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Albanian style guide

Voice

  • Write clear, friendly, concise. Use everyday conversation, not formal technical or commercial language.
  • Keep the intent of the source, not the words. Non-standard translations are OK.
  • No literal translation. Think about what the customer needs to complete the task.
  • Choose words for the audience: technical terms for technical audiences, common words for consumers.

Word choice

  • Use approved terminology for key terms, technical terms, product names. Do not use a different target term for an established approved term.
  • Use short and simple words. Long text with obscure words is not read.
  • Gjej: use as the equivalent of gjej vendndodhjen
  • Mund: use as the equivalent of ka mundësi
  • Lehtësoj: use as the equivalent of bëj më të lehtë
  • English short forms have no shorter Albanian equivalent. Use the full form.
  • App -> Aplikacion
  • Info -> Informacion
  • PC -> Kompjuter
  • TV -> Televizor
  • Avoid an unnecessarily formal tone.

Sample voice text

  • The password isn't correct, so please try again. Passwords are case-sensitive. -> Fjalëkalimi s'është i saktë, kështu që provoje përsëri. Fjalëkalimet janë të ndjeshme ndaj kapitaleve.
  • This product key didn't work. Please check it and try again. -> Ky çelës produkti nuk funksionoi. Kontrolloje dhe provoje përsëri.
  • All ready to go -> Gjithçka gati për të filluar
  • Would you like to continue? -> Dëshiron të vazhdosh? Use the second person pronoun.
  • Give your PC a name—any name you want. If you want to change the background color, turn high contrast off in PC settings. -> Vëri kompjuterit një emër sipas dëshirës. Nëse dëshiron të ndryshosh ngjyrën e sfondit, çaktivizo kontrastin e lartë te Parametrat e kompjuterit.
  • The updates are installed, but Window Setup needs to restart for them to work. After it restarts, we'll keep going from where we left off. -> Përditësimet u instaluan, por, që të funksionojnë, duhet të riniset Parametrizimi i Windows. Pas rinisjes së tij, do të vazhdojmë aty ku e lamë. Use we for a personal feel.
  • If you restart now, you and any other people using this PC could lose unsaved work. -> Nëse e rinis tani, ti dhe të gjithë njerëzit që jeni duke përdorur këtë kompjuter mund të humbni punët e paruajtura.
  • This document will be automatically moved to the right library and folder after you correct invalid or missing properties. -> Ky dokument do të zhvendoset automatikisht në bibliotekën dhe skedarin e duhur pasi të korrigjosh vetitë e pavlefshme ose që mungojnë.
  • Something bad happened! Unable to locate downloaded files to create your bootable USB flash drive. -> Diçka shkoi keq! E pamundur të lokalizohen skedarët e shkarkuar për të krijuar njësinë e diskut të USB-së që mund të përdoret për fillimin. Short sentences, no complexity.
  • 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. -> Fjalëkalimi me imazh është një mënyrë e re për të të ndihmuar të mbrosh kompjuterin me ekran me prekje. Ti zgjedh imazhin – dhe gjestet që përdor me të – për të krijuar një fjalëkalim që është vetëm i yti. Use the em dash to emphasize the specific requirement.
  • Let apps give you personalized content based on your PC's location, name, account picture, and other domain info. -> Lejoji aplikacionet të të japin një përmbajtje të përshtatur sipas vendndodhjes, emrit dhe imazhit të llogarisë së kompjuterit tënd, si dhe informacioneve të tjera të domenit.
  • To go back and save your work, click Cancel and finish what you need to. -> Për t'u kthyer pas dhe për të ruajtur punën, kliko Anulo dhe përfundo atë që duhet.
  • To confirm your current picture password, just watch the replay and trace the example gestures shown on your picture. -> Për të konfirmuar fjalëkalimin tënd aktual me imazh, thjesht shiko rileximin dhe ndiq gjestet shembull të shfaqura në imazhin tënd.
  • It's time to enter the product key. When you connect to the Internet, we'll activate Windows for you. -> Është momenti për të futur çelësin e produktit. Kur të lidhesh me internetin, do të aktivizojmë Windows për ty.

