Malay (Malaysia) style guide¶

Voice¶

Write short, easy-to-read sentences.
Avoid passive voice. It is hard to read and understand quickly.
Be pleasant. Make explanations individualized and enjoyable to read.
Avoid slang and be careful with colloquialisms. A conversational tone is acceptable, but stay professional.
Avoid overuse of company, brand, or product names and logos. Refer to names correctly.
Avoid the corporate we. Keep the focus on you, the reader.
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.

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 instead of 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.
Shortened forms convey a more informal tone and go straight to the point. Use only short forms that are already well established, to avoid misunderstanding.
Everyday words convey a friendlier tone and are easy to read. Avoid everyday words that are too informal.
en PC -> ms PC. Use in place of Komputer Peribadi (Personal Computer); the short form is well established and widely used.
en ID -> ms ID. Use in place of Kad Identiti (Identity Card); the short form is well established and widely used.
en You -> ms Anda. Use to address the user directly or indirectly. Pengguna is more formal and impersonal.

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
Old to new, en Input: Masukan -> Input
en Output: Keluaran -> Output
en Refer to: Rujuk -> Lihat
en However: Walau bagaimanapun -> Tetapi
en Have an opportunity: Berpeluang -> Boleh, Dapat

Sample voice text¶

Address the user to take action. en The password isn’t correct, so please try again. Passwords are case-sensitive. -> ms Kata laluan tidak tepat, oleh itu sila cuba lagi. Kata laluan adalah sensitif huruf.
en This product key didn’t work. Please check it and try again. -> ms Kunci produk ini salah. Sila semak dan cuba lagi.
en All ready to go -> ms Siap untuk digunakan
en Would you like to continue? -> ms Adakah anda ingin teruskan? 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. -> ms Namakan PC anda — apa-apa nama yang anda mahu. Jika anda mahu menukar warna latar belakang, matikan kontras tinggi dalam seting PC.
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. -> ms Kata laluan bergambar ialah cara baharu untuk membantu anda melindungi PC skrin sentuh anda. Anda pilih gambar — dan gerak isyarat yang anda gunakan dengannya — untuk mencipta kata laluan unik milik anda.
en Let apps give you personalized content based on your PC’s location, name, account picture, and other domain info. -> ms Benarkan aplikasi memberi anda kandungan yang diperibadikan berdasarkan lokasi PC anda, nama, gambar akaun, dan info domain lain. 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. -> ms Untuk kembali dan menyimpan kerja anda, klik Batal dan selesaikan dahulu kerja anda.
en To confirm your current picture password, just watch the replay and trace the example gestures shown on your picture. -> ms Untuk mengesahkan kata laluan bergambar anda, hanya tonton main semula dan surih gerak isyarat contoh yang ditunjukkan pada gambar anda.
en It’s time to enter the product key. It should be in an email that shows you bought Windows. When you connect to the Internet, we’ll activate Windows for you. -> ms Tiba masanya untuk memasukkan kunci produk. Kunci produk sepatutnya terdapat dalam e-mel yang menunjukkan anda membeli Windows. Apabila anda bersambung ke Internet, kami akan mengaktifkan Windows untuk anda.
Explanatory text and support. en The updates are installed, but Windows 11 Setup needs to restart for them to work. After it restarts, we’ll keep going from where we left off. -> ms Kemas kini telah dipasang, tetapi Persediaan Windows 11 perlu bermula semula agar ia berfungsi. Selepas dimulakan semula, kami akan melengkapkan pemasangan. Use we for a more personal feel.
en If you restart now, you and any other people using this PC could lose unsaved work. -> ms Jika anda memulakan semula sekarang, anda dan orang lain yang menggunakan PC ini mungkin kehilangan kerja yang tidak disimpan.
en This document will be automatically moved to the right library and folder after you correct invalid or missing properties. -> ms Dokumen ini akan dialihkan ke pustaka dan folder yang betul secara automatik setelah anda membetulkan sifat yang tidak sah atau tiada.
en Something bad happened! Unable to locate downloaded files to create your bootable USB flash drive. -> ms Sesuatu yang tidak kena berlaku! Tidak dapat mencari fail yang dimuat turun untuk membuat pemacu kilat USB boleh but anda.

