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After his Swiss-born father died, leaving a pile of old documents in German that nobody in the American family could read, a man fed them into ChatGPT and asked for English translations that kept the original tone. It let him learn more about his father's story while grieving and share it straight away with his mother.
I'm going to share some old family documents written in [LANGUAGE], from around [DECADE OR PERIOD]. Please translate each one into natural English, keeping the original tone and any formal or old-fashioned phrasing. Then add a short note explaining any names, places, customs or historical references a modern reader might not understand. Mark anything you can't read or aren't sure about rather than guessing.
Replace the [PLACEHOLDERS] with your own details before you send it.
How to try it
- Photograph or scan each document clearly, one page at a time.
- Upload them to ChatGPT with the prompt and ask it to flag words it can’t make out.
- Keep the originals safe and, for anything important or legal, ask a fluent speaker or professional translator to check the translation.
More home & family use cases
Point Gemini’s camera at a home problem for step-by-step help
One homeowner uses Gemini's camera feature for repairs, saying it helped them reset their breaker panel, fix the sump pump and find the shut-off valves, like having a technician on a video call.
I'm showing you [WHAT, E.G. MY FUSE BOX / UNDER MY SINK] through my camera. I'm trying to [GOAL, E.G. RESET A TRIPPED SWITCH / FIND THE WATER SHUT-OFF]. Tell me what you can see, then guide me step by step. Tell me straight away if this is something I should leave to a professional.
Win back a withheld tenancy deposit with ChatGPT
When her previous landlord refused to return her deposit, one tenant asked ChatGPT to review the denial. It judged the reasons weak and helped her write a response, and she got her full $1,000 back.
My landlord is refusing to return [AMOUNT/PART] of my deposit. Their reasons: [PASTE THEIR MESSAGE]. My evidence: [CHECK-IN REPORT, PHOTOS, DATES]. My tenancy was in [COUNTRY/REGION]. Review their reasons against what landlords can normally deduct for, tell me which points are weak, and draft a firm, polite reply asking for the money back and mentioning the deposit protection or dispute route if they refuse.
Create a Christmas morning photo of Santa in your own living room with Gemini
On Christmas Day a family asked Gemini's Nano Banana image model to create a picture of Santa delivering presents in their own living room. They were most impressed that it even set the photo's timestamp to 25 December at 6:39am.
Here's a photo of our living room. Edit it so Santa Claus is quietly placing presents under [THE TREE / BY THE FIREPLACE], as if caught on camera early on Christmas morning. Keep the room exactly as it is, with soft, slightly dim early-morning light, and make it look like a real, slightly grainy phone photo rather than a cartoon.
Reference: X @jakeottiger