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.
  • Do not name politically disputed cities, countries, or regions in examples. In examples with several regions, use equivalent references. Do not mix countries with states or continents.
  • Represent diverse perspectives and circumstances in text and images. Show people from all walks of life, in many professions, educational settings, locales, economic settings.
  • Do not generalize or stereotype by region, culture, age, or gender, not even a positive stereotype. For job roles, choose names that reflect varied gender identities and cultural backgrounds.
  • No profane or derogatory terms.
  • No slang that could be considered cultural appropriation.
  • No terms carrying unconscious racial bias, and no terms associated with military actions, politics, or controversial historical events and eras.
  • en demilitarized zone (DMZ) -> perimeter network; sq zonë e demilitarizuar -> rrjet perimetri, rrjet perimetrik
  • en guys, ladies and gentlemen -> colleagues, everyone, all; sq djema, njerëz, popull -> kolegë/kolege, të pranishëm/të pranishme, të gjithë/të gjitha
  • en mother or father -> parent; sq nëna ose babai -> prindi

Avoid gender bias

  • Albanian defaults to masculine when the gender is unknown, singular or plural, per context.
  • For a generalization, use the plural noun form: personat, individët, studentët.
  • Use gender-neutral language in new products and content. Existing or legacy material need not be updated.

Accessibility

  • Focus on people, not disabilities. No words that imply pity: no i goditur nga, no vuan nga. Do not mention a disability unless it is relevant.
  • en handicapped -> person with a disability; sq Handikapat/handikapate -> person me aftësi të kufizuara, invalid/invalide
  • en normal person, healthy person -> person without a disability; sq person normal, person i shëndetshëm -> person pa aftësi kufizuara
  • Use generic verbs that fit all input methods and devices.
  • en Click -> Select; sq Kliko -> Zgjidh
  • Keep paragraphs short. Keep sentence structure simple. Aim for one verb per sentence. Read text aloud and imagine a screen reader.
  • Spell out dhe, plus, mbi, nën. Screen readers misread &, +, ~.
  • Accessibility options and programs make the computer usable by people with cognitive, hearing, physical, or visual disabilities. Some accessible products and services are not available in Albanian-speaking markets. Check.

Abbreviations

  • Abbreviate in the UI only for lack of space, mainly button and option names.
  • Use standardized abbreviations documented by reference material or another authoritative source.
  • Omit at least two letters.
  • Truncate a word so that it ends with a consonant, then put a period after it.
  • Vizualizimi -> Vizual.
  • Gjeografike -> Gjeogr.
  • shekull: shek.
  • numër: nr.
  • domethënë: d.m.th.
  • zoti: z.
  • zonja: znj.
  • e të tjera: etj.
  • gram: g
  • apartament: ap.
  • rruga: rr.
  • shkalla: sh.
  • profesor: prof.
  • doktor: dr.
  • Celsius: C
  • metër: m
  • centimetër: cm
  • kilometër: km
  • faqe (njëjës): fq.
  • faqe (shumës): f.
  • gigabajt: GB
  • gigabit: gbit
  • kilobajt: KB
  • kilobit: kbit
  • megabajt: MB
  • megabit: mbit
  • terrabajt: TB
  • terrabit: tbit
  • krahaso: khs.
  • autori: aut.
  • për shembull: p.sh.
  • janar: jan.
  • e shtunë: sht.
  • e diel: die.
  • Avoid abbreviations where possible, especially for words with no widely used abbreviated form.

