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Marathi (India) style guide

Voice

  • Write clear, friendly, concise. Use everyday conversational language, not formal technical language.
  • Choose words for the audience: technical terms for technical readers, common words for consumers.
  • Pick non-standard translations when they keep the intent of the source.
  • Do not translate literally. Consider the intent and what the customer needs to complete the task.

Transliteration

  • Use terms people use in daily life, even in transliterated form.
  • Transliterate technical words when no correct regional-language word exists. Keep plain English minimal; prefer transliteration.
  • Only transliterate terms the target users really use daily.
  • Source, translation, transliteration: wallet, पाकीट, वॉलेट
  • cloud, ढग, क्लाउड
  • device, उपकरण, डिव्हाइसव्हाइस

Word choice

  • Use approved terminology for key terms, technical terms, and product names.
  • Prefer short, simple, everyday words. Short words 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); use choose for formal situations. Do not use select unless the UI needs it.
  • en Drive: use for any drive type. Use the specific drive type if 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 you point the reader elsewhere (for more info, see <link>).
  • en PC: use for personal computing devices. Use computer for situations about PCs and Macs.
  • en You: address the user as you, directly or indirectly through first- and second-person pronouns. Avoid third-person references such as user.
  • en ...is in use: ...वापरात आहे -> ...वापर सुरू आहे
  • en …is working: ...कार्य करत आहेय करत आहे -> ...काम सुरू आहे
  • en …is showing: …दर्शवत आहेवत आहे -> ...दाखवत आहे

Words and phrases to avoid

  • Achieve -> Do
  • As well as -> Also, too
  • Attempt -> Try
  • Configure -> Set up
  • Encounter -> Meet
  • Execute -> Run
  • Halt -> Stop
  • Have an opportunity -> Can
  • However -> But
  • Give/provide guidance, give/provide information -> Help
  • In addition -> Also
  • In conjunction with -> With
  • Locate -> Find
  • Make a recommendation -> Recommend
  • Modify -> Change
  • Navigate -> Go
  • Obtain -> Get
  • Perform -> Do
  • Purchase -> Buy
  • Refer to -> See
  • Resolve -> Fix
  • Subsequent -> Next
  • Suitable -> Works well
  • Terminate -> End
  • Toggle -> Switch
  • Utilize -> Use
  • Classic to modern, en But: परंतु -> पण
  • en In addition: यासह -> यासोबत
  • en Therefore: तथापि -> म्हणून

Sample voice text

  • Address the user to take action. en The password isn’t correct, so please try again. Passwords are case-sensitive. -> mr हा पासवर्ड बरोबर नाही बरोबर नाही, त्यामुळे पुन्हा प्रयत्न करा. पासवर्ड्स केसस केस-संवेदनशील आहेत. ील आहेत.
  • en This product key didn’t work. Please check it and try again. -> mr या उत्पाद की ने कार्य केले नाही. य केले नाही. कृपया ती तपासा आणि पुन्हा प्रयत्न पुन्हा प्रयत्न करा.
  • en All ready to go -> mr पुढे जाण्यासाठी सर्व तयारी झाली आहे तयारी झाली आहे
  • en Would you like to continue? -> mr आपण सुरू ठेऊ इच्छिताछिता? Use the second person pronoun you.
  • 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. -> mr आपल्या PC ला एक नाव द्या – आपल्या आवडीचे कोणतेही नाव द्या. आपण पार्श्वभूमी रंग बदलू इच्छित छित असल्यास, PC सेटिंग्ज मध्ये उच्च च कॉन्ट्रास्ट बंद करा.रास्ट बंद करा.
  • Promoting a feature. 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. -> mr चित्र पासवर्ड हा आपला टचस्क्रीन ्रीन PC सुरक्षित करण्यासाठी उपयुक्त ित करण्यासाठी उपयुक्त असा नवा पर्याय आहे. त्यासोबत य आहे. त्यासोबत आपल्याला वापरायचे असलेले त्याचे जेश्चर निवडावडा—हा फक्त आपल्यासाठी असलेला एकमेव पासवर्ड असेल. असेल.
  • en Let apps give you personalized content based on your PC’s location, name, account picture, and other domain info. -> mr आपल्या PC चे स्थान, नाव, खाते चित्रत्र, आणि इतर डोमेन माहिती ती यांच्या आधारे अनुप्रयोगांना या आधारे अनुप्रयोगांना आपल्याला वैयक्तिककृत सामग्री देऊ ककृत सामग्री देऊ द्या. Add familiarity with everyday words such as PC.
  • Providing how-to guidelines. en To go back and save your work, click Cancel and finish what you need to. -> mr मागे जाऊन आपले काम सुरक्षित ित करण्यासाठी, रद्द करा वर क्लिक क करा आणि आवश्यक बाबी पूर्ण करा.
  • en To confirm your current picture password, just watch the replay and trace the example gestures shown on your picture. -> mr आपल्या सध्याच्या चित्र पासवर्डची ची पुष्टि करण्यासाठीि करण्यासाठी, त्याचा रिप्ले पाहा प्ले पाहा आणि तुमच्या चित्रावर दाखविलेले लेले नमुना जेश्चर ट्रेस करारेस करा
  • en It’s time to enter the product key. When you connect to the Internet, we’ll activate Windows for you. -> mr आता आपल्याला उत्पाद की नोंदवावी लागेल. आपण इंटरनेटशी ी कनेक्ट केल्यावर, आम्ही आपल्यासाठी Windows सक्रिय करू.य करू.
  • Explanatory text and support. en The updates are installed, but Windows Setup needs to restart for them to work. After it restarts, we’ll keep going from where we left off. -> mr हे अपडेट स्थापित झाले आहेतत झाले आहेत, परंतु त्यांनी काम करण्यास सुरुवात करण्यासाठी Windows सेटअप पुनरारंभ करणे आवश्यक आहे. याचा पुनरारंभ झाल्यानंतर, आपण पूर्वी जेथे वी जेथे होतो त्याच क्रियेपासून पुढे जाऊ देऊ. येपासून पुढे जाऊ देऊ. Use we for a more personal feel.
  • en If you restart now, you and any other people using this PC could lose unsaved work. -> mr जर आपण आता पुनरारंभ केला तर आपण आणि हा हा PC वापरत असलेले इतर कोणतेही लोक सुरक्षित न केलेले ित न केलेले कार्य गमावू शकतात. कतात.
  • en This document will be automatically moved to the right library and folder after you correct invalid or missing properties. -> mr हा दस्तऐवज आपण अमान्य किंवा ंवा गमावलेले गुणधर्म दुरुस्त केल्यानंतर दुरुस्त केल्यानंतर स्वयंचलितपणे योग्य लायब्ररी आणि फोल्डरमध्ये हलविला जाईल. ला जाईल.
  • en Something bad happened! Unable to locate downloaded files to create your bootable USB flash drive. -> mr काहीतरी चूक झाली! आपला बूट करता येणारा USB फ्लॅशड्राइव्ह तयार ड्राइव्ह तयार करण्यासाठी डाउनलोड केलेल्या फाइल्स शोधण्यात अक्षम म

