Alibaba Cloud: Qwen-MT Lite

Qwen MT Lite is a lightweight translation model for routine text. It is a practical option for bulk localization of short passages, catalog text, and recurring messages whose translation needs are well defined.

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qwen-mt-lite

AvailableAlibaba CloudChat

Input / Output: $0.12 / $0.36
Context: 8K
Max output: 8K
Modalities: Chat

About Qwen-MT Lite

Qwen-MT Lite is the lightest tier of Alibaba's Qwen-MT translation models, built on Qwen3. It has the quickest response and lowest cost in the family but covers 31 core languages instead of 92 and gives basic quality. It is meant for routine bulk text such as product descriptions, short passages and recurring messages with well-defined translation needs.

Where it works well

Alibaba lists it as the fastest-responding Qwen-MT model.
Incremental streaming is supported, so translated text appears while it is generated.
Term intervention and translation memory still apply, keeping product names consistent in bulk jobs.

When to choose another model

Only 31 languages are covered, so rarer pairs need Flash or Plus.
Alibaba describes quality as basic, which is not enough for contracts or published articles.
Each request takes a single message of text to translate, and system messages are not accepted.

Getting started

Create API key
Create a key in Console, then use it with every model on the platform.

Send your first request

Copy the example for your language and run it against the endpoint.

Text to textMessages API

POST/v1/messages

API format:

curl https://api.tokenlab.sh/v1/messages \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "x-api-key: sk-xxx" \
  -H "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01" \
  -d '{
    "model": "qwen-mt-lite",
    "max_tokens": 1024,
    "messages": [
      {"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}
    ]
  }'

Pricing

The Verified price applies to Verified, which costs less on most models. The Official price is the model maker's published price and applies to the more reliable Official route. Auto bills the route that completes the request.

Default

per 1M tokens

Official price: Input $0.12 / Output $0.36 / Text Input $0.12 / Text Output $0.36
Verified price: —
Discount: —

	Official priceper 1M tokens	Verified priceper 1M tokens	Discount
Default	Input $0.12 / Output $0.36 / Text Input $0.12 / Text Output $0.36	—	—

Usage & activity

Success rate is the share of requests that completed. Latency is how long a full response takes; P95 means 95% of requests finished within that time.

Usage & availability

Last 24 hours

Requests
Success rate
P95 latency
Total tokens

Model performance

Last updated Nov 1, 2026, 10:24 AM UTC

Metrics appear once privacy and data volume thresholds are met.

Data is based on aggregate user requests, excluding status checks.

Open in Console

Open Qwen-MT Lite in Console with a prompt ready to edit or send.

Help me try qwen-mt-lite with a short message at /v1/messages. Show the reply, latency, and cost.

Use cases

Product text localization
Translate thousands of short product titles and attributes where speed counts more than polish.
Notification templates
Convert recurring order, shipping and account system messages into the major languages your customers use.
Pre-translation for triage
Give agents a rough reading of incoming text before a better model or person handles it.

Prompt examples

Translate to French: 'Your order has shipped and will arrive in 3 days.'

Translate this list of product names to Korean, do not translate the brand 'Lumo'.

English to Thai: 'Reset your password using the link below.'

This model has conditional pricing. Monthly token totals alone cannot produce a reliable estimate; use the detailed pricing for the request specification, cache, and applicable time window.

FAQ

How many languages does Qwen-MT Lite support?

31 core languages, compared with 92 for Flash and Plus, according to Alibaba's documentation. Both your source and target language need to be in the supported set.

When should I choose Lite over Flash?

Choose Lite when volume is high, text is short and predictable, and basic quality is acceptable. Choose Flash for better quality and broader language coverage.

Does Lite stream its output?

Yes. Alibaba lists incremental streaming for Lite and for Flash, so translated text can appear while it is still being generated, but not for the Plus model.

Can Lite follow a glossary?

Yes. Term intervention and translation memory are available across the Qwen-MT models, passed in via translation options, so brand names and approved phrasing can be enforced in bulk jobs.

Can it handle long documents?

Not in one request. Alibaba caps the input per request at roughly eight thousand tokens, so split a longer document into sections and translate each one separately before joining them.

How much does Qwen-MT Lite cost?

On TokenLab, Qwen-MT Lite costs Input $0.12 / Output $0.36 per 1M tokens. The pricing table above shows the full breakdown. Rates depend on the billing unit, specification, and usage. Compare matching conditions in the model's detailed pricing; a single rate does not determine the total cost.

What are the context window and output limit of Qwen-MT Lite?

Qwen-MT Lite accepts up to 8,192 tokens of context and returns up to 8,192 tokens in one response.

Which endpoint should Qwen-MT Lite use?

Use https://api.tokenlab.sh/v1/messages for Qwen-MT Lite. The request example below shows the matching code shape.

Which operations does Qwen-MT Lite support?

Qwen-MT Lite supports Text to text. Select an operation above to see its endpoint and request example.