Acronyms

  • Keep acronyms in English. Add a generic Albanian descriptor, in Albanian word order.
  • gjuha HTML
  • protokolli HTTP
  • biblioteka DLL
  • kodi PIN
  • In online help or documentation, spell out an acronym at first use. Include the Albanian translation, the US term, and the acronym.
  • Objektet e qasjes së të dhënave (Data Access Objects, DAO)
  • In the UI there is usually no space for all three terms. Only in wizards can the acronym be spelled out and localized on first mention. With space constraints or no first occurrence, judge whether to leave the acronym as is or spell it out and localize it.
  • Different users have different levels of product knowledge. Be consistent within a product.
  • Never create a new acronym from the Albanian translated term. Never replace an English acronym with an Albanian one. Leave DLL and DPI as DLL and DPI.
  • NTFS file system -> Sistemi i skedarëve NTFS
  • Standardized acronyms stay untranslated. Add the English full spelling only when the acronym needs explaining. For a common acronym, the full form only confuses users; use the acronym alone.
  • Do not localize or spell out: ANSI (American National Standards Institute), ISO (International Standards Organization), ISDN, Wi-Fi.
  • Wi-Fi -> Wi-Fi

Adjectives

  • Follow the strict rules in the normative references.
  • Adjectives take a negative meaning through a derivative marker: jo-, pa-, mos-. Write these markers jointly in unarticulated adjectives and separately in articled adjectives and nouns.
  • non-member -> joanëtar
  • undefined -> i papërcaktuar
  • invisible -> i padukshëm
  • unavailable -> jo në dispozicion

Articles

  • English error messages vary in the use of articles, demonstrative and possessive pronouns. Be consistent in Albanian.
  • Always use the definite article, even when English has none.
  • Generally use the demonstrative pronouns.
  • Use possessive pronouns only when the context calls for them.
  • File already exists / The file already exists / This file already exists -> Skedari tashmë ekziston. In complete sentences use determiners consistently even when the source does not.
  • Not enough memory to complete this operation. -> Nuk ka memorie të mjaftueshme për të përfunduar këtë operacion. No demonstrative construction unless the context needs it.
  • Windows cannot start your system. If the problem persists, contact your network administrator. -> Windows nuk mund të nisë sistemin. Nëse problemi përsëritet sërish, kontakto administratorin e rrjetit. Avoid your unless ownership matters in context.
  • Non-translated feature names take no hyphen and no article in Albanian.
  • Windows password -> Fjalëkalimi i Windows, not Fjalëkalimi i Windows-it
  • Microsoft SQL Server database -> Baza e të dhënave e Microsoft SQL Server
  • Microsoft Dynamics 365 product family -> Familja e produkteve të Microsoft Dynamics 365
  • Translated feature names take a definite or indefinite article. They are not proper names.
  • Hide the Task Manager when it is minimized -> Fshih Menaxherin e detyrës kur minimizohet
  • Check for updates in your installed Media Player's language -> Kontrollo për përditësime në gjuhën e Lexuesit të medias të instaluar
  • For an English loan word, check motivation (formal features that fit the Albanian noun class system), analogy (an equivalent Albanian term whose article you can use), and frequency (the article used most often in other technical documentation).
  • Check approved terminology to confirm a new loan word and its article.
  • Accidental CapsLock: CapsLock aksidental -> CapsLoc i rastësishëm
  • Excellent!: Ekselent! -> Shkëlqyeshëm!
  • Accommodate learning abilities: Akomodo aftësitë e mësimit -> Vendos aftësitë e mësimit
  • Explicit Eap failure received: Dështim eksplicit i Eap-it të marrë -> Dështim i qartë i protokollit Eap të marrë
  • Invalid device command: Komandë invalide e pajisjes -> Komandë e pavlefshme e pajisjes

Capitalization

  • Do not follow English capitalization. English overuses capitals.
  • Using File Properties -> Përdorimi i vetive të skedarit. Only the first word takes a capital.
  • Do not capitalize names of weeks, months, languages, ethnonyms: e hënë, e diel, janar, qershor, shqip, anglisht, shqiptar, anglez.
  • Some strings are concatenated at run-time and start mid-sentence. Do not start such a string with an upper-case letter unless the spelling rules require it.
  • is trying to connect to this computer. If you allow, you will be disconnected, but you can resume later. Do you want to allow this connection?\r\n -> po përpiqet të lidhet me këtë kompjuter. Nëse e lejon, do të shkëputesh, por mund të vazhdosh më vonë. Dëshiron që ta lejosh këtë lidhje?\r\n
  • unknown software exception\r\n -> përjashtim i panjohur i softuerit\r\n
  • Monday -> e hënë
  • January -> janar
  • English -> anglisht
  • Albanian -> shqiptar
  • If a capitalized English noun becomes two Albanian words, follow the source capitalization for proper nouns per Albanian grammar, but use sentence case. Keep capitalization consistent.
  • Database -> Baza e të dhënave

