Google Translate goes Cebuano

MANILA, Philippines -- Want to know the meaning of words in "bisaya" (Central Visayas) dialect? Google has answers for you.

The search giant announced Friday that Google Translate in Cebuano is already available to cater to users not familiar with the dialect in Central Visayas and some parts of Mindanao.

The latest Google Translate aims to help users to communicate better with the locals.

Users versed in Cebuano but not in other languages can use the tool as well to comprehend information online or offline.

Google Translate now supports the Cebuano language and four others (Bosnian, Hmong, Javanese, and Marathi), reaching a milestone of more than 70 languages hosted.

With the exception of Bosnian, the languages are in the early stages of development or “alpha” stage, and can be expected to improve over time.

When combined, the added languages are spoken by over 183 million people in the world.  

“Google Translate helps bridge the divide between the content available online and people’s ability to access that information,” said Sveta Kelman, Google Translate Program Manager.

“Familiarizing ourselves with other languages broadens our comprehension for information. It adds more meaning and sincerity in a conversation, too. Cebuano is an important language to us  and we hope to have helped ease the language barrier with Google Translate,” added Gail Tan, Google Philippines Communications Manager.

Google Translate can be accessed via the Web on Android or iOS devices; via Google Chrome, and on Gmail.