My professor said my annotated bibliography relies too much on translated quotes from my native language, so how should I synthesize them to avoid accidental plagiarism?

You should definitely paraphrase those ideas in your own voice rather than relying on direct quotes, as this shows you have truly mastered the material rather than just translating it. It is completely normal to feel like your brain is stuck in the original language's structure when you are working across two tongues, but think of it like retelling a great story you heard at a party; you wouldn't repeat the speaker word-for-word, you would summarize the core point in your own style to make sure your friends understand the meaning. When you paraphrase, you are essentially distilling the author's logic and presenting it through your own analytical lens, which is exactly what your professor wants to see in a graduate seminar. To avoid accidental plagiarism, focus on capturing the concept rather than the sentence structure. Read the Portuguese paragraph, close the book, and then write down the main takeaway in English without looking at the original text. If you find yourself using a unique term or a specific, irreplaceable argument from the author, you can use a direct quote, but be sure to include a note that the translation is your own. Please keep in mind that policies regarding citation styles and translation credits can shift, so I recommend checking your school’s specific writing center guidelines or the official U.S. Department of Education resources to ensure you are following the latest academic integrity standards. You are clearly putting a lot of heart into this research, and once you shift your focus from translating words to explaining concepts, your writing will feel much more natural and confident.