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; ms tuan/hamba -> utama/subordinat
en demilitarized zone (DMZ) -> perimeter network; ms zon bebas tentera (DMZ) -> rangkaian perimeter
en guru -> expert; ms otai -> pakar
en guys; ladies and gentlemen -> colleagues; everyone; all; ms kamu semua -> rakan sekerja; kalian

Avoid gender bias¶

Malay is not a gender-marked language, so male and female stereotypes are not usually reflected in it.
Use gender-neutral alternatives where nouns are marked masculine or feminine.
ms pramugari/pramugara -> kru kabin/anak kapal. Use gender-neutral nouns to convey gender neutrality.

Accessibility¶

Focus on people, not disabilities. Do not use words that imply pity, such as ditimpa or menderita. Do not mention a disability unless it is relevant.
en handicapped -> person with a disability; ms cacat -> orang kurang/kelainan upaya
en normal person; healthy person -> person without a disability; ms orang normal; orang sihat -> orang bukan kurang/tanpa kelainan upaya
Use generic verbs that fit all input methods and devices. In procedures and instructions, avoid verbs that do not work with alternative input methods.
en Click -> Select; ms Klik -> Pilih
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 dan, tambah, and tentang. Screen readers can misread &, +, and ~.

Abbreviations¶

Abbreviate UI words (mainly button or option names) only when space is short.
In online help or documentation, spell out the words of an acronym or abbreviation at first use. Include the language-specific translation, the US term, and the acronym: Objek Capaian Data (Data Access Objects, DAO)
Bahasa Penanda Hiperteks (Hypertext Markup Language, HTML)
Protokol Pemindahan Fail (File Transfer Protocol, FTP)
Do not create a new acronym from the language-specific translated term, and do not replace an English acronym with a language-specific one. Leave the English acronym or abbreviation intact, for example DLL and DPI stay DLL and DPI.
Common abbreviations: dan lain-lain -> dll.
contohnya -> cth.
misalnya -> mis.
Application Initialization DLL -> DLL Pemulaan Aplikasi
DPI scaling -> Penskalaan DPI
Okay -> OK
Do not abbreviate Online to OL. Do not abbreviate Offline to OL. Abbreviated, the audience would not know the actual meaning.

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).
Widely-used acronyms for Malay: OS (Operating System), IP (Internet Protocol), PM (Private Message).
Do not translate English acronyms that have no commonly accepted Malay translation.
No acronym has been localized for technical terms. For general terms some localized acronyms exist, such as United Nations (UN) – Pertubuhan Bangsa-bangsa Bersatu (PBB).
Most acronyms stay unlocalized even when the full word is localized: OS (Operating System is translated as Sistem Pengendalian); IP (Internet Protocol is translated as Protokol Internet).

Adjectives¶

In Malay, adjectives come after the noun.
English uses possessives often. In Malay, possessive adjectives are seldom used in formal settings; they appear frequently in fiction writing.
my -> saya
your -> anda
his -> -nya
her -> -nya
its -> -nya
our -> kami
their -> mereka

Articles¶

The articles a, an, the are generally not translated, because nouns in Malay are generally plural by default. They are not relevant for Malay translations.
This is a book is not translated as Ini adalah sebuah buku.
Ini buku adalah sebuah attempts to translate is a but is redundant. Ali guru is not a correct translation and is meaningless.
Use unlocalized product names and non-translated feature names without definite or indefinite articles. The same rule applies in Malay. Examples: Microsoft Edge; Microsoft Office 365
Translated feature names take a definite or indefinite article; they are not proper names. Keyboard is translated as Papan Kekunci; Screen is translated as Skrin; Memory is translated as Memori.
For an English loan word, check motivation (formally motivated features that allow integration into the Malay noun class system), analogy (an equivalent Malay term whose article could be used), frequency (the article used most often in other technical documentation).
Where the noun class is your choice, keep translations consistent within the product.
en Log in -> ms Log masuk
en The tenant data cache could not be refreshed as the operation timed out. -> ms Cache data penyewa tidak boleh disegarkan semula kerana operasi tamat masa.
en Web page -> ms Laman web
en All vendors will complete questionnaire -> ms Semua vendor akan melengkapkan soal selidik
Consult approved terminology to confirm the use of a new loan word and its article, to avoid inconsistencies.

Capitalization¶

Malay capitalizes only the first letter in a sentence and proper nouns.
Use title case, first letter of each word capitalized, for titles.
Examples: E-mel; Gunakan akaun e-mel anda dari sebarang pelayar Web.; Orang Hubungan dan Kumpulan; Simpan telefon dan maklumat alamat untuk orang yang anda berkomunikasi.

