install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install fanyi

local Homebrew formula metadata

overview

Package summary

Chinese and English translate tool in your command-line

Project links

Homepage

Commands and aliases

fanyi
fy

history

Project history and usage

Fanyi is a Chinese-English command-line translation tool. The README describes it as powered by iciba, Youdao, and LLM translation, with the `fanyi` command and shorter `fy` alias.

Project history

The repository was created in December 2013, making Fanyi one of the longer-running small CLI tools in this batch. Its core workflow remains intentionally simple: install globally with npm or bun, then run `fanyi word` or `fy word` for dictionary and translation output.

In 2026, the v11.0.0 release announcement in the README highlighted a shift toward out-of-the-box LLM translation through a built-in free proxy, restored Youdao support, streaming semantic coloring, custom OpenAI-compatible LLM configuration, and an agent skill.

Adoption history

Official project surfaces include npm distribution, Homebrew packaging in the input facts, GitHub releases, and README badges for npm version and monthly downloads. The repository metadata also shows substantial GitHub interest for a small translation CLI.

How it is used

The normal user flow is `fanyi <word-or-sentence>` or `fy <word-or-sentence>`, with support for Chinese and English words, phrases, and sentences. `fanyi list` shows lookup history.

Configuration lives at `~/.config/fanyi/.fanyirc` and can be managed with `fanyi config set`. Users can disable individual sources, turn color off, or set `LLM_API_KEY`, `LLM_API_BASE_URL`, and `LLM_MODEL_ID` for custom OpenAI-compatible models.

Why package nerds care

Fanyi is package-manager-friendly because it turns a web dictionary and translation workflow into a tiny global CLI. Its 2026 LLM and agent-skill additions also show how older Node command-line packages are being refreshed for AI-agent and model-backed workflows.

Timeline

2013: Repository created.
2020: v4.2.0 released.
2023: v8.0.0 released.
2025: v10.0.0 released.
2026: v11.0.0 released with built-in LLM proxy and agent skill.

Related projects

iciba and Youdao are documented translation sources.
OpenAI-compatible chat APIs are supported for custom LLM translation.
npm is the primary JavaScript package distribution channel.

Sources

security posture

Risk level: green

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

Risk classifier

green risk · low confidence · appliance

Why

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals

Signals

metadata:no-higher-risk-signals

Install behavior

No Homebrew bottle metadata was recorded.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

local files

Configuration and credential file locations

These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.

Configuration files

Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.

Unix: ~/.config/fanyi/.fanyirc

Credential files

Credential-bearing paths to review before unattended agent runs.

Unix: ~/.config/fanyi/.fanyirc

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`fanyi`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`fy`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-08-03

manager version11.0.0

manager updated2026-06-08

local dataunknown

upstreamnot available

latest detectednot detected

okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:fanyi
Version	11.0.0
Package manager	Homebrew
Homepage	https://github.com/afc163/fanyi
Last updated	2026-06-08T21:46:19+02:00
Pulse	updated
Bottle	not recorded
Service	none declared

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub.

combined/fanyi.yml

Used sources

Geiger risk classifier
cross-ecosystem install command graph
curated configuration and credential file locations
curated package history
pkg.so package database
pkgdb category and tag curation

Install fanyi with Homebrew