Warm and relaxed: natural, less formal, grounded in honest conversation. Occasionally fun.
Crisp and clear: to the point. Write for scanning first, reading second. Keep it simple.
Ready to lend a hand: anticipate real needs and give the right information at the right time.
Keep the audience in mind. Technical terms for technical audiences. Common words and phrases for consumers.
Write short, easy-to-read sentences.
Avoid passive voice. It is hard to read and understand quickly.
Be pleasant. Make explanations feel individualized and enjoyable to read.
Avoid slang. Use colloquialism with care. Stay professional in a conversational tone.
Do not overuse company, brand, or product names and logos. Use the names correctly.
Avoid the corporate we, as in We're proud to introduce… or We want you to know. Keep the focus on you, the reader.
Style: clear, friendly, concise. Use everyday conversational language, not formal technical language.
Choose words that are not standard translations when that stays truer to the intent of the source.
Never translate literally. A literal translation can be irrelevant to the customer. Follow the intent of the text and what the customer needs to do the task.
Use approved terminology for key terms, technical terms, and product names.
en-US prefers short, simple, everyday words. They are friendlier, less formal, save screen space, and read faster.
en App: use app, not application or program.
en Pick, choose: use pick in fun, less formal, light-weight situations (pick a color, not choose a color); choose in more formal situations. Do not use select unless the UI requires it.
en Drive: for general reference to any drive type. Name the specific drive type when needed.
en Get: OK as a synonym for obtain or come into possession of. Avoid for other general meanings.
en Info: use in most situations unless information fits better. Use info when pointing the reader elsewhere (for more info, see <link>).
en PC: use for personal computing devices. Use computer for situations covering PCs and Macs.
en You: address the user as you, directly or through first- and second-person pronouns. Avoid third-person references such as user. They sound formal and impersonal.
Convey the modern Mongolian voice with shortened words and short words used in daily conversation. Keep to approved terminology. Never use a different target term for an established, approved term.
en you -> mn Та. Address the user as you, directly or indirectly.
en system -> mn систем. For the operating system.
en device -> mn төхөөрөмж. For any device: webcam, microphone, handheld device, pocket media player, anything pluggable to a PC.
en The password isn’t correct, so please try again. Passwords are case-sensitive. -> mn Нууц үг буруу тул дахиад оролдоод үз. Том жижиг үсэг ялгаатай. Keep the message short and friendly, with the action to try again.
en This product key didn’t work. Please check it and try again. -> mn Энэ бүтээгдэхүүний түлхүүр ажиллахгүй байна. Шалгаад дахин оролдоно уу. Ask casually and politely.
en All ready to go -> mn Одоо бүгд бэлэн. Casual and short.
en Would you like to continue? -> mn Үргэлжлүүлэх үү? Avoid overusing the second person pronoun та in a short question like this.
en Give your PC a name—any name you want. If you want to change the background color, turn high contrast off in PC settings. -> mn Та компьютертээ дуртай нэрээ өгөөрэй. Дэвсгэр өнгөө өөрчилмөөр байвал компьютерийн тохиргоон дотор өнгөний өндөр тодролыг идэвхгүй болгоно уу. Address the user directly with the second person pronoun for the action to take.
en Picture password is a new way to help you protect your touchscreen PC. You choose the picture—and the gestures you use with it—to create a password that’s uniquely yours. -> mn Зурагт нууц үг нь таны мэдрэгч дэлгэцтэй компьютерийг хамгаалах шинэ арга юм. Та зургаа сонгоод, ямар дохио зангаа ашиглахаа өөрөө сонго, учир нь таны нууц үгийг та өөрөө л мэдэж байх учиртай.
en Let apps give you personalized content based on your PC’s location, name, account picture, and other domain info. -> mn Таны компьютерийн байрлал, нэр, хэрэглэгчийн зураг, бусад домэйний мэдээлэл зэрэгт үндэслэсэн хувийн агуулгыг үүсгэнэ. Add familiarity with everyday words, e.g. PC.
en To go back and save your work, click Cancel and finish what you need to. -> mn Буцаад, хийж байсан зүйлээ хадгалахын тулд Буцах дээр товшоод хэрэгтэй үйлдлээ хийнэ үү. Short, clear action with the second person pronoun.
