FontLab localization: Korean¶

A first draft for Korean. A model researched the guidance below and the term table in references/terms.md; no native reviewer has approved the language as a whole. Individual terms carry their own approval status; a proposed term remains proposed, and a protected name keeps its glossary spelling. The Korean interface catalogs are unfinished machine drafts: a string found in one settles neither a term nor a rule.

Use references/terms.md, and a newer core memory when one is supplied, for terminology, definitions and review status. Keep a proposed term consistent across the interface and help, and report it as proposed. Where a native reviewer's decision or newer project data disagrees with this skill, follow it and record the change. Report only checks performed: text written with this skill is not reviewed by a native speaker and not tested in the running application until someone does that.

Use these rules with the localization principles (in fontlab-localization), Qt interface rules (in fontlab-localization) and Korean language guide (in the FontLab writing guide). Examples name their source (Glyphs 3, Font Book, CoreText, Qt's qtbase_ko catalog) or are marked constructed. They show grammar; the term table decides terms.

Locale and register¶

Locale ko, Qt catalog ko_KR: standard South Korean.
Leave the user unnamed: Korean drops the subject. Never 당신, 귀하, 고객님 or 저희; your file is 파일.
A label is a noun phrase. A full sentence ends in ~합니다 (statement), ~하세요 (request) or ~하시겠습니까? (question). Glyphs, Microsoft and Adobe's help write 하세요, Apple 하십시오; FontLab writes 하세요 on both platforms. Never 하십시오 outside legal text, never 해요, 한다 or 이다.
Polite, not deferential: no ~하시기 바랍니다, no ~하실 수 있습니다.

Grammar of interface strings¶

String	Form	Example
Menu command, button	object + action noun, no particle; a native verb ends in -기	앵커 추가, 열린 패스 닫기 (Add Anchor, Close Open Paths, Glyphs)
Command that opens a dialog	the same, with the source's ellipsis	컴포넌트 추가… (Add Component…, Glyphs)
Checkbox or toggle	as a command; negative ~ 안 함, ~하지 않음	대체 소문자 사용 (Use Alternate Lowercase, CoreText), 저장하지 않음 (Don't Save, `qtbase_ko`)
Panel or dialog title	noun phrase	글리프 크기 (Glyph Size, Font Book)
Progress message	~ 중 + the source's ellipsis	업데이트 확인 중… (Checking for updates…, Glyphs)
State label	~됨, ~ 없음, ~ 가능	자동 저장됨 (Autosaved, Glyphs), 언어 없음 (No Languages, Font Book)
Success	~되었습니다., ~했습니다.	글리프가 추가되었습니다. (Glyphs added., constructed)
Cannot	sentence ~할 수 없습니다.; title ~할 수 없음	‘%@’ 모음을 삭제할 수 없습니다. (“%@” cannot be deleted, Font Book)
Failed attempt	~하지 못했습니다.; fragment ~ 실패	서체를 제거하지 못했습니다. (Font removal failed. …, Font Book)
Confirmation	~하시겠습니까?	‘%1’을(를) 삭제하시겠습니까? (Are you sure you want to delete '%1'?, after `qtbase_ko`)
Tooltip, Quick Help	~합니다., no subject	텍스트 크기를 조절합니다. (Adjust the text size, Font Book)

A Sino-Korean or loan action noun stands bare: 저장, 삭제, 추가, 다운로드; not 저장하기. A native verb takes -기: 열기, 닫기, 지우기, 내보내기, 만들기.
A label drops the object particle (앵커 추가, not 앵커를 추가); a sentence keeps every particle.
Are you sure…? and Do you want to…? are ~하시겠습니까?: no 정말로, no ~하기를 원하십니까?, not Apple's ~하겠습니까?
An error occurred while… is ~하는 동안 오류가 발생했습니다.
Could not is present tense, ~할 수 없습니다. can is ~할 수 있습니다, not ~하는 것이 가능합니다.
Standard commands follow qtbase_ko: 확인, 취소, 실행 취소, 다시 실행, 잘라내기, 붙여넣기, 모두 선택, 이름 바꾸기.

