diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 504a91e..82c1ffe 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
     "dependencies": {
         "@anthropic-ai/sdk": "^0.17.1",
         "@google/generative-ai": "^0.2.1",
+        "google-translate-api-x": "^10.7.1",
         "minecraft-data": "^3.46.2",
         "mineflayer": "^4.20.0",
         "mineflayer-armor-manager": "^2.0.1",
diff --git a/settings.js b/settings.js
index 9c6bb34..6e29750 100644
--- a/settings.js
+++ b/settings.js
@@ -13,10 +13,13 @@ export default
     "load_memory": false, // load memory from previous session
     "init_message": "Say hello world and your name", // sends to all on spawn
 
+    "language": "en", // translate to/from this language. Supports these language names: https://cloud.google.com/translate/docs/languages
+
     "allow_insecure_coding": false, // allows newAction command and model can write/run code on your computer. enable at own risk
     "code_timeout_mins": 10, // minutes code is allowed to run. -1 for no timeout
     
     "max_commands": -1, // max number of commands to use in a response. -1 for no limit
     "verbose_commands": true, // show full command syntax
     "narrate_behavior": true, // chat simple automatic actions ('Picking up item!')
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
+
diff --git a/src/agent/agent.js b/src/agent/agent.js
index 547c06b..622fac0 100644
--- a/src/agent/agent.js
+++ b/src/agent/agent.js
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import { NPCContoller } from './npc/controller.js';
 import { MemoryBank } from './memory_bank.js';
 import { SelfPrompter } from './self_prompter.js';
 import settings from '../../settings.js';
-
+import { handleTranslation, handleEnglishTranslation } from '../utils/translator.js';
 
 export class Agent {
     async start(profile_fp, load_mem=false, init_message=null) {
@@ -48,16 +48,18 @@ export class Agent {
                 "Gamerule "
             ];
             const eventname = settings.profiles.length > 1 ? 'whisper' : 'chat';
-            this.bot.on(eventname, (username, message) => {
+            this.bot.on(eventname, async (username, message) => {
                 if (username === this.name) return;
                 
                 if (ignore_messages.some((m) => message.startsWith(m))) return;
 
-                console.log('received message from', username, ':', message);
+                let translation = await handleEnglishTranslation(message);
+
+                console.log('received message from', username, ':', translation);
 
                 this.shut_up = false;
     
-                this.handleMessage(username, message);
+                this.handleMessage(username, translation);
             });
 
             // set the bot to automatically eat food when hungry
@@ -77,7 +79,8 @@ export class Agent {
                 this.handleMessage('system', init_message, 2);
             }
             else {
-                this.bot.chat('Hello world! I am ' + this.name);
+                const translation = await handleTranslation("Hello world! I am "+this.name);
+                this.bot.chat(translation);
                 this.bot.emit('finished_executing');
             }
 
@@ -85,9 +88,17 @@ export class Agent {
         });
     }
 
-    cleanChat(message) {
+
+    async cleanChat(message, translate_up_to=-1) {
+        let to_translate = message;
+        let remainging = '';
+        if (translate_up_to != -1) {
+            to_translate = to_translate.substring(0, translate_up_to);
+            remainging = message.substring(translate_up_to);
+        }
+        message = (await handleTranslation(to_translate)).trim() + " " + remainging;
         // newlines are interpreted as separate chats, which triggers spam filters. replace them with spaces
-        message = message.replaceAll('\n', '  ');
+        message = message.replaceAll('\n', ' ');
         return this.bot.chat(message);
     }
 
@@ -168,7 +179,7 @@ export class Agent {
                 this.self_prompter.handleUserPromptedCmd(self_prompt, isAction(command_name));
 
                 if (settings.verbose_commands) {
-                    this.cleanChat(res);
+                    this.cleanChat(res, res.indexOf(command_name));
                 }
                 else { // only output command name
                     let pre_message = res.substring(0, res.indexOf(command_name)).trim();
@@ -290,4 +301,3 @@ export class Agent {
         process.exit(1);
     }
 }
-
diff --git a/src/agent/modes.js b/src/agent/modes.js
index 653598f..8d7c4ed 100644
--- a/src/agent/modes.js
+++ b/src/agent/modes.js
@@ -2,11 +2,14 @@ import * as skills from './library/skills.js';
 import * as world from './library/world.js';
 import * as mc from '../utils/mcdata.js';
 import settings from '../../settings.js'
+import { handleTranslation } from '../utils/translator.js';
 
-function say(agent, message) {
+
+async function say(agent, message) {
     agent.bot.modes.behavior_log += message + '\n';
     if (agent.shut_up || !settings.narrate_behavior) return;
-    agent.bot.chat(message);
+    let translation = await handleTranslation(message);
+    agent.bot.chat(translation);
 }
 
 // a mode is a function that is called every tick to respond immediately to the world
diff --git a/src/utils/translator.js b/src/utils/translator.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..879cfe4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/translator.js
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+import translate from 'google-translate-api-x';
+import settings from '../../settings.js';
+
+const preferred_lang = settings.language;
+
+export async function handleTranslation(message) {
+    try {
+        if (preferred_lang.toLowerCase() === 'en' || preferred_lang.toLowerCase() === 'english') {
+            return message;
+        } else {
+            const lang = String(preferred_lang);
+
+            const translation = await translate(message, { to: lang });
+            return translation.text || message;
+        }
+    } catch (error) {
+        console.error('Error translating message:', error);
+        return message;
+    }
+}
+
+export async function handleEnglishTranslation(message) {
+    try {
+        const translation = await translate(message, { to: 'english' });
+        return translation.text || message;
+    } catch (error) {
+        console.error('Error translating message:', error);
+        return message;
+    }
+}