Inclusive language

  • Comply with local language laws.
  • Use plain language. Use straightforward, concrete, familiar words. Prefer a two-syllable word over a three-syllable word, and several clear words over one complicated term.
  • Name only cities, countries, and regions that are not politically disputed. In examples with several regions, use equivalent references. Do not mix countries with states or continents.
  • In text and images, show diverse perspectives and circumstances. Show people from all walks of life in many professions, educational settings, locales, and economic settings.
  • Do not generalize or stereotype people by region, culture, age, or gender, not even a positive stereotype. For job roles, choose names that reflect a variety of gender identities and cultural backgrounds.
  • No profane or derogatory terms.
  • No slang that could be cultural appropriation.
  • No terms that carry unconscious racial bias, or terms tied to military actions, politics, or controversial historical events and eras.
  • en master/slave -> primary/subordinate; mr प्रमुख/गौण -> प्राथमिक/साहाय्यक क/साहाय्यक
  • en demilitarized zone (DMZ) -> perimeter network; mr नि:शस्त्रीकरण केलेले :शस्त्रीकरण केलेले क्षेत्र -> पेरीमीटर नेटवर्क
  • en hang -> stop responding; mr वाट पहा -> प्रतिसाद देणे थांबवा ांबवा
  • en guru -> expert; mr गुरू -> तज्ञ
  • en pow wow -> meeting; mr सम्मेलन -> मीटिंगंग
  • en guys; ladies and gentlemen -> colleagues; everyone; all; mr मुले; महिला आणि सज्जन पुरूषन पुरूष -> सहकारी; प्रत्येकजणण; सर्व
  • en brown bag session -> lunch and learn; learning session; mr सहभोजनादरम्यानचे नादरम्यानचे दुपारचे भोजन आणि सत्र -> शिकणेकणे; शैक्षणिक सत्र र
  • en mother or father -> parent; mr आई किंवा वडिल ल -> पालक

