Translation examples: how to use Lingvo
Lingvo will help you translate single words, phrases and sentences. Your translations will take less time and will be more accurate and idiomatic if instead of translating phrases word for word you translate them by using collocations and set phrases (phrasal verbs, idioms, etc.).
Whenever you choose Translate
Text from Edit Line on the Tools menu or click 
button, Lingvo will try to find collocations and set phrases in your
text.
To find and translate collocations and set phrases in your text:
-
Type your text in the Edit Line and choose Translate Text from Edit Line on the Tools menu (or select a text fragment and click CTRL+INS+INS or CTRL+C+C).
Lingvo will try to find collocations and set phrases in your text and translate them.
Apart from set phrases and collocations, there will be free word combinations in your text. To find a translation for a free word combination, try choosing Find Text from Edit Line on the Tools menu.
To translate a free word combination:
-
Type your text in the Edit Line and choose Find Text from Edit Line on the Tools menu.
Lingvo will perform a full-text search trying to find translations for your free word combination in the text of dictionary entries (i.e. in the comments and examples sections of dictionary cards).
The choice between the two commands often depends on whether you are translating from or into a foreign language.
When you translate into a
foreign language, you can easily single out idioms and phrases in your text
without the help of a dictionary. It is more important to know whether you have
to use a free word combination or a set phrase in your translation. If you
cannot find a separate card for a phrase you wish to translate, try performing a
full-text search (
).
Remember that you can tweak various search parameters (Tools>Options>Search).
To perform a full text search:
-
Type your text in the Edit Line and click (
).
Note: Your text fragment cannot be more than 32 words long.
For details see:
Translation from a foreign language
Translation into a foreign language