Translation

Translate text between English and Ugandan languages

The Sunbird AI API provides high-quality machine translation for Ugandan languages using the NLLB (No Language Left Behind) model.

Overview

Our translation service supports bidirectional translation between English and 5 major Ugandan languages. It is designed to handle general-purpose text with high accuracy.

Supported Languages

We currently support translation between English and the following languages:

Language	Code	Direction
Acholi	ach	English ↔ Acholi
Ateso	teo	English ↔ Ateso
Luganda	lug	English ↔ Luganda
Lugbara	lgg	English ↔ Lugbara
Runyankole	nyn	English ↔ Runyankole

Direct translation between local languages (e.g., Acholi to Luganda) is not currently supported. You must translate via English (Acholi → English → Luganda).

How to Translate

Use the /tasks/nllb_translate endpoint.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
text	string	Yes	The text to be translated.
source_language	string	Yes	The language code of the input text.
target_language	string	Yes	The language code for the output.

Example Request

Translating “Good morning” from English to Runyankole.

Python

import requests

url = "https://api.sunbird.ai/tasks/nllb_translate"
payload = {
    "text": "Good morning",
    "source_language": "eng",
    "target_language": "nyn"
}
headers = {
    "Authorization": "Bearer <YOUR_TOKEN>",
    "Content-Type": "application/json"
}

response = requests.post(url, json=payload, headers=headers)
print(response.json())

Response

{
  "output": {
    "translated_text": "Oraire ota"
  }
}

Best Practices

• Sentence Length: Keep sentences reasonably short for better accuracy.
• Context: The model works best with complete sentences rather than isolated words.
• Punctuation: Proper punctuation helps the model understand the structure of the text.