Translate French to English, from formal letters to quick messages
French official letters are long, polite and easy to misread. Words like caution, éventuellement and location do not mean what they seem. Attach a photo or paste the letter and your todo.is agent translates it into plain English, pulls out the dates and amounts, and can draft your reply in correct French.
The prompt
- Translate this French [ATTACH THE LETTER, PDF OR PHOTO] into plain [ENGLISH VARIANT]. It is from [SENDER, E.G. MY LANDLORD OR THE BANK]. Read scans or photos with OCR first. Give me: 1) a full translation that keeps the paragraphs, 2) a 3-line summary of what they want, 3) every deadline, amount and reference number, 4) any polite formula or legal term explained in one line. Then draft a short reply in formal French that says [WHAT I WANT TO ANSWER], with the English meaning under each paragraph. Save both in one Word file.
What to change
- [ATTACH THE LETTER, PDF OR PHOTO]: A PDF, scan or clear phone photo of each page. Pasted text works too.
- [ENGLISH VARIANT]: E.g. "US English" or "UK English".
- [SENDER, E.G. MY LANDLORD OR THE BANK]: Who wrote it, e.g. "the rental agency", "CAF", "the préfecture" or "my child's school".
- [WHAT I WANT TO ANSWER]: E.g. "I dispute the deduction" or "I agree, please send the form". Write "no reply needed" to skip it.
Example result
- Translation: letter from Agence Belleville Immobilier
- French → English (US) · 1 page, photographed
- Original (extract)
- Madame, Monsieur,
- Suite à l'état des lieux de sortie du 28 février, nous vous informons qu'une retenue de 320 € sera effectuée sur votre dépôt de garantie au titre de la remise en état des murs du séjour. Le solde, soit 880 €, vous sera restitué par virement. Vous disposez d'un délai de 15 jours pour nous faire part d'éventuelles observations.
- Veuillez agréer, Madame, Monsieur, l'expression de nos salutations distinguées.
- English
- Dear Sir or Madam,
- Following the move-out inspection on February 28, we are informing you that €320 will be deducted from your security deposit to repair the living room walls. The remaining €880 will be returned to you by bank transfer. You have 15 days to send us any comments.
- Yours faithfully.
- In short
- • They keep €320 of your €1,200 deposit for wall repairs
- • They will transfer €880
- • You can object within 15 days
- Terms explained
- • état des lieux de sortie: the move-out inspection report you signed
- • dépôt de garantie (often called caution): security deposit
- • éventuelles observations: "any comments you may have", not "eventual"
- • Veuillez agréer... salutations distinguées: a fixed formal closing, like "Yours faithfully"
- Draft reply (formal French)
- Madame, Monsieur,
- Je conteste la retenue de 320 € sur mon dépôt de garantie. L'état des lieux d'entrée mentionnait déjà des traces sur les murs du séjour. Je vous remercie de bien vouloir me restituer la totalité du dépôt.
- *(I dispute the €320 deduction. The move-in report already noted marks on the living room walls. Please return the full deposit.)*
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and say who sent the letter and what you want to answer.
- Take a straight photo of each page or attach the PDF, then send it to your todo.is agent in the app or on WhatsApp.
- Read the summary and deadlines first, then the full translation.
- Edit the French reply if needed and ask your agent for a PDF version to sign and post.
Tips for a better result
- Photograph each page flat and in daylight. OCR reads printed French well, but shadows and folds can hide accents and numbers.
- French letters often give deadlines in days from receipt. Ask your agent to turn them into calendar dates and add them to Google Calendar.
- Watch the classic false friends: location is a rental, librairie is a bookshop, actuellement means currently and sensible means sensitive.
- For disputes, keep your reply factual and short. Cite the documents (état des lieux, contrat, facture) rather than feelings.
translate French to English: FAQ
- Can I translate a handwritten French letter? Often yes, if the handwriting is clear. Your agent reads the photo and marks any word it is unsure about so you can check it.
- What does "Veuillez agréer l'expression de mes salutations distinguées" mean? It is a fixed polite closing for formal letters, roughly "Yours sincerely" or "Yours faithfully". It is not translated word for word.
- Do I need a certified translation for French documents? For visas, courts, marriages or diplomas, authorities usually require a sworn or certified translator. An AI translation is fine to understand the document and prepare your questions.
- Is my letter kept private? Your files stay in your own agent workspace and only your agent uses them.
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