en To confirm your current picture password, just watch the replay and trace the example gestures shown on your picture. -> mn Энэ зурагт нууц үгээ бататгахын тулд таны зурган дээр харуулж буй жишээ дохио зангааг хараад дуурайна уу. Keep the voice simple and natural. Tell the user only what they need to make a decision.
en It’s time to enter the product key. It should be on the box that the Windows DVD came in or in an email that shows you bought Windows. When you connect to the Internet, we’ll activate Windows for you. -> mn Бүтээгдэхүүний түлхүүрийг оруулах цаг боллоо. Та Windows DVD хайрцаг дээрээс эсвэл Windows-г худалдан авахад ирсэн э-шуудан дотроос та түлхүүрээ олно. Интернэтэд холбогдонгуут тань таны Windows-г бид идэвхжүүлнэ. Speak directly and naturally with you on clear actions.
en The updates are installed, but Windows 8 Setup needs to restart for them to work. After it restarts, we’ll keep going from where we left off. -> mn Шинэчлэлүүдсуурилагдсан, гэвч эдгээрийг ажиллуулахын тулд Windows 8 суулгац—компьютерийг дахин эхлүүлэх хэрэгтэй. Үүний дараа хийж байсан зүйлээ үргэлжлүүлэх болно.
en If you restart now, you and any other people using this PC could lose unsaved work. -> mn Хэрвээ та одоо дахин эхлүүлбэл энэ компьютерийг ашиглаж байгаа бусад хүмүүс хийж байсан зүйлээ хадгалж чадахгүйд хүрнэ.
en This document will be automatically moved to the right library and folder after you correct invalid or missing properties. -> mn Таныг дутуу буюу буруу үзүүлэлтийг нь зассаны дараа энэ бичиг баримт автоматаар зөв сан ба хавтас руу зөөгдөнө.
en Something bad happened! Unable to locate downloaded files to create your bootable USB flash drive. -> mn Харамсалтай юм боллоо! Системийн эх хангамж ачаалдаг USB флаш драйв үүсгэхэд зориулж татаж авсан файл олдохгүй байна.
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, symbols like @ ! #, sort after the letters of the alphabet.
Digits sort before the non-alphabetical characters and after the letters of the alphabet.
Character sorting order with code points: 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 ё 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
Acronyms are made of the initial letters of the major parts of a compound term, e.g. WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get), DNS (Domain Name Server), HTML (Hypertext Markup Language).
Some measurement units may be localized.
en Gb -> mn Гбайт
en px -> mn пиксель
en kbps -> mn кбит/c
Most acronyms stay unlocalized in Mongolian. An acronym with no established translation is used as it is in English.
Add the ending after an en dash: RAM-д хадгалагдсан мэдээллүүд
In text, use a descriptor word, usually the main word of the translation, to carry the declination, or use neutral constructions.
Omit descriptors under length restrictions, as in the UI, or when the translated text sounds awkward. Never omit the descriptor when the grammatical form of the acronym, such as its case, is impossible to determine without it.
Adjectives commonly modify a noun, but can stand alone with the noun omitted, or go with verbs. Placement: attributive and predicative. Degrees of comparison apply.
en light as down -> mn өднөөс хөнгөн
en The tall one plays basketball. -> mn Өндөр нь сагсан бөмбөг тоглоно.
en Study well -> mn Сайн сур
en brightening white, greeny -> mn цав цагаан, нов ногоон
en very rich, very smart -> mn их баян, их ухаантай
en bit shorter, pinkish -> mn богиновтор, ягаандуу
Possessive adjectives: omit them for fluency, depending on context, unless ownership matters in context.
en Set Up Your Device -> mn Төхөөрөмжөө тохируулах, Төхөөрөмжөө тохируулна уу, not mn Чиний төхөөрөмжийг тохируулах. Avoid your in a menu command. It is OK in help, tips, and instructions.
If the first word of the English source string is capitalized, capitalize the first target word too. If it is not, do not, unless language-specific rules require it.
Mongolian uses capitalization very sparingly. Capitalize only when you have to.
