Mac Mkd Styleguide

7/27/2019 Mac Mkd Styleguide

1/47

Macedonian Style Guide


2/47

Contents

What's New? ................................................................................................................................................. 4New Topics ................................................................................................................................................ 4Updated Topics .......................................................................................................................................... 4About This Style Guide .............................................................................................................................. 5Scope of This Document ........................................................................................................................... 5Style Guide Conventions ........................................................................................................................... 5Sample Text ............................................................................................................................................... 5Recommended Reference Material ........................................................................................................... 6

Normative References ............................................................................................................................ 6Informative References .......................................................................................................................... 7

Language Specific Conventions ................................................................................................................... 8Country/Region Standards ........................................................................................................................ 8

Characters .............................................................................................................................................. 8Date ........................................................................................................................................................ 8Time ...................................................................................................................................................... 10Numbers ............................................................................................................................................... 11Sorting .................................................................................................................................................. 15

Geopolitical Concerns .............................................................................................................................. 17Grammar, Syntax & Orthographic Conventions ...................................................................................... 18

Adjectives ............................................................................................................................................. 18Articles .................................................................................................................................................. 19

Capitalization ........................................................................................................................................ 20Compounds .......................................................................................................................................... 20Gender .................................................................................................................................................. 21Genitive ................................................................................................................................................ 21Modifiers ............................................................................................................................................... 21Nouns ................................................................................................................................................... 21Prepositions .......................................................................................................................................... 22Pronouns .............................................................................................................................................. 22Punctuation........................................................................................................................................... 22Singular & Plural ................................................................................................................................... 24Split Infinitive ........................................................................................................................................ 24Subjunctive ........................................................................................................................................... 25Symbols & Non-Breaking Spaces ........................................................................................................ 25Syntax ................................................................................................................................................... 25Verbs .................................................................................................................................................... 26Word Order ........................................................................................................................................... 26

Style and Tone Considerations................................................................................................................ 26


3/47

Audience............................................................................................................................................... 26Style ...................................................................................................................................................... 27Tone ..................................................................................................................................................... 27Voice ..................................................................................................................................................... 28

Localization Guidelines ............................................................................................................................... 30General Considerations ........................................................................................................................... 30

Abbreviations ........................................................................................................................................ 30Accessibility .......................................................................................................................................... 31Acronyms .............................................................................................................................................. 32Applications, Products, and Features .................................................................................................. 32Frequent Errors .................................................................................................................................... 33Glossaries............................................................................................................................................. 33Fictitious Information ............................................................................................................................ 33Recurring Patterns ............................................................................................................................... 33Standardized Translations .................................................................................................................... 34Unlocalized Items ................................................................................................................................. 34Using the Word Microsoft ..................................................................................................................... 34

Software Considerations .......................................................................................................................... 34User Interface ....................................................................................................................................... 35Messages ............................................................................................................................................. 37Keys ...................................................................................................................................................... 41

Document Translation Considerations .................................................................................................... 46Titles ..................................................................................................................................................... 46Copyright .............................................................................................................................................. 46


4/47

4

What's New?

Last Updated: February 2011

The structure of the Style Guide was significantly changed to simplify it and provide only the necessary

information in a more logical way. Though there are no major changes in its content, its recommended to

thoroughly review the complete document before localization.

New TopicsThe following topics were added:

n/a

Updated TopicsThe following topics were updated:

n/a


5/47

5

About This Style GuideThe purpose of this Style Guide is to provide everybody involved in the localization of Macedonian Microsoft

products with Microsoft-specific linguistic guidelines and standard conventions that differ from or are more

prescriptive than those found in language reference materials. These conventions have been adopted after

considering context based on various needs, but above all, they are easy to follow and applicable for all types of

software to be localized.

The Style Guide covers the areas of formatting, grammatical conventions, as well as stylistic criteria. It also

presents the reader with a general idea of the reasoning behind the conventions. The present Style Guide is a

revision of our previous Style Guide version with the intention of making it more standardized, more structured,

and easier to use as a reference.

The guidelines and conventions presented in this Style Guide are intended to help you localize Microsoft products

and materials. We welcome your feedback, questions and concerns regarding the Style Guide. You can send us

your feedback via theMicrosoft Language Portal feedback page.

Scope of This DocumentThis Style Guide is intended for the localization professional working on Microsoft products. It is not intended to

be a comprehensive coverage of all localization practices, but to highlight areas where Microsoft has preference

or deviates from standard practices for Macedonian localization.

Style Guide ConventionsIn this document, a plus sign (+) before a translation example means that this is the recommended correct

translation. A minus sign (-) is used for incorrect translation examples.

In Microsoft localization context, the word term is used in a slightly untraditional sense, meaning the same as e.g.a segment in Trados. The distinguishing feature of a term here is that it is translated as one unit; it may be a

traditional term (as used in terminology), a phrase, a sentence, or a paragraph.

References to interface elements really only refer to translatable texts associated with those interface elements.

Example translations in this document are only intended to illustrate the point in question. They are not a source

of approved terminology. Always check for approved translation in the Microsoft terminology database.

Sample Text

2008

.

, .

1.500 .
http://www.microsoft.com/Language/en-US/Feedback.aspx/http://www.microsoft.com/Language/en-US/Feedback.aspx/http://www.microsoft.com/Language/en-US/Feedback.aspx/http://www.microsoft.com/Language/en-US/Feedback.aspx/


6/47

6

.

,

.

- , .

