Translate an Excel file into Korean

What changes when a spreadsheet goes into Korean

A Korean label is often shorter in characters than its English or European equivalent: “Unit price” becomes 단가, “Quantity” becomes 수량. Each Hangul syllable, however, is a block roughly as wide as two Latin letters. Header columns may look tidier, while columns of long descriptions can overflow just as much as the source, or more.

Three effects to plan for:

• Fonts. If the cells use a font with no Korean glyphs, the reader’s computer substitutes another one, which can alter row height and apparent text width from one machine to the next.
• Sorting and filters. A column sorted alphabetically in the source language will no longer be in order once translated: Korean sorts by Hangul order (가, 나, 다…). Filter drop-downs follow that new order, so re-sort wherever the order matters to the reader.
• Spacing. Korean separates word groups with spaces, so wrapped cells can break lines cleanly, but a cell without wrapping will simply cut the text at the column edge.

Korean in cells: register, plurals, figures

Register. In a table, Korean labels are almost always short nominal forms with no verb ending: 합계 (total), 비고 (notes), 완료 (completed), 검토 중 (under review). Politeness levels only show in full sentences, such as an input instruction: 입력하십시오 (formal) or 입력하세요 (everyday polite). For a file going to a client or a public body, the formal register is the norm.

Plurals. Korean has a single form: “1 item” and “5 items” use the same word, often followed by a counter such as 개. Watch out for text written inside formulas, for example =IF(B2>1,"items","item") or =A2&" days": those strings are part of the formula and stay in the source language. Replace them yourself with a single Korean string; the plural condition is no longer needed.

Figures and amounts. Korea uses a comma as the thousands separator and a decimal point. Numbers, dates and amounts in your workbook are left as they are; how they display generally depends on the number format and the regional settings of the computer opening the file. Amounts in pounds, euros or dollars stay in that currency: nothing is converted into won.

What Manuce returns, and what it leaves alone

Manuce translates the text cells on every sheet of the workbook. A calculated cell keeps its formula and keeps calculating. You get your original .xlsx back with its column widths, colours, borders, number formats, filters and merged cells, the Korean text sitting where the source text was. You also receive a Word version, a PDF and plain text, handy for having the Korean checked by someone without Excel.

Not translated:

• sheet tab names: a tab called “Summary” keeps that name and can be renamed, for instance, 요약;
• cell comments;
• charts (titles, legends, axis labels);
• shapes and text boxes placed on the sheet.

Narrow columns are not widened: Korean text wider than its column may be cut off on screen, just as it would have been in the original. Manuce also does not produce sworn or certified translations; if a Korean authority requires a certified translation of financial statements or an official table, you will need an accredited translator.

Preparing the workbook and checking the result

Before uploading:

• Enter dates as real dates rather than typed text (“15 March 2024” typed by hand is a text string and is treated as one).
• Find any text written inside formulas and data-validation lists, which will not be translated.
• Move important text out of text boxes or comments into cells if you want it translated.
• Use a font that includes Hangul for text columns to keep rendering consistent.

After delivery:

• Go through each sheet looking for clipped text, then widen the columns or turn on text wrapping.
• Redo alphabetical sorts and check filters.
• Rename the tabs and translate chart titles.
• Check that totals match the source: formulas were not modified, so the results should be identical.

The free sample, one paragraph of your file translated at the level you choose, lets you judge the Korean register before paying.

In practice

1. Check dates, text inside formulas and the font used in text columns.
2. Upload the .xlsx: the quote appears straight away, based on the exact word count.
3. Read the free Korean sample, then choose a level and pay.
4. Download the translated workbook plus the Word, PDF and plain-text versions.
5. Widen clipped columns, re-sort lists and rename the sheet tabs.