This feature is particularly helpful if you’re a part of a bilingual household, where you constantly switch between two languages. It is also pretty handy when you’re learning a new language and want to practice it with someone at home.
In this guide, we will go over how you can add your preferred second language to your Google Home or Google Nest speaker, effectively making it as bilingual as you.
Google Assistant Can Actually Understand Other Languages
Apart from English, your Google Home and Google Nest speakers can understand and respond in a variety of languages. The following languages are supported:
Dutch German Portuguese (Brazil) French (Canada) Danish French Hindi Indonesian Italian Japanese Norwegian Korean Spanish Swedish Mandarin (Taiwan) Thai
While Google can interpret a variety of languages, you can’t mix two or more of them in your commands. For instance, let’s say your languages are set to English and Spanish, and you want to ask your Google Home or Google Nest speaker what time it is in New York.
In that case, Google Assistant won’t understand, “Hey Google, Que hora es in New York please?”
If you have other family members using the speaker, each user needs to set up Voice Match with the device in addition to the second language they want to use. That way, Google Assistant will know which language each member prefers and will answer accordingly.
Adding a second language will also affect all the Google Home-enabled devices connected to your account.
How to Add a Second Language to Google Home
Making your Google Home or Google Nest speaker bilingual is simple and can be done in just a few steps.
Open your Google Home app on your Android or iOS device. Tap on the profile icon on the top-right corner. Navigate to Assistant settings > Languages. Click on Add a language and select which one you like to use from the list.
After adding your second language, you can now talk with your Google Assistant in both languages and seamlessly switch between the two in back-to-back commands.
Your speaker will then respond in the language you used in giving out the instruction.
Talk to Google Home in Another Language
A second language on your Google Home or Google Nest speaker makes your bilingual home more inclusive and familiar.
And while Google is yet to add all the languages of the world to its devices, it’s good to know that the company is making efforts to expand language support.
