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Mongolian (Mongolia) style guide

Style guide conventions

  • A plus sign (+) before a translation example marks the recommended correct translation. A minus sign (-) marks an incorrect example.
  • A term is anything translated as one unit: a traditional term, a phrase, a sentence, or a paragraph.
  • References to interface elements refer only to the translatable texts of those elements.
  • Example translations illustrate the point only. They are not a source of approved terminology. Always check approved terminology.
  • Normative references: Орчин цагийн монгол хэл. Монгол улсын боловсролын их сургууль. 2004. Орчин цагийн монгол хэлний өгүүлбэр зүй. Б.Пүрэв-Очир. 2001. Орчин цагийн монгол хэлний үг зүй. Ц.Өнөрбаян. 2004. Орчин цагийн монгол хэлний үг зүйн байгуулал. 1987. Монгол хэлний найруулга зүй. Ц.Сүхбаатар. 1998. Монгол хэлний товч тайлбар толь. Я.Цэвэл. Монгол үсгийн дүрмийн толь. Ц. Дамдинсүрэн, Б. Осор. 1983.
  • Adhere to the normative sources. Any deviation fails a string in most cases.
  • When more than one solution is allowed, use the one recommended elsewhere in this guide.
  • Informative references: Монгол хэлний кирилл үсгийг латин үсгээр галиглах тухай. ОпенМН нэр томъѐо.

Characters

  • Lower-case characters: а,б,в,г,д,е,ѐ,ж,з,и,й,к,л,м,н,о,ө,п,р,с,т,у,ү,ф,х,ц,ч,ш,щ,ъ,ы,ь,э,ю,я
  • Upper-case characters: А,Б,В,Г,Д,Е,Ё,Ж,З,И,Й,К,Л,М,Н,О,Ө,П,Р,С,Т,У,Ү,Ф,Х,Ц,Ч,Ш,Щ,Ъ,Ы,Ь,Э,Ю,Я
  • Characters in caseless scripts: n/a. Extended Latin characters: n/a.
  • Alphabetical order is necessarily indicative of sorting order.
  • Total number of characters: 35
  • Unicode hexadecimal codes occupy 0410 to 044F, plus 0401 and 0451 for Ё,ѐ; 0472 and 0473 for Ө,ө; 04AE and 04AF for Ү,ү.

Date

  • Calendar: Gregorian. First day of the week: Monday. First week of the year: first full week of January.
  • Separator: - or /
  • Default short date format: yyyy-MM-dd; example 2011-03-17
  • Default long date format: yyyy оны M-р сарын d. dddd гариг.; example 2011 оны 3-р сарын 17. Лхагва гариг.
  • Additional short and long date formats: n/a
  • Leading zero in day field for short date: yes. Leading zero in month field for short date: yes. Digits for year in short date: 4.
  • Leading zero in day field for long date: no. Leading zero in month field for long date: no. Digits for year in long date: 4.
  • Date format for correspondence: yyyy-MM-dd, yyyy/MM/dd; example 2011-03-17, 2011/03/17
  • Partial date format: yyyy 'оны' MMMM
  • Format code abbreviations: d is day (d = digits without leading zero, dd = digits with leading zero, ddd = abbreviated day name, dddd = full day name); M is month (M = digits without leading zero, MM = digits with leading zero, MMM = abbreviated name, MMMM = full name); y is year (yy = two digits, yyyy = four digits).

Time

  • 24 hour format: yes. Standard time format: HH:mm:ss; example 03:24:12
  • Time separator: colon :; example 03:24:12
  • Hours leading zero: yes; example 03:24:12
  • AM designator: n/a. PM designator: n/a.
  • Short time format: H:mm

Days

  • Monday: normal form Даваа, abbreviation Да
  • Tuesday: normal form Мягмар, abbreviation Мя
  • Wednesday: normal form Лхагва, abbreviation Лха
  • Thursday: normal form Пүрэв, abbreviation Пү
  • Friday: normal form Баасан, abbreviation Ба
  • Saturday: normal form Бямба, abbreviation Бя
  • Sunday: normal form Ням, abbreviation Ня
  • First day of week: Даваа/Monday
  • Do not capitalize the first letter. Use a capital letter only when a day name is the first word of the sentence, or in lists.

Months

  • January: full 1 дүгээр сар, abbreviated 1-р сар
  • February: full 2 дугаар сар, abbreviated 2-р сар
  • March: full 3 дугаар сар, abbreviated 3-р сар
  • April: full 4 дүгээр сар, abbreviated 4-р сар
  • May: full 5 дугаар сар, abbreviated 5-р сар
  • June: full 6 дугаар сар, abbreviated 6-р сар
  • July: full 7 дугаар сар, abbreviated 7-р сар
  • August: full 8 дугаар сар, abbreviated 8-р сар
  • September: full 9 дүгээр сар, abbreviated 9-р сар
  • October: full 10 дугаар сар, abbreviated 10-р сар
  • November: full 11 дүгээр сар, abbreviated 11-р сар
  • December: full 12 дугаар сар, abbreviated 12-р сар
  • Long date form: n/a

Phone numbers

  • International dialing code: +976. Area codes used: yes. Digits in area codes: 2;5. Separator: -, space.
  • Domestic: digits 8;10; groupings (#####)-# ## ##, (##)-## ## ##
  • Local: digits 5;6; groupings # ## ##, ## ## ##
  • Mobile: digits 8; grouping #### ####
  • International: digits 13; groupings +976-#####-## ###, +976-##-### ###, +976-#### ####

Addresses

  • Address format: [Title/Honorific] LastName LastName, [CompanyName], Address1, [Address2], [CountryCode-] PostalCode City, [Country]
  • Example address: Балдангийн Жаргалсайхан, Үндсэн хуулийн гудамж-1, Сүхбаатар дүүрэг 5-р хороо, Улаанбаатар 14253, Монгол улс
  • Local postal code format: xxxxx
  • Never use this address information as fictitious information in examples.