Avoid gender bias

  • Use gender-neutral alternatives for common terms. Avoid compounds with gender-specific terms (पुरूष, महिलाला, ई.).
  • पुरूष -> व्यक्ती
  • महिलाला -> व्यक्ती
  • मूल -> मूल
  • विक्रेताक्रेता -> विक्री क्री प्रतिनिधी धी
  • विक्रेतीक्रेती -> विक्री क्री प्रतिनिधी धी
  • For generalizations, use plural noun forms (for example लोक, व्यक्ती, विद्यार्थी, ई.).
  • Do not use gendered pronouns (ती, तिचेचे, तो, त्याचे, ई.) in generic references. Instead: rewrite to the second or third person (तुम्ही किंवा तेंवा ते); avoid gendered pronouns (दस्तऐवज instead of त्याचा दस्तऐवज); refer to the person's role (वाचक, कर्मचारीचारी, ग्राहक किंवा क्लायंटंवा क्लायंट); use माणूस or व्यक्ती.
  • en If the user has the appropriate rights, he can set other users' passwords. -> en A user with the appropriate rights can set other users' passwords.; mr योग्य अधिकार कार असलेल्या वापरकर्त्याला ला इतर वापरकर्त्यांचे ांचे पासवर्ड सेट करता सेट करता येतात. is correct; वापरकर्त्याकडे योग्य य अधिकार असल्यासकार असल्यास, तो इतर वापरकर्त्यांचे ांचे पासवर्ड सेट करू शकतो. सेट करू शकतो. is not.
  • en A developer needs access to servers in his development environment, but he doesn't need access to the servers in Azure. -> en Developers need access to servers in their development environments, but they don't need access to the servers in Azure.; mr विकासकांना त्यांच्या कासकांना त्यांच्या विकासाच्या कासाच्या वातावरणांमधील सर्व्हरचारचा ॲक्सेस गरजेचा ेचा असतो, परंतु त्यांना Azure मधील सर्व्हरचा रचा ॲक्सेस गरजेचा नसतो. ेचा नसतो. is correct; विकासकाला त्याच्या कासकाला त्याच्या विकासाच्या कासाच्या वातावरणामधील सर्व्हरचारचा ॲक्सेस गरजेचा ेचा असतो परंतु त्याला Azure मधील सर्व्हरचा रचा ॲक्सेस गरजेचा नसतो. ेचा नसतो. is not.
  • en To call someone, select his name, select Make a phone call, and then select his number. -> en To call someone, select the person's name, select Make a phone call, and then choose the number you'd like to dial.; mr एखाद्या व्यक्तीला कॉल करण्‍यायासाठी, व्यक्तीचे नाव निवडावडा, फोन कॉल करा निवडा आणि त्यानंतर तुम्हाला डायल करायचा असलेला नंबर निवडा. वडा. is correct; एखाद्यास कॉल करण्‍यायाकरिताता, त्याचे नाव निवडावडा, फोन कॉल करा निवडा आणि त्यानंतर त्यानंतर तुम्हाला जो नंबर डायलो नंबर डायल करायचा आहे तो निवडा. वडा. is not.
  • If you cannot write around the problem, use a plural pronoun (ते, त्यांचे किंवा त्यांनांवा त्यांना) in generic references to a single person. Do not use constructions like तो/ ती.
  • For a real person, use the pronouns that person prefers. Gendered pronouns (तो, ती, त्याचे, तिचे चे) are OK for real people who use them.

Accessibility

  • Focus on people, not disabilities. Do not use words that imply pity, such as याने त्रस्त ् त or हा आजार आहेार आहे. Do not mention a disability unless it is relevant.
  • en handicapped -> person with a disability; mr अपंग -> दिव्यांगव्यांग
  • en normal person; healthy person -> person without a disability; mr सामान्य व्यक्तीय व्यक्ती; सुदृढ व्यक्ती -> दिव्यांग नसलेली व्यांग नसलेली व्यक्ती
  • Use generic verbs that fit all input methods and devices. In procedures, avoid verbs that do not work with alternative input methods.
  • en Click -> Select; mr क्लिक कराक करा -> निवडावडा
  • Keep paragraphs short and sentence structure simple. Aim for one verb per sentence. Read text aloud and imagine a screen reader speaking it.
  • Spell out words like and, plus, and about. Screen readers can misread &, +, and ~.

Abbreviations

  • Form abbreviations from the first letter of the word plus a full stop (.), or from the first letter or first syllable.
  • महा. is the abbreviated form of महाराष्ट्र.
  • Abbreviate UI words (mainly button or option names) only when space is short.
  • en Home -> mr होम
  • en Profile -> mr प्रोफाइल
  • en People -> mr लोक
  • en Mail -> mr मेल
  • Accepted abbreviations: क्रिया विशेषणेषण -> क्रि. वि.
  • महाराष्ट्र -> महा.
  • उदाहरणार्थ -> उदा.
  • इत्यादी -> इ.
  • रूपये -> रू.
  • रमांक -> र.
  • भूतकाळ -> भू. का.
  • दैनिकक -> दै.
  • दिनांकनांक -> दि.
  • प्राध्यापक -> प्रा.
  • Use a non-breaking space (CTRL+SHIFT+SPACEBAR) in any abbreviation.
  • Where non-breaking spaces are not possible (Help files), write these abbreviations without a space, so one letter does not move to the next line.
  • Dictionary usage: श. अव्य = शब्दयोगी अव्ययब्दयोगी अव्यय, post position
  • ना. = नाम, noun
  • वि. = विशेषणेषण, adjective
  • क्रि. वि. = क्रिया विशेषणेषण, adverb
  • सर्व. = सर्वनामनाम, pronoun
  • पु. = सर्वनामनाम, masculine
  • स्त्री. = स्त्रीलिंगंग, feminine
  • महा. = महाराष्ट्र, Maharashtra
  • इं. = इंग्रजी, English
  • Geographical/directional: उ. = उत्तर, north
  • द. = दक्षिणिण, south
  • मुं. = मुंबई, Mumbai
  • Administrative/commercial: मुं.पो. = मुंबई पोलिसस, Mumbai Police
  • कं. = कंपनी, company
  • प्रा.लि. . = प्रायव्हेट लिमिटेड टेड, Private Limited
  • पृ. = पृष्ठ, page
  • ता.क. = ताजा कलम, nota bene
  • Matrimonial usage: डॉ. = डॉक्टर, Doctor
  • इंजि. . = इंजिनिअरअर, engineer
  • अॅड. = अॅडव्होकेट, Advocate
  • उं. इं. = उंची इंच, height in inches
  • Measurements: से. = सेल्सिअसअस, Celsius
  • कि.मी. मी. = किलोमीटरलोमीटर, kilometer
  • से.मी. = सेंटिमीटरमीटर, centimeter
  • कि. ग्रॅ. = किलोग्रॅमलोग्रॅम, kilogram
  • ग्रॅ. = ग्रॅम, gram
  • Do not abbreviate: तारीख as ता.; वकील as व.; क्रियापदयापद as क्रि.