, ..

, ,

,

, .

.

.

, , . ,

-

.

- www.mio.gov.mk/files/pdf/POIMNIK.pdf,

- , 1000 ,

, (02) 3221 882, - [email protected].

: ,

, LX 2009,

, 2009

10.02.2010 . 10:15 .

Recommended Reference MaterialUse the Macedonian language and terminology as described and used in the following publications.

Normative References

These normative sources must be adhered to. Any deviation from them automatically fails a string in most cases.

When more than one solution is allowed in these sources, look for the recommended one in other parts of the

Style Guide.

1. ,

, 2009www.mio.gov.mk/files/pdf/POIMNIK.pdf

2. , . .: , . ,

, , , I (-) 2003,

II (-) 2005, III (-) 2006, IV () . 2008
http://www.mio.gov.mk/files/pdf/POIMNIK.pdfhttp://www.mio.gov.mk/files/pdf/POIMNIK.pdfhttp://www.mio.gov.mk/files/pdf/POIMNIK.pdfhttp://www.mio.gov.mk/files/pdf/POIMNIK.pdf


7/47

7

3. . . , . ., : ,

1999

4. , . , ,

19985. , . . : . ., 2006

6. , . . : , 1982

7. , , . : ,

1999

8. , . - . : . ., 2004

9. , . - . : . ., 2006

10. , , , 2003

11. - , , 2003

12. - , , 2003

Informative References

These sources are meant to provide supplementary information, background, comparison, etc.

1. , . . :

, 2000

2. , . . : . ., 1996

3. Murgoski, Zoze. English grammar with contrastive notes on Macedonian. : . ., 1997


8/47

8

Language Specific Conventions

This part of the style guide contains information about standards specific to Macedonian.

Country/Region Standards

Characters

Country/region Republic of Macedonia

Lower-case characters , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Upper-case characters, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

, ,

Characters in caseless

scriptsn/a

Extended Latin characters n/a

Note on alphabetical order Alphabetical order and sorting order coincide.

Total number of characters 31

Unicode codes

0410, 0430, 0411, 0431, 0412, 0432, 0413, 0433, 0414,

0434, 0403, 0453, 0415, 0435, 0416, 0436, 0417, 0437, 0405, 0455, 0418, 0438, 0408, 0458, 041A, 043A, 041B, 043B,

0409, 0459, 041C, 043C, 041D, 043D, 040A, 045A, 041E,

043E, 041F, 043F, 0420, 0440, 0421, 0441, 0422, 0442, 040C,

045C, 0423, 0443, 0424, 0444, 0425, 0445, 0426, 0446,

0427, 0447, 040F, 045F, 0428, 0448, 045d, 0450

Notes n/a

Date


Calendar/Era Gregorian Calendar

First Day of the Week Monday

First Week of the Year First week of January


9/47

9

Separator . (a period)

Default Short Date

Formatdd.MM.yyyy

Example 17.03.2011

Default Long Date Formatdddd, dd MMMM yyyy . where '.' is the abbreviation for "year" in Macedonian

(""). It should follow the year number after a space

Example , 17 2011 .

Additional Short Date

Format 1dd.MM.yyyy .

Example 17.03.2011 .

Additional Short Date

Format 2 dd.MM.yyyy .

Example 17.03.2011 .

Additional Long Date

Format 1dddd, dd MMMM yyyy .

Example , 17 2011 .

Additional Long Date

Format 2dddd, dd MMMM yyyy .

Example , 17 2011 .

Leading Zero in Day Field

for Short Date FormatYes

Leading Zero in Month

Field for Short Date

Format

Yes

No. of digits for year for

Short Day Format4

Leading Zero in Day Field

for Long Date FormatYes

Leading Zero in Month

Field for Long Date

Format

n/a

Number of digits for year

for Long Day Format4


10/47

10

Date Format for

Correspondencedd.MM.yyyy

Example 17.03.2011

Notes Note that names of months are not capitalized.

The weekdays are not capitalized unless it is the first word of the sentence.

Abbreviations in Format

Codes

d is for day, number of d's indicates the format (d = digits without leading zero, dd =

digits with leading zero, ddd = the abbreviated day name, dddd = full day name)

M is for month, number of M's gives number of digits. (M = digits without leading

zero, MM = digits with leading zero, MMM = the abbreviated name, MMMM = full

name)

y is for year, number of y's gives number of digits (yy = two digits, yyyy = four digits)

Time


24 hour format Yes

Standard time format HH:mm:ss.

Standard time format

example

Default: 17:30:25;

Seldom used: 17.30; 17 30

Time separatorDefault: (colon, symbol /:/);

Seldom used: (period, symbol /./); (space)

Time separator examples 03:24:12

Hours leading zero Yes

Hours leading zero example 03:24:12

String for AM designator n/a

String for PM designator n/a

Notes n/a

DaysCountry/region: Republic of Macedonia

Day Normal Form Abbreviation

Monday .

Tuesday .


11/47

11

Wednesday .

Thursday .

Friday .Saturday .

Sunday .

First Day of Week:

Is first letter capitalized?: No

Notes: Days of the week are rarely abbreviated, and this especially applies to official writings

Months

Country/region: Republic of Macedonia

Month Full Form Abbreviated Form Long Date Form

January .

February .

March

April .

May

June

July

August .

September .

October .

November .

December .

Is first letter capitalized?: NoNotes: Abbreviated forms are rarely used.

