Travel · Getting around ·
How to read signs abroad when you do not know the language
You step out of the airport train in Seoul, Athens or Cairo and every board is in a script you cannot read. You do not need to learn the alphabet tonight — you need to know which exit, which platform and whether you can park here. Here is a calm way to work through it.
Point, wait, read
With camera translation, you hold the phone up to the sign and the translated text appears in place of the original. Give it a second to settle before you read — a steady hand gives a cleaner result than a quick snapshot.
- Stand close enough that the letters fill a good part of the screen.
- Hold the phone straight, not at a sharp angle.
- Tilt slightly to get rid of glare on glass or glossy plastic.
Stations and platforms
Station names are names: they usually stay the same after translation. Compare their shape with the name on your map or route app instead of expecting a "translated" name.
What really matters is the small print around them — direction, last train, temporary changes taped to a pillar. Those are exactly the lines worth translating.
Machines that want your money
Ticket and parking machines often hide a language button in a corner; look for it first. If there is none, translate the screen step by step, and before paying, check three things: the price, the type of ticket and the zone or duration. A translation tells you what the words mean; it cannot stop you from tapping the wrong button.
Rules with a fine attached
Parking rules, quiet zones, no-entry signs: short text, real consequences. Read the translation, then look at the pictogram next to it. When the two agree, you can relax. When times or days are listed, go through them one by one — abbreviations are where mistakes hide.
Still unsure? Ask a person
Sometimes the fastest answer is a passer-by or a station worker. Open face-to-face conversation translation, ask one short question — "Is this the platform for the airport?" — and Dilinga says it aloud in their language, then translates their answer back to you.
Dilinga is live on Google Play. The iPhone version is coming very soon to the App Store. Get it on Google Play →
Questions
Does camera translation work on menus and receipts too?
Yes. Anything printed clearly enough to read — menus, receipts, medicine boxes, forms — can be translated the same way.
Does the person I ask need the Dilinga app?
No. Face-to-face conversation uses one phone shared between the two of you.