Prompt GitHub Copilot for Translating a Text

GitHub Copilot, the AI development assistant created by GitHub and OpenAI, is not limited to code generation. Integrated directly into your editor (VS Code, JetBrains, Neovim), it can also serve as a powerful translation tool for your multilingual projects. Whether you need to translate localization files (i18n), code comments, technical documentation, or user interfaces, Copilot understands your project context and produces translations consistent with your existing terminology. Its main advantage lies in its ability to maintain source code formatting intact — HTML tags, interpolation variables, JSON keys — while translating only the textual content. This editor-integrated approach avoids back-and-forth with external tools and ensures your translations respect the technical conventions of your codebase. Here is an optimized prompt to fully leverage GitHub Copilot in your translation tasks.

The prompt

GitHub Copilot

Translate the following text from [SOURCE_LANGUAGE] to [TARGET_LANGUAGE]. Preserve exactly the same formatting, structure, and all technical tags (HTML, variables inside curly braces, JSON keys, Markdown markers). Do not translate proper nouns, universal technical terms, or code identifiers. Adapt idiomatic expressions to the cultural context of the target language rather than translating them literally. Maintain a consistent [formal/informal] language register throughout the text. If a term has multiple possible translations, prefer the most common one in the field of [domain: technical/marketing/legal/medical]. Here is the text to translate:

[Paste text here]

Personalize this prompt with Léa

Answer 3 questions and Léa tailors the prompt to your situation.

Why it works

This prompt works effectively because it defines explicit constraints on what should and should not be translated, eliminating common machine translation errors on code. Specifying the language register and domain allows Copilot to select the most appropriate vocabulary from its multilingual training data. Finally, the request for cultural adaptation rather than literal translation pushes the model towards professional-quality localization.

Expected result

You will get a translation faithful to the original meaning, with a natural style in the target language and perfectly preserved technical formatting. Variables, tags, and code identifiers will remain intact, ready to be integrated directly into your project without manual formatting adjustments.

Variants by level

FAQ

Is GitHub Copilot reliable for translating technical content in a software project?

GitHub Copilot produces good quality translations for common technical content thanks to its training on millions of multilingual repositories. It excels particularly for localization files (JSON, YAML, .properties) and technical documentation. However, for legal, medical, or regulated content, human review remains essential. Its main strength is its understanding of code context: it can distinguish what needs to be translated from what should remain intact.

How can I translate a full localization file (JSON/YAML) with Copilot without breaking the structure?

The most effective method is to open your source file in the editor and use the Copilot chat with the prompt explicitly stating to preserve the JSON or YAML structure. You can also reference the file directly with @workspace. Copilot will preserve keys, indentation, and escape characters. For large files, proceed in sections of 50 to 100 lines to avoid truncation and maintain quality.

Which languages does GitHub Copilot handle best for translation?

Copilot performs best on languages widely represented in GitHub repositories: English, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. Results are also solid for Dutch, Italian, Russian, and Polish. For languages less represented in the training data, quality may be uneven and it is recommended to compare with a dedicated translation tool. In any case, specifying the language pair explicitly in your prompt significantly improves accuracy.

How to use this prompt

Copy the prompt with the button above.
Paste it into ChatGPT, Claude or your favorite AI assistant.
Replace the bracketed variables with your details, then refine the result.

About Prompt Guide

Prompt Guide is a free library of 2500+ ready-to-use prompts for ChatGPT, Claude and other AIs, with guides to learn prompting and tools to build and optimize your own prompts.

Prompt library Learn prompting Prompt builder Prompt optimizer

Already have a prompt?

Paste it into the Optimizer, AI improves it in 5 seconds: role, context, format. Free, no signup.

Open the Optimizer

More prompts to explore

Prompt GitHub Copilot for Writing a Blog Article

GitHub Copilot, the coding assistant powered by AI from OpenAI and GitHub, is not limited to code generation. Thanks to its advanced contextual understanding,...

Prompt GitHub Copilot for Writing a Newsletter

GitHub Copilot, the AI-powered code assistant from GitHub, is not limited to code generation. Thanks to its ability to understand context and generate structured text, it becomes a valuable ally for writing professional newsletters directly from your code editor.

Prompt GitHub Copilot for Writing a Report

GitHub Copilot, GitHub's AI assistant integrated into code editors, is not limited to code generation. Its language engine can be exploited to...

Prompt GitHub Copilot for Writing a Sales Page

GitHub Copilot, initially designed as a development assistant, proves to be a remarkably effective tool for writing compelling sales pages.

Prompt GitHub Copilot for Writing a Video Script

GitHub Copilot, GitHub's AI development assistant, is not limited to code generation. Thanks to its advanced natural language understanding, it excels

Prompt GitHub Copilot for Writing LinkedIn Posts

GitHub Copilot, mainly known as a development assistant, has remarkable text generation capabilities that extend far beyond code. By leveraging its AI engine directly from your editor, you can craft impactful LinkedIn posts without leaving your workflow.