Acronyms

  • Acronyms are words made from the initial letters of major parts of a compound term, for example WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get), DNS (Domain Name Server), HTML (Hypertext Markup Language).
  • Localized acronyms, English acronyms used frequently in Marathi: सिटूटू = सेंटरफॉरट्रेडयुनियन यन, CITU
  • उल्फा = युनायटेडलिबरेशनफ्रंटऑफआसाम नफ्रंटऑफआसाम, ULFA
  • टाडा = टेररिस्टस्ट & डिसरप्टिवऍक्टिव्हिटिजप्रिव्हेन्शनएक्टनएक्ट, TADA
  • पोटा = प्रिव्हेन्शनऑफटेरिस्टऍक्टिव्हिटिजज, POTA
  • पोटो = प्रिव्हेन्शनऑफटेरिझमऑर्डिनन्सनन्स, POTO
  • सार्क = साउथएशियनअसोसिएशनफॉररिजनलको जनलको-ऑपरेशनन, SAARC
  • युनेस्को = युनायटेडनेशन्सएज्युकेशनलसायंटिफीक फीक & कल्चरलऑर्गनायझेशन न, UNESCO
  • युनिसेफसेफ = युनायटेडनेशन्सइंटरनॅशनलचिल्ड्रेन्सइमर्जन्सीफंड न्सीफंड, UNICEF
  • हू = वर्ल्डहेल्थऑर्गनायझेशन, WHO”
  • Marathi acronyms: अंनिसस = अंधश्रद्धानिर्मूलनसमिती ती, ANS
  • भाविसंसं = भारतीयविद्यार्थीसंघटनाथीसंघटना, SFI
  • अभाविपप = अखिलभारतीयविद्यार्थीपरिषदषद, ABVP
  • यशदादा = यशवंतरावचव्हाणअकेडेमीऑफडेव्हलपमेंटवंतरावचव्हाणअकेडेमीऑफडेव्हलपमेंट, YASHDA
  • मनपा = महानगरपालिकाका, CORP
  • पीएमटी = पुणेम्युन्सिपलट्रान्स्पोर्टेशन न, PMT
  • मनसे = महाराष्ट्रनवनिर्माणसेना णसेना, MNS
  • आरएसएस = राष्ट्रीयसेवासंघ, RSS
  • बसप = बहुजनसमाजवादीपक्ष, BSP
  • आरसीपी = राष्ट्रवादीकाँग्रेसपक्ष, RCP
  • Many acronyms are standardized and stay untranslated. Follow an acronym with its full English spelling only when speakers of another language need the explanation. For a common acronym, use the acronym alone; the spelled-out form only confuses users.
  • Do not localize or spell out these commonly understood acronyms: ANSI (American National Standards Institute); ISO (International Standards Organization).
  • Do not add a generic term after an acronym or abbreviation when one of its letters already stands for that term. Correct this in the localized version even when the US English version does it.
  • Do not use: HTML language, TCP/IP-Protocol, PIN Number.
  • Marathi examples: भाजपपक्ष BJP Party; एसजीझेडझोन SGZ Zone; मगोपपक्ष MGPParty

Adjectives

  • An adjective indicates and limits specific information about a noun.
  • हुशार मुलगा. Here हुशार is an adjective.
  • English uses possessives often. In Marathi handle possessive adjectives as हा मनुष्य.य. Here हा is the possessive adjective.

Articles

  • English has the articles a, an, the. Marathi does not use them: an apple = सफरचंद, a book = पुस्तक, the door = दरवाजा.
  • The Homepage = मुखपृष्ठ
  • Use unlocalized feature names without definite or indefinite articles. Do not attach a genitive s to a trademarked name; it reads as a modification of the name. Add to a product or component name with a hyphen or a periphrastic construction.
  • Do not use Microsoft’s products. Use Microsoft products or Products by Microsoft.
  • Treat product names and unlocalized feature names as proper nouns in Marathi.
  • en Windows Mail shares your Internet Connection settings with Microsoft Edge -> mr Windows Mail आपल्या इंटरनेट कनेक्शन सेटिंग्ज ंग्ज Microsoft Edge सह शेअर करते. ेअर करते.
  • en Website addresses will be sent to Microsoft -> mr वेबसाइटचे पत्ते Microsoft ला पाठवण्यात येतील.
  • Translated feature names take a definite or indefinite article; they are not proper names.
  • en Activate a window by hovering over it with the mouse -> mr विंडो वर माऊस फिरवून ती सक्रिय कराय करा
  • en Select a location closest to your office -> mr आपल्याकार्यालयाच्याअगदीजवळअसलेलेस्थानसिलेक्टकरा लेक्टकरा
  • For an English loan word, check motivation (formally motivated features that allow integration into the Marathi noun class system), analogy (an equivalent Marathi term whose article could be used), and frequency (the article used most often in other technical documentation).
  • Consult approved terminology to confirm the use of a new loan word and its article.