Compounds

  • Keep compounds understandable and clear. Avoid overly long or complex compounds. Express the relationship among the components verbally instead.
  • Albanian compounds are spelled jointly or delimited by hyphens. There is no length restriction.
  • Internet Accounts -> Llogaritë në internet
  • Logon script processing -> Përpunimi i skriptit të lidhjes
  • Product names stay unchanged. Add an Albanian word in Albanian word order. Add to a product or component name with a hyphen, or use a periphrastic construction.
  • Windows password -> Fjalëkalimi i Windows
  • Microsoft Word document -> Dokument në Microsoft Word
  • Microsoft SQL Server database -> Baza e të dhënave e Microsoft SQL Server
  • Microsoft Dynamics 365 product family -> Familja e produkteve të Microsoft Dynamics 365
  • 2-D gridlines -> Vijat e rrjetës 2-D
  • 24 bit color value -> Vlera e ngjyrës 24 bit

Conjunctions

  • Starting a sentence with a conjunction conveys an informal tone.
  • Prefer short conjunctions over long, unusual ones.
  • Në qoftë se -> Nëse
  • Në mënyrë që -> Që
  • Në rast se -> Nëse

Contractions

  • Use contractions. They make the conversation flow quickly and naturally.
  • nuk është -> s'është
  • nuk ka -> s'ka
  • çfarë është -> ç'është
  • çfarë kemi -> ç'kemi

Genitive

  • The genitive is formed with the articles i/e/të/së per the rules of inflection.
  • Follow all general genitive inflection rules, except for unlocalized product and feature names, which take no inflection.
  • Microsoft IME -> Redaktori IME e Microsoft, not IME e Microsoftit

Localizing colloquialism, idioms, and metaphors

  • Do not replace a source colloquialism with an Albanian colloquialism unless it is a perfect and natural fit. Albanian products also ship to Kosovo. An Albanian colloquialism may not be appropriate for Kosovo.
  • Translate the intended meaning, not the literal colloquialism, but only when the meaning is integral to the text.
  • If the colloquialism can go without changing the meaning, omit it.

Modifiers

  • Modifiers can be adjectives, pronouns, numerals, or another noun inside a noun group. Follow general Albanian usage.
  • Run a custom dialog box. -> Ekzekuto një kuti dialogu të përshtatur. (modifier expressed with another noun)

Nouns

  • A noun carries gender, number, case, and definiteness. Each noun has its own gender. An adjective's gender depends on the noun it modifies.
  • Two inflection types: Masculine and Feminine. Rule of thumb: most nouns whose citation form ends in a consonant are masculine; most nouns whose citation form ends in a vowel are feminine.
  • Nouns form the plural in several ways, including suffixes -a, -ra, -sh, and keeping the singular form. See the normative references for the full rules.

Prepositions

  • Use prepositions correctly. Do not omit them or change word order under English influence.
  • Translate prepositional phrases per context. Avoid anglicisms.
  • migrate to -> migro në
  • Migrate from -> Migro nga
  • import to -> importo në
  • import from -> importo nga
  • export to -> eksporto në
  • export from -> eksporto nga
  • update to -> përditëso në
  • upgrade to -> përmirëso në
  • change to -> ndrysho në
  • click on -> kliko në
  • connect to -> lidhu në (or lidhu me, depending on context)
  • welcome to -> mirëserdhe në …
  • in and on are usually both në.
  • in the toolbar -> në shiritin e veglave
  • on the tab -> në skedë
  • on the menu -> në meny
  • on the net -> në rrjet
  • on the Internet -> në internet
  • on the Web -> në ueb
  • on a web site -> në sajtin e uebit
  • on a web page -> në faqen e uebit

