Translated Book Citation Generator
Cite a book you read in translation. Enter the author, the title, the translator, the publisher and the year of the translation, and get the reference in APA 7, MLA 9 and Chicago 18 — with the translator credited and the original date added. Free, no sign-up.
How to Use the Translated Book Citation Generator
- 1. Find the edition details. The title page and the copyright page give the translator, the publisher and the year of this translation. The copyright page often gives the original publication year as well.
- 2. Enter the author, the title and the translator. Put the author in Author(s) and the title in Title. Type the translator in Editor(s): the form has no translator box, so you change the label afterwards.
- 3. Enter the publisher and the year of the translation. The year is that of the edition you read, not of the original book.
- 4. Pick a style. Choose APA, MLA, Chicago or any of the 10,834 styles.
- 5. Fix the label and add the original date. Replace Ed. or Edited by with Trans. or Translated by, and add the year the original appeared.
Translator, Original Date and Language
A translation has two authors in effect: the writer, whose name leads the entry, and the translator, who is credited after the title. The styles also care about two dates, because the edition you read is not the first appearance of the book.
| Element | APA 7 | MLA 9 | Chicago 18 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Translator | (M. Ward, Trans.) after the title | Translated by Matthew Ward, after the title | trans. Matthew Ward, in the note; Translated by in the bibliography |
| Date | Year of the translation | Year of the translation | Year of the translation |
| Original date | (Original work published 1942) at the end; 1942/1989 in text | Optional, after the title | Optional |
APA 7 gives the author, the year of the translation, the title in italics, the translator in parentheses with Trans., and the publisher, with the original publication date in parentheses at the end. In the text, both dates appear separated by a slash. MLA 9 puts Translated by and the translator after the title, and lists the translator first if your discussion is about the translation. Chicago 18 gives the translator as trans. in a note and as Translated by in the bibliography; the Chicago Quick Guide's sample is Liu Xinwu's The Wedding Party, translated by Jeremy Tiang.
Translated Book Citation Examples
Albert Camus's The Stranger, in Matthew Ward's English translation, published by Vintage International in 1989. Camus first published the novel in French in 1942.
A book in translation
APA 7:
Camus, A. (1989). The stranger (M. Ward, Trans.). Vintage International. (Original work published 1942)
APA in-text:
(Camus, 1942/1989)
MLA 9:
Camus, Albert. The Stranger. Translated by Matthew Ward, Vintage International, 1989.
MLA in-text:
(Camus 12)
Chicago 18 note:
Albert Camus, The Stranger, trans. Matthew Ward (Vintage International, 1989), 12.
Chicago 18 shortened note:
Camus, Stranger, 12.
Chicago 18 bibliography:
Camus, Albert. The Stranger. Translated by Matthew Ward. Vintage International, 1989.
The page number 12 is illustrative. For MLA, if your discussion is about the translation, put the translator first: Ward, Matthew, translator. The Stranger. By Albert Camus, Vintage International, 1989.
What the Generator Gives You
Type Matthew Ward in Editor(s) and the generator returns Camus, A. (1989). The stranger (M. Ward, Ed.). Vintage International. in APA, and Edited by Matthew Ward in MLA and Chicago. Change Ed. to Trans. and Edited by to Translated by, and add (Original work published 1942) in APA. If the book has both an editor and a translator, list the translator in the form and add the editor by hand.
Which Tool Do You Need?
- A book in translation — this page.
- A reprint or later edition of an English-language book — the Republished Book Citation Generator.
- A book you read in its original language — the Book Citation Generator.
- An ancient work in a standard edition, cited by section — the Classical Work Citation Generator.
- A quotation you found in another author's book — the Secondary Source (As Cited In) Generator.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I cite a translated book in APA 7?
- Give the author, the year of the translation, the title in italics, the translator in parentheses with Trans., the publisher, and the original date: Camus, A. (1989). The stranger (M. Ward, Trans.). Vintage International. (Original work published 1942). In text: (Camus, 1942/1989).
- How do I cite a translated book in MLA 9?
- Name the author, the title in italics, then Translated by and the translator, the publisher and the year: Camus, Albert. The Stranger. Translated by Matthew Ward, Vintage International, 1989. In text: (Camus 12). Add the original year after the title if it matters to your argument.
- How do I cite a translated book in Chicago style?
- In a note: Albert Camus, The Stranger, trans. Matthew Ward (Vintage International, 1989), 12. In the bibliography: Camus, Albert. The Stranger. Translated by Matthew Ward. Vintage International, 1989.
- Do I cite the original date of a translated book?
- In APA, yes: add (Original work published 1942) and show both years in the text. MLA and Chicago treat the original date as optional, to be given when the difference between the dates matters to your argument.
- Who is the author of a translated book?
- The original author. The translator is credited after the title. If you are discussing the translation itself, MLA lets you lead with the translator, and APA still leads with the author.
- Should I give the original title?
- Usually no: cite the English title on the edition you read. If you also discuss the original, give its title in your text.
- Which citation styles does the translated book generator support?
- All 10,834 styles in the library, including APA 7, MLA 9 and Chicago 18.