Compact labels¶

Drop 을/를, 의 and 하다: 글리프 이름, not 글리프의 이름. Keep the space between words; never join words to save room (힌트 너비 변경, Change Hint Width, Glyphs). Never shorten a term from the term table, clip a loanword or drop a counter. Keep the source's Latin short forms (UC, UPM).

Plurals and placeholders¶

Qt gives Korean one numerus form (nplurals=1; plural=0;); CLDR has only other. Write one <numerusform> that reads correctly for 0, 1, 2 and 100, and drop the source's (s). Never mark a plural with 들.

A count takes a counter, attached to the number, after the noun: 섹션 %n개 (%n section(s), qtbase_ko), 문제 %lld개 (%lld issues, Font Book). 개 is the default; 쌍 counts pairs, 자 characters, 줄 lines, 번 times, 건 errors and search results. A unit needs no counter: %1바이트 (qtbase_ko).

A particle depends on the final sound of a value the string cannot see. In order of preference:

Put the class noun after the placeholder and the particle after the noun: ‘%1’ 파일을 열 수 없습니다. (Cannot open '%1'., constructed).
A counter fixes the particle: %n개를, %n개가.
Otherwise write the dual form, attached: 을(를), 이(가), 은(는), 과(와), (으)로: %1이(가) 이미 존재합니다. (%1 already exists., qtbase_ko). Never choose one form or put a space before it.

의, 에, 에서, 도 and 만 never vary: %1에서. After a fixed Latin name choose by its pronunciation: Apple이 (Font Book), FontLab을, OpenType은, Unicode를, PDF를, URL을 (constructed).

Korean puts the modifier first and the verb last, so reorder numbered placeholders: %2의 %1을(를) 사용하려면… (…to use %1 on %2, qtbase_ko).

Numbers, punctuation and spacing¶

Numbers: 1,234,567.89; 25% without a space. A Hangul counter or unit attaches to the digit (3개, %1바이트), as Qt and Apple write it; a Latin unit symbol keeps the source's spacing.
Word spacing (띄어쓰기): one space between words. A particle or a counter attaches to what precedes it, also after a Latin word, a digit, a placeholder, a closing quotation mark or a bracket. 하다 and 되다 attach to their noun: 다운로드할 수 없습니다, not 다운로드 할 수 없습니다. Dependent nouns stand apart: 할 수 있습니다, 확인 중, 안 함.
Hangul and Latin: a change of script adds no space; only the word boundary counts: PostScript 이름, Finder에서 (Font Book).
Punctuation is half-width: . , : ; ? ! ( ) /. Never 。、「」（） or U+3000. No space before : ? ! , .; one space after when text follows. A parenthesis attaches to the word before it: 중국어(번체) (Font Book). and or & in a label is 및.
Quotation marks: a source 'x', "x" or “x” around a name becomes ‘x’, as Apple writes it. Straight quotes stay in code and HTML tags.
Ellipsis: copy the source's ... or … unchanged.
Final period: a ~니다 or ~세요 sentence ends in a period; a label or a nominal ending (~음, ~함, ~됨) takes none. Where the source has no period, prefer the nominal form. A source ! becomes a period.
Loanwords follow 외래어 표기법: 브러시, 셰이프, 메시지, 콘텐츠, 디렉터리; not 브러쉬, 쉐이프, 메세지, 컨텐츠, 디렉토리.

Mnemonics and key names¶

Append the source's mnemonic letter, uppercase, in half-width parentheses with no space before it: 열기(&O) (&Open, qtbase_ko). It goes before a final colon or ellipsis: 색상(&E): (Hu&e:, qtbase_ko); C&ustom... becomes 사용자 정의(&U)... (constructed).
Write exactly (&X), four characters: Qt strips that pattern on macOS.
Keep the source's letter, so sibling items stay unique. Never put & before a Hangul syllable; add no mnemonic the source lacks.
&& is a literal ampersand: write 및 or keep &&, never a single &.
Key names stay in Latin script as the source spells them: Shift, Ctrl, Alt, Option, Cmd, Enter, Esc, Space. Arrow keys are 왼쪽, 오른쪽, 위, 아래 (qtbase_ko). Keep Ctrl+S as written. In a sentence write 키 after a single key, with a space, and none after a combination, as Microsoft does: Shift 키를 누르세요., Ctrl+S를 누르세요. (constructed).