Numbers

Official numbers in Macedonian language are Arabic numbers. In some cases Roman number may be used,

though these are limited cases (for example, volume numbers of court cases).


12/47

12

Phone Numbers

Country/

region

International

DialingCode

Area

CodesUsed?

Number of

Digits AreaCodes

Separator Number of

DigitsDomestic

Digit

GroupingsDomestic

Republic

of

Macedoni

a

+389 Yes 2; 3 space, or

slash (/), or

en-dash (-)

9 (##) ####-###;

(##) #### ###;

## #### ###; ##

####-###; ## /

#### ###

(###) ###-###;

(###) ### ###;

### ### ###;

### ###-###;

### / ### ###

Country/

region

Number of

Digits

Local

Digit

Groupings

Local

Number of

Digits Mobile

Digit

Groupings

Mobile

Number of

Digits

International

Digit

Groupings

International

Republic

of

Macedoni

a

6, 7 ### ###;

###-###;

## ## ##;

####-###;

#### ###;

## ## ###

9 ### ###-###;

### ### ###;

### / ###-

###; ### /

### ###

12 +389 ## ####-

###: +389 ##

#### ###; +389

### ###-###;

+389 ### ###

###; +389 ##### ## ##

Notes: n/a

Addresses


Disclaimer: Please note that the information in this entry should under no circumstances be used in examples as

fictitious information.

Address Format:1. [Title/Honorific] FirstName LastName

2. [CompanyName]

3. Address1

4. [Address2]

5. [CountryCode-] PostalCode City

6. [Country]


13/47


14/47

14

Digit Groups


Decimal Separator: ,

Decimal Separator Description: Comma

Decimal Separator Example: 6,1%; 1,2 (million pounds)

Thousand Separator: .

Thousand Separator Description: point

Thousand Separator Example: 100.000

Notes: n/a

Measurement Units

Metric System Commonly Used?: Yes

Temperature: Celsius

Category English Translation Abbreviation

Linear Measure Kilometer /km

Meter /m

Decimeter /dm

Centimeter / /cm

Millimeter /mm

Capacity Hectoliter /hl

Liter /l

Deciliter /dl

Centiliter / /cl

Milliliter /ml

Mass Ton /t

Kilogram /kg

Pound Gram /g

Decigram /dg

Centigram / /cm

Milligram /mg


15/47

15

English Units of

Measurement

Inch n/a

Feet n/a

Mile n/aGallon n/a

Notes: Both Macedonian and international abbreviations are allowed.

Percentages

The percent sign (%) in documentation (including online documents) should not be separated from the number:

10%.

Sorting

Sorting rules

1. Capital letters and lowercase letters are equal. No distinction is made between them.

2. Accented characters are equal with non-accented characters; so and e are equal.

3. Non-alphabetical characters (i.e. symbols like @ ! #) sort before the letters of the alphabet.

4. Digits sort after the non-alphabetical characters and before the letters of the alphabet.

Character

sorting order

(1040) (1072) (1041) (1073) (1042) (1074) (1043) (1075) (1044) (1076)

(1027) (1107) (1045) (1077) (1046) (1078) (1047) (1079) (1029) (1109)

(1048) (1080) (1032) (1112) (1050) (1082) (1051) (1083) (1033) (1113)

(1052) (1084) (1053) (1085) (1034) (1114) (1054) (1086) (1055) (1087)

(1056) (1088) (1057) (1089) (1058) (1090) (1036) (1116) (1059) (1091) (1060) (1092) (1061) (1093) (1062) (1094) (1063) (1095) (1039) (1119)

(1064) (1096)

Examples of

sorted words

@

1


16/47

16


17/47


18/47

18

Sensitive issues or issues that might potentially be offensive to the users in the target country/region may occur in

any of the following:

Maps

Flags Country/region, city and language names

Art and graphics

Cultural content, such as encyclopedia content and other text where historical or political references may

occur

Some of these issues are relatively easy to verify and resolve: the objective should be for the localizer to always

have the most current information available. Maps and other graphic representations of countries/regions and

regions should be checked for accuracy and existing political restrictions. Country/region, city and language

names change on a regular basis and need to be checked, even if previously approved.

A thorough understanding of the culture of the target market is required for checking the appropriateness of

cultural content, clip art and other visual representations of religious symbols, body and hand gestures.

Guideline

As country/region and city names can change, please use the most up-to-date Macedonian list for every release

of your product.

Grammar, Syntax & Orthographic ConventionsThis section includes information on how to apply the general rules of the Macedonian language to Microsoft

products and documentation.

Adjectives

In Macedonian, adjectives should be handled in the following manner. The adjective is grammatically dependent

on the noun and should have the same grammatical characteristic as the noun it is used with, which means that

the adjective should agree in gender and number with the noun (e.g. serious error ). All plural

adjectives in Macedonian end in (e.g. serious errors ). Adjectives can be used with articles

(e.g. ).

Possessive adjectives

The frequent use of possessives is a feature of English language. Possessive adjectives are frequently used inMacedonian language, too. Yet, in localization process, try to omit using possessive adjectives since and use

articles instead.


19/47

19

English example Macedonian example

Open your document. (+) .

(-) .

Articles

General considerations

Articles in Macedonian are frequently used. Articles should be used with a definite object in the sentence. Articles

are not used before proper names.


File already exists

The file already exists

This file already exists

(+)

Unlocalized Feature Names

Microsoft product names and non-translated feature names are used without definite or indefinite articles in the

English language. The same applies for Macedonian language.