Compounds¶

Keep compounds understandable and clear. Avoid overly long or complex compounds. Unintuitive compounds hurt intelligibility and usability.
In Malay, compound words are written as two separate words, with few exceptions.
If both words can stand on their own, do not combine them. If one word does not make sense on its own, combine them without a hyphen.
Ultra-Mobile PC is translated as PC Ultra Mudah Alih
Keyboard is translated as Papan Kekunci
3-D is translated as 3D
When the compound contains both a prefix and a suffix, combine the two words into one word. Enforcement is translated as Penguatkuasaan

Contractions¶

Contractions convey a conversational tone. Use them whenever possible.
en long form Do not -> en contracted form Don’t
For modern Malay voice, contractions convey a conversational tone, but use them carefully so the text does not become too informal. tiada is normally used even in a formal tone. Do not overuse tak; frequent use conveys a very informal tone.
en None, nothing: long form Tidak ada -> contracted form Tiada
en No: long form Tidak -> contracted form Tak

Localizing colloquialism, idioms, and metaphors¶

Culture-centric colloquialisms, idioms, and metaphors are allowed.
Do not replace a source colloquialism with a Malay 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.

Modifiers¶

In Malay localized text, do not add a modifier (adjective, adverb, or a phrase or clause acting as one) to add information to another element in the sentence.
The system works slowly is translated as Sistem berfungsi dengan lambat. lambat is not modified; dengan denotes the translation for ly.

Nouns¶

Write only proper nouns with a capital first letter. Write common names, pronouns, and derivative nouns in small letters.
Nouns in Malay are plural by default. Where plurals and singulars need distinguishing, use reduplication, repetition with a hyphen, to mark the plural form.
Keys is translated as Kekunci-kekunci

Numbers¶

Write numerals 0-9 as words (satu, dua, …sembilan). Write numerals larger than 9 with numbers (10, 22, 35, 40 …).
The same applies to positions: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th,...10th, 11th, etc -> pertama, kedua, ketiga, keempat,...ke-10, ke-11....
Also consider the source requirement; some sources request numerals less than 10 written as numbers.

Prepositions¶

Use prepositions correctly. Do not omit them or change word order under English influence. Translate English prepositions by context and avoid anglicism.
Malay prepositions link nouns, pronouns, and phrases to other words in a sentence. The word or phrase the preposition introduces is the object of the preposition.
Starting or ending a sentence with a preposition is acceptable.
en Welcome to Windows Hello -> ms Selamat datang ke Windows Hello. to is the preposition and is translated as ke.

Pronouns¶

Malay has few first-person singular pronouns. Besides saya there are aku and gua (slang). Stick to saya; aku and gua are used among friends and equals only.
There is more than one way to say we. kita means you and me; kami means we in the sense of a group that does not include you.

Punctuation¶

General punctuation rules are identical to English. Punctuation spacing is also as in English: a punctuation mark is always followed by one space.
Comma: in a series of three or more terms with a single conjunction, use a comma after each term except the last. Before the last term, dan replaces the comma.
en red, blue, and white -> ms merah, biru dan putih
Colon: a colon tells the reader that what follows is closely related to the preceding clause. It has more effect than the comma, less power to separate than the semicolon, and more formality than the dash.
A colon usually follows an independent clause. It must not separate a verb from its complement or a preposition from its object.
en To function properly, your computer requires the following items: keyboard, mouse/touchpad, monitor and CPU -> ms Untuk berfungsi dengan betul, komputer anda memerlukan item-item berikut: papan kekunci, tetikus / pad sesentuh, monitor dan CPU
General usage of dashes and hyphens is identical to English. In Malay the hyphen also forms the plural word (full reduplication, kata ganda), for example a child is budak and children is budak-budak.
Hyphen: divides words between syllables, links parts of a compound word, and connects the parts of an inverted or imperative verb form. In Malay the hyphen also marks reduplication for plurals, connects syllables separated by a line break, clarifies a phrase, links capital letters with lowercase letters, links word and number, and links words in a particular phrase or term.
en children -> ms kanak-kanak (indicates plural)
en pro-Malaysia -> ms pro-Malaysia (capital and lower case)
en 20th -> ms ke-20 (word and number)
en audio-visual equipment -> ms Alat pandang-dengar (between word)
En dash: use as a minus sign, usually with spaces before and after. Use the en dash to indicate a period, for example when it replaces the word to in a date range.
en Jun– Jul -> ms Jun – Jul (date ranges)
En dash also marks number ranges, such as page numbers. No spaces around it there.
en chapters 8 – 12 -> ms bab 8–12 (number ranges)
Em dash: use only to emphasize an isolated element or introduce an element not essential to the meaning. Em dashes (-) are two times longer than the en dash. Use the em dash much as a colon or a set of parentheses: it can indicate a sudden change of thinking process, or serve where a dot is too strong and a comma too weak.
en You can use programs for work and play with apps from the Microsoft Store—all from the desktop -> ms Anda boleh menggunakan program untuk bekerja dan bermain dengan aplikasi daripada Microsoft Store—semuanya daripada desktop.
Ellipses (suspension points): follow English style. No space before the ellipses sign.
en Loading… -> ms Memuatkan…
Period: marks the end of a sentence. en This is a computer program. -> ms Ini atur cara komputer.
Question mark: replaces the full stop at the end of an interrogative sentence, used for a sentence of inquiry that asks for a reply.
en Are you sure you want to close the program? -> ms Adakah anda pasti anda mahu menutup program ini?
Quotation marks: the commonly used marks are the single quote (‘) and the double quote (“). In a sentence, use the double quote first, then the single quote.
Introduce formal quotations cited as documentary evidence with a colon and enclose them in quotation marks.
en The website on ABC company states: "We are using Microsoft operating system throughout the company." -> ms Laman web mengenai syarikat ABC menyatakan: ”Kami menggunakan sistem pengendalian Microsoft di seluruh syarikat ini.”
Parentheses: no space between the parentheses and the text inside. Placement of the full stop depends on what the parentheses refer to: if they enclose part of the sentence, the full stop goes after the closing bracket; if they enclose the full sentence, the full stop goes inside the parentheses.
Untuk meneruskan, klik "Seterusnya" (anda mungkin perlu menentukan kunci produk).
Untuk meneruskan, klik Seterusnya. (Anda mungkin perlu menentukan kunci produk.)