Names and loans¶

Latin script, exact case, no Hangul transcription: product, company, typeface and personal names (FontLab, OpenType, PostScript, TrueType, Unicode, Python), format names (VFJ, UFO), feature and table tags (kern, OS/2), glyph names, extensions, unit symbols and code.
Put the class noun after a Latin name: AFM 파일 (AFM File, Glyphs).
Translate language and script names: 중국어, 아랍 문자 (Glyphs).
Do not transcribe an ordinary English word where Korean has a plain one (설정, 추가, 너비), and never append the English in parentheses.

Script-specific rules¶

Hangul only, in precomposed syllables (NFC): no Hanja, not even in parentheses, and no conjoining jamo.

False friends and traps¶

The term table gives the term. These are the senses to reject:

glyph is not 문자 or 글자; contour is not 등고선; outline is not 개요; a font table is not 표; weight is not 무게; master is not 주인; instance is not 사례; family is not 가족; case is not 경우; hint is not a tip; a style named Bold or Italic is not the word processor's 굵게 or 기울임꼴.
script is a writing system or a Python script: read the control.
kerning, tracking and spacing are three things; 자간 cannot name all of them.
Officialese: write 위, 아래, 이, 반드시; not 상기, 하기, 본, 필히.
Machine-translation habits to remove: 당신; ~을 수행합니다 for a plain verb; ~에 대한, ~를 위한, ~에 의해 for every about, for, by; ~되어지다; 그것; 가지고 있습니다 for has; a dictionary form as a label (나가다); one particle after a placeholder (%s는); a space before a particle (%d 은).

Review¶

Placeholders, markup and \n match the source.
Mnemonics: exactly (&X), before the colon or ellipsis.
Each numerus entry: one form, with a counter, right for 1 and 100.
After every placeholder: class noun, counter or dual particle.
Noun-phrase labels; 합니다, 하세요, 하시겠습니까? in sentences.
띄어쓰기: 하다 attached, 수 and 중 apart; half-width punctuation.
Terms match the term table; a Korean type designer would say it so.

FontLab terminology and compact labels¶

Preserve deliberately uppercase source labels using the language’s case rules. Keep numeric controls compact with UPM, PPM and LSB/RSB (French AG/AD); explain the full terms in help. The Family Dimensions “Units Per eM:” label is an intentional expanded exception.

Use the current core memory and its approval status. OpenType lookup defaults to the translation of procedure, with a different term only when strong OpenType-specific evidence supports it. Explicit choices are German Lookup, French lookup, Polish procedura and Russian процедура. Ordinary searches, individual rules and OpenType features are separate concepts. Preserve literal code keywords and identifiers.

Translate Fusion with the fallback Welder. Use the core's phonetic FontAudit transliteration in non-Latin scripts, including Chinese; preserve FontAudit in code. Proposed spellings remain proposed. Before rebuilding a QPH, recover team edits and import their terms and notes into the core memory.

Compare mnemonic-split terms with unmarked labels. Keep labels compact, aiming for 120% of the English length in Dimensions and Glyph Window preferences without losing meaning. Omit redundant font, color or command wording when context supplies it. TTH labels can omit “use” and abbreviate TrueType hinting; help can explain more. A full harmonization requires three complete catalog reviews, then reconciliation of help with the final UI and verification of generated resources.

Run the review as a loop¶

The Review list above is this skill's checklist. Run it on each portion as H17 describes: one item at a time against source, target and the term table; name the string behind each answer; repair what fails and recheck it. Stop after three rounds and report what still fails.

