Live Transcript Translation: Read the Other Person in Your Language
A live transcript is only useful if you can read it. When the other person switches language, or when the whole call is not in yours, Kalfi can place a translation directly under that line. The original stays. The translation is a second line beneath it. You choose the language you want to read. The source can be detected automatically or set by you. The live answer keeps working.
The short version
- Optional. A toggle in the transcript panel, labeled so you know it shows a translation under each line.
- From: Auto-detect, or one language you choose. To: the language you want to read.
- Twenty languages, including English, Indonesian, Spanish, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, and Hindi.
- The original line stays. A same-language result is hidden. Auto-answer stays on.
When the transcript is not enough
Interviews and client calls do not stay in one language. A recruiter in Jakarta may switch to English for the technical part. A customer in São Paulo may mix Portuguese and English. Reading the live transcript in a language you do not follow is just a wall of text. A separate translator tab means you look away from the call.
The translation in Kalfi is attached to the line. You keep the words they said, and under them you get the language you asked for. That is the whole layout: original, then translation.
How you turn it on
- Open the transcript panel during a call.
- Turn on the translation toggle. The hint on it is “Show a translation under each transcript line.”
- Leave From on Auto-detect, or pick the language they are speaking.
- Set To to the language you want to read. If you have not chosen one, Kalfi starts from the language of your computer, and otherwise Indonesian.
You do not paste text into a box. New lines are translated as the transcript grows. A short backlog is normal if several sentences arrive at once; the transcript does not wait for the translation.
Languages
English, Indonesian, Arabic, Malay, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Japanese, Korean, Hindi, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Russian, Turkish, Vietnamese, Thai, and Filipino. That list is what the From and To menus offer. A line that already matches your target language is not repeated underneath.
The answer still drafts
Translation is a reading aid. Auto-answer still listens to what was said and can draft a reply you edit before anything is sent. Nothing is typed into the meeting for you, and no bot joins the call. If you want the capture side of that, start with the real-time meeting assistant. The overlay name and logo are a separate setting, covered in the invisible assistant article.
Expect a small lag on the translation, not on the transcript. The words appear as they are recognized. The second line can follow a moment later. On a fast exchange, read the original if you know it and use the translation as the check.
What it costs
Translation is part of the app, not a higher plan. $14 a month if you bring your own API key, $19 hosted, $9 for a single session that lasts two hours and expires after 30 days unused, $49 for three Hosted seats, and a 3-day Hosted trial with no card. Works on Mac, Windows, and Linux.
Questions
Where does the translation appear?
Under the transcript line of the other person, in the transcript panel. The original line stays. If the translation would be the same language as the line, Kalfi hides it so you do not see the sentence twice.
Do I have to pick the source language?
No. The From menu includes Auto-detect. You can also pin a source if the call is clearly one language and detection is wobbling.
Which languages can I read it in?
English, Indonesian, Arabic, Malay, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Japanese, Korean, Hindi, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Russian, Turkish, Vietnamese, Thai, and Filipino.
Does translation slow the transcript or the answer?
The transcript itself stays live. The translation can arrive a moment later. Auto-answer is unchanged: it still drafts from what was said.
Turn it on for the next call
3-day Hosted trial, no card. $14 a month on your own key or $19 hosted. Mac, Windows, and Linux.