How to Translate French Excel Formulas to English

To translate a French Excel formula to English, change localized function names such as SI, SOMME, and RECHERCHEV to their English equivalents, then use the argument separator required by the destination Excel installation. Preserve references, operators, sheet names, and quoted values.

This French formula:

=SIERREUR(SOMME(B2:D2);0)

normally becomes this English formula on a comma-separator installation:

=IFERROR(SUM(B2:D2),0)

The conversion is small but structural: both nested function names change, while the semicolon separating SIERREUR arguments becomes a comma. The range and fallback value remain intact.

Convert the entire formula, not isolated words

Copy the expression from Excel’s formula bar so the leading equal sign, nesting, references, and quoted strings are included. In the Excel Formula Translator, select French as the source, English as the target, and the Excel version that must evaluate the result.

Automatic separator mode handles the usual French-to-English punctuation change. However, Excel can follow a customized operating-system list separator, so the destination computer is the authority. If its English Excel expects semicolons, preserve them or select a manual separator mode.

Keep the original formula beside the converted text. Translation changes syntax; it does not open the workbook, inspect named ranges, or calculate the answer.

Verified French-to-English mappings

The site’s bundled French locale data contains these common mappings:

French	English	Typical purpose
SI	IF	Test a condition
SOMME	SUM	Add values or ranges
SIERREUR	IFERROR	Return a fallback for an error
RECHERCHEV	VLOOKUP	Search the first column of a table

For example:

=RECHERCHEV(A2;Produits!A:C;3;0)

translates to:

=VLOOKUP(A2,Produits!A:C,3,0)

Produits stays unchanged because it is a worksheet name. Translating it to Products would point at a different sheet unless the workbook were renamed separately. The final 0, which requests an exact match, also stays unchanged.

Check every level of a nested formula

A formula can contain several translatable tokens. Consider:

=SI(A2="Validé";SOMME(B2:D2);0)

The English syntax is:

=IF(A2="Validé",SUM(B2:D2),0)

SI becomes IF; SOMME becomes SUM; and the argument semicolons become commas. The quoted value "Validé" remains French because it represents cell content. If the workbook’s users need the label in English, translate that content as a separate editorial step and make sure any source cells use the same value.

Do not use a global find-and-replace for SI. Those two letters can appear inside a sheet name, a named range, or quoted text. A formula-aware translator identifies function positions rather than replacing every matching sequence.

Handle semicolons and decimal commas separately

French regional settings often use a comma as the decimal symbol and a semicolon between function arguments. English examples commonly show a decimal point and comma arguments. The two punctuation systems must not be collapsed into one replacement rule.

For example:

=SI(A2>2,5;A2;0)

may need to become:

=IF(A2>2.5,A2,0)

Here 2,5 is one number in the French source, while the semicolons divide the three arguments of SI. Review decimal constants deliberately when formulas are exchanged as text. The separator and locale guide explains why blind punctuation replacement can also damage quoted strings and array constants.

Preserve workbook-specific identifiers

These parts normally stay exactly as authored:

• relative and absolute references such as A2 and $C$2:$C$50;
• worksheet references such as 'Ventes 2026'!B4;
• workbook-defined names such as TauxTVA;
• text literals such as "Introuvable"; and
• arithmetic and comparison operators.

If a defined name contains accented characters, that does not make it a localized Excel function. Verify names through Excel’s Name Manager before editing them.

Diagnose #NOM? after conversion

French Excel displays #NOM? when it does not recognize text in a formula. Microsoft lists common causes such as a misspelled function, an undefined name, or missing quotation marks in its French #NOM? guidance.

If an English formula is pasted directly into French Excel, the English function name may be the unrecognized text. If a translated English formula is being pasted into English Excel, check spelling, named ranges, and version support instead of translating it again.

An _xlfn prefix points more specifically to a function unsupported by the current Excel version. Follow the _xlfn repair guide before attempting to remove that prefix. A language conversion cannot install a missing function.

Confirm version support

Choose Office 365, Excel 2013, Excel 2010 SP1, or Excel 2010 to match the receiving installation. A recognized French-English mapping may still be unavailable in the selected release. Review warnings and avoid guessing an equivalent solely because the names look similar.

Microsoft’s FormulaLocal property documents the broader principle: Excel can expose formula text in the user’s language. That automatic workbook display behavior is different from pasting raw localized formula text into another installation.

Verify before replacing the source

Use a short final checklist:

1. Copy the full French formula and preserve the source.
2. Translate every recognized function, not just the outer call.
3. Confirm argument separators and decimal symbols independently.
4. Compare references, names, quoted text, and parentheses.
5. Read version and unknown-function warnings.
6. Use reverse verification as a text check, then calculate in a workbook copy.

The complete cross-language workflow covers partial mappings and verification in more depth. A good French-to-English translation changes only locale-dependent formula syntax and leaves workbook logic visible for review.