maximum of six characters for Chinese and five words for English; supports Eng\… https://bbs.marginnote.com.cn/t/topic/33391/13

• SearchInFrhelper+ plugin: looks up words in Frhelper (French Helper).

  SearchInFrhelper+ - tap-to-search in Frhelper, adapted for MN4 + iOS18 - Plugins & Automation - MarginNote Chinese Community Because Search In Frhelper — a boon for French learners adds support for Frhelper, with functionality identical to the improved Search in Eudic plus+; it does not support MN4, so building on SearchInEudic's iOS18 adaptation 【Third-party MN Plugin】S\… https://bbs.marginnote.com.cn/t/topic/61154

• OhMyMN plugin: automatically fills in word-card translations.

  • AutoComplete module

    AutoComplete | OhMyMNGitHubGitHub MarginNote Plugin Development Framework https://ohmymn.marginnote.cn/guide/modules/autocomplete.html

  • AutoTranslate module

    AutoTranslate | OhMyMNGitHubGitHub MarginNote Plugin Development Framework https://ohmymn.marginnote.cn/guide/modules/autotranslate.html

• MdxDict plugin: built-in mdx-format dictionaries.

  【Third-party MN Plugin】MdxDict — built-in MDX-format dictionaries, integrates the official DeepL plugin; selecting a word/paragraph can automatically pop up a definition/translation #Ver.1.0.5 Officially signed# - Plugin Release Area | Unrestricted editing of the main post allowed - MarginNote Chinese Community :thinking: How do I install a plugin? :warning: This plugin requires 【MarginNote 3.7.11 or later】 :crystal_ball: Download the latest version (48.5 MB) :desert_island:\… https://bbs.marginnote.com.cn/t/topic/19815

• MN Toolbar plugin: advanced card operations.

  【Third-party MN Plugin】MN Toolbar provides manual quick triggers for specific actions - Plugin Release Area | Unrestricted editing of the main post allowed - MarginNote Chinese Community Plugin feedback: if you have any feedback about the plugin, you can reach us via the following links: MN plugin documentation Beta download: plugin download FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions (read this first) You can also join the QQ group: 539305227 Plugin download: all features support iPad and Mac; aside from the officially signed version, installing the plugin\… https://bbs.marginnote.com.cn/t/topic/45185

💡Plugins are an advanced feature, suited to power users who want quality and automation; beginners are advised to start with Built-in Translation (Max feature) or Research → Translate.