Clipboard Translator

A lightweight, discreet Python utility that translates text directly from your clipboard using Google Translate. Perfect for students, researchers, or anyone who needs quick translations without switching between applications.

Features

• 🚀 Instant Translation: Translates clipboard content with a single keystroke
• 🔄 Auto-detect Source Language: Automatically detects the input language
• ⚙️ Configurable: Easy-to-modify settings file for target language preferences
• 🤫 Discreet Operation: No visible UI - works silently in the background
• 📋 Seamless Workflow: Results are automatically copied back to clipboard

How It Works

1. Copy any text to your clipboard
2. Trigger the script (via keyboard shortcut)
3. The translated text automatically replaces your clipboard content
4. Paste anywhere you need the translation

Installation

Prerequisites

Linux (Ubuntu/Debian):

sudo apt-get install xclip

Linux (Fedora/RHEL):

sudo dnf install xclip

macOS:

# xclip not needed on macOS

Setup

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/ha1fdan/clipboard-translator.git
   cd clipboard-translator

2. Install Python dependencies:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

3. Configure your preferences (optional): Edit settings.conf to set your preferred target language:

   DESTINATION_LANG=de  # German (change to your preferred language code)
   SRC_LANG=auto        # Auto-detect source language
   

Configuration

Language Codes

Common language codes you can use in settings.conf:

Language	Code
English	en
German	de
French	fr
Spanish	es
Italian	it
Portuguese	pt
Russian	ru
Japanese	ja
Chinese (Simplified)	zh
Korean	ko

For a complete list of supported languages, run:

from googletrans import LANGUAGES
print(LANGUAGES)

Usage

Command Line

python main.py

Keyboard Shortcut (Recommended)

Setting up a keyboard shortcut makes the tool much more convenient:

Pop!_OS / Ubuntu (GNOME)

1. Open Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts
2. Click + to add a custom shortcut
3. Name: Clipboard Translator
4. Command: /usr/bin/python3 /path/to/clipboard-translator/main.py
5. Shortcut: Choose your preferred key combination (e.g., Ctrl+Shift+T)

Other Linux Distributions

Refer to your desktop environment's documentation for setting up custom keyboard shortcuts.

Windows

Use AutoHotkey or similar tools to bind the script to a keyboard shortcut.

macOS

Use Automator or Alfred to create a keyboard shortcut.

Example Workflow

1. Copy text: Select and copy text like "Hello, how are you?"
2. Press shortcut: Hit your configured keyboard shortcut (e.g., Ctrl+Shift+T)
3. Paste translation: The clipboard now contains "Hallo, wie geht es dir?" (if translating to German)

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'googletrans'"

pip install googletrans==4.0.0-rc1

"ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'pyperclip'"

pip install pyperclip

Linux clipboard issues:

• Make sure xclip is installed
• Try running xclip -version to verify installation

Translation not working:

• Check your internet connection (Google Translate API requires internet)
• Verify language codes in settings.conf are valid

Debug Mode

To see what's happening, you can modify main.py to add debug output:

print(f"Original text: {text_to_translate}")
print(f"Translated text: {translated_text}")

Dependencies

• googletrans==4.0.0-rc1 - Google Translate API wrapper
• pyperclip - Cross-platform clipboard access

Disclaimer

This tool uses the unofficial Google Translate API. For production use or high-volume translations, consider using the official Google Cloud Translation API.

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Made with ❤️ for seamless translation workflows