Capitalize names of UI elements: commands, menus, dialog box titles, program names. Capitalize only the first word, e.g. Зураг оруулах
Always enclose referenced UI element names in quotes, e.g. “Засварлах” цэс, “Зураг оруулах” харилцах цонх
Capitalize acronyms.
Capitalize proper names.
Capitalize 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 Internet.
Do not capitalize language names and nationalities unless at the start of a sentence or list, e.g. монгол хэл, итали хэл, герман, франц: Windows үйлдлийн системд монгол хэл суулгахын тулд..., Өргөн хэрэглээний програм хангамжийг монгол хүн өөрийн эх хэлээр ашиглах боломжтой боллоо.
Conjunctions help convey a conversational tone. Starting a sentence with a conjunction conveys an informal tone and style.
Conjunctions matter in modern Mongolian. Use them carefully. The difference between classic and modern use is small. Use varied modern conjunctions within complex sentences. Avoid extra conjunctions.
en You can copy new file to this CD, so therefore files will be replaced on the disk or you can erase the CD completely and burn to empty disk. -> mn old Та энэ CD-нд шинэ файл хуулах боломжтой, ингэснээр дискэн дээрх файл солигдоно, эсвэл CD-г бүхэлд нь арчаад хоосон шинэ диск рүү бичиж болно. -> mn new Та энэ CD-нд шинэ файл хуулах боломжтой ч дискэн дээрх файл солигдоно, эсвэл CD-г бүхэлд нь арчаад хоосон шинэ диск рүү бичиж болно.
en Files on this CD-ROM drive are read-only, so you cannot move or delete files from this CD-ROM drive. -> mn old Энэ CD-ROM драйв дээрх файлууд зөвхөн-унших аттрибуттай байна. Та энэ CD-ROM драйваас файл зөөх буюу устгах боломжгүй. -> mn new Энэ CD-ROM драйв дээрх файлууд зөвхөн-унших аттрибуттай тул та энэ CD-ROM драйваас файл зөөх буюу устгах боломжгүй. One complex sentence with the right conjunction is clearer to the user.
en Set up date and time -> mn old Он сар өдөр ба цаг тохируулах (the conjunction ба is not needed here) -> mn new Он, сар, өдөр, цаг тохируулах
en Programs are setup to default settings and following program access will be blocked or enabled. -> mn old Програмыг өгөгдмөл утгаар тохируулах агаад доор үзүүлсэн програмуудад хандах хандалтыг хаах буюу идэвхжүүлнэ. -> mn new Програмыг өгөгдмөл утгаар тохируулах, бас доор үзүүлсэн програмуудад хандах хандалтыг хаах буюу идэвхжүүлнэ.
Inflect nouns with the proper suffixes per the vowel harmony rule.
Mongolian is agglutinative. A noun can take several suffixes, and its stem can change in the process.
en information -> mn мэдээлэл
en from the information -> mn мэдээллээс
Form the plural by adding the plural suffixes -с, -ууд, -үүд, -чууд, -чүүд per the vowel harmony rule.
Avoid unnecessary plural forms in translations.
No plural after some, many, all, different (зарим, олон, бүх, янз бүрийн), which already mean more than one.
Never 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., not mn Танд хэт олон харилцах хаягууд байгаа байгаа тул төрсөн өдөр үүсгэх боломжгүй. The plural is unnecessary and hurts fluency.
en different windows -> mn янз бүрийн цонх, not mn янз бүрийн цонхнууд
en last 3 items -> mn сүүлийн 3 зүйл, not mn сүүлийн 3 зүйлс, not mn сүүлийн 3 зүйлүүд
Singular in the English text does not require singular in the translation, but singular is preferred.
en User can delete this sentence. -> mn Хэрэглэгч энэ өгүүлбэрийг устгаж болно., not mn Хэрэглэгчид энэ өгүүлбэрийг устгаж болно.
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., not mn 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., not mn Та эхлээд "Хаана" эсвэл "Хуулбар" талбар дахь нэрээ сонгоно уу.
en You cannot select any names now. -> mn Одоо ямар ч нэр сонгох боломжгүй., not mn 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., not mn Таны хийсэн өөрчлөлтүүд таныг Microsoft NetMeeting-г дахин эхлүүлтэл идэвхижихгүй.