Pronouns

  • Address the user directly with first-person and second-person pronouns. Avoid third-person references like user.
  • Use the second person singular ti when the program or a wizard tells the user what to do.
  • Never use the first person (I, me, my) when the program or a wizard tells the user what to do. It impersonates the program or the computer.
  • Users can change when new updates get installed. -> You can change when new updates get installed.
  • This setting provides users with the best display appearance. -> Choose one of these schemes or make your own.
  • Përdoruesi mund të ndryshojë kohën kur të instalohen përditësimet e reja. -> Mund të ndryshosh kohën kur të instalohen përditësimet e reja.
  • Programi duhet të kujtojë fjalëkalimin tim. -> Kujto fjalëkalimin tim
  • Trego kur një pajisje e re Bluetooth përpiqet të lidhet me kompjuterin e përdoruesit -> Më trego kur një pajisje e re Bluetooth pëpiqet të lidhet me kompjuterin tim
  • Përdoruesi rekomandohet të rezervojë rregullisht skedarët e tij. -> Të rekomandojmë të rezervosh rregullisht skedarët e tu.
  • Nuk rekomandohet që përdoruesi të instalojë këto paketa kodekësh. -> Nuk të rekomandojmë të instalosh këto paketa kodekësh.
  • S'mund të gjej printer. Dëshiron të shtosh një? -> S'mund të gjejmë printer. Dëshiron të shtosh një?

Punctuation

  • Put a space after commas and periods.
  • No space before a punctuation mark.
  • Put one space before the first word of a consecutive sentence.
  • At the end of a sentence or paragraph, punctuation marks also serve as the final period.
  • No suspension points after etc.
  • In a series of three or more elements with similar grammatical function, separate the elements with commas.
  • In a list, no comma before and and before etc.
  • Colons introduce lists and explanations. Use a colon at the end of an introductory phrase even when it is not a complete sentence.
  • Do not capitalize the word after a colon, unless the colon ends a heading or the text after it is a complete quotation.
  • Backup from: backup disc. -> Rezervo nga: disku i kopjes rezervë.
  • Hyphen: divides words between syllables, links parts of a compound word, connects the parts of an inverted or imperative verb form.
  • kom-/-pjuter
  • hyrje-dalje
  • En dash as a minus sign: spaces before and after. Mainly used in direct speech.
  • – Ekipi i Microsoft në Shqipëri ...
  • Em dash: only to emphasize an isolated element or to introduce a non-essential element. Use it between words expressing distance and time frames.
  • distanca Tokë—Hënë
  • periudha janar—maj
  • In printed documentation use the ellipsis character …, not three periods.
  • For an omitted word, use the ellipsis before and after.
  • Use a single space after the period.
  • Use a period in all complete sentences, that is, sentences with a conjugated verb.
  • Verify data after the backup completes. -> Verifiko të dhënat pasi të përfundojë rezervimi.
  • Use the English quotation marks.
  • Put the punctuation mark that follows the last quotation mark after it, not before.
  • Quotation marks inside other quotation marks are single.
  • To install the license on this computer, click "Install license." -> Për të instaluar licencën në këtë kompjuter, kliko "Instalo licencën".
  • No space between the parentheses and the text inside them. Precede and follow the parentheses with a space.
  • Backup Wizard (Advanced) -> Eksperti për rezervim (I përparuar)

Sentence fragments

  • Use standard sentence fragments for a consistent style. Keep sentences brief.
  • Ndiq hapat në vijim. -> Vepro kështu:
  • Për informacione të tjera, vizito <link>. -> Për informacione të tjera, shiko <link>.
  • Can't make sync -> Sinkronizimi i pamundur
  • Ndoshta do të dëshiroje të kontaktosh me mbështetjen teknike, nëse ky problem vazhdon. -> Mund të kontaktosh me mbështetjen teknike, nëse ky problem vazhdon.

