OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to evaluate the linguistic validity of new translations of the following instruments: OAB-q, OAB-q SF, and OAB-V8. These self-administered questionnaires were developed in US English to measure health-related quality of life and symptom bother in patients with overactive bladder (OAB). METHODS: Harmonized translations of the questionnaires were created through an internationally accepted reiterative process of forward and back translations and review by a survey research expert and local study users for the following four languages: Afrikaans, Chinese (Taiwan), English (South Africa), and Slovak. All translators were native speakers of the target language and fluent in US English. A diverse sample of 5 subjects in each language reviewed the harmonized translations and was subsequently debriefed by trained bilingual interviewers, fluent in both US English and the target language. A team consisting of the original translators, back translator, project manager, interviewer, and survey research consultant evaluated all conceptual, linguistic and stylistic issues that emerged from the debriefings. RESULTS: For all languages, translation of concepts such as “frustration”, “anxiety”, and “worry” proved challenging and required group discussion, testing, and revision to achieve the subtle distinctions presented in the original questionnaires. Certain concepts, such as “none of the time”, “with little or no warning”, and “urine loss” were determined to be unacceptable when translated literally. These phrases were revised to be more culturally appropriate. CONCLUSION: The four translations of the OAB-q, OAB-V8 screening, and OAB-q SF instruments are linguistically and conceptually equivalent to the original US English questionnaires. Linguistic validation of the translations will facilitate inter-country comparisons of OAB and the pooling of data in multi-country studies.