Open Word. (+) Word.

(-) Word-.

Localized Feature Names

Translated feature names are used as regular words.


Administrative tools contain tools for system

administrators and advanced users.(+)

.

Use Source Manager (+)

Quick Access Toolbar (+)


20/47

20

Articles for English Borrowed Terms

There are English borrowed words that have been used for a long time and are already firmly integrated in

Macedonian language. These borrowed words follow the norm of Macedonian language and can be used with

articles.

Example: (+) , .

Capitalization

In Macedonian, capitalization is used very sparingly therefore capitalize only when you have to.

What to capitalize?

Names of user interface elements (commands, menus, dialog box titles), program names, etc. Only the first word

is capitalized, e.g. .In addition, you should capitalize nouns or noun equivalents denoting a

person, institution, city, state, newspaper.

Do not capitalize

Names of week days, months, languages, etc. are not capitalized. E.g. , , .

Note: Capitalization of source term doesn't necessarily mean that this term have to be capitalized in Macedonian.

Here are some frequently occurring cases when you should not capitalize in Macedonian:

Rule Example

The word "web" is not capitalized (+) -

Contrary to English names of days, months,

languages are not capitalized

(+) , ,

In names consisting of several word only the first one

is capitalized

(+)

(-)

The word "Internet" is not capitalized (+) -

Compounds

Compounding is a word formation strategy that is used in Macedonian language. Elements of the compounds

involve qualifiers of a main term. The qualifiers can be adjectives, proper nouns, nouns and verbal qualifiers. In

terms of orthography, each morpheme of the compound can be spelled as a separate word, jointly, or delimited

by hyphens.

Generally, compounds should be understandable and clear to the user. Overly long or complex compounds

should be avoided. Keep in mind that unintuitive compounds are ultimately an intelligibility and usability issue.


21/47

21


Metadata (+)

Web browser (+) -

Internet Protocol (+) -

Gender

Macedonian language distinguishes gender. Using masculine is common in Macedonian, although you should try

to avoid using masculine or feminine gender when referring to the user. Avoid combination of both genders since

it is not a common case in Macedonian language.

Genitive

This section does not apply to Macedonian language.

Modifiers

This section does not apply to Macedonian language.

Nouns

General considerations

Nouns denote creatures, things, terms, phenomena. Nouns in English text should be translated with nouns in

Macedonian. You should strive to use Macedonian words instead of borrowed words. Yet, there are borrowed

words that have been used for a long time and are already firmly integrated in Macedonian language. These

words follow the norm of Macedonian language.

Example: (+) , ,

Inflection

Nouns in Macedonian language inflect for number and articles.

Example: (+) , ,

Plural Formation

Macedonian nouns form plural with inflections. Regular plural is most commonly used in localization process.

Masculine and feminine nouns form plural by adding - after the noun.

Example: (+) , , .


22/47

22

Neuternouns form plural by adding -and seldom by adding - after the noun.

Example: (+) ,

Prepositions

Pay attention to the correct use of the preposition in translations. Influenced by the English language, many

translators omit them or change the word order.

Being an analytic language, Macedonian makes extensive use prepositions, and often for the sake of saving

valuable space and sometimes clarity, the translator should explore the possibility of avoiding excessive use of

prepositions, but not at all cost.

English example Macedonian example Comment

Page Layout (+) The literal translation without the

preposition " "sounds awkward and is not correct

Navigation pane (+)

Pronouns

Pronouns , , , usually are not capitalized. For example, they should not be capitalized in

documentation, software or materials, addressed to users in general. They are capitalized in private and business

letters addressed to specific people.

In English "you/your" is used more often than in Macedonian. Try to avoid forms , , , etc. whenever possible. Instead use neutral structures, passive voice or articles.


Do you want to save the current messages? (+) ?

Use your mouse to draw circles on the page. (+) .

You cannot select any names now. (+) .

Punctuation

Please follow the basic rules for the use of punctuation marks in Macedonian.

Comma

Use coma to separate parts of the compound sentence. Comma should be used to separate all items in

enumeration (e.g. , , ) and when describing consecutive actions ( , ,

).


23/47

23

Comma is also used as the decimal separator in Macedonian language (5,25 ). After a comma, do not

capitalize the following word.

Colon

After a colon, do not capitalize the following word, unless this is used in letter salutations or enumerations that

consist of full sentences. Refer to normative sources for more information on this.

Use colon to separate hours, minutes and seconds.

Example: (+) 10:15

Dashes and Hyphens

Three different dash characters are used in English:

Hyphen

The hyphen is used to divide words between syllables, to link parts of a compound word, and to connect the parts

of an inverted or imperative verb form. The same applies for Macedonian.

Example: (+) --, -

En Dash

The en dash is used as a minus sign with spaces before and after. En-dash without spaces in Macedonian is

used in ordinal numbers.

Example: (+) 17-; 2-

Em DashThe em dash should be used for dashes wherever technically possible. It separates words in a sentence and has

a grammatical function. Dashes should not be substituted with hyphens.

Ellipses (Suspension Points)

Make sure you remove all spaces before the ellipsis sign, even when this is used in source text. Some command

names appear in the menu followed by the ellipsis sign to indicate that when pressing it, a dialog window will

open. The same convention applies in Macedonian.


Save as (+) ...

Open (+) ...