Currency

  • Currency name: Төгрөг. Currency symbol: ₮. ISO currency code: MNT.
  • Always display the currency after the amount. Always put a space between amount and currency.
  • Positive currency format: 123 456,78 ₮. Negative sign symbol: -. Negative currency format: -123 456,78 ₮
  • Decimal symbol: , (comma). Digits after decimal: 2. Digit grouping symbol: space. Digits in digit grouping: 3.
  • Positive currency example: 123 456 789,00 ₮. Negative currency example: -123 456 789,00 ₮
  • Currency subunit name: мөнгө. Subunit symbol: мө.. Subunit example: 12 мө.

Digit groups

  • Decimal separator: , (comma); examples 3,14, 789,00 ₮
  • Thousand separator: space; example 6 789,00

Measurement units

  • Metric system commonly used: yes. Temperature: Celsius.
  • Linear measure: en Kilometer -> mn километр, abbreviation км
  • en Meter -> mn метр, abbreviation м
  • en Decimeter -> mn дециметр, abbreviation дм
  • en Centimeter -> mn сантиметр, abbreviation см
  • en Millimeter -> mn миллиметр, abbreviation мм
  • Capacity: en Hectoliter -> mn гектолитр, abbreviation гл
  • en Liter -> mn литр, abbreviation л
  • en Deciliter -> mn децилитр, abbreviation дл
  • en Centiliter -> mn сантилитр, abbreviation сл
  • en Milliliter -> mn миллилитр, abbreviation мл
  • Mass: en Ton -> mn тон, abbreviation тн
  • en Kilogram -> mn килограм, abbreviation кг
  • en Pound -> mn фунт, abbreviation фунт
  • en Gram -> mn грам, abbreviation гр
  • en Decigram -> n/a. en Centigram -> n/a.
  • en Milligram -> mn миллиграм, abbreviation мг
  • English units: en Inch -> mn инч, abbreviation ин
  • en Feet -> mn фут, abbreviation фт
  • en Mile -> mn мил, abbreviation мил
  • en Gallon -> mn галлон, abbreviation гал

Percentages

  • In documentation, including online documents, separate the percent sign % from the number with a non-breaking space: 10 %.
  • Do not use the space before the percent sign in software, or in references to the user interface in documentation.

Sorting

  • Capital letters and lowercase letters are equal. Make no distinction between them.
  • Ignore the dash - in human names or proper names such as cities and lands.
  • Non-alphabetical characters such as @ ! # sort after the letters of the alphabet.
  • Digits sort before the non-alphabetical characters and after the letters of the alphabet.
  • Character sorting order: А 0410 а 0430, Б 0411 б 0431, В 0412 в 0432, Г 0413 г 0433, Д 0414 д 0434, Е 0415 е 0435, Ё 0401 ѐ 0411, Ж 0416 ж 0436, З 0417 з 0437, И 0418 и 0438, Й 0419 й 0439, К 041A к 043A, Л 041B л 043B, М 041C м 043C, Н 041D н 043D, О 041E о 043E, Ө 0472 ө 0473, П 041F п 043F, Р 0420 р 0440, С 0421 с 0441, Т 0422 т 0442, У 0423 у 0443, Ү 04AE ү 04AF, Ф 0424 ф 0444, Х 0425 х 0445, Ц 0426 ц 0446, Ч 0427 ч 0447, Ш 0428 ш 0448, Щ 0429 щ 0449, Ъ 042A ъ 044A, Ы 042B ы 044B, Ь 042C ь 044C, Э 042D э 044D, Ю 042E ю 044E, Я 042F я 044F
  • Examples of sorted words: авир, Алтан товч, багана, дээл, ном, өмнөд, сураг ажиг, туяа, Янжмаа, яргуй, Aaron, andere, cote, chaque, chemin, lie, lire, savoir, Sietla, subtle, symbol, verkehrt, vox, waffle, wood, yen, yuan, yucca, zoo, 1, @

Geopolitical concerns

  • Check maps, flags, country/region, city and language names, art and graphics, and cultural content for accuracy and political restrictions.
  • Country/region, city and language names change often. Check them again even when previously approved.
  • Check cultural content, clip art, religious symbols, body and hand gestures for appropriateness in the target market.
  • Use the most up-to-date Mongolian list of country/region and city names for every release.

Adjectives

  • Possessive adjectives are not as common in Mongolian as in English. Omit them depending on context and fluency, unless ownership matters.
  • en Set Up Your Device -> mn (+) Төхөөрөмжөө тохируулах (+) Төхөөрөмжөө тохируулна уу (-) Чиний төхөөрөмжийг тохируулах
  • Avoid your in a menu command. You can use it in help, tips, and instructions.

Articles

  • Does not apply to Mongolian.

Capitalization

  • If the first word of the English source string is capitalized, capitalize the first word of the target. If it is not capitalized, do not capitalize the target, unless language-specific rules say otherwise.
  • In Mongolian capitalization is used very sparingly. Capitalize only when you have to.
  • Capitalize names of user interface elements (commands, menus, dialog box titles) and program names. Capitalize only the first word, for example Зураг оруулах.
  • Always enclose referenced names of user interface elements in quotes, for example ―Засварлах‖ цэс, ―Зураг оруулах‖ харилцах цонх
  • Capitalize acronyms, proper names, product and technology names.
  • Capitalize all words in country and state names (Оросын Холбооны Улс, америкийн Нэгдсэн Улс) and international organization names (Нэгдсэн Үндэстний Байгууллага, Дэлхийн Банк).
  • Capitalize the first letter of the abbreviated form of days.
  • Capitalize the word Internet in Mongolian.
  • Do not capitalize language names and nationalities, unless at the beginning of a sentence or list: монгол хэл, итали хэл, герман, франц. Examples: Windows үйлдлийн системд монгол хэл суулгахын тулд..., Өргөн хэрэглээний програм хангамжийг монгол хүн өөрийн эх хэлээр ашиглах боломжтой боллоо.
  • Do not capitalize the word web in Mongolian.