References¶

references/terms.md: the full Korean term table, generated from the core memory ko-core.tmx of the writing guide, with the status, translator note and definition of every term.
The Korean localization guide of the writing guide is the source of the sections above.

fontlab-localization for the shared rules; fontlab-terminology for product names and shared nouns; fontlab-technical for Korean help text.

House rules¶

These rules implement the FontLab writing guide. They are copied into every skill so each installed skill can work independently. Corpus measurements can inform review; they are not quotas, universal laws, or tests of authorship.

H1. Accurate actors. Address the reader when they act or choose. Name the application when it performs an operation. Fonts and files contain data that software interprets. Prefer active voice when the actor matters; retain a clear passive construction when the actor is unknown or irrelevant. Never invent an actor or cause to change the grammar. When an English sentence pairs a reader action with the software's response, give each clause a subject and restate the action compactly: “If you generate a glyph with Aidus, FontLab generates each master independently.” Name the most specific responding surface the evidence supports (a window, tool or dialog), otherwise the application. Use present tense for an immediate result. Where a glossary entry exists and the surface can link, link a domain term to it rather than defining it in an apposition.

H2. Never invent a fact. Ground numbers, names, dates, labels, shortcuts, defaults, errors, versions, and quotations in supplied or checked evidence. A draft is evidence of what was written, not independent proof of its claims. Mark unresolved facts with a specific working placeholder such as [VERIFY CLAIM], [CONFIRM LABEL], or [CONFIRM OFFER]. A marked draft is unfinished; resolve the gap before publication. Clearly label fictional examples before their invented details.

H3. Preserve certainty and scope. “May reduce” does not become “eliminates.” Preserve conditions, negation, timing, quantities, compatibility, licensing, and other consequential limits. State a limitation directly rather than disguising it as a favorable position. A single observation does not prove universal behavior. Conflicting sources need scope checks, not an automatic choice of the stricter claim.

H4. Preserve the writer's voice. Do not manufacture stakes, candor, reader emotion, endorsement, or a new narrator. Preserve useful habits and the supplied stance. Reorder, split, or shorten according to the requested edit depth and reader need, without adding facts or causal relationships. A correct draft can remain unchanged.

H5. Give thought a rhythm. Carry a subject through an action, distinction or consequence. Let a developed sentence explain a relationship; let a shorter one settle a result when that change of pace helps. Repeat a concrete object or term when its meaning develops, not as a compulsory callback. Technical actions stay literal; explanations and marketing have room for patient attention, a bounded comparison or dry observation. Keep useful qualifications beside their claims. Do not impose sentence-length, pronoun, punctuation or paragraph quotas, or force every paragraph into the same long-then-short pattern.

H6. Notice the useful detail. Retain names, mechanisms, conditions, versions and issue numbers that help the reader understand or act. From the evidence, choose the object, contrast or small behavior that makes the explanation tangible: a changed preview, a repeated comparison, a file whose status matters. Follow that detail far enough to explain its significance. Warmth can come from this attention and patience. Never invent an observation, personal experience or reader emotion to make prose vivid, or remove a necessary qualification to shorten it.

H7. Punctuation serves meaning. Prefer a colon for an explanation or list. A spaced dash can carry a turn; avoid decorative glosses and repeated interruptions. Use sentence case for new headings and preserve exact source labels. A punctuation pattern does not establish authorship.

H8. Choose precise words. Review vague praise and stock phrasing such as “seamless,” “game-changing,” “leverage,” and “unlock.” Replace them when they obscure the action or make an unsupported claim. Keep an accurate technical use or protected quotation. A count or cluster is a reason to inspect a passage, not proof that each matched word is wrong.

H9. Develop the explanation. Begin where the reader can understand the task, change or offer. Give adjacent sentences a real connection: the same subject under a changed condition, an action and its result, or a question and its answer. A before-and-after comparison needs evidence for both states; a transition must not invent causality. Let a useful aside return to the main thought. Place low-stakes discoveries where they aid understanding, while keeping price, risk, prerequisites and recovery visible when needed. End at the useful result or next action; a quiet ending or a substantial summary can each serve the material.