24/47

24

Period

Use period to mark the end of a declarative sentence. After a period, the following word is always capitalized,

unless this period is used in an abbreviation. Use period after some abbreviations. Abbreviations that refer to

measures are not followed by a period, same as the acronyms. If a sentence ends with an abbreviation (which is

followed by a period), do not add a full stop.

Example: 2010 .

Quotation Marks

Please follow the basic rules for the use of quotation marks in Macedonian. Note that curly quotation marks are

used in Macedonian opening curly quotation mark () and closing curly quotation mark (). Punctuation mark

following the word in quotation marks stands outside the quotation marks in Macedonian.

Example: , . .: , . ,

, , , I ( -)

Parentheses

In Macedonian there is no space between the parentheses and the text inside them. The placement of a full stop

with the parentheses depends on what they refer to: if they enclose a part of the sentence, the full stop is placed

outside the closing bracket; if they enclose the full sentence, the full stop is placed inside the parentheses.

Example: (+) ( ).

(+) . ( .)

Singular & Plural

Please note that in many English compound nouns and noun phrases the first noun has a singular form, though

the plural is meant. Such nouns should be translated using plural forms.

Example:


Template wizard (+)

(-)

Split Infinitive

Split infinitive in English language is denoted by an adverb between the two parts of full infinitive.

Split infinitive in Macedonian is translated by - following the adverb.

Example:


To carefully read the instructions (+) .


25/47

25

We need user to quickly press the button. (+) .

Subjunctive

This section does not apply to Macedonian.

Symbols & Non-Breaking Spaces

Use a non-breaking space (CTRL+SHIFT+SPACEBAR) in any abbreviation.

If non-breaking spaces cannot be used (in Help files, for example) it is also acceptable to write these

abbreviations without a space to avoid having one letter move to the beginning of the next line.

Example: (+) .

SyntaxIn procedural text, which tells the user to perform certain actions in a certain number of steps, the order in which

interface terms are to appear in the translation is usually top to bottom (for example, menu, command, dialog

box, dialog box controls). This order reflects the sequence in which the action needs to be performed, and it

should be maintained unless there are technical reasons preventing it.


Click the File tab and then click New. (+) ,

.

On the Tools menu, click Internet Options, and clickthe Security tab

(+) ,

Remember to use the logical order even when this is not reflected in source text. This means that, for instance,

menu names need to be mentioned before menu items, as in the following example:


To set options for the automatic spelling and

grammar checker, click Options on the Tools

menu, and then click the Spelling Grammar tab.

(+)

, ,

.

(-)

,

,

.


26/47

26

Verbs

Verbs are words that convey action or a state. In Macedonian language a verb should agree in person, gender

and number with the noun.

Example: .Continuous operations are usually expressed in English with a gerund, which should be translated into

Macedonian with verbal noun.


Printing document (+)

Downloading messages (+)

Word Order

Common word order in Macedonian language is subject followed by a verb and object(s). Try to follow this wordorder in order to provide clear and comprehensible translation.

Example: (+) .

Style and Tone ConsiderationsThis section focuses on higher-level considerations for audience, style, tone, and voice.

Audience

Please take the target audience into account when translating Microsoft products. For example, translation of

learning materials targeted at new users should be more direct and friendly than that of IT Pro materials, whichshould be more formal.

The target audience is defined by the Microsoft Program Manager. Depending on the chosen target audience, the

contents, terminology and style may differ, but a core terminology should apply for every project.

Example:

Audience Description

IT Professionals

An IT executive, manager or staff whos primary job is in a

formalized IT, information systems or MIS department. E.g. DB

admin, Tech. Syst. Engineer, etc.

Developers

Create software applications, build complex macros, write

computer code ordevelop web sites for own and/or others use at

work. E.g. Architect, programmer, analyst, etc.

Business Decision Makers (BDMs)

Significant decision-making authority at work for own departments

or multiple departments but does NOT work in the IT department.

E.g. CMO, president


27/47

27

Audience Description

Information workers

All workers who use, transform, consume, or manage information

in the course of their daily work. E.g. translator, consultant, sales

and marketing staff, etc.

Home PC Users Use a PC at home for personal use.

Style

Do not use colloquial, slang, local, poetic, rare words and expressions or other words and expression, which do

not belong to standard literary language. The following guidelines should apply:

Appropriate

Use a style adequate to the field discussed. For example: if introducing a game, use a conversational

style and expressions from the game. On the contrary, if presenting a university research, use a formal

style. When translating software related information, follow the Microsoft Style Guide. Keep translations short.

The space for displaying content information is usually reduced to a section of the screen. Long

compound sentences should be avoided.

Clear

Use of shorter, less elaborate sentences (the pages should be easy to read - users don't want to waste

their time). Subject should be closely followed by verb. Compound sentences should be avoided as well

as contractions, where possible.

Local

Adapt the pages to regional conditions and use local references.

The text should read like an original. This means changing Fahrenheit to Celsius, sorting countries lists,

etc.


Download your file. (+) .

(-) .

Tone

The tone depends on the audience.

Example:

Audience Tone

IT Professionals

Information and tone used will be technical and not marketing. IT

Professionals expect to be provided with relevant, comprehensive and

neutral IT information.


28/47

28

Audience Tone

The primary purpose of a text for the technical user is to inform.

Technical correctness and functionality is key. Where there is doubt

about technical correctness of a translation, further information shouldbe requested from your Microsoft PU contact.

Pages with technical content, aiming at more specialized users, may

indeed make an extensive use of field terms, acronyms, technical

jargon, etc. It is not unusual to leave terms in English or in

parentheses, especially in the case of products that are highly

technical (such as SQL, Exchange, and Visual Studio).