Compounds

  • Does not apply to Mongolian.

Gender

  • Does not apply to Mongolian.

Genitive

  • Does not apply to Mongolian.

Modifiers

  • Does not apply to Mongolian.

Nouns

  • Inflect nouns with proper suffixes by the vowel harmony rule. Mongolian is agglutinative, so a noun may take several suffixes and its stem may change.
  • Example: мэдээлэл may change to мэдээллээс for from the information.
  • Form the plural by adding the plural suffixes -с, -ууд, -үүд, -чууд, -чүүд by the vowel harmony rule.
  • Avoid unnecessary plural forms. Do not use the plural after ―some\|, ―many\|, ―all\|, ―different\| (―зарим\|, ―олон\|, ―бүх\|, ―янз бүрийн‖). Do not use plural nouns with numbers.
  • en We weren't able to create the birthday event because you have too many contacts. -> mn (+) Танд хэт олон харилцах хаяг байгаа байгаа тул төрсөн өдөр үүсгэх боломжгүй. (-) Танд хэт олон харилцах хаягууд байгаа байгаа тул төрсөн өдөр үүсгэх боломжгүй.
  • en different windows -> mn (+) янз бүрийн цонх (-) янз бүрийн цонхнууд
  • en last 3 items -> mn (+) сүүлийн 3 зүйл (-) сүүлийн 3 зүйлс (-) сүүлийн 3 зүйлүүд
  • Singular usage in English does not require the same usage in translation. Singular is preferred.
  • en User can delete this sentence. -> mn (+) Хэрэглэгч энэ өгүүлбэрийг устгаж болно. (-) Хэрэглэгчид энэ өгүүлбэрийг устгаж болно.

Prepositions

  • Does not apply to Mongolian.

Pronouns

  • English uses you/your more often than Mongolian. Avoid the forms та, таны, танд wherever possible. Use neutral structures and passive voice instead.
  • en Use your mouse to draw circles on the page. -> mn (+) Хулгана ашиглан хуудсан дээр тойрог зур. (-) Хуудсан дээр тойрог зурахын тулд та хулганаа ашигла.
  • en You must first select a name in the To or Cc box. -> mn (+) Эхлээд "Хаана" эсвэл "Хуулбар" талбар дахь нэрээ сонгоно уу. (-) Та эхлээд "Хаана" эсвэл "Хуулбар" талбар дахь нэрээ сонгоно уу.
  • en You cannot select any names now. -> mn (+) Одоо ямар ч нэр сонгох боломжгүй. (-) Та одоо ямар ч нэр сонгох боломжгүй.
  • en The settings you changed will not take effect until you restart Microsoft NetMeeting. -> mn (+) Хийгдсэн өөрчлөлтүүд Microsoft NetMeeting-г дахин эхлүүлтэл идэвхижихгүй. (-) Таны хийсэн өөрчлөлтүүд таныг Microsoft NetMeeting-г дахин эхлүүлтэл идэвхижихгүй.
  • Use you/your in the translation when it is necessary to show direction.
  • en You are about to join a new meeting. You will lose the messages that are currently displayed. Do you want to save the current messages? -> mn (+) Та шинэ уулзалтанд холбогдох гэж байна. Одоо харагдаж байгаа мэдээллүүд арилах болно. Тухайн мэдээллүүдийг хадгалах уу?

