Translate English to Arabic with proper right-to-left layout
Your clinic, store or event needs Arabic copy, but pasted translations come out left-aligned, with broken punctuation and names spelled three ways. Your todo.is agent translates into Modern Standard Arabic or the dialect you choose and returns a right-to-left Word file that is ready for your designer.
The prompt
- Translate [ATTACH THE FILE OR PASTE THE TEXT] from English into Arabic for readers in [COUNTRY OR REGION]. Use [MODERN STANDARD ARABIC OR A DIALECT] and a [TONE] tone. Address the reader with [MASCULINE, FEMININE OR NEUTRAL WORDING]. Keep these names in Latin letters: [NAMES TO KEEP]. Write numbers with [WESTERN 1 2 3 OR ARABIC-INDIC ١ ٢ ٣] digits. Deliver a right-to-left Word file with Arabic punctuation (، ؛ ؟) and the same headings and lists, plus a table showing how each brand or person name was written in Arabic.
What to change
- [ATTACH THE FILE OR PASTE THE TEXT]: A Word file, PDF, brochure text or website copy.
- [COUNTRY OR REGION]: E.g. "UAE", "Saudi Arabia", "Egypt" or "the whole Arab world".
- [MODERN STANDARD ARABIC OR A DIALECT]: MSA for print and formal text; "Gulf", "Egyptian" or "Levantine" for casual ads and chat.
- [TONE]: E.g. "polite and reassuring", "formal" or "friendly, for social media".
- [MASCULINE, FEMININE OR NEUTRAL WORDING]: Arabic "you" and verbs change by gender. "Neutral" uses plural or impersonal forms.
- [NAMES TO KEEP]: E.g. your brand name or product names. Write "none" to have everything written in Arabic.
- [WESTERN 1 2 3 OR ARABIC-INDIC ١ ٢ ٣]: Which digits to use. Gulf countries mostly use Western digits; Egypt often uses Arabic-Indic.
Example result
- Translation: Smile Bright Dental brochure
- English → Arabic (Modern Standard Arabic, UAE readers) · polite · neutral wording
- English
- Your smile, our priority. Book a free check-up this month. Our clinic in Al Barsha is open seven days a week, with female dentists available on request.
- Arabic
- ابتسامتكم أولويتنا. احجزوا فحصًا مجانيًا هذا الشهر. عيادتنا في البرشاء تستقبلكم سبعة أيام في الأسبوع، وتتوفر طبيبات أسنان عند الطلب.
- Names and terms
- • Smile Bright Dental → سمايل برايت لطب الأسنان (brand sounded out, "dental" translated)
- • Al Barsha → البرشاء (the official Arabic name of the area)
- • check-up → فحص (فحص دوري for a routine check-up)
- • Dr. Sarah Lin → د. سارة لين
- Layout notes
- • Text direction set to right-to-left, right-aligned, with an Arabic font (Noto Naskh Arabic)
- • Arabic comma ، and question mark ؟ used
- • Phone numbers and opening hours kept left-to-right so the digits are not reversed
- • Western digits (1, 2, 3), as most UAE clinics use
- Choices to check
- • The plural forms ابتسامتكم and احجزوا speak to everyone politely and avoid choosing a gender.
- • Arabic lines need more line height than English, so leave space in the design.
- • Gulf readers understand MSA everywhere; a Gulf dialect version would feel friendlier for social posts.
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and choose the region, MSA or a dialect, and how to address the reader.
- Attach your Word file, PDF or design text and send it to your agent in todo.is or on WhatsApp.
- Open the right-to-left Word file and pass it, with the names table, to your designer.
- Ask for a social media version in dialect or a shorter headline whenever you need it.
Tips for a better result
- Use Modern Standard Arabic for print, websites and anything formal. Dialects (Egyptian, Gulf, Levantine) work better for ads, voice-overs and chat.
- Many design tools break Arabic letters if they do not support text shaping. Paste from the Word file into a tool with RTL support and check that letters join.
- Agree on how brand and people names are spelled in Arabic once, then tell your agent to remember that table.
- Arabic grammar marks gender in "you" and in verbs. Plural forms or phrases like يُرجى (please) keep a message neutral.
translate English to Arabic: FAQ
- Should I translate into Modern Standard Arabic or a dialect? MSA is understood across the Arab world and is standard for written business text. Choose a dialect when you speak to one country in a casual way, such as Egyptian Arabic for ads in Egypt.
- Why does my Arabic text look broken or backwards? The app you paste into may not support right-to-left text or Arabic letter shaping. Use the Word file as the source and a design tool with RTL support.
- Which numbers do Arabic texts use? Both. Gulf and North African countries mostly use Western digits (1, 2, 3), while Arabic-Indic digits (١ ٢ ٣) are common in Egypt and some formal texts. Tell your agent which to use.
- Can I use this for an official document? For contracts, certificates or legal papers, use a certified Arabic translator. This translation is a good draft and helps you check their work.
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