Developers Same as IT Professionals.

Business Decision Makers (BDMs)

Information and tone used, will be marketing and more business

focused. The purpose of a text directed towards the business decision

makers is to influence them to make decisions for their business.

Technical abbreviations, contractions, and acronyms should be either

avoided or explained. Some technology concepts and names that

would be understood by technical users might have to be explained.

Restrict field terms and jargon to very specialized topics.

Information workers

Tone should be informative, factual and inspiring. It should not be

colloquial. Technical abbreviations, contractions, and acronyms

should be either avoided or explained. Some technology concepts

and names that would be understood by technical users may have to

be explained. Restrict field terms and jargon to very specialized

topics.

Home PC Users

Tone should be informative, factual and inspiring. May be colloquial

when dealing with games and Xbox. Everything translated. Technical

or field terms should be either avoided or explained.

Voice

Use active voice when the focus in the original is on the action rather than the doer, or when the subject is

unknown. In Macedonian, it can be achieved simply by dropping the subject without changing the verb form into

passive or rearrangement of subject and object. Use passive in error messages to avoid making the user feel

guilty for the error.


Hardware failure (+) .


29/47

29

You stands for (singular, informal) and (plural, formal). Use the formal You when addressing the

user.

Example:


You are now connected to the Internet.(+) .

(-) .


30/47

30

Localization Guidelines

This section contains guidelines for localization into Macedonian.

General ConsiderationsThe localized text should be as if it was originally written in Macedonian. It has to be accurate, correct and clear.

To achieve that try to avoid wordiness and word-by-word translation.

Accuracy: As a rule all English text needs to be translated. In some cases though, text can be omitted or added;

there should be a specific reason for that and you might need to check it with project team. The translated text

should correctly reflect product functionality.

Localization: Localization means that the translated text needs to be adapted to the to the local language,

customs and localization standards. For example, in many cases you would need to use Macedonian names

rather than English, e.g. Edward , New York . Do not translate every word, but use the style

that is natural for Macedonian.

Example:

In the message "Please, press any key" not every word needs to be translated, like " ,

"; recommended translation is " ".

Consistency: Please ensure that all terminology is used consistently both within one component and across

different components (software, help, documentation). In most cases terminology needs to be consistent also

across different products. Moreover please use consistent style and register and translate similar phrases

consistently.

AbbreviationsCommon Abbreviations

You might need to abbreviate some words in the UI (mainly buttons or options names) due to lack of space or

other reasons (such as avoiding grammatically wrong structures). Do not abbreviate words arbitrarily; use only the

commonly accepted abbreviations listed below.

List of common abbreviations:

Expression Acceptable Abbreviation

(+) .

(+) . (-) -

(+) . or.

(+) -

(+) -


31/47

31

Expression Acceptable Abbreviation

(+) ..

(+) .. (+) ..

(+) ..

(+) . or.

(+) ..

(+) ..

(+) .

(+) -

(+) .

(+) .

(+) .

(+) .

(+) ..

(+) .

(+) .

(+) .

(+) .

(+) .

(+) .

(+) .

(+) .

Dont abbreviate such words as .

Accessibility

Microsoft provides people with disabilities (single-handed or with hearing or motion disabilities) with more

accessible products and services. These may not be available in Republic of Macedonia. Please check with your

Microsoft contact and remove these references from Macedonian text if necessary.


32/47


33/47

33

Preposition "for" is always translated in product names, unless the whole product name (including "for") is

trademarked or copyrighted. Example: "Word for Windows" is "Word Windows".

Frequent Errors

You should always follow the latest version of the glossaries and the Style Guide to avoid errors.

Description English Macedonian

Use the formal You when

addressing the user

You are now connected to the

Internet.

(+)

.

(-) .

not mistranslation or omission Name not allowed. (+) .

(-) .

Glossary is not followed Save the document. (+) .

(-) .

Glossaries

You can find the translations of terms and UI elements of Microsoft products at Microsoft Language Portal

(http://www.microsoft.com/Language/en-US/Default.aspx).

Fictitious Information

Fictitious content is legally sensitive material and as such cannot be handled as a pure terminology or localization

issue. Below is some basic information and contact points when dealing with fictitious content:

Vendors and Localizers are not allowed to create their own fictitious names. You must either use the source

names or use the list of legally approved names.

Please contact your product team representative for further information on how to deal with fictitious companies,

names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, etc. in your product. For technical products, you may also

check with the product team representative whether localized fictitious content is required or not (e.g. Visual

Studio).

Recurring Patterns

This section does not apply to Macedonian.
http://www.microsoft.com/Language/en-US/Default.aspxhttp://www.microsoft.com/Language/en-US/Default.aspxhttp://www.microsoft.com/Language/en-US/Default.aspxhttp://www.microsoft.com/Language/en-US/Default.aspx


34/47

34

Standardized Translations

There are a number of standardized translations mentioned in all sections of this Style Guide. In order to find

them more easily, the most relevant topics and sections are compiled here for your reference.

The importance of standardization

Standard Phrases in Error Messages

Copyright

Unlocalized Items

Trademarked names and the name Microsoft Corporation shouldnt be localized. A list of Microsoft trademarks is

available for your reference at the following location:http://www.microsoft.com/trademarks/t-mark/names.htm .

Some items should remain unlocalized in Macedonian language.

