I found the iTranslate app for iPhone a couple of years ago when struggling to communicate with my children’s Japanese grandmother. And although I speak the language, I’d get frustrated when she’d think my Japanese is better than it is and use vocabulary I did not know. You can actually speak into your iPhone in just about any language you can think of, including Swahili, and the app will offer both an oral and written response. This app is especially handy for Japanese translation because it gives hirigana, katakana, and kanji translations as well as romaji. I can’t say enough great things about this handy tool. I use it any time I travel abroad.
Be sure to download the correct app. The icon for the app is the one you see here. iTranslate is free but if you want the voice option you’ll have to pay a whopping 99 cents. Best 99 cents I’ve ever spent!
