How to Translate Wikipedia From English to French (Step-by-Step)

Reading English content on a Wikipedia is easy, but sometimes you want the meaning in your own language. French is spoken by millions, and being able to read an English post in French — while keeping the English original in view — is ideal for learning and for getting the nuance exactly right.

This guide shows how to translate an English Article into French in place, with the English source staying visible so you can compare the two.

Demo note: the screenshots below are built in a real Wikipedia layout to show exactly how BothLang displays a bilingual page — the English paragraph on top and the French translation directly beneath, with a hand-drawn arrow pointing at the translation.

What you need

• BothLang installed in Chrome, Edge, or Firefox — see the download page.
• The extension pinned to your toolbar.
• An English Article open in a tab.

Step 1 — Open the English Article

Open the English piece you want to read.

Step 2 — Set French as your target language

Click the BothLang icon. Set Translate into to French and Page display to Bilingual.

Step 3 — Translate the page

Click Translate Now. BothLang places a French translation directly beneath each English paragraph, leaving the English intact. A hand-drawn arrow marks the first translated paragraph.

Step 4 — Switch reading modes

• Bilingual — English and French together.
• Translation only — fastest.
• Original only — back to clean English.

The short version

1. Install and pin BothLang.
2. Open an English Article.
3. Set Translate into: French, Page display: Bilingual.
4. Click Translate Now.
5. Read the French with the English original underneath.

Try it on your next English Article.