Translate ASS subtitles into English and keep the typesetting
Found a fansub script in Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese or Indonesian for a show with no English release? Upload the .ass or .ssa file and get it back in English with the same styles, fonts, positions and override tags, so it renders the way the original group typeset it. You do not pick the source language; it is recognized from the text. The first part is free without an account, and a whole job of up to 30 files and 10,000 lines is $5.
- Source language recognized from the text, nothing to set
- The same .ass or .ssa file back, named with .en, for example "[Group] Show - 01.en.ass"
- Styles, [Fonts], Comment lines and every field except the dialogue text unchanged
- Karaoke lines in romaji kept as they are unless you choose to translate them
- $5 once for up to 30 files and 10,000 lines
When the only script is in another language
Many anime and donghua are subtitled first by groups working in Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Russian or Chinese, and their scripts are often carefully typeset: signs replaced in place, songs styled, a separate style for thoughts or for each speaker. Turning such a script into SRT so it can be translated throws all of that away. Here the English goes straight into the Text field of each Dialogue line, and the rest of the script stays as the group left it.
Names of people, places and brands are kept, written in English letters when the source uses another script. Japanese honorifics that a source script kept, such as -san or -senpai, may be kept or translated depending on the line, so read a scene in the free first part and correct anything you want handled differently before you unlock the rest.
What stays exactly as it was
- Override tags such as {\pos}, {\fad}, {\blur}, colors and font changes, at the start, end or middle of a line
- Styles and their fonts, including fonts embedded in the [Fonts] section
- Comment lines, where typesetters often leave notes or an untranslated original
- Drawing lines ({\p1}) used for masks and shapes
- The Layer, Style, Name, margin and Effect fields of every Dialogue line, and its timing
Pick the format your player reads
Players that render ASS, such as mpv or VLC on a computer, get the full typesetting from the .ass download. Some TVs, streaming boxes and web players only read SRT or VTT; for those, download SRT or VTT from the same job. Italics, bold, underline and a top-of-screen position carry over, while positioned signs, fades and colors cannot be expressed in those formats and are left out.
How the tool works, what it costs and how your files are handled is on the Translate ASS Subtitles page; prices for every tool are on the pricing page.
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Questions and answers
Can ChatGPT translate an ASS file into English?
English is a strong language for chat assistants, and a few pasted lines usually come back well. A whole episode is the problem: the reply tends to stop partway, and words inside the braces can be translated, moved or dropped. Here only the dialogue text goes to the model, and the tool puts every tag back.
Do I need to say which language the script is in?
No. The source language is recognized from the dialogue, so a Spanish, Chinese or Indonesian script needs no extra setting.
Are signs translated too?
Yes, when they are Dialogue lines with words, even if they are typeset with \pos or rotated. Drawing lines are not. An English sign can be longer than the original, so check signs that were fitted into a box.
Can I keep the original line next to the English?
Choose bilingual output and each event shows the original line above the English, with the same style and position.
What does it cost?
The first part, up to 60 lines, is free on screen. All files in the job, up to 30 and 10,000 lines, are $5, paid once; jobs of 150 lines or fewer are free in full. Unlimited is $19 a week, with up to 30,000 lines per job.
Is my upload private?
Only you can open the job, the text is not used to train AI models, and jobs created without an account are deleted after 7 days.