Use you/your in the translation when it is needed 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?
Personal pronouns express the modern voice. Address the user directly with first- and second-person pronouns like you. Avoid third-person references such as user. They sound formal and impersonal.
en old Users can change when new updates get installed. -> en new You can change when new updates get installed.
en old This setting provides users with the best display appearance. -> en new Choose one of these schemes or make your own.
mn old Шинэ шинэчлэлүүдийг хэзээ суулгахыг хэрэглэгч сонгож болно. -> mn new Шинэ шинэчлэлүүдийг хэзээ суулгахыг та өөрөө сонгоно уу.
mn old Энэ тохиргоо хэрэглэгчид дэлгэцийг хамгийн сайн харуулна. -> mn new Эдгээр схемээс өөрийн хүссэн нэгийг сонгоно уу.
Pronouns make sentences friendlier and the action easier to do.
Write all punctuation marks with no space before them, and only one space after marks such as commas, periods, and colons.
Bulleted lists: a bulleted or numbered list emphasizes information visually, capsulizes a concept, and aids comprehension. Check whether the sentence is complete and use a semicolon.
Comma: use lower case after a comma unless the next word needs a capital.
With very few exceptions, no 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., not mn Илгээгчийн э-шуудан хаяг нь .ca, .mx, болон .us г.м өндөр-түвшний домэйн кодуудаар төгссөн байж болно.
No comma before the abbreviation г.м. The conjunction is implicit in this word.
No comma between the subject and the predicate. It is incorrect in Mongolian.
Avoid overusing the comma. It hurts fluency.
en To delete this entry, press Delete. -> mn Энэ оролтыг устгахын тулд Delete товчлуур дар., not mn Энэ оролтыг устгахын тулд, Delete товчлуур дар. The comma is unnecessary.
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 and enumerations made of full sentences.
Use the colon for examples, notes, and warnings. Capitalize the first letter when what follows is a complete sentence.
en Warning: Opening this file may be harmful to your computers. -> mn Анхаар: Энэ файлыг нээх нь таны компьютерийг вирустүүлэх аюултай.
A period or a colon can separate hours, minutes, and seconds. Prefer the colon to avoid inconsistency.
en 6:30 PM -> mn 18:30
Semicolon: use it to separate a group of similar items that are themselves separated with commas: 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: 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.
Hyphen: in English it divides words between syllables, links parts of a compound word, and connects the parts of an inverted or imperative verb form. Mongolian use is quite different and very limited. Most compounds are written as two separate words, or as a single word with no hyphen.
en first-time setup -> mn анх удаа суурилуулах, not mn анх-удаа суурилуулах. Omit literal translations for compound words.
en user-specified parameter -> mn хэрэглэгчийн тодорхойлсон параметр, not mn хэрэглэгчийн-тодорхойлсон параметр. Omit literal translations for compound words.
En dash: used as a minus sign, usually with spaces before and after in English. In Mongolian put no space after the minus sign.
en – 5 -> mn –5
The en dash is also used in number ranges, such as page numbers, with no spaces around it. Same in Mongolian.
en Pages 3–5 -> mn Хуудас 3–5
Em dash: in English it emphasizes an isolated element or introduces an element not essential to the meaning. This use does not apply to Mongolian. Convert em dashes to appropriate alternatives such as colons, semicolons, or parentheses.
Em dash separates the subject of the sentence when the meaning would change without it. Put spaces before and after the em dash.
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., not mn 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 carry the correct sense.
en OneDrive is a file hosting service that allows users to upload and sync files to a cloud storage and then access them from a Web browser or their local device. -> mn OneDrive — вэб хөтөч ашиглан үүлэн хадгалах байгууламжид файл байршуулах, синхрончлох, хамтран ашиглах, хадгалах зориулалттай хост үйлчилгээ бөгөөд вэб хөтөч, гар төхөөрөмжөө ашиглан хандах боломж олгодог. Here the em dash defines a subject.
Ellipsis: use it when a sentence is incomplete or a word is missing mid-sentence, in incomplete direct quotations, where a word or sentence is finished but the whole meaning is not reached, and for gaps caused by gags or silence.
