“You are my rock.”
Say whether you mean support, trust or safety. A literal stone may lose the point of the dedication.
Sindarin Translator
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Meaning workshop
Prepare a phrase for the Sindarin Translator
Before using the Sindarin Translator for a dedication or character line, put the meaning into plain English. Choose a starting point below, then edit it to say exactly what you intend. These are English rewrites, not Tolkien quotations.
“You light up my life.”
Keep the feeling if that is what matters. Keep the image of light only when you actually want the metaphor.
“I will always have your back.”
Turn an English idiom into a clear action. Decide whether you mean protection, friendship or agreement.
Name the speaker, the action and the person or thing involved. Send only the sentence you want translated, not instructions about how to translate it.
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This loads your English into the translator above. You can review it there before pressing Translate.
Sindarin Translator input: names, promises and dedications
For a promise, distinguish “I will return” from “we will return.” For a place name, decide whether you want to preserve an existing name or describe a place. “The house beside the river” gives a clearer starting meaning than asking the Sindarin Translator to invent a name and explain it at the same time.
Save the original wording beside each draft. If you simplify a metaphor, check that the simpler sentence still expresses your intention. A shorter sentence is easier to inspect, but shortening alone does not make the resulting Sindarin correct.
Separate a name from its meaning. For a character called Rose, decide whether Rose should remain a personal name or whether you intend to refer to the flower. For a dedication, distinguish “for my friend” from “you are my friend”: one labels a recipient, while the other makes a statement. Submit each alternative to the Sindarin Translator separately so you can compare the same idea across drafts.
Language & lettering
Read your Sindarin Translator result: language and lettering
A result from the Sindarin Translator and a line of Elvish lettering answer different questions. Decide which one you need before turning a phrase into a gift, a game handout or an inscription.
- Sindarin
Change the language - Use this page when you want a Sindarin sentence. Review the vocabulary and grammar while the draft is still easy to read in Latin letters. A word list alone does not show how those words should fit together.
- Quenya
A different Elvish language - Check the language label on every reference you consult. Finding an attractive Quenya word does not make it a Sindarin equivalent. The Sindarin Translator is not a way to switch between those languages.
- Tengwar
Choose how it is written - If you want to keep your words in English and change their appearance, use our English-to-Tengwar tool. Its English mode is not suitable for a Sindarin draft; that needs a writing mode appropriate to Sindarin.
What does “Neo-Sindarin” mean?
It describes attempts to write beyond the surviving material, using reconstruction and sometimes newly coined words. Tolkien revised his languages over time, so forms from different stages may not fit together. An automated draft does not identify the evidence for every word it uses.
How to check a Sindarin Translator draft
Keep your English, the full draft and its intended use together. Ask about unfamiliar words, word endings and changes at the beginnings of words. A reverse result from the Sindarin Translator can reveal a changed meaning, but agreement between two generated results does not establish a source.
Word forms to recognize before editing a sentence
Sindarin Translator results can contain forms that differ from a dictionary headword. The following reading notes summarize Eldamo’s grammar overview, which includes reconstructed usage. They help you identify what needs checking when words appear to change spelling.
- Initial mutations
- A word’s first consonant can change according to its grammatical surroundings. In soft mutation, p, t and c can become b, d and g. Do not replace a changed initial with the dictionary spelling without checking the preceding word and the phrase structure.
- Number and word order
- Plurals often involve vowel changes rather than an English-style ending. Adjectives generally follow the noun they describe. Check whether the draft refers to one person or several, and which noun each description belongs to, before rearranging it to match English word order.
- Accents and consonant pairs
- Preserve accent marks when copying: they mark vowel length, rather than decorative emphasis. Sindarin c represents a k sound; ch has the sound heard in Scottish “loch,” rather than English “church.” The letters dh represent the voiced sound in “this.” Keep a plain-text copy before choosing a display font so you can spot missing marks or substituted characters.
Reference: Eldamo’s Sindarin grammar index.
Sindarin Translator: common questions
English to Sindarin, reverse lookup, names and Elvish lettering.
What is Sindarin?
Sindarin is one of the Elvish languages developed by J. R. R. Tolkien, also called Grey-elven. It has its own vocabulary, sound patterns and grammar. The Sindarin Translator is intended for drafting phrases in that language. Readers looking for decorative Elvish lettering need to distinguish this task from transcription into Tengwar, which changes the writing system.
How do I translate English to Sindarin?
Keep English on the left and Sindarin on the right, enter up to 500 characters, and press Translate. The Sindarin Translator works best as a starting draft for a small phrase you can review. If your English contains an idiom such as “you are my rock,” use the meaning workshop to say what you actually mean first.
Can I translate Sindarin to English?
Swap the languages in the Sindarin Translator and paste the written phrase. Keep accents and word spacing when you copy it. The returned English is a possible interpretation, not independent proof of the original draft. Unknown forms, names and missing context can produce misleading readings. This text tool does not read a photograph of an inscription.
Is Sindarin the same as Quenya or Tengwar?
No. Sindarin and Quenya are different Elvish languages; Tengwar is a writing system. This tool returns a language draft, usually in Latin letters. Our separate Elvish tool writes English in a Tengwar style. It does not turn English vocabulary into Sindarin, and its English writing mode should not be used to render a Sindarin sentence.
Why do two Sindarin translators give different answers?
Tolkien revised his languages, and surviving records leave gaps in vocabulary and grammar. Later writers propose reconstructed forms and new words under the label Neo-Sindarin. A Sindarin Translator result may combine these approaches or contain errors. When comparing alternatives, record the dictionary entry and source period for unfamiliar words, then check the grammatical role of each changed form.
Can I use a Sindarin Translator for a tattoo or a name?
Use it to explore wording, then have the complete phrase and its lettering checked by someone familiar with the language before making anything permanent. A name may be kept as a name rather than translated word by word. For a dedication, record who is speaking and who is addressed so a reviewer does not have to guess.
Is the Sindarin Translator free, and does it include audio?
The text tool is free to use without an account. It does not produce speech, listen to recordings or certify pronunciation. Copy your draft and keep the English beside it while you review. This is an independent tool and is not affiliated with the Tolkien Estate.
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Translate a phrase with the Sindarin Translator
Enter up to 500 characters, then copy your draft for review.