Symbols and nonbreaking spaces

  • Symbols in Albanian come mainly from scientific fields. For symbols entered recently, follow English usage.
  • 90°C, 100Ω
  • Use non-breaking spaces between a number and a unit of measurement, and as the thousands separator.
  • 10 cm, 66 040
  • Translate & as and in running text.
  • Do not keep & in the target, unless it is part of a tag, placeholder, shortcut, or other code.

Verbs

  • Use simple tenses. Prefer simple present. Avoid future tense unless it describes something that will really happen in the future and the simple present does not fit. Use simple past for events that already happened.
  • Sapo të ketë përfunduar konfigurimi i aplikacionit, në desktop do të shfaqet ikona. -> Sapo të përfundojë konfigurimi i aplikacionit, në desktop do të shfaqet ikona.
  • Do të mund të hysh në llogari, pasi të kesh futur fjalëkalimin e saktë. -> Mund të hysh në llogari, pasi të fusësh fjalëkalimin e saktë.
  • Nëse nuk pranon deklaratën e privatësisë, konfigurimi do të ndalojë. -> Nëse nuk pranon deklaratën e privatësisë, konfigurimi ndalon.
  • Translate an English gerund for a continuous operation with duke + verb participle.
  • Downloading files … -> Duke shkarkuar skedarët…

Applications, products, and features

  • Product and feature names are often trademarked and are rarely translated.
  • Version numbers always contain a period: Version 4.2.
  • Version strings that contain copyright information must always be translated. Check approved terminology for the correct translations.

Error messages

  • Error messages inform the user of an error that must be corrected for the program to keep running. They prompt an action or report an error that requires rebooting.
  • Make the translation natural and empathetic, not robot-like.
  • Use consistent terminology and language style. Do not just translate as they appear in the source.
  • English error messages often make a product, feature, or device the subject. Avoid this personalization in Albanian.
  • If the product is obvious from context, omit it. In complex products where several components run at once, use [ProductName]: [message translated in the impersonal form].
  • Word cannot open this document -> Dokumenti nuk mund të hapet
  • Data Protection Manager could not copy the files to the selected location -> Data Protection Manager: skedari nuk mund të kopjohet në vendndodhjen e zgjedhur
  • When personalization cannot be avoided without losing important information, move the object to the start of the sentence and the subject to the end.
  • The driver cannot recognize the specified command -> Komanda e përcaktuar nuk njihet nga drejtuesi
  • RASMXS.DLL cannot load RASSER.DLL -> RASSER.DLL nuk mund të ngarkohet nga RASMXS.DLL
  • Omit the to be auxiliary where possible.
  • The function is not supported -> Funksioni nuk mbështetet
  • An error number was specified that is not defined in the system -> Numri i specifikuar i gabimit nuk përcaktohet në sistem
  • An invalid parameter was passed to a system function -> Një funksion i sistemit ka marrë parametër të pavlefshëm
  • File could not be found -> Skedari nuk mund të gjendej
  • File cannot be found -> Skedari nuk mund të gjendet
  • Failed to connect / Failure to connect -> Dështoi të lidhej
  • Cannot find driver software -> Nuk mund të gjejë softuerin e drejtuesit
  • Could not find driver software -> Nuk mund të gjente softuerin e drejtuesit
  • Unable to find driver software -> Nuk është në gjendje të gjejë softuerin e drejtuesit
  • Unable to locate driver software -> Nuk është në gjendje të gjejë vendndodhjen e softuerit të drejtuesit
  • Not enough memory -> Memorie e pamjaftueshme
  • Insufficient memory -> Memorie e pamjaftueshme
  • There is not enough memory -> Nuk ka memorie të mjaftueshme
  • There is not enough memory available -> Nuk ka memorie të mjaftueshme në dispozicion
  • The command is not available -> Komanda nuk është në dispozicion
  • The command is unavailable -> Komanda nuk është në dispozicion
  • For 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."

