English and Korean, in real time
SaviChat translates live between English and Korean on video calls, voice calls, and messages, and aloud in person. Korean, like Japanese, builds the relationship between speakers into the grammar, which is the main thing to understand about how the translation behaves.
Speech levels
Korean has distinct speech levels that signal age, closeness, and status, and choosing one is unavoidable in any sentence. English gives the translation nothing to base that choice on, so it picks a middle register that is safe and slightly impersonal. Between a couple that can read as oddly distant; toward an elder it can read as insufficiently respectful.
The workable approach is to be explicit about relationships early — say who someone is to you — rather than expecting the register to carry it.
Names and titles
Korean often uses titles and kinship terms where English would use a name, and these translate literally in ways that read strangely in English. If a translated message calls someone by what looks like a job description, that is usually a kinship or honorific term rather than an error.
What SaviChat does not do
- No offline mode — live translation needs an internet connection on both sides.
Common questions
Is there an app that translates English and Korean on a video call?
Yes. SaviChat translates video and voice calls live between English and Korean in both directions, with captions, plus messages and in-person conversation.
How well does it handle Korean formality?
It defaults to a safe middle speech level, because English does not supply the information Korean needs to choose one. That can read as distant between close friends or partners and as under-respectful toward elders. Being explicit about relationships helps more than rephrasing does.
Why does a translated message use a title instead of a name?
Korean frequently uses kinship terms and honorific titles where English would use a name, and these come through literally. It is usually not a mistranslation.
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