No space before an ellipsis. Always three points, never two.
In software translations, use an ellipsis at the end of a sentence that mentions an on-going operation, in the present continuous tense.
Period: put a period at the end of a full sentence, with one space after. English text sometimes uses double spaces. Never follow that in translation.
No period at the end of a title, chapter name, section name, or address.
Quotation marks: use them when referring to UI items such as menus and commands, if they have no special formatting like bold or italic.
US source strings may surround software references with English quotation marks.
In software, product help, and web pages use straight quotation marks, as in English. Never use single quotation marks.
In documentation normally use chevrons, with straight quotation marks inside them, e.g. «"Дуусгах" товч». The period stands outside the chevrons.
Where double quotation marks are technically impossible, find a workaround to display "…" or «» in the Mongolian version. Examples: two sequenced single quote characters ''; code such as " in HTML.
Product names take no quotation marks, unless they are third-party products or are introduced as new.
Parentheses: use them for a comment or addition to a member of a sentence. No space between the parentheses and the text inside them, as in English.
In certain cases the comment or addition in parentheses goes before the part of the sentence it applies to. This is common for modifiers and attributes: Windows үйлдлийн систем нь (төрийн болон төрийн бус) байгууллага, аж ахуйн нэгж, компанийн бичиг хэргийн ажилтан, оюутанд зайлшгүй хэрэгцээтэй болох нь гарцаагүй.
No full stop inside parentheses when a sentence sits within them. This does not apply to other marks like the exclamation or question mark, which do go inside: Ажиллаж буй бусад програмуудыг хаа. (Энэ үйлдлийг бүү алгас!)
Put a fragment in parentheses just after the part of the sentence it complements. Never leave it alone at the end of a sentence, and never start a sentence with it, except for the modifier case above: Таны одоо ажиллуулж буй бүх програм (команд) хаагдана.
Some symbols widely used in English text, such as @, #, &, are not used in Mongolian translation.
en 25 min.@ 25 Gbps -> mn 25 Гбайт/сек хурдаар 25 мин., not mn 25 мин. @ 25 Гбайт/сек. The @ sign is valid only in e-mail addresses.
en # items -> mn зүйлийн тоо, not mn # зүйл
en Bullets & Numbering -> mn Сум ба дугаарлалт, not mn Сум & дугаарлалт. Never use & instead of ба.
Do not overuse non-breaking spaces. Delete extra ones from the source in translation. A non-breaking space is necessary between a product name and its version, but not between two words in regular text.
Use simple tenses. Simple present is easiest to understand. Avoid future tense unless the event really happens in the future and simple present cannot work. Use simple past for events already finished.
For actions performed by programs, features, functions, failures, and errors, use neutral passive constructions with no subject.
Chat програмд файлын мэдээллийг авах боломжгүй байна., not Chat програм файлын мэдээллийг авч чадсангүй.
Adapt the translated text to local language, customs, and standards.
The language must have the look and feel of a product originally written in Mongolian, with idiomatic syntax and terminology, and high terminological consistency.
Accessibility options and programs make the computer usable by people with cognitive, hearing, physical, or visual disabilities.
Hardware and software components use a flexible, customizable user interface, alternative input and output methods, and greater exposure of screen elements.
Some accessible products and services may not be available in Mongolian-speaking markets. Double-check with the appropriate resources.
Application and product names are often trademarked or may become trademarked, so they are rarely translated. Feature names are occasionally trademarked too, e.g. IntelliSense™.
Version numbers always contain a period, e.g. Version 4.2.
en Version 4.2 -> mn Хувилбар 4.2
Version numbers are usually part of version strings, but technically they are not the same.
Product, feature, and component names often sit in version strings as they appear in the software. Always translate version strings that contain copyright information. Check approved terminology for the correct translations.
Error messages are sent by the system or a program to tell the user of an error that must be corrected for the program to keep running. They can prompt the user to act or report an error that requires rebooting.
