Issue with non ascii hashtag translation

Question

I notice translator is unable to translate non ascii hashtags like arabic one : #مرحبا_يا_عالم

Using this endpoint

https://api.cognitive.microsofttranslator.com/translate?api-version=3.0&to=en

And with this body :

[ {
  "Text" : "#مرحبا_يا_عالم"
} ]

Is this expected ? Is there an option to translate this king of hashtag ?

Answer 1

Hi Julien,

I understand how this could be confusing, and I’m happy to clarify.

The hash symbol (#) is not translated because it is not a word nor a part of the Arabic language.

Translation engines are designed to translate linguistic elements—such as words, grammar, and meaning—rather than special characters or punctuation. As a result, Azure Translator does not offer an option to translate the # symbol into another form.

Let me know if you have further queries.

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