Keys

  • Key names appear in normal text, not small caps.
  • Alt -> Alt
  • Backspace -> Backspace
  • Break -> Break
  • Caps Lock -> Caps Lock
  • Ctrl -> Control
  • Delete -> Delete
  • Down Arrow -> Shigjeta poshtë
  • End -> End
  • Enter -> Enter
  • Esc -> Esc
  • Home -> Home
  • Insert -> Insert
  • Left Arrow -> Shigjeta majtas
  • Num Lock -> Num Lock
  • Page Down -> Page Down
  • Page Up -> Page Up
  • Pause -> Pause
  • Right Arrow -> Shigjeta djathtas
  • Scroll Lock -> Scroll Lock
  • Shift -> Shift
  • Spacebar -> Tasti i hapësirës
  • Tab -> Tab
  • Up Arrow -> Shigjeta lart
  • Windows key -> Tasti Windows
  • Print Screen -> Print Screen
  • Menu key -> Tasti i menysë

Keyboard shortcuts

  • Slim characters (I, l, t, r, f): allowed, but normally not used. Use as hot keys only when there is no other choice.
  • Characters with downstrokes (g, j, y, p, q): allowed, but normally not used. Use as hot keys only when there is no other choice.
  • Extended characters: allowed, but normally not used. Use as hot keys only when there is no other choice.
  • An additional letter in brackets after the item name: allowed, but not preferred. Use only when there is no other choice.
  • A number in brackets after the item name: allowed, but not preferred. Use only when there is no other choice.
  • A punctuation sign in brackets after the item name: not allowed.
  • Duplicate keyboard shortcuts when no other character is available: not allowed.
  • No keyboard shortcut assigned when no more characters are available (minor options only): allowed.
  • Access key: a subtype of keyboard shortcut. A letter or number the user types to reach UI controls with text labels. Assigned to top-level controls. Example: F in Alt+F. In UI localization: H&ome. Most access keys are used with Alt.
  • Key tip: the letter or number that appears in the ribbon when Alt is pressed. In UI localization it 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. Not available for every command. Example: Ctrl+N, Ctrl+V. Most shortcut keys are used with Ctrl. Ctrl+letter combinations and function keys F1 to F12 are the best choices.

English pronunciation

  • Pronounce unlocalized English terms and product names the English way. Pronounce numbers in Albanian: Microsoft Word 2021.
  • If Albanian has an established pronunciation for a common term (server), use the local one. Adapt to the Albanian phonetic system when the original sounds very awkward.
  • SecurID: [sı'kjuər aı di:]
  • .NET: [dot net]
  • Skype: [skajp]. Pronounce as in the source language. j instead of i is nearer to the English pronunciation.
  • Pronounce acronyms like real words, adapted to local pronunciation: RADIUS -> [radius], RAS -> [ras], ISA -> [isa], LAN -> [lan], WAN -> [uan], WAP -> [uap], MAPI -> [mapi], POP -> [pop]
  • Pronounce other abbreviations letter by letter: ICMP -> [icəməpə], IP -> [ipə], TCP/IP -> [təcəpə/ipə], XML -> [xəmələ], HTML -> [hətəmələ], OWA -> [oua], SQL -> [səqələ], URL -> [urələ]
  • Leave out http://. Read the rest of the URL entirely.
  • www is dubəl vəː in Albanian.
  • Omit the dot, or read it out as pikë in Albanian.
  • http://www.microsoft.com -> dubəl və dubəl və dubəl və pikə maikrosoft pikə kom. pikə might be omitted.
  • Most punctuation marks are implied by the sound of voice: ? ! : ; ,
  • En dash – marks an isolated element. Pronounce it as a comma, a short pause.
  • Pronounce special characters such as / \ ˘ < > + - using the approved Albanian translations. < is kllapa këndore e majtë.

Tone

  • Match the tone to the audience: informal, playful, inspiring for consumer products and games; formal, informative, factual in technical texts.