Languages in Scholarly
Scholarly keeps two language settings apart on purpose. One controls the language of the product itself — menus, navigation, buttons, settings. The other controls the language the AI writes in when it answers you or builds something.
Keeping them separate means you can run the interface in your own language while producing work in the language your colleagues, clients, or examiners read. It also means changing the interface never quietly changes the language of your next report.
App language
App language sets the language of Scholarly's interface: navigation, menus, settings, and buttons. It does not affect anything the AI writes.
- Open Settings.
- Go to the Appearance tab.
- Under App language, choose your language.
The interface is currently available in English and 日本語 (Japanese).
Your choice is saved to your account, so it follows you to any device you sign in on. The address you use stays the same — the app runs on the same links whichever language you choose, so bookmarks keep working and a link you send a colleague opens in whatever language they have chosen.
AI Language
AI Language sets the default language for AI chat replies and for anything you create — flashcards, quizzes, study guides, slides, podcasts, video lectures, research reports, and the rest.
- Open Settings.
- Go to the Chat tab.
- Under AI Language, pick a language. Use the search box to filter the list.
There are over 70 languages to choose from, plus Auto.
Auto
Auto is the default, and it is usually the right choice. Instead of forcing one language, Scholarly follows the material in front of it: a German contract produces German flashcards, a Japanese lecture recording produces a Japanese summary.
Pick a specific language when you want output in a language your source is not written in — for example, turning an English policy document into Spanish onboarding material for your team.
Changing the language for one creation
The account-wide AI Language is a default, not a lock. Most create windows have their own Language control in the Settings section, next to the model picker. Change it there to affect just that one creation and leave your default alone.
This is the quickest way to produce a one-off translation of a document you already have in your library.
How sources affect language
A few surfaces take their cue from the source material rather than a setting:
- PDF and video summaries follow the language of the source by default, rather than defaulting to English.
- Recordings keep their own language. A meeting recorded in Spanish, French, or German gets its transcript, summary, topics, and title in that same language.
- Practice exams on Auto follow the main language of the source.
If you want any of these in a different language, set the language explicitly on that creation.
Captions and narration
Podcasts and video lectures are narrated in the language they were generated in, and voices are chosen to suit it. Captions follow the same language as the narration — see Captions for how to turn them on and read along.
Frequently asked
Does changing my app language re-translate my existing work? No. Your existing chats, notes, and creations stay exactly as they were written. The setting applies to new work.
Can I have the interface in Japanese and my creations in English? Yes — that is exactly what the two separate settings are for. Set App language to 日本語 and AI Language to English.
Why is my creation in a different language than I expected? The most likely cause is Auto following your source. If a document is written in one language, Auto produces output in that language. Set the language explicitly on the creation to override it.
Is the interface available in more languages? The interface is English and Japanese today. AI output is available in over 70 languages regardless of which interface language you use.
Related
- Settings — every account preference in one place
- Recordings — how recorded meetings and lectures keep their language
- Captions — reading along with podcasts and video lectures