How to translate with AI using a glossary
A glossary helps direct AI translation terminology, but it needs context and exceptions. The aim is consistent meaning rather than replacing every word with one fixed equivalent in every sentence.
This exercise uses a short fictional help text for a digital product. You will create a term list, request a translation and review information that must not change.
1. Define languages and intended use
Specify the language variant, audience and purpose. An internal comprehension draft differs from text that will be published for customers.
Also determine which proper names and identifiers must remain unchanged. A translation should not modify a product code merely to sound more natural.
2. Build a glossary with meanings
Select recurring terms and explain their sense in the material. Record when an equivalent depends on context rather than imposing automatic substitution.
| Source term | Exercise guidance |
|---|---|
| cadastro | Distinguish an existing record from creating an account |
| saldo disponível | Use the approved term for usable funds |
| product name | Preserve official spelling |
| quoted button | Check the actual target-interface label |
The Google Cloud glossary documentation describes a feature for domain-specific terminology. This tutorial applies a term list to a translation request without assuming the same technical mechanisms as an API.
3. Separate terminology from facts
List numbers, dates, units, conditions and uncertainty that must remain intact. A translation can use every approved word while still changing a deadline or obligation.
If the original is ambiguous, identify that before requesting a definitive version. The tool should not independently resolve a question belonging to the author.
Keep surrounding sentences with terms whose meaning depends on context. An isolated vocabulary list can conceal whether a word names an action, a state or a physical object in the source.
4. Request a translation with uncertainty notes
Supply the glossary and source text in separate blocks. Request the translated output and a short list of decisions requiring review.
Translate the authorized text from [LANGUAGE] into [LANGUAGE AND VARIANT].
Audience and purpose: [DESCRIBE].
Use the glossary as terminology guidance and observe exceptions.
Preserve names, numbers, codes, dates and conditions from the original.
Do not invent interface labels: flag those requiring confirmation.
If a glossary equivalent does not fit the context, record the uncertainty.
Do not add benefits or explanations absent from the source.
Return translation, terms needing review and ambiguities in the original.
[GLOSSARY]
[AUTHORIZED SOURCE TEXT]This produces a reviewable proposal. Fluent translation should not erase uncertainty already present in the source.
5. Perform two different readings
First compare source and target for meaning, omissions and additions. Then read only the translation to assess whether it works in the target language.
Keep meaning corrections separate from stylistic preferences. That helps decide which changes are mandatory and which depend on the editorial voice.
Check punctuation around conditions and lists as well: moving a phrase can change which item an exception applies to. Preserve that relationship even when sentence order changes naturally between languages.
6. Update the glossary with approved decisions
Record the term, context and reason for each exception. Do not turn every wording choice from one sentence into a rule for future documents.
Keep a small test sample to repeat verification after changing the glossary. Include an ambiguous term and an important condition rather than only simple sentences.
Common mistakes
Forcing equivalents outside context, translating names that should remain intact and accepting automatic back-translation as the sole quality proof are relevant failures. Assuming a product interface uses your chosen term is another mistake.
Result criterion
The translation should preserve facts and apply approved terminology without creating contradictions of meaning. Exceptions and gaps must remain visible for an editorial decision.
See adapting texts for different audiences and editing while preserving voice before publishing.
Frequently asked questions
Does a glossary prevent every translation error?
No. It guides terminology, but grammar, context, numbers and meaning still need review.
Can I require one word in every context?
Not always. Define the intended sense and exceptions to avoid inappropriate literal translation.
Is a prompt glossary the same as an API feature?
Not necessarily. A list in a request guides conversation; specific tools may provide their own mechanisms requiring configuration and validation.