A computer can only understand Machine Code (Base two, or Binary) which is a 'language' that only has two digits 0s and 1s. Machine Code is classified as a 'low-level' language. Now, whenever you write a program in any hight-level language or assembly. The code gets translated into Machine Code and this is achieved by a translator. Perhaps the most common translator (Claim not Verified) is known as Compiler. The way a compiler works is, it takes the source code and turns it into the target code. In more simple terms: Source Code -> Machine Code -> Source Code executed. You will find Compilers in plenty of languages, and is something you will learn about in Computer science. Theres two other main translators an Assembler and an Interpreter. An Assembler converts Assembly into Machine Code, and then an Interpreter executes the code without translating it into Machine Code first. Interpreters are normally slower than Compilers, but Interpreters tend to be better at giving diagnostics on errors in a program.