Cite a translated book using the edition and translation you actually read. Keep the original author in the author position when you are citing the author’s work, identify the translator in the appropriate contributor field and use the publication details of the translated edition. Do not substitute the original language edition’s page numbers for those in your copy.
The translator, translation date and edition are substantive details. They tell readers which wording you encountered. Two translations of the same novel can use different language and pagination even when both refer back to the same original work.
Read the title page and copyright page together
The cover may emphasize the author and hide the translator in small print. The title page, copyright page and publisher’s edition record usually provide a fuller picture. Record the details before searching for a ready made citation.
| Detail | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Original author | Identifies whose work the translation presents |
| Translated title | Identifies the title of the edition you used |
| Translator | Distinguishes one published translation from another |
| Publication year | Identifies the translated edition’s date |
| Original publication year | May be required for republished or translated work patterns |
| Edition and publisher | Helps readers locate the same version |
| Page or other locator | Locates the quotation in that version |
| DOI or stable location | Helps identify an electronic edition when applicable |
Keep the dates labelled in your notes. A copyright page can contain an original publication date, translation copyright date, edition date and printing date. Copying the earliest or latest number without identifying its role can create a plausible but incorrect reference.
APA: identify the translation and relevant dates
The University of Queensland’s APA 7 book guide gives a translated book pattern with the translator after the title and an original publication statement. Its citation in text includes the original and translated publication years when those dates apply.
{Author surname}, {Initials}. ({Translation year}). {Translated title} ({Translator initials and surname}, Trans.). {Publisher}. (Original work published {Year})Italicize the book title in the finished reference. Include edition information where applicable and a DOI or relevant location when the source pattern calls for it. Do not add an original publication year you have not established.
The corresponding working pattern for a quotation is ({Author surname}, {Original year}/{Translation year}, p. {Page}). The page belongs to the translation you read. The translator is credited in the full entry rather than replacing the original author in every citation.
If you are citing an introduction written by the translator, you are using a different contribution. Identify the author of that introduction and apply the pattern for the part of the book you actually discuss.
MLA: credit the translator as a contributor
The MLA book guide shows how a translated book adds contributor information to the core book entry. For an authored work you are reading in translation, begin with the author and identify the translator after the title.
{Author surname}, {First name}. {Book Title}. Translated by {Translator name}, {Publisher}, {Year}.Italicize the book title. Include the relevant edition or other contributor information when necessary to identify your version. Your citation in the paragraph must lead readers to the entry and the page in the copy you used.
When your argument compares translations, distinguish the entries and short citations clearly enough that a reader can tell which wording belongs to which translator. The MLA discussion of works translated into multiple languages illustrates using distinct titles to distinguish translated versions. If titles are identical, consult the applicable guidance for the identifying information your paper needs.
Chicago: use the translated edition’s publication details
The Chicago notes and bibliography examples include a translated book. The note identifies the translator with an abbreviated role, while the bibliography uses a full contributor statement.
Note pattern:
{Author first name and surname}, {Book Title}, trans. {Translator name} ({Publisher}, {Year}), {Page}.
Bibliography pattern:
{Author surname}, {First name}. {Book Title}. Translated by {Translator name}. {Publisher}, {Year}.Italicize the book title in the formatted versions. These are notes and bibliography patterns, not the separate Chicago author and date system. Check which system and edition your department requires. Keep the original work’s date in your research notes when it helps explain the history of the text, even if your final pattern treats it differently.
Distinguish a published translation from your own
If you quote a published translation, cite that translation. If you translate a passage yourself, do not attribute your wording to a published translator. Explain that the translation is your own in the way the required style specifies.
The MLA’s guidance on your own translations uses the abbreviation my trans. when appropriate. Preserve the source text’s location so readers can check your rendering. Translating a passage does not remove its connection to the original source.
For close analysis, keep the original wording, your rendering and any published translation in distinct notes. This prevents a draft from accidentally presenting a paraphrase as a quotation or blending two translators’ phrases into a passage neither wrote.
Check the edition before using a generator
A search by title can return another translator or a more recent edition. Compare the generated record with the title page, translator credit and publisher in your own copy. Correct the source record before inserting its citation.
Use Citation’s source entry workflow and consult the APA, MLA or Chicago guide as appropriate. Before submission, verify that every quotation’s wording and page match the same translation named in the reference.
Frequently asked questions
Methodology and sources
References linked in this article include University of Queensland’s APA 7 book guide, MLA book guide, MLA discussion of works translated into multiple languages, Chicago notes and bibliography examples, MLA’s guidance on your own translations, source entry workflow, APA, MLA and Chicago. Each link leads to the original page so you can review its wording, scope and limitations.
Publication and update dates describe changes to this article. They do not change the dates or coverage of the underlying source material. Read each finding with its original context, and keep gaps in the available information separate from conclusions supported by the records.
Citation’s methodology explains how source lookup, citation formatting and writing checks work, including their limitations. Our editorial standards describe the principles behind clear explanations, source attribution and useful guidance for readers.
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