`translate` CSS property

The translate CSS property allows you to specify translation transforms individually and independently of the transform property. This maps better to typical user interface usage, and saves having to remember the exact order of transform functions to specify in the transform value.

translate: none;

translate: 40px;

translate: 50% -40%;

translate: 20px 4rem;

translate: 20px 4rem 150px;

<section class="default-example" id="default-example">
  <div class="transition-all" id="example-element">
    <div class="face front">1</div>
    <div class="face back">2</div>
    <div class="face right">3</div>
    <div class="face left">4</div>
    <div class="face top">5</div>
    <div class="face bottom">6</div>
  </div>
</section>

#default-example {
  background: linear-gradient(skyblue, khaki);
  perspective: 800px;
  perspective-origin: 150% 150%;
}

#example-element {
  width: 100px;
  height: 100px;
  perspective: 550px;
  transform-style: preserve-3d;
}

.face {
  display: flex;
  align-items: center;
  justify-content: center;
  width: 100%;
  height: 100%;
  position: absolute;
  backface-visibility: inherit;
  font-size: 60px;
  color: white;
}

.front {
  background: rgb(90 90 90 / 0.7);
  transform: translateZ(50px);
}

.back {
  background: rgb(0 210 0 / 0.7);
  transform: rotateY(180deg) translateZ(50px);
}

.right {
  background: rgb(210 0 0 / 0.7);
  transform: rotateY(90deg) translateZ(50px);
}

.left {
  background: rgb(0 0 210 / 0.7);
  transform: rotateY(-90deg) translateZ(50px);
}

.top {
  background: rgb(210 210 0 / 0.7);
  transform: rotateX(90deg) translateZ(50px);
}

.bottom {
  background: rgb(210 0 210 / 0.7);
  transform: rotateX(-90deg) translateZ(50px);
}

Syntax

/* Keyword values */
translate: none;

/* Single values */
translate: 100px;
translate: 50%;

/* Two values */
translate: 100px 200px;
translate: 50% 105px;

/* Three values */
translate: 50% 105px 5rem;

/* Global values */
translate: inherit;
translate: initial;
translate: revert;
translate: revert-layer;
translate: unset;

Values

• Single <length-percentage> value
  • : A <length> or <percentage> that specifies a translation along the X-axis. Equivalent to a translate() (2D translation) function with a single value specified.
• Two <length-percentage> values
  • : Two <length> or <percentage> that specify the X and Y axis translation values (respectively) of a 2D translation. Equivalent to a translate() (2D translation) function with two values specified.
• Three values
  • : Two <length-percentage> and single <length> values that specify the X, Y, and Z axis translation values (respectively) of a 3D translation. Equivalent to a translate3d() (3D translation) function.
• none
  • : Specifies that no translation should be applied.

Formal definition

Formal syntax

Examples

Translating an element on hover

This example shows how to use the translate property to move an element in three axes. The first box is moved along the X axis and the second box is moved along the X and Y axes. The third box is moved along the X, Y and Z axes and has the appearance of moving toward the viewer because of the addition of perspective to the parent element.

HTML

<div class="wrapper">
  <div id="box1">translate X</div>
  <div id="box2">translate X,Y</div>
  <div id="box3">translate X,Y,Z</div>
</div>

CSS

.wrapper {
  perspective: 100px;
  display: inline-flex;
  gap: 1em;
}
.wrapper > div {
  width: 7em;
  line-height: 7em;
  text-align: center;
  transition: 0.5s ease-in-out;
  border: 3px dotted;
}
#box1:hover {
  translate: 20px;
}

#box2:hover {
  translate: 20px 20px;
}

#box3:hover {
  translate: 5px 5px 30px;
}

Result

Specifications

Browser compatibility

See also

• scale
• rotate
• transform

Note: skew is not an independent transform value