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Guide

How to read bilingual books on Kindle

A book in two languages, on the Kindle, Kobo or other e-reader you already read on: each paragraph followed by its translation, offline, easy on the eyes and free of notifications. Here is why that beats looking words up, what you need, which file to pick, and how to get it onto the device.

Why not just use the e-reader’s own translation?

Most e-readers let you hold a word and see a dictionary entry or a translation. It is handy for the odd word, and frustrating as a way to read a book in a language you are learning:

  • It needs a connection. Translation goes online, so on a train, a plane or with Wi-Fi switched off to save the battery, you get nothing.
  • It works word by word. Every lookup opens a pop-up, waits, and closes again. After a few of those per page you have stopped reading and started decoding.
  • It misses idioms and whole sentences. A phrase like “to pull someone’s leg” means nothing word by word, and a long sentence with the verb at the end only makes sense as a whole.

A bilingual edition turns that around: the translation of every paragraph is already in the book, one glance away, offline. You read in the language you are learning and look across only when the story stops making sense, which is how learning a language with stories works best.

What you need

To…AccountCost
Read a library book in the browserNo accountFree
Download a library book for Kindle, Kobo or any e-readerFree accountFree
Upload your own book and preview it side by sideFree accountFree
Download your own book for Kindle, Kobo or any e-readerAccountPaid plan

For your own books you need them as a DRM-free EPUB or a text-based PDF. Books bought in the Kindle store are locked to Amazon and can’t be uploaded. See pricing for the plans.

Which file to download

  • Kindle, with Send to Kindle: the EPUB (e-reader layout). Amazon converts it for your device. No cable needed.
  • Kindle, over USB: AZW3 for a Kindle Keyboard (with current firmware), Kindle 4, Touch, Paperwhite, Oasis, Scribe or newer. MOBI for a Kindle 1, 2 or DX. MOBI also works on every model. A Kindle can’t open an EPUB copied over USB.
  • Kobo, PocketBook, Tolino, Nook and others: the EPUB (e-reader layout).
  • Tablets and Apple Books: the EPUB. For the two languages in columns, read in the browser or take the PDF.

Getting it onto your device

Send to Kindle

Use Amazon’s Send to Kindle page or app, or email the EPUB to your Kindle’s address (found under your Kindle’s settings and Amazon’s “Manage your content and devices”). If you email it, the sending address must be on your approved list. The book appears in your library within a few minutes.

Kindle over USB

Connect the Kindle to your computer, open it like a USB drive, and copy the AZW3 or MOBI file into the documents folder. Eject, and the book shows up on the home screen.

Kobo and other e-readers

Connect by USB and copy the EPUB anywhere on the device; it is picked up after you eject. Apps like Apple Books open the file directly.

Free bilingual ebooks to start with

Every free book in the library of bilingual Kindle books, graded by level from A1 to C2, can be downloaded for your e-reader with a free account, no payment: open one and use the “Download” button at the top, or the buttons after the last page. To try one now:

Or browse by language: stories grouped by level, each ready for your e-reader.

Your own book, in two languages

Upload an EPUB or PDF, choose the second language, and every paragraph comes back next to its translation. You see a free preview of the opening before anything else, and the finished book downloads in every format above. The translation is made to read along with, not as a published literary translation.

Questions about bilingual books on e-readers

Can I read a bilingual book on a Kindle?

Yes. A Kindle has no room for two columns, so the e-reader edition puts each paragraph straight after its translation. Send the EPUB with Send to Kindle, or copy the AZW3 (or MOBI for the oldest models) over USB.

Isn't the Kindle's built-in translation enough?

For the odd word, yes. It needs Wi-Fi, translates one word or short selection at a time, and often misses idioms and the sense of a whole sentence. A bilingual edition has every paragraph translated already, offline, one glance away.

Why won't my Kindle open the EPUB I copied over USB?

No Kindle opens an .epub copied over USB. EPUBs only work through Send to Kindle, which converts them on Amazon's side. Over USB, use the AZW3 file, or MOBI for a Kindle 1, 2, DX or a Kindle Keyboard that hasn't been updated.

Does it work on Kobo, PocketBook, Tolino and Apple Books?

Yes. They all read EPUB directly: copy the file over USB, or open it in the app. Tablets and Apple Books take the same EPUB; for the two languages in columns, read in the browser or use the PDF.

Do I need an account or a paid plan?

Reading the free library in the browser needs nothing. Downloading a library book for your e-reader needs a free account. Turning your own book into a bilingual edition is free to preview; downloading it for your e-reader needs a paid plan.

Can I make a bilingual Kindle book from an ebook I own?

Yes, if it is a DRM-free EPUB or a text-based PDF. Upload it, choose the second language, and every paragraph comes back next to its translation, ready to download for Kindle, Kobo or any other e-reader.