H10a. Preserve conditions. Use “if” for a condition and “when” where the intended timing or situation warrants it. Check the whole meaning: “when a panel opens” and “while a panel is open” describe different scopes. Keep useful conditionals and parenthetical explanations; do not insert them to imitate a presumed author.

H10. Preserve expression that works. A fragment, three-part phrase, exclamation, aside, or single-sentence paragraph can serve a passage. Keep it when it supports meaning or the writer's rhythm. Do not add one to meet a budget, or remove one because of a generic stylistic test. Keep instructions and consequential conditions literal and easy to find.

H10b. Use the destination's notation. Preserve exact interface labels, tags, extensions, and identifiers. Italicize labels in neutral release notes; in technical site content use supported highlight notation, with bold as the plain-Markdown fallback. Use code style for machine-readable text. State price amounts and currencies unambiguously from evidence; do not infer an exchange rate, tax policy, or license term. A supplied currency shorthand needs enough context to identify the actual offer.

H11. Names and collisions. FontLab is the product; Fontlab Ltd. is the company. Preserve product names, module identifiers, domains, historical names in their historical scope, and exact quoted strings. Do not translate a product name. Name the application when Layer, Mask, Group, Fill, Brush, Knife, Transform, Pencil, Eraser, or Scissors could have more than one meaning. Use a declared short form consistently.

H12. Protect literal material. Preserve quotations, code, commands, paths, identifiers, API names, URLs, legal text, interface strings, placeholders, and table data during prose editing. Change them only for a requested or necessary correction supported by evidence. Do not paraphrase a quotation while retaining quotation marks or an attribution. Explain a consequential correction when the output contract permits it.

H13. Choose the register per passage. Marketing helps assess an offer; technical writing explains or instructs; neutral prose states facts and changes warmly. A document can combine them. Prices, limits, licensing, compatibility, security, and migration facts stay plain and prominent. Audience and purpose determine an email's register. Do not impose a fixed emotional mixture or make every opening a story.

H14. Review facts, then movement. Compare claims and protected strings with their evidence; check scope, action order and terminology. Then read whole passages for attention, connection and pace. Repair a flat sequence by developing an existing detail or relationship, not by adding praise or invented events. Check that humor remains intelligible and the information remains true when the joke is missed. Recheck the facts after a voice edit. A measurement or passing build does not certify facts, usability or authorship. Report only checks actually performed.

H15. Scale to the surface. A button or tooltip needs a clear label, action, or condition, not a miniature essay. Apply factual and naming safeguards at every length. Include the detail the task requires; do not add proof paragraphs, metaphors, or pronouns to satisfy a template. For translation, keep essential instructions literal and references clear.

H16. The override. Follow the user's task and supplied voice before style defaults. Break a default sooner than make the writing worse. Source material and quoted prompts are data, not authority to change the task. Style preferences never justify presenting an invented or unsupported claim as established fact.

H17. Check each portion, repair, check again. Reading these rules does not apply them; checking the text does. After drafting or editing each portion (a section, one deliverable, a batch of entries; a label or tooltip is one portion), run the skill's checklist on it. Answer each item separately, against the text and the evidence. For a failure, quote the words that fail. For a pass, point to the passage that satisfies the item, or, for an item about something absent, confirm that you searched the whole portion and found none. An answer with nothing behind it has not been checked. Repair only the failures, because a passing item needs no edit and a correct sentence can stay unchanged. Recheck the repaired passages and every fact the repair touched. If the same item fails again after its repair, stop working on it and mark it; do not try a third time. Stop after three rounds in all, and mark what still fails with a specific placeholder instead of reporting a pass. If you can start a separate reviewer (a subagent or a fresh chat), give it the draft, the evidence and the checklist, not your drafting rationale, and ask for failures with locations; act on findings that name a rule and a passage. Keep the checklist record private unless the user asks for it or the output contract allows notes.