Punctuation

  • Put no space before a punctuation mark. Put only one space after applicable marks such as commas, periods, and colons.
  • Comma: use lowercase after a comma, unless the following word needs a capital.
  • With very few exceptions, do not use a comma after the conjunctions ―ба\|, ―бөгөөд\|, ―эсвэл\|, ―буюу\|, ―болон‖.
  • en The senders’ e-mail address can end with top-level domain codes, such as .ca, .mx, or .us. -> mn (-) Илгээгчийн э-шуудан хаяг нь .ca, .mx, болон .us г.м өндөр-түвшний домэйн кодуудаар төгссөн байж болно. (+) Илгээгчийн э-шуудан хаяг нь .ca, .mx болон .us г.м өндөр-түвшний домэйн кодуудаар төгссөн байж болно.
  • Do not use a comma before the г.м abbreviation.
  • Do not use a comma between the subject and the predicate. It is incorrect in Mongolian.
  • Avoid overuse of the comma.
  • en To delete this entry, press Delete. -> mn (+) Энэ оролтыг устгахын тулд Delete товчлуур дар. (-) Энэ оролтыг устгахын тулд, Delete товчлуур дар.
  • Colon: use it to introduce a list. Do not use a colon for a regular series.
  • Do not capitalize the word after a colon, except in letter salutations or enumerations of full sentences.
  • Use the colon for examples, notes, and warnings. Capitalize the first letter when a complete sentence follows.
  • Example: Жишээлбэл: Өөр хэрэглэгчийн эрхээр нэвтрэхийн тулд ―Өөр Windows Live ID-ээр нэвтрэх‖-ийг сонго.
  • Example: Анхаар: Энэ файлыг нээх нь таны компьютерийг вирустүүлэх аюултай!
  • You can separate hours, minutes and seconds with a period or a colon (18:30). Prefer the colon.
  • Semicolon: use it to separate a group of similar items that are separated with commas.
  • Example: Интернэтэд холбоотой компьютерт: вирус, хортон вэб код, троян хортонд өртөх; хуурамч вэб нээж үзэх, нууц үгээ сүлжээний сэм чагнагчид алдах, хуурамч гүйлгээнд мэхлэгдэж кредит картны мэдээлээ алдах олон эрсдэл бий.
  • When listed items are not full sentences, use a semicolon at the end of each list item.
  • Example: Windows үйлдлийн системийн ердийн хэрэглэгчид нь: Өөрийн бичиг баримт, бусад файлтай ажиллах; Зургийн цуглуулга үүсгэх, үзэх; Хэвлэгчтэй ажиллах, бичиг баримт, зургаа хэвлэх; Дуу хөгжим, видео тоглуулах; Интернэт сүлжээнд холбогдож, вэб хуудас үзэх; Олон төрлийн тоглоом тоглох, зугаацах гэх мэт олон төрлийн ажил гүйцэтгэх, зугаацах, хөгжих боломжтой.
  • English uses three dash characters. In Mongolian the hyphen and the en dash are basically the same thing.
  • Hyphen use in Mongolian is very limited. Write most compounds as two separate words, or as a single word with no hyphen.
  • en first-time setup -> mn (+) анх удаа суурилуулах (-) анх-удаа суурилуулах
  • en user-specified parameter -> mn (+) хэрэглэгчийн тодорхойлсон параметр (-) хэрэглэгчийн-тодорхойлсон параметр
  • Omit literal translations for compound words.
  • En dash: in English it is the minus sign, usually with spaces before and after. In Mongolian put no space after the minus sign. Example: -5
  • The en dash also marks number ranges such as page numbers, with no spaces around it. Same usage in Mongolian. Example: Хуудас 3-5
  • Em dash: the English use to set off an isolated or non-essential element does not apply to Mongolian. Convert em dashes to colons, semicolons, or parentheses.
  • en Time is precious. More than ever, you need a system that is simple, easy, natural, and enjoyable – so you can get things done and focus on what matters most in your life. -> mn (+) Цаг бол алт. Үүнээс ч илүүтэйгээр, систем тань энгийн, хялбар, ойлгомжтой, тааламжтай байх нь танд ажлаа хурдан дуусгах, амьдралд хэрэгтэй зүйлсийг байнга ашиглах боломж олгоно. (-) Цаг бол алт. Үүнээс ч илүүтэйгээр, систем тань энгийн, хялбар, ойлгомжтой, тааламжтай – танд ажлаа хурдан дуусгах, амьдралд хэрэгтэй зүйлсийг байнга ашиглах боломж олгоно.
  • Replace the em dash with a proper alternative, or change the word order to reflect the correct sense.
  • Use the em dash to separate the subject of the sentence when the meaning changes without it. Put no space before or after the em dash.
  • Example: SkyDrive–Интернэт хөтөч ашиглан онлайн сүлжээгээр файл дамжуулах, хамтран ашиглах, хадгалах зориулалттай Интернэтийн сан юм.
  • Example: Windows үйлдлийн систем нь ашиглахад хялбар бөгөөд энгийн–компьютертэй ажиллахад хялбар, тухтай орчинг бүрдүүлсэн.
  • Ellipses: put no space before ellipses. Always use three points, never two.
  • In software translations use ellipses at the end of a sentence about an on-going operation, in present continuous tense.
  • Period: put a period at the end of a full sentence, with one space after. English text sometimes uses double spaces. Do not follow that.
  • Put no period at the end of a title, chapter name, section name, or address.
  • Quotation marks: use them for UI items such as menus and commands when the item has no special formatting such as bold or italic.
  • In software, product help, and web pages use straight quotation marks, same as English. Never use single quotation marks.
  • In documentation use chevrons, with straight quotation marks inside them: «"Дуусгах" товч». The period stands outside the chevrons.
  • When double quotation marks are impossible for technical reasons, use a workaround to display "…" or «»: two sequenced single quote characters '', or code such as " in HTML.
  • Do not enclose product names in quotations, except third-party products or products introduced as new.
  • Parentheses: use them for a comment or addition to a member of a sentence. Put no space between the parentheses and the text inside them, same as English.
  • Example: (+) Windows програм нь олон газар (аж ахуйн нэгж, пүүс компанийн бичиг хэргийн ажилтнууд, оюутнууд зэрэг) хэрэгцээтэй болох нь зайлшгүй.
  • When a sentence is within parentheses, put its full stop inside the parentheses too.
  • Example: (+) Ажиллаж буй бусад програмуудыг хаана уу. (Энэ үйлдлийг бүү алгас.)
  • Place a parenthetical fragment right after the part of the sentence it complements. Do not leave it alone at the end of a sentence. Do not start a sentence with a fragment in parentheses.
  • Example: (+) Таны одоо ажиллуулж буй бүх програм (команд) хаагдах болно.

Singular and plural

  • When English offers a choice between singular and plural, use singular. Do not add the plural ending in brackets.
  • en Browse to the driver(s), and then click OK -> mn (+) Драйвераа сонгоод "ОК" товч дарна уу. (+) Драйверуудаас сонгоод "ОК" товч дарна уу. (-) Драйвер(ууд) сонгоод "ОК" товч дарна уу.

Split infinitive

  • Does not apply to Mongolian.

Subjunctive

  • Does not apply to Mongolian.