Compounds

  • Keep compounds understandable and clear. Avoid overly long or complex compounds. Unintuitive compounds hurt intelligibility and usability.
  • en Internet Accounts -> mr इंटरनेट खाते
  • en Logon script processing -> mr लिपी प्रक्रिया लॉगया लॉग-ऑन करा
  • en Internet News Server Name -> mr इंटरनेट बातम्या सर्व्हरचे नावरचे नाव
  • Marathi compounds: उच्च न्यायालयच न्यायालय; संकेतस्थळ; सहाध्यायी; उलथापालथ; शेतवाडीेतवाडी

Conjunctions

  • Use conjunctions to convey a conversational tone. Starting a sentence with a conjunction gives an informal tone.
  • Old use -> new use: But because of these features older content may not display correctly. -> As <product> gains features, there is a risk that older content may not display correctly.
  • en While data are saved on storage, it is not possible to add a new reader.: डेटा संग्रहावर सेव्ह केला जात असताना, नवीन वाचक जोडला जाऊ शकतनाही. कतनाही. -> डेटा संग्रहावर सेव्ह करताना, नवीन वाचक जोडला जाऊ शकत नाही. कत नाही.
  • en While the document is open, it is not possible to create a copy.: जेव्हा दस्तऐवज उघडे असते तेव्हा एखादी कॉपी तयार करणे शक्य नसते. क्य नसते. -> दस्तऐवज उघडे असताना, कॉपी तयार करणे शक्य क्य नसते.
  • en While you are working in the file, you can not close this window.: जेव्हा आपण फाइलमध्ये काम करता तेव्हा आपण ही विंडो बंद करू शकत कत नाही. -> आपण फाइलमध्ये काम करताना, आपण ही विंडो बंद ंडो बंद करू शकत नाही. कत नाही. (करत असताना)

Gender

  • Marathi has three genders: masculine, feminine, neuter.
  • Masculine: तो गाणे गात आहे.
  • Feminine: ती गाणे गात आहे.
  • Neuter: ते गाणे गात आहेत.
  • The pronoun changes with gender: masculine तो काम करत आहे.; feminine ती काम करत आहे.; neuter ते काम करत आहेत
  • Exception, one plural pronoun for all genders: त्यांना आमंत्रण दिले आहे. ले आहे.

Genitive

  • Marathi has several possessive postpositions. चे, चा, ची, च्या are the most common, called षष्ठी विभक्ती (Shashthi Vibhakti).
  • चे applies to neuter gender, singular: त्याचे पुस्तक (masculine), तिचे पुस्तक (feminine); पुस्तक is singular and neuter.
  • ची applies to masculine and feminine when the relative noun is plural: त्याची पुस्तके masculine, तिची पुस्तके feminine; पुस्तके is plural.
  • चा applies when the relative noun is singular and masculine: जॉनचा मुलगा (masculine), जेनेटचा मुलगा (feminine); मुलगा (boy) is singular masculine.
  • ची applies when the relative noun is singular and feminine: जॉनची मुलगी (masculine), जेनेटची मुलगी (feminine); मुलगी (girl) is singular feminine.
  • च्या applies when the relative noun is plural and feminine: जॉनच्या मुली (masculine), जेनेटच्या मुली (feminine).
  • Exception: चे also applies to a masculine plural relative noun: जॉनचे मुलगे or जेनेटचे मुलगे. मुलगे stands for boys.
  • Do not attach a genitive s to a product name; it reads as a modification of the name. Write Microsoft Office Word, not Microsoft Office Word’s.

Localizing colloquialism, idioms, and metaphors

  • Culture-centric colloquialisms, idioms, and metaphors are allowed.
  • Do not replace a source colloquialism with a Marathi colloquialism of the same meaning unless it is a perfect and natural fit for that context.
  • Translate the intended meaning, not the literal colloquialism, but only when the meaning is an integral part of the text.
  • If the colloquialism can go without affecting the meaning, omit it.

Nouns

  • Integrate English loan words into the noun class system. Check motivation (formally motivated features allowing integration), analogy (an equivalent term to justify the noun class), frequency (the noun class used most often in other technical documentation).
  • en Delete it from server. -> mr Server वरून हटवा
  • en Enter a password to log into the server -> mr Server मध्ये लॉग करण्यासाठी पासवर्ड वापरा.
  • en DNS cannot resolve the server IP address -> mr DNS server आय.पी. पत्ता ठरवू शकत नाही.
  • en Verify the name of the server’s certificate -> mr Server प्रमाणपत्राच्या नावाची पडताळणीकरा.राच्या नावाची पडताळणीकरा.
  • Inflection of English loanwords for number: en Clients -> mr क्लायंट्स
  • en Websites -> mr वेबसाइट्स
  • en Downloads -> mr डाउनलोड्स
  • en Proxies -> mr प्रॉक्सीस्
  • Plural formation: add ए, इ, च्या. Example: रामची मुले, रामच्या मुली.

