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APA – Citing Sources

Quotations in foreign languages

The first thing you must think about when considering having a quote in a foreign language in your text is whether it must be precisely those words in that particular word order. Quoting in foreign languages ​​is most common in subjects such as literary studies, philosophy and the like, where it can be decisive how something was expressed in the original language.

If you choose to use the quote, you should preferably leave it as it is and not translate it. If you translate, it is no longer a quote. If you still want to go ahead with a translation of the quote, you must make it clear that it is your translation. This is done in parentheses: (Author, 2007, p.126, my translation).

It is usually better to paraphrase instead, ie write the spirit of the quote in your own words. You do not usually have a page reference when paraphrasing.