Symbols and non-breaking spaces

  • Symbols widely used in English such as @, #, & are not used in Mongolian translation.
  • en 25 min.@ 25 Gbps -> mn (+) 25 Гбайт/сек хурдаар 25 мин. (-) 25 мин. @ 25 Гбайт/сек.
  • en # items -> mn (+) зүйлийн тоо (-) # зүйл
  • en Bullets & Numbering -> mn (+) Сум ба дугаарлалт (-) Сум & дугаарлалт
  • The @ sign is valid only in e-mail addresses.
  • Never use the & sign instead of ба in Mongolian translations.
  • Do not overuse non-breaking spaces. Delete extra ones from the source. A non-breaking space is necessary between a product name and its version, but not between two words in regular text.

Syntax

  • Syntax and register differ from English because Mongolian is agglutinative: word order, and inflection of words with suffixes.
  • en information -> mn (+) мэдээлэл, (+) мэдээллээс
  • The noun мэдээлэл inflected with the suffix -ээс drops the last э from its stem.

Word order

  • Form a Mongolian sentence as Subject + Object + Verb.
  • Mongolian words and sentences are generally much longer than English ones. One-to-one word matching is not possible.
  • en When you create a table of contents this way, you can automatically update it if you make changes in your document. -> mn (+) Энэ маягаар гарчиг үүсгэхдээ бичиг баримтандаа орсон өөрчлөлтийн дагуу гарчгийг автоматаар шинэчилж болно.
  • In that example no subject is defined, and two sentences are combined without a comma.
  • New words are formed by adding suffixes, so a translated sentence has fewer words but longer words than the English.

Verbs

  • For actions performed by programs, features, functions, failures, and errors use neutral passive constructions without a subject.
  • (+) Chat програмд файлын мэдээллийг авах боломжгүй байна. (-) Chat програм файлын мэдээллийг авч чадсангүй.
  • (+) Энэ монитор дээр дэлгэц амраагч ажиллуулахад 3 хэмжээст дүрслэл ашиглана. (-) Энэ монитор дээр дэлгэц амраагч – 3 хэмжээст дүрслэл ашиглана.
  • For actions the user must perform use the imperative mood.
  • (+) Үргэлжлүүлэхийн тулд шаардлагатай бүрэлдэхүүн хэсгүүдийг суулгана уу. (-) Үргэлжлүүлэхийн тулд та шаардлагатай бүрэлдэхүүн хэсгийг суулгах ѐстой.
  • Use verbs, not nouns, in clauses of purpose. Exception: the standard phrase Нэмэлт мэдээлэл авахын тулд and similar phrases. Do not apply this rule mechanically; sometimes noun structures are more fluent.
  • (+) Хүснэгтийн хуудас хооронд нүдийг зөөхийн тулд сонгосон мужийг хуудасны доод хэсэгт байх чих рүү чирээд орхино уу. (-) Хүснэгтийн хуудас хоорондын нүдний зөөлтөнд сонгосон мужийг хуудасны доод хэсэгт байх чих рүү сонгосон мужийг чирж орхих үйлдэл хийнэ.

Audience

  • Take the target audience into account. Make learning materials for new users more direct and friendly. Make IT Pro materials more formal.

Style

  • Do not use colloquial, slang, local, poetic, or rare words and expressions, or anything outside standard literary language.

Tone

  • Use a formal tone. In online materials the tone can be friendlier.

Voice

  • Use passive voice rather than active voice, even when English uses active voice.
  • en You are now connected to the Internet. -> mn (+) Интернет сүлжээнд холбогдлоо. (-) Та Интернэт рүү холбогдлоо.

General considerations

  • Write the localized text as if it was originally written in Mongolian. Keep it accurate, correct, and clear. Avoid wordiness and word-by-word translation.
  • Accuracy: translate all English text. Omit or add text only for a specific reason, checked with the project team. The translated text must reflect product functionality correctly.
  • Localization: adapt the text to the local language, customs, and localization standards. Use Mongolian names rather than English: Edward -> Бат, New York -> Эрдэнэт. Do not translate every word. Use the style that is natural for Mongolian.
  • en No line, thank you -> mn (+) Шугамгүй (-) Баярлалаа. Шугамгүй.
  • Consistency: use terminology consistently within a component, across components (software, help, documentation), and across products. Keep style and register consistent, and translate similar phrases consistently.

Abbreviations

  • Abbreviate some words in the UI, mainly button or option names, only for lack of space or to avoid grammatically wrong structures. Do not abbreviate arbitrarily. Use only the commonly accepted abbreviations below.
  • хуудас -> (+) хууд.
  • зураг -> (+) зур
  • үзнэ үү -> (+) үз
  • гэх мэт -> (+) г.м
  • нягтлан бодох -> (+) ня-бо
  • цаг -> (+) ц
  • минут -> (+) мин
  • секунд -> (+) с
  • доктор -> (+) д-р
  • тавдугаар сар -> (+) 5-р сар
  • Улаанбаатар -> (+) УБ.
  • килобайт -> (+) КБайт
  • мегабайт -> (+) МБайт
  • килобит -> (+) кбит

Accessibility

  • Accessible products and services for people with disabilities, including single-handed users and users with hearing or motion disabilities, may not be available in Mongolia. Remove these references from Mongolian text when necessary.

Acronyms

  • Acronyms are words made up of the initial letters of major parts of a compound term. Examples: WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get), OLE (Object Linking and Embedding), RAM (Random Access Memory).
  • Leave most acronyms unlocalized. Some measurement units may be localized.
  • Gb -> ―Гба\breve{и}т\|; px -> ―пиксель\|; kbps -> ―кбит/c‖
  • Use an acronym with no established translation as it is in English.
  • Add the ending after an en dash. Example: RAM-д хадгалагдсан мэдээллүүд
  • In text use a descriptor word, usually the main word from the translation, to carry the declination, or use neutral constructions. Omit the descriptor for length restrictions, such as in the UI, or when the text sounds awkward. Never omit the descriptor when the grammatical form of the acronym, such as its case, is impossible to determine without it.

