Translate Chinese to English from screenshots, PDFs and chats
A factory sends its quotation as a WeChat screenshot, full of terms like 含税, 交期 and 起订量. You cannot copy characters out of an image, and quick tools miss the trade meaning. Your todo.is agent reads the image, translates it, rebuilds tables in Excel and explains each term in plain English.
The prompt
- Translate the attached Chinese [ATTACH THE SCREENSHOT, PDF OR PHOTO] into English. It is from [WHO SENT IT AND WHAT IT IS]. Read the text from the image first and tell me if it is Simplified or Traditional. Translate everything, then rebuild any table (prices, quantities, specs) as an Excel file with Chinese and English columns. Explain trade terms such as 含税, 交期 and 起订量, convert any 万 amounts into normal numbers, and list anything unclear that I should confirm. Then draft my reply in Chinese saying [WHAT I WANT TO ASK OR ANSWER], with an English version.
What to change
- [ATTACH THE SCREENSHOT, PDF OR PHOTO]: WeChat screenshots, a PDF quotation, a photo of a label or manual. Several files are fine.
- [WHO SENT IT AND WHAT IT IS]: E.g. "a plastics factory in Ningbo, their price quote" or "my landlord in Taipei, a notice".
- [WHAT I WANT TO ASK OR ANSWER]: E.g. "ask if the price is EXW or FOB and whether logo printing is included". Write "no reply" to skip it.
Example result
- Translation: quotation from Ningbo Jiahe Plastics
- Simplified Chinese → English · 2 screenshots
- Original (extract)
- 产品：硅胶折叠水杯 500ml
- 单价：12.8元/个（含税，不含运费）
- 起订量：3000个
- 交期：收到定金后20天
- 付款方式：30%定金，70%发货前付清
- 可印logo，打样费200元，下单后退还
- English
- • Product: silicone folding water cup, 500 ml
- • Unit price: ¥12.80 per piece (tax included, shipping not included)
- • Minimum order: 3,000 pieces
- • Lead time: 20 days after the deposit is received
- • Payment: 30% deposit, 70% paid before shipment
- • Logo printing available. Sample fee ¥200, refunded once you place the order
- Terms explained
- • 含税: price includes Chinese VAT, which matters if you need an official invoice (发票)
- • 不含运费: shipping is extra
- • 起订量: MOQ, minimum order quantity
- • 交期: lead time (production time)
- • 定金: deposit; usually not refundable once production starts
- • 打样费: sample fee
- • 元: Chinese yuan (CNY, RMB), not US dollars
- Quick math
- 3,000 pieces × ¥12.80 = ¥38,400. The 30% deposit is ¥11,520.
- Confirm before paying
- • Is the price ex-factory or delivered to a port? It is not stated.
- • Is logo printing included in ¥12.80, or extra per piece?
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and say who sent the Chinese text and what you need to reply.
- Save the WeChat screenshots or the PDF and attach them in todo.is, or forward them to your agent on WhatsApp.
- Open the Excel file for the numbers, and read the term notes and open questions.
- Check the English version of the reply, then paste the Chinese into WeChat or email yourself.
Tips for a better result
- Send screenshots at full resolution and do not crop the edges of tables. OCR needs the column headers to line things up.
- 元, RMB and CNY all mean Chinese yuan. If a price has no currency sign, ask your supplier before comparing quotes.
- Large Chinese amounts use 万 (10,000). 1.5万 is 15,000, an easy place to make a costly mistake.
- Tell your agent to remember your suppliers and products, so future quotes can be matched and compared quickly.
translate Chinese to English: FAQ
- How do I translate Chinese text from a picture? Attach the image and your agent reads the characters (OCR) and translates them. You also get the Chinese as text, so you can search or copy it.
- What does 含税 mean on a Chinese quote? It means tax included, usually the 13% Chinese VAT on goods. A price marked 不含税 is before tax and will be higher on an official invoice.
- Can it translate handwritten Chinese? Neat handwriting often works, but results are less reliable than print. Your agent marks characters it cannot read clearly.
- Can my agent compare several Chinese quotes? Yes. Attach all of them and ask for one Excel table comparing price, MOQ, lead time and payment terms in English.
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