Read a foreign-language PDF with help for unfamiliar words
A travel guide, a chapter or a long article can be easy to follow until a few unfamiliar words get in the way. Solaread turns a PDF into reflowed reading text and adds short explanations beside the words it predicts you need help with. The rest stays in the original language.
Start with the right file
For a text PDF, try selecting and copying a paragraph. If columns or broken lines scramble the result, check the extracted text after import. A scan needs text recognition; Solaread can process scanned pages, but a clear scan gives recognition a better starting point. Image-heavy pages and complex tables still need checking in the original.
Read the text, check the page
- Read the reflowed text with inline word explanations. Look up another word when you need more help.
- In the web reader, switch to the original PDF page to check a table, illustration or layout, then return to reading.
The original-page view is a reference. Word explanations belong to the reflowed reading view; Solaread does not create or export a translated PDF.
Choose the help you need
Automatic word marking in the desktop web reader supports eight source languages; the FAQ lists them and the Mac exceptions. Explanation languages are a separate setting, with searchable choices beyond the nine shortcuts. For other source languages, manual lookup and selected-text translation remain available.
This page is about everyday foreign-language PDFs. The separate English-papers guide covers reading academic material.
Questions
Does it preserve the original layout?
You can view the original PDF page in the web reader. The annotated reading text is reflowed, so its layout can differ from that page.
Will it translate the whole file for me?
The reading flow keeps the original text and helps with words or selected passages. It does not provide a separate translated document or a bilingual export.
Read next
Reading English papers · EPUB reader · Readlang and PDF files · Language support
From reading to listening
This page covers Solaread’s reading feature. The web app also lets you import your audio and video, find podcasts, follow transcripts and look up unfamiliar words. Save vocabulary and review it in its original sentences. Recommendations and difficulty labels help you choose books, articles and videos.
An AI language teacher for discussing what you have read, heard or watched is coming soon and is not available yet. Use the web app for the latest listening features; the Mac download can differ.