Until a machine can understand the difference between respect and insult via a single vowel, keep a human translator on speed dial.
So, how well does Google Translate actually perform when translating English to Assamese? I put it to the test. For basic, declarative sentences, Google Translate is genuinely useful. If you need to translate "The sun is shining" (সূৰ্য্যজ্যোতি আছে - Suryya jyoti ase ) or "I drink tea" (মই চাহ খাওঁ - Moi sah khaou ), the tool does a decent job.
Assamese, or অসমীয়া , is the easternmost Indo-Aryan language, spoken by over 15 million people. With its unique set of velar fricatives, retroflex sounds, and the infamous hokolor (the inherent vowel killer), it is a nightmare for rule-based machine translation.
Have you tried translating Assamese with Google? Share your funniest mistake in the comments below.