Applications, products, and features

  • Application and product names are rarely translated because they are often trademarked. Feature names are sometimes trademarked too, for example IntelliSense™. Before you translate any application, product, or feature name, verify that it is translatable and not protected.
  • Localize product names that are very localizable or contain a very localizable part.
  • Always translate the preposition for in product names, unless the whole product name including for is trademarked or copyrighted. Example: Word for Windows -> Windows-д зориулсан Word

Frequent errors

  • The main challenge is handling of placeholders. Improper handling causes word order and grammar issues.
  • en Could not locate %s on server %s -> mn (+) %s-г %s серверээс олох боломжгүй байна. (-) %s серверээс %s –г олох боломжгүй байна.
  • Placeholders are not numbered, so keep their original positions in translation.
  • en Unable to delete %s -> mn (+) %s-г устгах боломжгүй (-) %s устгах боломжгүй
  • When the content of the placeholder is unknown, add the suffix with an en dash.
  • en %d items are deleted -> mn (+) %d зүйл устгалаа. (-) %d зүйлс устгалаа.
  • A placeholder that contains a number takes a following word that is not plural.

Fictitious information

  • Fictitious content is legally sensitive. Never create your own fictitious names. Use the source names or the list of legally approved names.
  • For fictitious companies, names, addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers, ask the product team representative, and whether localized fictitious content is required.

Recurring patterns

  • Does not apply to Mongolian.

Standardized translations

  • Most relevant topics: the importance of standardization; standard phrases in error messages.

Unlocalized items

  • Use key names that appear on keyboard buttons in unlocalized form: Shift, Alt, Ctrl, Enter, Delete, End, Home, Caps Lock, Page Up, Page Down

Software considerations

  • Translate all menus, menu items, commands, buttons, and check boxes consistently in the localized product.
  • Menus and Ribbon: overall consistency is a primary concern. Translate the same elements the same way across all products.
  • Translate menu items and Ribbon tabs with nouns in the nominative case. Where a noun is impossible, use a verb in the infinitive, or another part of speech.
  • Translate menu options, commands, button text, check boxes, tooltips, explanatory labels, and information entry requests in the imperative mood with second person singular.
  • Commands: translate command names consistently in all localized products. The same source term takes an identical translation in all localized applications. Get approval from the Terminologist for any exception.
  • Translate command names as verbs, always in the infinitive: Save -> Хадгалах, Cut -> Огтлох, Paste -> Хуулах
  • Translate many command names as nouns, always in the nominative case: List -> Жагсаалт, Break -> Тусгаарлагч
  • Exceptions: About -> Програмын тухай, What is it? -> Энэ юу вэ?
  • Tooltips: when a menu item also serves as a tooltip, use the imperative form in second person singular. When a UI item is designated as a tooltip, or a visual check confirms it, use present tense or the imperative mood in second person plural.
  • For tooltips that explain what a UI item does, use present tense with third person singular.
  • For tooltips that tell the user what to do with a UI item, prefer the imperative mood with second person plural.
  • en Delete all records -> mn (+) Бүх бичлэгийг устга; this tooltip explains a function.
  • en Share with friends -> mn (+) Найзуудтайгаа хамтран ашигла; this tooltip addresses the user.
  • Translate window titles, task names, and steps of wizards in verbal noun form. The imperative mood with second person plural is also possible when the user is addressed.
  • en Step 2: Change your password -> mn (+) Алхам 2. Нууц үгээ өөрчлөх (+) Алхам 2. Нууц үгээ өөрчилнө үү; this is a step in a wizard.
  • en Create a workspace -> mn (+) Ажлын талбар үүсгэх; this is a task name.
  • Dialog boxes: use consistent terminology and language style in all dialog boxes, and keep them consistent with other localized applications. This matters most for common dialog boxes found in several applications, such as Spelling -> Зөв бичих дүрэм or Insert hyperlink -> Вэб холбоос оруулах.

Messages

  • All messages address the user and generally require an action. Keep them easy to understand. Divide complicated messages into parts to improve fluency.
  • A status bar message is an informational message about the active document, a selected command, or any active or selected interface item. It appears in the status bar at the bottom of the window. Status bar messages refer to actions being performed or already complete.
  • Edit -> mn (+) Засварлах, menu; en status bar Contains editing commands -> mn (+) Төрөл бүрийн засварлах команд сонгон ашиглах
  • Copy to Folder... -> mn (+) Хавтас руу хуулах, menu; en status bar Copies the selected items to a new location -> mn (+) Сонгосон зүйлийг шинэ байрлал руу хуулна
  • New -> mn (+) Шинэ, command; en status bar Creates a new document -> mn (+) Шинэ бичиг баримт үүсгэнэ.
  • en Make object visible? -> mn (+) Объектийг харуулах уу?
  • en Word is converting the document. Press Esc to stop. -> mn (+) Word бичиг баримтыг хувиргаж байна. Esc дарж зогсооно уу.
  • en Datasheet View -> mn (+) Өгөгдлийн хуудасны дүрслэл
  • en Done -> mn (+) Дууслаа
  • Source messages with the same meaning are often phrased differently. Use one standard translation.
  • en Press F1 to get Help, If you want Help press F1, To get Help press F1 -> mn (+) F1 товчлуур дарж тусламж ав.
  • en Not enough memory, Insufficient memory, There is not enough memory -> mn (+) Санах ой хүрэлцээгүй.
  • en Save changes to %1?, Do you want to save changes to %1? -> mn (+) Өөрчлөлтүүдийг %1-д хадгалах уу?