Word Comment

OK

Macedonian translation equivalent for OK is

but OK is already incorporated into Macedonian

language.

WPA Latin acronyms containing letters W, Q, X, Y should

remain unchangedQC

XML

Using the Word Microsoft

Both in English and in Macedonian, it is prohibited to use MS as an abbreviation for Microsoft. The word

"Microsoft" is not transliterated in unlocalized or localized product names.

Example: Microsoft Word

Referencing Microsoft Corporation in text: Microsoft Corporation should not be translated when referring to

Microsoft Corporation or its products descriptively in text.

Microsoft software Microsoft

Software ConsiderationsThis section refers to all menus, menu items, commands, buttons, check boxes, etc., which should be consistently

translated in the localized product.
http://www.microsoft.com/trademarks/t-mark/names.htmhttp://www.microsoft.com/trademarks/t-mark/names.htmhttp://www.microsoft.com/trademarks/t-mark/names.htmhttp://www.microsoft.com/trademarks/t-mark/names.htm


35/47

35

Refer tohttp://msdn.microsoft.com/library/aa511258.aspx for a detailed explanation of the Windows user interface

guidelines (English).

User Interface

Ribbon Tabs

Names of the Ribbon Tabs should be consistently translated in all localized products; the same US term should

have identical translation in all localized applications. If an exception to the rule is necessary, please approve the

new translation with the Macedonian Terminologist.

You should always strive to use nouns as translation equivalent when translating names of the Ribbon Tabs, e.g.

File, Page Layout .

Ribbon tabs in Microsoft Word:

Commands

Command names should be consistently translated in all localized products; the same US term should have

identical translation in all localized applications. If an exception to the rule is necessary, please approve the new

translation with the Macedonian Terminologist.

Command names should be preferably translated as verbs, e.g. Save, Copy, Paste

.

Dialog Box Components

When translating dialog box interface you should remember that you are expected to use consistent terminology

and language style in all dialog boxes not only within currently localized application. You also need to ensure that

your translations are consistent with translations in other localized applications. This is particularly important when

localizing common (identical) dialog boxes found in several applications. The example of such a common dialog

boxes containing often the same terminology are dialog boxes like Spelling, usually found in theReview - tab.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/aa511258.aspxhttp://msdn.microsoft.com/library/aa511258.aspxhttp://msdn.microsoft.com/library/aa511258.aspxhttp://msdn.microsoft.com/library/aa511258.aspx


36/47

36

Check Boxes And Radio Buttons

Check boxes or radio button names should be capitalized. For instance:

Dialog Box Tabs

The dialog box tabs are either nouns e.g. | | / | , or verbs, e.g.

| | .


37/47

37

Buttons

The general rule for button names is that verbs are translated as verbs, e.g. Cancel, Remove

; and nouns are translated as nouns, e.g. Help, Keyboard; the same applies to

other parts of speech, e.g. General.

Messages

Continuous operations

Continuous operations are usually expressed in English with a gerund which should be translated into

Macedonian by a verbal noun:


Printing document (+)

Downloading page (+)

Please

The word "please" is often used in English sentences. In localization into Macedonian language it is omitted.


Please wait (+)

Please insert (+) ...

Status Messages

What is a Status Bar Message?

A status bar message is an informational message about the active document or a selected command as well as

about any active or selected interface item. Messages are shown in the status bar at the bottom of the window

when the user has chosen a menu, a command or any other item, or has started a function. The status barmessages refer to actions being performed or already complete (for example in Microsoft Word below).


38/47

38

Macedonian Style in Status bar Messages

In English, the status bar messages have different forms dependent on the information they must convey. In

Macedonian, menu and commands status bar messages should follow the format below.

Name Macedonian Name Category English Status Barmessage

Macedonian Status Barmessage

Edit(+)

menu Contains editing commands(+)

Copy to

Folder...

(+)

...menu

Copies the selected items to

a new location

(+)

New(+)

command Creates a new document(+)

Make object visible?(+)

?

Word is converting the

document. Press Esc to

stop.

(+) Word

.

Esc .

Datasheet View(+)

Done (+)


39/47


40/47

40

Many error messages in English end with exclamation marks, but usually they should not be used in Macedonian.

You should decide whether exclamation mark is appropriate in Macedonian translation in each particular case.

Standard Phrases in Error Messages

When translating standard phrases, standardize. Note that sometimes the US uses different forms to express the

same thing.

In the table below you will find the most common constructions used in the error messages and the recommended

translations. These translations should be used in all new Microsoft translations and fixed in legacy strings if such

strings review is a part of the current translation/review project. There is no need to request special/separate

review to use the below translation in legacy materials as long as legacy translation is correct.

Examples:

English Translation English Example Macedonian Example

Cannot

Could not ... Cannot load

(+)

...

Failed to

Failure of ... Failed to create

(+)

...

Cannot find

Could not find

Unable to find

Unable to locate

...Unable to find drivers for

this device.

(+)

.

Not enough memory

Insufficient memory

There is not enough memory

There is not enough memory

available

There is not enough

memory available to

perform this task.

(+)

.

... is not available

... is unavailable... Location is not available.

(+)

.

Error Messages Containing Placeholders

When localizing error messages containing placeholders, try to find out what will replace the placeholder. This is

necessary for the sentence to be grammatically correct when the placeholder is replaced with a word or phrase.

