> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://ailyze.gitbook.io/ailyze-docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://ailyze.gitbook.io/ailyze-docs/common-research-workflows/analyze-multilingual-data.md).
# Analyze Multilingual Data
This page shows you how to analyze research that isn't in English — or that mixes several languages — and still get a clear report in the language you want.
{% hint style="info" %}
**What you need:** Interviews, survey responses, or recordings in any supported language. The Free plan works for analysis; translation and transcription are pay-as-you-go add-ons with free allowances.
**What you will have at the end:** A themed report in the language you choose, with quotes you can trace back to the original wording.
{% endhint %}
Evidano handles multilingual research in two ways. Pick the one that fits.
### Option A: Analyze directly and set the response language
For document analysis, you usually don't need to translate first. In **"Analyze docx/pdf files"**:
1. Upload your transcripts, in any supported language.
2. In the optional settings, set **"Specify your preferred language of response"** to the language you want the *report* in (over 100 options).
Evidano reads the original text and writes the [themes](/ailyze-docs/reference/glossary.md#theme), summaries, and insights in your chosen language — so you can analyze Spanish interviews and read an English report, or the other way around.
{% hint style="info" %}
Your [quotes](/ailyze-docs/reference/glossary.md#quote) usually stay in their original language, while the analysis is written in your response language. This keeps your evidence in the original wording and your findings easy to read.
{% endhint %}
### Option B: Translate first, then analyze
Choose this when you want the *underlying data* itself in one language — for example, to merge interviews from several languages into a single [codebook](/ailyze-docs/reference/glossary.md#codebook), or to share the raw translated transcripts.
1. Use [Translate Files](/ailyze-docs/prepare-research-data/translate-files.md) to translate your documents or spreadsheets into a common language.
2. On the translation detail page, click **"Analyze"** to send the translated files straight into:
* **"Analyze docx/pdf files"** (for docx/pdf), or
* **"Analyze xlsx/csv files"** (for xlsx/csv).
### Mixed-language datasets
* **Documents in several languages:** Option B (translate to a common language) gives the cleanest single codebook. Option A works too if you set one response language.
* **A survey with responses in many languages:** translate the export first (Option B), then run the spreadsheet analysis so every response is themed the same way.
* **Audio or video in another language:** transcribe it first (the transcriber supports many languages and a **"Multilingual"** option for recordings with two or more languages), then analyze or translate the transcript.
### Which option should you choose?
| You want… | Use |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------- |
| A report in language X from data in language Y, quotes kept original | **Option A** (response language) |
| All data unified into one language before coding | **Option B** (translate first) |
| To share translated source files with collaborators | **Option B** |
### A realistic example
{% hint style="info" %}
**Scenario:** 30 interviews across English, Spanish, and Portuguese for a regional study. Translate them all to English (Option B), click **"Analyze"** to build one shared codebook, then add **"Compare segments"** by country — a [segment](/ailyze-docs/reference/glossary.md#segment) comparison — to see how themes differ by market, with original-language quotes available for checking.
{% endhint %}
### Notes and limits
* Transcription and translation are pay-as-you-go add-ons with free allowances. See [Plans, Limits & Credits](/ailyze-docs/reference/plans-limits-and-credits.md).
* For the exact languages each tool supports, see [Supported Languages](/ailyze-docs/reference/supported-languages.md).
## Next steps
* [Translate Files](/ailyze-docs/prepare-research-data/translate-files.md)
* [Transcribe Audio and Video](/ailyze-docs/prepare-research-data/transcribe-audio-and-video.md)
* [How to read your results](/ailyze-docs/analyze-data/how-to-read-your-results.md)
* [Translation issues](/ailyze-docs/troubleshooting/translation-issues.md)
---
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