Sentence fragments¶

Use sentence fragments for a conversational tone. Use them whenever possible; they are short and to the point.
en long form Use the following steps. -> en fragment Here’s how
en Use the following steps.: long form Gunakan langkah-langkah berikut. -> fragment Begini caranya.
en Are you sure you want to continue with this action?: long form Adakah anda pasti mahu meneruskan tindakan ini? -> fragment Teruskan juga tindakan ini?
en There isn't enough memory available to perform this function.: long form Tidak terdapat memori mencukupi yang tersedia untuk melaksanakan fungsi ini. -> fragment Memori tidak mencukupi untuk menjalankan fungsi ini.

Symbols and nonbreaking spaces¶

In text processing and digital typesetting (HTML), create a non-breaking space by replacing the space with  , to prevent an automatic line break at the wrong position.
Pulau Pangkor gives Pulau Pangkor. Pulau Pangkor might break as Pulau / Pangkor.
Always translate & as and when it refers to running text. Do not keep & in the target unless it is part of a tag, placeholder, shortcut, or other code.

Verbs¶

An English verb can serve as a loan word. Such loan words follow the syntactic and morphological rules of the target language.
en export -> ms eksport, mengeksport, pengeksportan
en standard -> ms standard, menstandardkan, penstandardan
en computer -> ms komputer, berkomputer, pengkomputeran
en global -> ms global, mengglobalkan
en universal -> ms universal, keuniversalan

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 Malay, 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 Malay-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™).
Version numbers always contain a period. en Version 4.2 -> ms Versi 4.2
Version numbers usually form part of version strings, but the two are not the same.
Always translate version strings that contain copyright information.

Software considerations¶

This applies to all menus, menu items, commands, buttons, and check boxes, which must be translated consistently in the localized product.

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. -> ms Sesuatu yang tidak kena telah berlaku.
en Not enough memory to process this command. -> ms Tidak cukup memori untuk memproses perintah ini.
Use consistent terminology and language style in localized error messages. Do not just translate them as they appear in the US product.
Standard phrases, use the target phrase given, or another wording if it works better in context.
en Cannot … / Could not … (File could not be found, File cannot be found) -> ms Fail tidak dapat dijumpai. No past or present tense in Malay.
en Failed to … / Failure of … (Failed to connect, Failure to connect) -> ms Gagal untuk menyambung
en Cannot find … / Could not find … / Unable to find … / Unable to locate … (Cannot find driver software, Could not find driver software, Unable to find driver software, Unable to locate driver software) -> ms Tidak dapat mencari perisian pemacu
en Not enough memory / Insufficient memory / There is not enough memory / There is not enough memory available -> ms Kekurangan memori
en ... is not available / ... is unavailable (The command is not available, The command is unavailable) -> ms Perintah itu tidak tersedia
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."
Most source strings have instructions detailing the replacement text.
In English source strings, placeholders sit where they naturally occur in English. Numerals precede the noun in English, so numeral placeholders precede the noun. If the numeral follows the noun it modifies in Malay, move the placeholder after the noun.