Prepositions

  • Use prepositions correctly. Do not omit them or change word order under English influence.
  • Starting or ending a sentence with a preposition is acceptable.
  • Marathi has no preposition; it uses postposition. en migrate to -> mr ...ला स्थलांतर ांतर करणे
  • en Migrate from -> mr ...तून स्थलांतर ांतर करणे (noun form)
  • en import to -> mr ...ला आयात करणे
  • en import from -> mr ...तून आयात करणे
  • en export to -> mr ...ला निर्यातात करणे
  • en export from -> mr ...तून निर्यातात करणे
  • en update to -> mr ...ला अद्ययावतत करणे (does not indicate postposition)
  • en upgrade to -> mr मध्ये उन्नतीकरण करणे. (verb form, does not indicate postposition)

Pronouns

  • Some words share spelling but differ in pronunciation: चहा, चमचा, जीभीभ, जहाज, भजनन, वजनन

Punctuation

  • Bulleted lists: keep as in English.
  • Comma: use as a separator when several names or items run consecutively, and for short pauses. Example: मी, आम्ही, तो, ते
  • Colon: : shows that what follows proves, clarifies, explains, or enumerates. Use a colon when giving details at the end of a sentence. Example: कृपया अधिकक जाणूनाणून घेण्यासाठी येथेे संपर्क साधावा:
  • Do not use a colon in a simple sentence. en Go to your Profile to save this photo. -> mr हा फोटो सुरक्षित करण्यासाठी त करण्यासाठी आपल्या प्रोफाईलवर जा. ा.
  • Hyphen: divides words between syllables, links parts of a compound word, and connects the parts of an inverted or imperative verb form. drop-down -> ड्रॉप-डाउन; e-mail -> ई-मेल
  • En dash: use as a minus sign, usually with spaces before and after. Example: 10–5 p.m.
  • En dash also marks number ranges, such as page numbers. No spaces around it there. from page No. 1-5 -> पान क्र5–1
  • Em dash: use only to emphasize an isolated element or introduce a non-essential element. It marks a break in thought or sets off an appositive. It can show a date whose time frame has not ended (Robin Cook, 1976—).
  • Em dash (—) denotes a pause in thought or a parenthetical statement. Use it sparingly in formal writing. In informal writing it can replace commas, semicolons, colons, and parentheses for added emphasis, an interruption, or an abrupt change of thought.
  • Use the em dash as a colon or a set of parentheses: an abrupt change in thought, or where a full stop is too strong and a comma too weak. A colon is often recommended instead in lists or definitions.
  • Example: तो म्हणाला की — जशासशास तसे ही म्हण आज खरी ठरली.
  • Ellipses (suspension points): mark an omission of words needed to complete the construction or meaning. Example: तो अचानक पडला...
  • Period: . marks a full stop at the end of declarative sentences and other complete statements, and after many abbreviations. Example: भारताचे पहिलेले राष्ट्रपती डॉ. राजेंद्रेंद्र प्रसाद होत.
  • Quotation marks: “” and ‘’ both denote speech or a quotation. Examples: आज “गणेश चतुर्थी”; ‘शासन’ आपल्या दारी
  • Parentheses: no space between the parentheses and the text inside. Example: (कृपया आपले खाते सक्रिय न झाल्यास आपल्या प्रशासकाशी संपर्क साधावा (

Sentence fragments

  • Use sentence fragments for a conversational tone. Use them whenever possible; they are short and to the point.
  • Long form -> fragment: Use the following steps. -> Here’s how
  • en For details, go to:: long तपशीलांसाठी, येथेजा: ा: -> fragment तपशील, हे आहेत:
  • en To know more, do this:: long अधिक जाणून घेण्यासाठीाणून घेण्यासाठी, हे करा: -> fragment अधिकक जाणण्यासाठी असे ाणण्यासाठी असे करा:

Split infinitive

  • A split infinitive puts a word or phrase, usually an adverb, between to and the bare infinitive.
  • en To go nearby that mountain where nobody has gone before. -> mr जिथेे यापूर्वीवी कोणीही गेला नाही अशा पर्वताजवळवळ जाण्यासाठी. ाण्यासाठी. The adverb nearby/जवळवळ splits the full infinitive to go.

Subjunctive

  • The subjunctive expresses a condition, a possibility, or a hypothesis, and a wish in subordinate clauses.
  • Example: निर्णय य, मत, आवश्यकता, शक्यता

Symbols and non-breaking spaces

  • A symbol is an object, picture, written word, sound, or mark that represents something else by association, resemblance, or convention.
  • Example: थांबाांबा, हॉस्पिटल टल, शाळा, पादचारी मार्ग.
  • The non-breaking space is also called a hard space or fixed space. In HTML, replace the space with &nbsp.
  • Examples: &nbsp;लोड होत आहे...; &nbsp;आणि ती माहिती शोधा जी आपण इच्छिता. िता.

Verbs

  • Use simple tenses. Simple present is easiest to understand. Avoid future tense unless the event really happens in the future and simple present cannot apply. Use simple past for events already finished.
  • Translate verbs in error messages consistently. If your grammar allows omitting the predicate be, omit it, but stay consistent across all error messages. Be concise without changing the meaning.
  • en The document is too large. / Document too large. -> mr हा दस्तावेज फार मोठा फार मोठा आहॆ. Stay consistent with the verb to be.
  • en Access was denied. / Access denied. -> mr प्रवेश नाकारण्यात आला. In complete sentences, use verbs and the same tense as the source string.
  • en The file "%s" is an unknown graphics format. -> mr फाइल % ला अज्ञात ग्राफिक्सचे स्वरूप आहे.् वरूप आहे. Rephrase is with have if that produces a better translation.
  • en The application may attempt to convert the graphic. -> mr अनुप्रयोग ग्राफिक्सचे क्सचे रुपांतर करण्याची शक्यता आहे. may + Verb can become Verb + possibly.
  • English expresses continuous operations with a gerund; translate it into Marathi, for example जाणेाणे - जातात आहे, येणे - येत आहे, पाहणे - पहात आहे.
  • Example: To go—going, To come—coming, See—seeing.

