Guide
Parallel text on your Kindle or Kobo
A book in two languages, on the e-reader you already read on: each paragraph followed by its translation, offline, easy on the eyes and free of notifications. Here is what you need, which file to pick, and how to get it onto the device.
What you need
| To… | Account | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Read a library book in the browser | No account | Free |
| Download a library book for Kindle, Kobo or any e-reader | Free account | Free |
| Upload your own book and preview it side by side | Free account | Free |
| Download your own book for Kindle, Kobo or any e-reader | Account | Paid 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: either EPUB. The side-by-side edition puts the two languages in columns, which suits a large screen.
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 book in the free library can be downloaded for your e-reader with a free account: open one, read to the end, and pick your file. To try one now:
- The Monkey's Paw, W.W. Jacobs (English–German)
- The Necklace, Guy de Maupassant (English–Spanish)
- The Gift of the Magi, O. Henry (English–French)
- The Tell-Tale Heart, Edgar Allan Poe (English–Italian)
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 parallel texts on e-readers
Can I read a parallel text 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.
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 can also take the side-by-side edition, with the two languages in columns.
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 parallel text 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.