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 keys physically printed with an English word on the keyboard. Translate symbols accordingly, for example Arrow Up, Down, Left, Right.
Alt -> Alt
Backspace -> Backspace
Break -> Break
Caps Lock -> Caps Lock
Ctrl -> Control
Delete -> Delete
Down Arrow -> Anak Panah ke Bawah
End -> End
Enter -> Enter
Esc -> Esc
Home -> Home
Insert -> Insert
Left Arrow -> Anak Panah ke Kiri
Num Lock -> Num Lock
Page Down -> Page Down
Page Up -> Page Up
Pause -> Pause
Right Arrow -> Anak Panah ke Kanan
Scroll Lock -> Scroll Lock
Shift -> Shift
Spacebar -> Bar ruang
Tab -> Tab
Up Arrow -> Anak Panah ke Atas
Windows key -> Kekunci Windows
Print Screen -> Print Screen
Menu Key -> Kekunci Menu

Keyboard shortcuts¶

Underlined or highlighted letters in menu options, commands, or dialog boxes mark keyboard shortcuts, which let the user work faster. Examples: New, Cancel, Options
Keyboard shortcuts are a combination of keys such as ALT+F or Ctrl+S that move focus to a menu, command, or control without the mouse.
Allowed: slim characters such as i, l, t, r, f as keyboard shortcuts. Example: Alat
Allowed: characters with downstrokes such as g, j, y, p, q. The shortcut underline can be hard to see for these characters. Example: Opsyen
Extended characters: not applicable. Malay has no extended character.
Allowed: an additional letter appearing after the item name, in brackets or not. Example: Opsyenw / Opsyen(w). Any single letter on the keyboard can be used.
Allowed: a number appearing after the item name, in brackets or not. Example: Opsyen3 / Opsyen(3)
Allowed: a punctuation sign appearing after the item name, in brackets or not. Example: Opsyen> / Opsyen(>)
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 Malay has an established pronunciation for a common term (such as server), use the local pronunciation. Adapt pronunciation to the Malay phonetic system when the original sounds very awkward.
en License -> ms lesen, [lé.sén]
en Facsimile -> ms faksimile, [fak.si.mi.lé]
en Skype -> ms skaip. Product names are always pronounced the same as the source.
Pronounce acronyms like real words, adapted to local pronunciation: RADIUS -> [ra.dius]
RAS -> [ras]
ISA -> [ˈaɪ.ˈɛs. ˈeɪ]
LAN -> [lan]
WAN -> [wan]
WAP -> [wap]
MAPI -> [ma.pi]
Pronounce other abbreviations letter by letter: ICMP -> [ˈaɪ.ˈsiː.ˈɛm.ˈpiː]
IP -> [ˈaɪ.ˈpiː]
TCP/IP -> [ˈtiː.ˈsiː.ˈpiː/ˈaɪ.ˈpiː]
XML -> [ˈɛks.ˈɛm.ˈɛl]
HTML -> [ˈheɪtʃ.ˈtiː.ˈɛm.ˈɛl]
OWA -> [ˈəʊ.ˈdʌbəl.juː.ˈeɪ]
SQL -> [ˈɛs.ˈkjuːˈɛl]
URLs: leave out http:// and read the rest of the URL entirely.
Pronounce www as ['d blju:'d blju:'d blju:].
Omit the dot, or read it out. If read out, pronounce it as in English: dot. dot is untranslated only in URLs; translate it in other situations.
http://www.microsoft.com/en-my/ -> ['d blju:'d blju:'d blju:. dɒt. ˈmaɪkrəsɔːft. dɒt.ˈkɑːm.pa.lang i:.en.sem.pangˈɛm.ˈwaɪ.pa.lang]. Stroke (slash) and hyphens are read out in Malay.
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 Malay 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.
In general use a formal tone. In online materials the tone can be friendlier.
Formal tone: Dalam masa 15 saat, Outlook yang baharu akan dilancarkan.
Informal tone: Beri kami 15 saat... Kami akan menunjukkan Outlook yang baharu kepada anda.

Local usage¶

Adapt marketing intent to natural Malay without literal culture-specific phrasing. The local collection is a marketing guide, so it does not independently establish general UI grammar or regional Brunei conventions.