Translate an Excel File into Hebrew

What Hebrew changes in a spreadsheet

Hebrew is written right to left, normally without written vowels. Inside a cell the text becomes bidirectional: Hebrew words read from the right, while numbers, references and Latin-script words keep reading from the left. A cell such as Order no. 4521 – ref. AB-12 becomes a Hebrew sentence in which 4521 and AB-12 keep their own direction.

• Sheet direction: the returned file keeps its original layout, so column A stays on the left. If your readers expect a right-to-left sheet, that is a display setting in the workbook which you switch on yourself after delivery.
• Forced alignment: a cell set to left alignment in the source stays left-aligned. Left-aligned Hebrew reads awkwardly, so note those columns.
• Trailing punctuation: on a sheet left in left-to-right mode, a final full stop or colon may display on the wrong side. That is a rendering effect, not a translation error.
• Length: with no written vowels and with articles and prepositions attached to the word (ה, ב, ל, ו), Hebrew is often more compact than English or French, though technical descriptions can still run long.
• Fonts: a decorative Latin-only typeface will be swapped for a fallback font when Hebrew is displayed. Standard office fonts cover Hebrew.

Plurals, gender and text locked inside formulas

Hebrew has three plural categories: one, two and other. Some everyday words have a dual form: יומיים means "two days", שבועיים "two weeks". A full text cell is translated with the right form; the trap is text built by a formula.

Manuce does not touch formulas. A cell containing ="Lead time: "&B2&" days" keeps calculating, but the words inside the quotation marks stay in the source language. The same applies to a custom number format such as 0" units": the format is preserved, so the suffix is too. For these cells you can:

• put the label in a neighbouring text cell, which will be translated, and let the formula return only the number;
• or edit the strings in the formulas yourself after delivery, allowing for the dual when the value can be 2.

Grammatical gender matters as well: Hebrew verbs and adjectives agree in masculine or feminine. A bare header like "Manager" or "Approved" is ambiguous; a more explicit cell ("Site manager", "Order approved") helps the engine pick the right form.

What Manuce returns, and what it does not do

Manuce translates the text cells on every sheet of the workbook and returns your original .xlsx: column widths, colours, borders, number formats, filters and merged cells are preserved. A calculated cell keeps its formula; numbers, dates and amounts are left as they are. You also receive a Word version, a PDF and the plain text, which are handy if a Hebrew-speaking reviewer does not use Excel.

Not translated:

• sheet tab names, which you can rename yourself;
• cell comments;
• charts (titles, legends, axis labels);
• shapes and text boxes placed on the sheet.

A narrow column is not widened: if a Hebrew label is longer, it may be cut off on screen, just as in the original. Manuce does not produce certified (sworn) translations: if an Israeli authority requires a certified translation of your spreadsheet, you will need a sworn translator. Hebrew carries a language surcharge (×1.6 on the per-word rate), already included in the quote.

Preparing the file and checking the result

Before uploading:

• move important text out of text boxes and comments into cells;
• list the formulas that build text and any custom formats with a suffix;
• make sure product codes and references are typed exactly as they should appear, since they will stay in Latin script inside the Hebrew sentence.

Before you pay, the free sample translates one paragraph of the file at the level you choose. Use it to check an industry term or a brand name you want kept as it is.

After delivery:

• switch the sheet to right-to-left display if your readers expect it, and check the columns still follow a logical order;
• check left-aligned cells and labels cut off in narrow columns;
• check abbreviations: Hebrew marks them with a geresh or gershayim, as in בע״מ (limited company);
• dates keep their original format; in Israel day/month/year is the usual order, so adjust if your format shows the month first. The currency symbol in an accounting format is not converted either.

In practice

1. Move the text you need translated into cells and note any formulas that build text.
2. Upload the .xlsx and select Hebrew: the quote appears based on the exact word count.
3. Read the free sample to check a term or brand name, then start the translation.
4. Open the returned workbook, set the sheet to right-to-left if needed and rename the tabs.
5. Check alignment, narrow columns and any strings left inside formulas.