AN ANALYSIS OF GOOGLE TRANSLATE ACCURACY IN TRANSLATING ENGLISH TO INDONESIAN

Abstract

This study investigates the accuracy of Google Translate in translating English into Indonesian. With the increasing use of machine translation tools in both academic and everyday contexts, concerns arise regarding their reliability and contextual accuracy. This research using library research method, referring to various scholarly articles, the analysis focuses on several key aspects: semantic accuracy, grammatical structure, context, word choice cultural sensitivity and readability. The findings show that while Google Translate can effectively translate simple sentences, it often fails to properly handle idiomatic expressions, cultural references, and complex syntactic structures. Literal translations frequently result in distorted meanings when contextual understanding is insufficient. Moreover, inconsistent diction and grammatical errors can affect the clarity and fluency of the translated text. Despite these limitations, Google Translate remains useful for general understanding, though human intervention is still needed to ensure accurate and context-appropriate translations, especially in academic and professional settings.