Python String translate()

translate() method takes the translation table to replace/translate characters in the given string as per the mapping table.

The translation table is created by the static method maketrans().

The syntax of the translate() method is:

string.translate(table)

String translate() Parameters

translate() method takes a single parameter:

• table - a translation table containing the mapping between two characters; usually created by maketrans()

Return value from String translate()

translate() method returns a string where each character is mapped to its corresponding character as per the translation table.

Example 1: Translation/Mapping using a translation table with translate()

# first string
firstString = "abc"
secondString = "ghi"
thirdString = "ab"

string = "abcdef"
print("Original string:", string)

translation = string.maketrans(firstString, secondString, thirdString)

# translate string
print("Translated string:", string.translate(translation))

Output

Original string: abcdef
Translated string: idef

Here, the translation mapping translation contains the mapping from a, b and c to g, h and i respectively.

But, the removal string thirdString resets the mapping to a and b to None.

So, when the string is translated using translate(), a and b are removed, and c is replaced i outputting idef.

Note: If you cannot understand what's going inside maketrans(), please refer to String maketrans().

Example 2: Translation/Mapping with translate() with manual translation table

# translation table - a dictionary
translation = {97: None, 98: None, 99: 105}

string = "abcdef"
print("Original string:", string)

# translate string
print("Translated string:", string.translate(translation))

Output

Original string: abcdef
Translated string: idef

Here, we don't create a translation table from maketrans() but, we manually create the mapping dictionary translation.

This translation is then used to translate string to get the same output as the previous example.