Translate documents to French
Drop a file in any of our 60 languages and get it back in French (Français), in the same format you sent.
Don't upload confidential documents on the free tier. Why?
Upload a Word document, PDF, PowerPoint deck, Excel sheet or subtitle file and DropTranslate returns the same file in French. Office files keep their layout because only the words inside them change; PDFs are rebuilt as closely as possible and come with an editable DOCX copy. Below are the things worth knowing about French before you send the result to your readers.
Writing in French: what to check
In France, a space goes before : ; ! and ?, and quotations use « guillemets ». Canadian French follows slightly different typographic conventions.
French distinguishes informal tu from formal vous. Business documents use vous.
Which French?
French in France, Belgium, Switzerland and Canada shares the same grammar but differs in some vocabulary; Quebec French in particular has its own terms.
Numbers and dates
Decimal comma with a space as thousands separator (1 234,5). Dates are written day first (14/10/2026).
DropTranslate doesn't reformat numbers or dates in your file: values in spreadsheet cells stay exactly as they are, and numbers in sentences are carried into the translation. Check figures where the local format matters to your readers.
How French affects the layout
French is written left to right. Word, Excel and PowerPoint files keep their layout; PDFs are rebuilt as closely as possible, with a DOCX copy. Translated text can come out longer or shorter than the original, so check tight table cells and slide boxes.
Not a certified translation
Machine translation, not a certified or sworn translation. If your document goes to an authority, check what it requires first.
Certified, sworn or machine translation: which one do you need?
Questions
Can I translate a PDF to French?
Yes, if the PDF has selectable text. The French text is written back into the original positions on each page, and you also get an editable DOCX copy. Scanned PDFs aren't supported yet.
Should the French translation be formal or informal?
French distinguishes informal tu from formal vous. Business documents use vous. The translation usually follows the tone of your original, so check that it addresses your readers the way you intend.
Which French will I get?
French in France, Belgium, Switzerland and Canada shares the same grammar but differs in some vocabulary; Quebec French in particular has its own terms.
Do I need to choose the source language?
No. Leave it on Auto-detect and we recognise the language of your file. Choose it yourself if the file mixes languages or is very short.
How much does it cost to translate to French?
One credit covers up to 500 words of the original text, whatever the target language. The exact cost is shown before you confirm. You get 100 free pages without an account and 500 more when you sign up.