Error messages

  • Error messages inform the user of an error that must be corrected for the program to keep running. They can prompt the user to take an action or inform the user that the computer needs rebooting.
  • Use consistent terminology and language style in localized error messages. Do not just translate as they appear in the source.
  • Follow the logical order of events rather than the original word order. Following the original style too closely causes fluency issues.
  • en The server cannot send email notifications because the e-mail server cannot be contacted. -> mn (+) Э-шуудангийн сервер лүү холбогдоогүй тул уг сервер анхааруулга илгээх боломжгүй байна. (-) Уг сервер анхааруулга илгээх боломжгүй, учир нь э-шуудангийн сервер лүү холбогдоогүй .
  • en To enter your address, you should select your country. -> mn (+) Хаяг оруулахын тулд улсаа сонгох хэрэгтэй. (-) Улсаа сонгоод, хаягаа оруулах хэрэгтэй.
  • Standardize standard phrases. The source sometimes uses different forms for the same thing.
  • en Cannot …, Could not … -> mn ... боломжгүй байна; example (+) Захиа илгээх боломжгүй байна.; use neutral passive constructions without a subject.
  • en Failed to …, Failure of … -> mn ... гэмтэл гарлаа; example (+) Програмын шинэчлэлтийг суулгахад гэмтэл гарлаа.; use neutral passive constructions without a subject.
  • en Cannot find …, Could not find …, Unable to find …, Unable to locate … -> mn ... олоход бэрхшээлтэй; example (+) Захиаг олоход бэрхшээлтэй байна; use neutral passive constructions without a subject.
  • en Not enough memory, Insufficient memory, There is not enough memory, There is not enough memory available -> mn Санах ой хүрэлцээгүй
  • en ... is not available, ... is unavailable -> mn ... боломжгүй, ... байхгүй; examples (+) Хандах боломжгүй. (+) Сүлжээний хамтран ашиглах сан байхгүй.; two translations are possible because the verb changes with the subject.
  • For error messages with placeholders, find out what replaces the placeholder so the sentence stays grammatical.
  • Placeholder letters carry a specific meaning: %d, %ld, %u, %lu mean <number>; %c means <letter>; %s means <string>.
  • "Checking Web %1!d! of %2!d!" means "Checking Web <number> of <number>".
  • INI file "%1!-.200s!" section means INI file "<string>" section.
  • When the noun is a placeholder and the language has adjective-noun agreement, know the exact string so a preceding adjective inflects correctly.
  • Most source strings already avoid a placeholder modified by an adjective. Where the language has syntactic agreement, reword the translation to avoid an ungrammatical sentence.
  • en Replace invalid %s? shows as Replace invalid data?, Replace invalid file? -> mn (+) %s хүчингүй тул солих уу?
  • en %s already exists shows as File already exists, Name already exists -> mn (+) %s хэдийнээ байна
  • en %s is now set as your personal contact. shows as Regina is now set as your personal contact, Mr. Kim is now set as your personal contact -> mn (+) %s одоо таны шууд холбоо барих хүн боллоо.
  • en %s stopped working and was closed shows as The application stopped working and was closed, The program stopped working and was closed -> mn (+) %s ажиллахгүй зогссон тул хаагдлаа

