---
title: translate()
slug: Web/CSS/transform-function/translate()
tags:
  - CSS
  - CSS Function
  - CSS Transforms
  - Function
  - Reference
browser-compat: css.types.transform-function.translate
---
{{CSSRef}}

The **`translate()`** [CSS](/en-US/docs/Web/CSS) [function](/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/CSS_Functions) repositions an element in the horizontal and/or vertical
directions. Its result is a {{cssxref("&lt;transform-function&gt;")}} data type.

![](translate.png)

This transformation is characterized by a two-dimensional vector. Its coordinates define how much the element moves
in each direction.

## Syntax

```css
/* Single <length-percentage> values */
transform: translate(200px);
transform: translate(50%);

/* Double <length-percentage> values */
transform: translate(100px, 200px);
transform: translate(100px, 50%);
transform: translate(30%, 200px);
transform: translate(30%, 50%);
```

### Values

- Single `<length-percentage>` values
  - : This value is a {{cssxref("&lt;length&gt;")}} or {{cssxref("&lt;percentage&gt;")}} representing the abscissa
    (horizontal, x-coordinate) of the translating vector. The ordinate (vertical, y-coordinate) of the translating
    vector will be set to `0`. For example, `translate(2px)` is equivalent to
    `translate(2px, 0)`. A percentage value refers to the width of the reference box defined by the
    {{cssxref("transform-box")}} property.
- Double `<length-percentage>` values
  - : This value describes two {{cssxref("&lt;length&gt;")}} or {{cssxref("&lt;percentage&gt;")}} values representing
    both the abscissa (x-coordinate) and the ordinate (y-coordinate) of the translating vector. A percentage as first
    value refers to the width, as second part to the height of the reference box defined by the
    {{cssxref("transform-box")}} property.

<table class="standard-table">
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th scope="col">Cartesian coordinates on ℝ^2</th>
      <th scope="col">Homogeneous coordinates on ℝℙ^2</th>
      <th scope="col">Cartesian coordinates on ℝ^3</th>
      <th scope="col">Homogeneous coordinates on ℝℙ^3</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td rowspan="2">
        <p>
          A translation is not a linear transformation in ℝ^2 and can't be
          represented using a Cartesian-coordinate matrix.
        </p>
      </td>
      <td>
        <math
          ><mfenced
            ><mtable
              ><mtr
                ><mtd><mn>1</mn> </mtd><mtd><mn>0</mn> </mtd
                ><mtd><mi>tx</mi> </mtd></mtr
              ><mtr
                ><mtd><mn>0</mn> </mtd><mtd><mn>1</mn> </mtd
                ><mtd><mi>ty</mi> </mtd></mtr
              ><mtr
                ><mtd><mn>0</mn> </mtd><mtd><mn>0</mn> </mtd
                ><mtd><mn>1</mn></mtd></mtr
              ></mtable
            ></mfenced
          ></math
        >
      </td>
      <td rowspan="2">
        <math
          ><mfenced
            ><mtable
              ><mtr
                ><mtd><mn>1</mn> </mtd><mtd><mn>0</mn> </mtd
                ><mtd><mi>tx</mi> </mtd></mtr
              ><mtr
                ><mtd><mn>0</mn> </mtd><mtd><mn>1</mn> </mtd
                ><mtd><mi>ty</mi> </mtd></mtr
              ><mtr
                ><mtd><mn>0</mn> </mtd><mtd><mn>0</mn> </mtd
                ><mtd><mn>1</mn></mtd></mtr
              ></mtable
            ></mfenced
          ></math
        >
      </td>
      <td rowspan="2">
        <math
          ><mfenced
            ><mtable
              ><mtr
                ><mtd><mn>1</mn> </mtd><mtd><mn>0</mn> </mtd
                ><mtd><mn>0</mn> </mtd><mtd><mi>tx</mi> </mtd></mtr
              ><mtr
                ><mtd><mn>0</mn> </mtd><mtd><mn>1</mn> </mtd
                ><mtd><mn>0</mn> </mtd><mtd><mi>ty</mi> </mtd></mtr
              ><mtr
                ><mtd><mn>0</mn> </mtd><mtd><mn>0</mn> </mtd
                ><mtd><mn>1</mn> </mtd><mtd><mn>0</mn> </mtd></mtr
              ><mtr
                ><mtd><mn>0</mn> </mtd><mtd><mn>0</mn> </mtd
                ><mtd><mn>0</mn> </mtd><mtd><mn>1</mn></mtd></mtr
              ></mtable
            ></mfenced
          ></math
        >
      </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td><code>[1 0 0 1 tx ty]</code></td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

### Formal syntax

```css
translate({{cssxref("&lt;length-percentage&gt;")}} , {{cssxref("&lt;length-percentage&gt;")}}?)
```

## Examples

### Using a single-axis translation

#### HTML

```html
<div>Static</div>
<div class="moved">Moved</div>
<div>Static</div>
```

#### CSS

```css
div {
  width: 60px;
  height: 60px;
  background-color: skyblue;
}

.moved {
  transform: translate(10px); /* Equal to: translateX(10px) or translate(10px, 0) */
  background-color: pink;
}
```

#### Result

{{EmbedLiveSample("Using_a_single-axis_translation", 250, 250)}}

### Combining y-axis and x-axis translation

#### HTML

```html
<div>Static</div>
<div class="moved">Moved</div>
<div>Static</div>
```

#### CSS

```css
div {
  width: 60px;
  height: 60px;
  background-color: skyblue;
}

.moved {
  transform: translate(10px, 10px);
  background-color: pink;
}
```

#### Result

{{EmbedLiveSample("Combining_y-axis_and_x-axis_translation", 250, 250)}}

## Specifications

{{Specifications}}

## Browser compatibility

{{Compat}}

## See also

- {{cssxref("transform")}}
- {{cssxref("&lt;transform-function&gt;")}}