Localization considerations

  • Adapt translated text to the local language, customs, and standards.
  • The language must have the look and feel of a product originally written in Marathi, with idiomatic syntax and terminology, and high terminological consistency.

Accessibility options

  • 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 exist in Marathi-speaking markets. Double-check with the appropriate resources.

Applications, products, and features

  • Application and product names are often trademarked and are rarely translated. Feature names are occasionally trademarked too (IntelliSense™).
  • Marathi has no specific rules for trade marking of applications, products, and features.
  • Version numbers always contain a period (Version 4.2). en WCAG 6.3 -> mr WCAG 6.3
  • Version numbers usually form part of version strings, but the two are not the same.
  • Always translate version strings that contain copyright information.

Error messages

  • Error messages come from the system or a program and tell the user of an error that must be corrected for the program to keep running. They can prompt the user to act or tell the user an error needs a restart.
  • Apply the voice principles so the target translation is natural and empathetic, not robot-like.
  • en Something went wrong. -> mr काहीतरी चूक झाली.
  • en Not enough memory to process this command. -> mr या आदेशावर प्रक्रिया करण्यासाठी पुरेशी मेमरी या करण्यासाठी पुरेशी मेमरी नाही.
  • Use consistent terminology and language style in localized error messages. Do not just translate them as they appear in the US product.
  • In Marathi, form the sentence by placing the negative marker after the main verb, or by placing the adjective that describes the negative quality before the verb.
  • Standard phrases, use the target phrase given, or another wording if it works better in context.
  • en Cannot … / Could not … -> mr शक्य नाही. Examples: File cannot be found, File could not be found. These constructions mean unable to affect an outcome.
  • en Failed to … / Failure of … -> mr यात अयशस्वीवी. Examples: Failed to connect, Failure of connect
  • en Cannot find … / Could not find … / Unable to find … / Unable to locate … -> mr सापडणे शक्य नाही …. Examples: Cannot find driver software, Could not find driver software, Unable to find driver software, Unable to locate driver software
  • en Not enough memory / Insufficient memory / There is not enough memory / There is not enough memory available -> mr पुरेशी मेमरी नाही. Examples: No sufficient memory on disk, Not enough memory on disk, No enough memory is available on disk
  • en ... is not available / ... is unavailable -> mr ... उपलब्ध नाही. Examples: ... enough space is not available, ... enough space is unavailable
  • With placeholders, find out what replaces the placeholder so the sentence stays grammatical.
  • %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."
  • If adjectives agree with nouns and the noun is a placeholder, you need the exact string to inflect a preceding adjective. Most source strings already avoid an adjective modifying a placeholder.
  • If your language has subject-verb agreement, reword the translation to avoid an ungrammatical sentence.
  • en Replace invalid %s? (user sees Replace invalid data?, Replace invalid file?) -> mr अमान्य य %s पुनर्स्थापित त करायचे?
  • en %s already exists (user sees File already exists, Name already exists) -> mr %s आधिच अस्तित्वात आहे. त्वात आहे.
  • 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) -> mr %s आता आपल्या वैयक्तिक क संपर्कात आले आहॆ. त आले आहॆ.
  • en %s stopped working and was closed (user sees The application stopped working and was closed, The program stopped working and was closed) -> mr %s ने काम थांबविले आणि बंद झाले.

Keys

  • In English, key names such as arrow keys, function keys, and numeric keys appear in normal text, not in small caps. Do not translate names of keys that appear on the keyboard.
  • Alt -> Alt
  • Backspace -> Backspace
  • Break -> Break
  • Caps Lock -> Caps Lock
  • Ctrl -> Control
  • Delete -> Delete
  • Down Arrow -> खाली बाण
  • End -> End
  • Enter -> Enter
  • Esc -> Escape
  • Home -> Home
  • Insert -> Insert
  • Left Arrow -> डावा बाण
  • Num Lock -> Num Lock
  • Page Down -> Page Down
  • Page Up -> Page Up
  • Pause -> Pause
  • Right Arrow -> उजवा बाणवा बाण
  • Scroll Lock -> Scroll Lock
  • Shift -> Shift
  • Spacebar -> स्पेसबारपेसबार
  • Tab -> Tab
  • Up Arrow -> वर बाण
  • Windows key -> Windows की
  • Menu Key -> मेनू की
  • Print Screen -> Print Screen