Note that the letters used in placeholders convey a specific meaning, see examples below:

%d, %ld, %u, and %lu means

%c means


41/47

41

%s means

Examples of error messages containing placeholders:

"Checking Web %1!d! of %2!d!" means "Checking Web of ".

"INI file "%1!-.200s!" section" means "INI file "" section".

You should always take into consideration whether the word following the placeholder is in singular or in plural

form in order to achieve agreement in gender and number.


%1 files detected. (+) %1 .

%1 file detected. (+) %1 .

Keys

The keyboardis the primary input device used for text input in Microsoft Windows. For accessibility and efficiency,

most actions can be performed using the keyboard as well. While working with Microsoft software, you use keys,

key combinations and key sequences.

In English, References to key names, like arrow keys, function keys and numeric keys, appear in normal text (not

in small caps). The same applies for Macedonian.

Below is the list of key names that should be translated into Macedonian. All other key names are not localized.

English name Macedonian name

Space bar (+)

Up (+)

Down (+)

Left (+)

Right (+)


42/47

42

Access Keys/Hot keys

Sometimes, there are underlined or highlighted letters in menu options, commands or dialog boxes. These letters

refer to access keys (also known as hot keys) that allow you to run commands, perform tasks, etc. more quickly.

Currently access keys are often assigned automatically by a special tool, so please be sure to ask your manager

whether you need to pay attention to access keys or not.

Hot Key Special Options Usage: Is It Allowed? Notes

"Slim characters", such as I, l, t, r, f

can be used as hot key

yes Slim characters are allowed, though

they are not recommended because

they might be hard to see

Characters with downstrokes, such

as , , , ,, , , , , and can

be used as hotkeys

yes Characters with downstrokes are

allowed, though they are not

recommended because they might

be hard to see. A hotkey can be

assigned to these characters if there

are no other options (i.e. all other

character have hotkeys assigned to

them)

Extended characters can be used as

hotkeys

no

An additional letter, appearing

between brackets after item name,

can be used as hotkeys

yes

A number, appearing between

brackets after item name, can be

yes


43/47

43

used as hotkey

A punctuation sign, appearing

between brackets after item name,

can be used as hotkey

yes

Duplicate hotkeys are allowed when

no other character is available

no

No hotkey is assigned when no

more characters are available (minor

options only)

yes

Additional notes: n/a

Arrow Keys

The arrow keys move input focus among the controls within a group. Pressing the right arrow key moves input

focus to the next control in tab order, whereas pressing the left arrow moves input focus to the previous control.

Home, End, Up, and Down also have their expected behavior within a group. Users can't navigate out of a control

group using arrow keys.

All arrow key names should be localized and capitalized, as described above.

Numeric Keypad

It is recommended that you avoid distinguishing numeric keypad keys from the other keys, unless it is required by

a given application. In case which keys to be pressed is not obvious, provide necessary explanations.

Shortcut Keys

Shortcut keys are keystrokes or combinations of keystrokes used to perform defined functions in a software

application. Shortcut keys replace menu commands and they are sometimes given next to the command they

represent. In opposition to the access keys, which can be used only when available on the screen, shortcut keys

can be used even when they are not accessible on the screen.

Standard Shortcut Keys

US

Command

US English

Shortcut Key

Macedonian

Command

Macedonian

Shortcut key

General Windows Shortcut keys

Help window F1 F1

Context-sensitive Help Shift+F1 Shift+F1


44/47


45/47

45

File Open Ctrl+O Ctrl+O

File Close Ctrl+F4 Ctrl+F4

File Save Ctrl+S Ctrl+SFile Save as F12 F12

File Print Preview Ctrl+F2

Ctrl+F2

File Print Ctrl+P Ctrl+P

File Exit Alt+F4 Alt+F4

Edit Menu

Edit Undo Ctrl+Z Ctrl+Z

Edit Repeat Ctrl+Y Ctrl+Y

Edit Cut Ctrl+X Ctrl+X

Edit Copy Ctrl+C Ctrl+C

Edit Paste Ctrl+V Ctrl+V

Edit Delete Ctrl+Backspace Ctrl+Backspace

Edit Select All Ctrl+A Ctrl+A

Edit Find Ctrl+F Ctrl+F

Edit Replace Ctrl+H Ctrl+HEdit Go To Ctrl+B Ctrl+B

Help Menu

Help F1 F1

Font Format

Italic Ctrl+I Ctrl+I

Bold Ctrl+G Ctrl+G

Underlined\Word

underline

Ctrl+U Ctrl+U

Large caps Ctrl+Shift+A Ctrl+Shift+A

Small caps Ctrl+Shift+K Ctrl+Shift+K

Paragraph Format

Centered Ctrl+E Ctrl+E


46/47

46

Left aligned Ctrl+L Ctrl+L

Right aligned Ctrl+R Ctrl+R

Justified Ctrl+J Ctrl+J

Document Translation ConsiderationsDocument localization may require some specific considerations that are different from software localization. This

section covers a few of these areas.

Titles

In English the titles for chapters usually begin with "How to " or with phrases such as "Working with " or

"Using ". In the Macedonian version of Microsoft documentation, try to use nouns (particularly verbal nouns)

whenever possible.


How to create ... (+)

Working with tables (+)

Using charts (+)

Copyright

Copyright protection is granted to any original work of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression from

which it can be perceived, reproduced, or communicated.

Translation of copyright text should be consistent both within the product being localized and across Macedonianversions of Microsoft products.

Mac Mkd Styleguide

Documents

Transcript of Mac Mkd Styleguide