How to Cite Translated Works in APA Style

Let’s talk about APA references! You may feel confident citing straightforward sources – but what do you do if you come across something that’s not as common? 

If you’re conducting research or editing an academic text, you may come across a work that’s been translated from a different language. It’s important to know how to cite these sources correctly, both in the text and on the reference page. Keep reading to learn more about how to cite translated works in APA style.

How to Cite Translated Works on a Reference Page

First things first – when you’re dealing with a translated work, create the reference list entry in the language you’re writing/editing in. For example, if a source has been translated from Spanish to English and you’re writing the paper in English, write the reference list entry in English as well.

In the entry, you should give credit to the translator or translators by including their name/s followed by the abbreviation “Trans.”. Include the phrase “Original work published [year of the original publication]” in parentheses at the end of the reference. 

These standards apply to all translated works, such as journal articles, books, and poems. To get an idea of what this looks like in practice, let’s take a look at a few examples:

A book: Smith, J. (1997). The psychology of pizza (L. Cooke, Trans.). American Psychological Association. (Original work published 1980)

A chapter in an edited book: Smith, J. (1997). What’s the best pizza topping? (J. Doe, Trans.). In L. Jones (Ed.), An in-depth study of pizza (pp. 2–15). American Psychological Association. (Original work published 1980)

A journal article: Smith, J. (1997). A study of the psychology of pizza (J. Doe & K. Moe, Trans.). The Restaurant Journal, 18(1), 2–10. https://doi.org/10.1139/030271325 (Original work published 1980)

How to Cite a Work With the Same Editor and Translator

When the editor is also the translator of a work, include their name and roles in parentheses after the title. For example:

Smith, J. (1997). The psychology of pizza (J. Doe, Ed. & Trans.). American Psychological Association. (Original work published 1980)

In-Text Citations

For in-text citations, cite the work as you usually would but include both the original publication date and the date of the republished translation. Be sure to cite the earlier year first and use a slash to separate the years. For example:

Parenthetical citation: “Pepperoni is the superior pizza topping” (Smith, 1980/1997).

Narrative citation: Smith (1980/1997) argues that pepperoni is the superior pizza topping.

Knowadays Courses

If you’re interested in learning more about citing sources in APA style or how to edit academic texts, consider our Becoming A Proofreader and Becoming An Editor courses. We’ll teach you what you need to know about proofreading and editing academic works, as well as what to look for in APA and other popular referencing styles. Sign up for a free trial and get started today!