Translated Book Citation Generator
Enter the original author, the translator, the title, publisher, and both publication years and get a complete, formatted citation in seconds — with the translator credited correctly. Works with APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and 10,832 styles. Free, no sign-up.
Language
How to Cite a Translated Book
- 1. Enter author, translator, and both years. The original author stays in the author field; the translator is a contributor. Use the year of the translation you read as the main date — your page numbers belong to that edition — and keep the original publication year on hand for the next step.
- 2. Pick a style. APA puts the translator after the title as (R. Pevear, Trans.) and appends "(Original work published 1869)" at the end, giving in-text citations like (Tolstoy, 1869/2007). MLA writes Translated by Richard Pevear after the title instead.
- 3. Generate. We build the full reference with the translator credit in the right slot for your style. Edit any field, then copy or export it to BibTeX, RIS, CSV, or Word.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I generate a citation for a translated book?
- Enter the original author in the author field, the translator as a contributor, the translated title, the publisher, and the year of the translation you read, then pick your citation style and click Generate Citation. The formatted reference credits the translator in the right place for whichever style you choose.
- How does APA credit the translator?
- APA 7th keeps the original author in the author position and puts the translator in parentheses after the title with a 'Trans.' label — e.g. 'Tolstoy, L. (2007). War and peace (R. Pevear & L. Volokhonsky, Trans.). Vintage Classics.' The translator's initials come before the surname, unlike the inverted author name.
- Where does the original publication year go in APA?
- At the very end of the reference in parentheses: '(Original work published 1869)'. The in-text citation then shows both years separated by a slash — (Tolstoy, 1869/2007) — so readers see at a glance that the work is much older than the edition you used.
- How does MLA cite a translated book?
- MLA 9th lists the translator as a contributor after the title with the phrase 'Translated by' — e.g. 'Tolstoy, Leo. War and Peace. Translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, Vintage Classics, 2007.' If your discussion focuses on the translation itself, MLA lets you lead with the translator's name instead.
- Which year do I put in the main date field?
- The publication year of the translated edition you actually read — that is the version your page numbers refer to. The original-language publication year is supplementary: APA appends it as '(Original work published ...)', while MLA and Chicago can note it right after the title if it matters to your argument.
- Is the translated book citation generator free?
- Yes. It is 100% free with no sign-up, no ads, and no limits. Your citations are saved locally in your browser and can be exported to BibTeX, RIS, CSV, or Word.