Apply the voice principles so the target reads natural and empathetic, not robotic.
en Oops, that can't be blank... -> mn Өө, энэ хоосон байж болохгүй!
en Not enough memory to process this command. -> mn Энэ командыг боловсруулахад санах ой хүрэлцэхгүй байна.
Use consistent terminology and language style. Never translate error messages exactly as they appear in the US product.
Follow the logical order of events, not the original word order. Following the original style too closely hurts fluency.
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., mn Цахим шуудангийн серверт холбогдоогүй тул анхааруулга ирүүлэх боломжгүй байна., not mn Уг сервер анхааруулга илгээх боломжгүй, учир нь э-шуудангийн сервер лүү холбогдоогүй.
en To enter your address, you should select your country. -> mn Улсаа сонгоод, хаягаа оруулах хэрэгтэй., not mn Хаяг оруулахын тулд улсаа сонгох хэрэгтэй.
Standardize standard phrases. Use the target phrases below. Use another wording only if it works better in context.
en Cannot … / Could not … -> mn ... чадахгүй, ... боломжгүй; use ... боломжгүй. Avoid чадахгүй.
en Failed to … / Failure of … -> mn ... амжилтгүй; example ... чадсангүй
en Cannot find … / Could not find … / Unable to find … / Unable to locate … -> mn ... олж чадахгүй, ... олдохгүй, ... олох боломжгүй; example ... олдохгүй байна.
en Not enough memory / Insufficient memory / There is not enough memory / There is not enough memory available -> mn санах ой хүрэлцээгүй, Санах ой хангалтгүй, Санах ой хүрэлцэхгүй байна, Боломжит санах ой байхгүй; example Санах ой хүрэлцээгүй
en ... is not available / ... is unavailable -> mn ... байхгүй
For error messages with placeholders, find out what will replace the placeholder so the sentence stays grammatical.
%d, %ld, %u, %lu means <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"
Where adjectives and nouns agree and the noun is a placeholder, find out the exact string so a preceding adjective can be inflected. Most source strings are already worded to avoid this, with no adjective modifying a placeholder. Where a noun subject and verb agree, reword the translation to avoid an ungrammatical sentence.
en Replace invalid %s? (user sees Replace invalid data?, Replace invalid file?) -> mn %s хүчингүй тул солих уу?
en %s already exists (user sees File already exists, Name already exists) -> mn %s хэдийнээ байна
en %s is now set as your personal contact. (user sees 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 (user sees The application stopped working and was closed, The program stopped working and was closed) -> mn %s ажиллахгүй зогссон тул хаагдлаа
References to key names, such as arrow keys, function keys, and numeric keys, appear in normal text, not small caps. The same applies to the localized forms of these names.
The keyboard is the primary input device for text input. For accessibility and efficiency, most actions can be done from the keyboard.
You use keys, key combinations, and key sequences.
Underlined or highlighted letters in menu options, commands, or dialog boxes mark keyboard shortcuts, which let the user work faster.
Slim characters such as I, l, t, r, f are allowed. They are not preferred over Latin characters.
Characters with downstrokes such as g, j, y, p, q are allowed. They are not preferred over upstroke characters.
Extended characters are allowed. They are not preferred over Latin characters.
An additional letter in brackets after the item name is allowed. Not preferred over Latin characters.
A number in brackets after the item name is allowed. Not preferred over Latin characters.
A punctuation sign in brackets after the item name is allowed. Not preferred over Latin characters.
Duplicate keyboard shortcuts are allowed when no other character is available.
No keyboard shortcut is assigned when no more characters are available, minor options only.
access key: a subtype of keyboard shortcut. A letter or number the user types to reach UI controls that have text labels. Access keys go on top-level controls so the user can move through the UI quickly with the keyboard. Example: F in Alt+F. In UI localization: H&ome. Most access keys are used with the Alt key.
key tip: the letter or number that appears in the ribbon when Alt is pressed. In UI localization the key tip is the last character in the string after the ` character. Example: HomeH``
shortcut key: a subtype of keyboard shortcut. A key the user types to do a common action without going through the UI. Shortcut keys are not available for every command. Examples: Ctrl+N, Ctrl+V. Most shortcut keys are used with the Ctrl key. Ctrl+letter combinations and function keys F1 through F12 are usually the best choices.