Keys

  • The keyboard is the primary input device for text input. For accessibility and efficiency most actions can be performed with the keyboard. You use keys, key combinations, and key sequences.
  • References to key names such as arrow keys, function keys, and numeric keys appear in normal text, not in small caps. This applies to localized forms of these names too.
  • Access keys, also known as hot keys, are the underlined or highlighted letters in menu options, commands, or dialog boxes. They run commands and perform tasks faster.
  • Slim characters such as I, l, t, r, f can be used as hot keys: yes.
  • Characters with downstrokes such as g, j, y, p, q can be used as hot keys: yes. They are not preferred over upstroke characters.
  • Extended characters can be used as hot keys: yes. They are not preferred over Latin characters.
  • An additional letter between brackets after the item name can be used as a hot key: yes. Not preferred over other characters.
  • A number between brackets after the item name can be used as a hot key: yes. Not preferred over other characters.
  • A punctuation sign between brackets after the item name can be used as a hot key: yes. Not preferred over other characters.
  • Duplicate hot keys are allowed when no other character is available: yes.
  • No hot key is assigned when no more characters are available, for minor options only: yes.
  • Arrow keys move input focus among the controls within a group. The right arrow key moves focus to the next control in tab order. The left arrow moves focus to the previous control.
  • Home, End, Up, and Down have their expected behavior within a group. Users cannot navigate out of a control group with arrow keys.
  • Numeric keypad: avoid distinguishing numeric keypad keys from the other keys, unless the application requires it. When the keys to press are not obvious, give the necessary explanations.
  • Shortcut keys are keystrokes or combinations of keystrokes that perform defined functions. They replace menu commands and are sometimes shown next to the command. Unlike access keys, shortcut keys work even when they are not visible on the screen.
  • en Help window F1 -> mn Тусламжийн цонх F1
  • en Context-sensitive Help Shift+F1 -> mn Холбоотой тусламж Shift+F1
  • en Display pop-up menu Shift+F10 -> mn Попап цэсийг харуулах Shift+F10
  • en Cancel Esc -> mn Болих Esc
  • en Activate\Deactivate menu bar mode F10 -> mn Цэсний мөрийн горимыг идэвхижүүлэх/идэвхигүй болгох F10
  • en Switch to the next primary application Alt+Tab -> mn Дараагийн үндсэн програм руу шилжих Alt+Tab
  • en Display next window Alt+Esc -> mn Дараагийн цонхыг харуулах Alt+Esc
  • en Display pop-up menu for the window Alt+Spacebar -> mn Цонхны попап цэсийг харуулах Alt+Spacebar
  • en Display pop-up menu for the active child window Alt+- -> mn Идэвхитэй дэд цонхны попап цэсийг харуулах Alt+-
  • en Display property sheet for current selection Alt+Enter -> mn Тухайн сонгосон хэсгийн үзүүлэлтийн хуудсыг харуулах Alt+Enter
  • en Close active application window Alt+F4 -> mn Идэвхитэй програмын цонхыг хаах Alt+F4
  • en Switch to next window within (modeless-compliant) application Alt+F6 -> mn Програм доторх (горимгүй) дараагийн цонх руу шилжих Alt+F6
  • en Capture active window image to the Clipboard Alt+PrntScrn -> mn Идэвхитэй цонхны зургийг ―Санамж‖ руу оруулах Alt+PrntScrn
  • en Capture desktop image to the Clipboard PrntScrn -> mn Дэлгэцийн зургийг ―Санамж‖ руу оруулах PrntScrn
  • en Access Start button in taskbar Ctrl+Esc -> mn Даалгаврын мөр дэх ―Эхлэл‖ товч руу хандах Ctrl+Esc
  • en Display next child window Ctrl+F6 -> mn Дараагийн дэд цонхыг харуулах Ctrl+F6
  • en Display next tabbed pane Ctrl+Tab -> mn Дараагийн чихтэй хавтанг харуулах Ctrl+Tab
  • en Launch Task Manager and system initialization Ctrl+Shift+Esc -> mn Ажлын удирдлага ба системийг ажилд бэлдэх Ctrl+Shift+Esc
  • en File New Ctrl+N -> mn ―Файл‖ - "Шинэ‖ Ctrl+N
  • en File Open Ctrl+O -> mn ―Файл‖ – ―Нээх‖ Ctrl+O
  • en File Close Ctrl+F4 -> mn ―Файл‖ – ―Хаах‖ Ctrl+F4
  • en File Save Ctrl+S -> mn ―Файл‖ – ―Хадгалах‖ Ctrl+S
  • en File Save as F12 -> mn ―Файл‖ – ―Өөрөөр хадгалах‖ F12
  • en File Print Preview Ctrl+F2 -> mn ―Файл‖ – ―Хэвлэх байдал‖ Ctrl+F2
  • en File Print Ctrl+P -> mn ―Файл‖ – ―Хэвлэх‖ Ctrl+P
  • en File Exit Alt+F4 -> mn ―Файл‖ – ―Гарах‖ Alt+F4
  • en Edit Undo Ctrl+Z -> mn ―Засварлах‖ – ―Үйлдэл буцаах‖ Ctrl+Z
  • en Edit Repeat Ctrl+Y -> mn ―Засварлах‖ – ―Үйлдэл давтах‖ Ctrl+Y
  • en Edit Cut Ctrl+X -> mn ―Засварлах‖ – ―Огтлох‖ Ctrl+X
  • en Edit Copy Ctrl+C -> mn ―Засварлах‖ – ―Хуулах‖ Ctrl+C
  • en Edit Paste Ctrl+V -> mn ―Засварлах‖ – ―Оруулах‖ Ctrl+V
  • en Edit Delete Ctrl+Backspace -> mn Засварлах‖ – ―Устгах‖ Ctrl+Backspace
  • en Edit Select All Ctrl+A -> mn ―Засварлах‖ – ―Бүгдийг сонгох‖ Ctrl+A
  • en Edit Find Ctrl+F -> mn ―Засварлах‖ – ―Хайх‖ Ctrl+F
  • en Edit Replace Ctrl+H -> mn ―Засварлах‖ – ―Орлуулах‖ Ctrl+H
  • en Edit Go To Ctrl+B -> mn ―Засварлах‖ – ―Очих‖ Ctrl+B
  • en Help F1 -> mn Тусламж F1
  • en Italic Ctrl+I -> mn Налуу Ctrl+I
  • en Bold Ctrl+G -> mn Тод Ctrl+G
  • en Underlined\Word underline Ctrl+U -> mn Доогуур зураастай Ctrl+U
  • en Large caps Ctrl+Shift+A -> mn Том үсэг Ctrl+Shift+A
  • en Small caps Ctrl+Shift+K -> mn Жижиг үсэг Ctrl+Shift+K
  • en Centered Ctrl+E -> mn Голлуулсан Ctrl+E
  • en Left aligned Ctrl+L -> mn Зүүн эгнүүлсэн Ctrl+L
  • en Right aligned Ctrl+R -> mn Баруун эгнүүлсэн Ctrl+R
  • en Justified Ctrl+J -> mn Жигдрүүлсэн Ctrl+J

Titles

  • English chapter titles usually begin with How to …, Working with …, or Using …. Translate them in verbal noun form.
  • en How To Set Up Your Device -> mn (+) Төхөөрөмж суурилуулах нь (-) Төхөөрөмжийн суурилуулалт (-) Төхөөрөмж суурилуулалт
  • You may add нь.

Cross references

  • Cross references link the user to additional information about a subject.
  • en See Chapter 28, ―Using Bullets‖. -> mn (+) Бүлэг 28 дахь ―Сум ашиглах‖-г үз.
  • en For details about how frames are displayed in other views, see ―Displaying Frames in Different Views,‖ later in this chapter. -> mn (+) Хүрээг өөр дүрслэлд хэрхэн харуулах тухай мэдэхийг хүсвэл энэ бүлгийн ―Өөр дүрслэлд хүрээ харуулах‖-г үзнэ үү
  • The short form is not suitable here. Write this sentence without the abbreviation for see.