Keyboard shortcuts

  • Underlined or highlighted letters in menu options, commands, or dialog boxes mark keyboard shortcuts, which let the user work faster.
  • Marathi uses one common keyboard layout, InScript—Devanagari. Decide based on how far physical or soft keyboards are used, use of transliteration as the main input, Internet contribution, and the target population (rural and urban).
  • The layout used is predominantly the InScript keyboard, standardized by the Indian government. InScript is the standard keyboard layout for Devanagari, the main script for Marathi.
  • Phonetic or Bolnagri keyboard input methods serve mainly on Linux platforms, so use the InScript keyboard (soft and physical).
  • Shortcut, Marathi, transliteration: Save—CrtlS, सुरक्षित करात करा, Surakshit kara
  • Find—CrtlF, मिळवाळवा/ शोधणे, Milva/Shodhane
  • Cut—CrtlX, कापा, kaapa
  • Copy—CrtlC, प्रतिलिपी पी, Pratilipi (kopy)
  • Paste—CrtlV, चिकटवाकटवा, Chikatva
  • Undo—CrtlZ, पूर्ववत करावत करा, Poorvavat kara
  • Select all—CrtlA, निवडावडा, Nivda
  • Print—CrtlP, मुद्रण, mudran
  • Open—CrtlO, उघडा/open, Ugdha (open)
  • Quit—CrtlQ, बाहेर, quit
  • Close—CrtlW, बंद करा/ मिटवाटवा, Band kara/mitva
  • Bold—CrtlB, ठळक, Thalak
  • Italic—CrtlI, तिर्यक, tiryak
  • Underline—CrtlU, अधोरेखित त, underline
  • New—CrtlN, नवीन, new
  • Help—Crtl?, मदत &?, &?
  • Localize Marathi keyboard shortcuts. Reasons: a large Marathi user population, a good share of whom use Marathi keyboards; keyboards are not phonetic, so Marathi letters do not appear beside the English-sounding letters; soft (virtual) keyboards in several applications follow phonetic layouts but are used little compared with transliteration software; localizing to Marathi has no complications or multiple formats, since there is only one typing format, standard Devanagri (mangal), with CapsLock/Shift for diacritics and special cases.
  • Allowed: slim characters such as I, l, t, r, f as keyboard shortcuts. But Marathi characters cannot be called slim compared with Roman ones.
  • Not allowed: characters with down strokes such as g, j, y, p, q. Marathi characters always carry a line on their head, so use the previous shortcut list, for example सु, कृ.
  • Not allowed: extended characters. Marathi conjuncts, combinations of two consonants, cannot be shortcuts.
  • Not allowed: an additional letter appearing between brackets after the item name.
  • Allowed: a number appearing between brackets after the item name.
  • Not allowed: a punctuation sign appearing between brackets after the item name. Many clear and simple letters are available instead.
  • Allowed in special cases only: duplicate keyboard shortcuts when no other character is available.
  • Not allowed: assigning no keyboard shortcut 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 after the ` character. Example: Home`H
  • shortcut key: a subtype of keyboard shortcut. A key the user types to perform a common action without going through the UI. Shortcut keys are not available for every command. Example: 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 for shortcut keys.

English pronunciation

  • Pronounce English terms and product names left unlocalized the English way. If Marathi has an established pronunciation for a common term (such as server), use the local pronunciation. Adapt pronunciation to the Marathi phonetic system when the original sounds very awkward.
  • SecurID, [sı’kjuər aı di:], सिक्यूअरआयडीक्यूअरआयडी
  • .NET, [dot net], डॉटनेट
  • Skype, [skaipe]
  • Pronounce acronyms like real words, adapted to local pronunciation: RADIUS -> रेडियसयस
  • RAS -> आरएएस
  • ISA -> आयएसए
  • LAN -> लॅन
  • WAN -> वॅन
  • WAP -> वॅप
  • MAPI -> मॅपी
  • POP -> पॉप
  • URL -> युआरएल
  • Pronounce other abbreviations letter by letter: ICMP -> आयसीएमपी
  • IP -> आयपी
  • TCP/IP -> टीसीपी/आयपी
  • XML -> एक्सएमएल
  • HTML -> एचटीएमएल
  • OWA -> ओडब्ल्यूए
  • SQL -> एसक्यूएल
  • URLs: leave out http:// and read the rest of the URL entirely.
  • Pronounce www as डब्‍ल्‍यूयू डबल्‍यूयू डब्‍ल्‍यूयू.
  • Omit the dot, or read it out. If read out, pronounce it the Marathi way, as डॉट.
  • http://www.microsoft.com/en-in -> डब्ल्यूडब्ल्यूडब्ल्यूडॉटमायक्रोसॉफ्टडॉटकॉमस्लॅशइएनडॅशआयएनलॅशइएनडॅशआयएन
  • The sound of voice implies most punctuation marks, for example ? ! : ; ,
  • En dash (–) emphasizes an isolated element. Pronounce it as a comma, a short pause.
  • Pronounce special characters such as / \ ˘ < > + - with the approved Marathi translations from approved terminology.

Tone

  • Match the tone to the target audience: informal, playful, and inspiring for most consumer products and games; formal, informative, and factual for technical texts.
  • Tone should be formal. Address the intended user with the appropriate tone and level of grammar and formality, and an easy reading level.
  • en Cannot rename Image because a file or folder with that name already exists. -> mr प्रतिमा पुनर्नामित करणे शक्य नाही कारण त्याच नावाची फाइल किंवा फोल्डर आधीच ंवा फोल्डर आधीच अस्तित्वात आहे. त्वात आहे.

Local usage

Use respectful Marathi forms, with आपला as the source’s example of respectful address. Prefer natural expressions and understandable technical explanations; check inflection, punctuation, and terminology together.