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Turkish (Turkey) style guide

Voice

  • Three principles: warm and relaxed, crisp and clear, ready to lend a hand.
  • Warm and relaxed: natural, less formal, grounded in honest conversations. Occasionally fun.
  • Crisp and clear: to the point. Write for scanning first, reading second. Make it simple above all.
  • Ready to lend a hand: show customers you are on their side. Anticipate real needs. Offer information at the right time.
  • Keep the audience in mind. Use technical terms for technical audiences. Use common words and phrases for consumers.
  • Choose words and grammatical structures that reflect the style of the source text. Consider the needs of the audience and the intent of the text.
  • Keep the general style clear, friendly and concise. Use language like everyday conversation, not the formal technical language of technical and commercial content.
  • Choose words that are not standard translations when that best keeps the intent of the source.
  • Do not translate literally. Consider the intent of the text and what the customer needs to know to complete the task.

Flexibility

  • Modify or rewrite translated strings to fit Turkish customers. Understand the intent of the whole sentence, paragraph and page, then rewrite as if authoring.
  • Remove unnecessary content where needed.
  • If you're sitting next to someone and want to share something like photos or your contact info, you might think to send them in an email or text. -> Yan yana oturduğunuz birisiyle fotoğraf veya iletişim bilgilerinizi paylaşmak istiyorsanız, bir e-posta veya mesaj gönderebilirsiniz.
  • Keep the people you care about front and center. -> Değer verdiğiniz kişiler gözünüzün önünde olsun.
  • Monitor your kids' PC activity. It's not spying, it's parenting. -> Çocuklarınızın bilgisayarda neler yaptığını izleyin.
  • Add new life to your PC with a fully personalized Start screen and a world of apps available from the Windows Store. -> Kişiselleştirilmiş Başlangıç ekranı ve Windows Mağazası'ndan alınabilecek pek çok uygulamayla bilgisayarınıza hayat verin.
  • Become the next big dev -> Bir sonraki büyük uygulamanın geliştiricisi olun
  • Sound natural when offering a solution to the user. Rewrite in those cases.
  • Add words to complete the meaning. Omit words or phrases that make the text unnecessarily longer. Capture the main idea, then express it in Turkish.
  • Keep your browsing more private and shop online with confidence. -> İnternette gezinirken gizliliğinizi koruyun ve güvenle alışveriş yapın.
  • Don't let worry weigh you down—let us help -> Güvenlik konusunda endişelenmeyin; yardımcı olabiliriz

Word choice

  • Use approved terminology for key terms, technical terms and product names.
  • Prefer simple, everyday words. Shorter words read and understand faster. Use simple, less complicated inflections.
  • Do not use shortened forms of English words such as info or app. Shortening words is not general practice in Turkish and has no defined standards. Only a few words in formal references have shortened forms.
  • Never shorten words by removing letters. Use shorter synonyms instead.
  • PC -> bilgisayar. Use PC in Turkish only when the text mentions both Macs and PCs.
  • manually -> kendiniz. The standard translation el ile does not suit addressing the user.
  • item -> klasör, dosya, resim. Öğe is not an everyday word. Name the item as it is: file, picture.
  • Use please when the user is asked to do something inconvenient, is asked to wait, or is inconvenienced by the software.
  • Your request couldn't be processed. Please try again later. If the problem continues, contact your helpdesk. -> İsteğiniz işlenemedi. Lütfen daha sonra yeniden deneyin. Sorun devam ederse yardım masanıza başvurun.
  • Use sorry only in error messages that cause serious problems: data loss, the customer cannot continue using the computer, the customer must get help from a technical representative, or a product or service fails. Keep it sincere, not flippant or sarcastic.
  • English uses sorry more often than Turkish. Drop it where the translation does not need it.
  • For a serious situation use özür dileriz. Otherwise use ne yazık ki or maalesef. Never use the literal üzgünüz.
  • We're sorry, the service isn't available right now. -> Maalesef hizmet şu anda kullanılamıyor.
  • Sorry for the inconvenience. -> Bu sorun nedeniyle özür dileriz.

Words and phrases to avoid

  • Avoid an unnecessarily formal tone. Old-style Turkish words sound formal and unnecessarily serious. Use everyday versions.
  • through: suretiyle -> aracılığıyla, yoluyla
  • surely: muhakkak -> kesinlikle
  • to make sure: maksadıyla -> amacıyla
  • so that: dolayısıyla -> böylece, bu sayede
  • quickly: hızlı bir şekilde, ivedilikle -> hızla
  • via: vasıtasıyla -> aracılığıyla, yoluyla
  • possibly: muhtemel -> olası
  • possibility: ihtimal -> olasılık
  • problem, issue, failure: arıza, başarısızlık -> sorun, hata
  • in the end, last: nihayet -> son, sonunda
  • currently: halihazırda -> şu anda
  • in, within: içerisinde -> içinde

Word-to-word translation

  • Avoid word-for-word translation. Literal translation without understanding the paragraph or page sounds stiff and unnatural.
  • Check the source text in the live pages. Do not translate a list of strings without context.
  • Split the text into different sentences where that simplifies the translation. Omit descriptors to make the text snappier.
  • Watch word order and placeholders in English text. They may require restructuring the Turkish text.
  • Arrange your files—quickly -> Dosyalarınızı hızla düzene sokun, not Dosyalarınızı düzene sokun—hızla
  • Find your stuff fast with supercharged Search in Windows 11. -> Windows 11'deki olağanüstü Arama özelliğiyle aradıklarınızı hızla bulun., not Windows 11'de tamamen güçlendirilmiş Arama özelliğiyle aradıklarınızı hızla bulun.

Sample voice text

  • Focusing on the user action: The password isn't correct, so try again. Passwords are case-sensitive. -> Parola doğru değil, lütfen yeniden deneyin. Parolalarda büyük ve küçük harflerin aynı olmadığını unutmayın. Short, friendly message with the action to try again.
  • This product key didn't work. Check it and try again. -> Bu ürün anahtarı işe yaramadı. Lütfen kontrol edip yeniden deneyin. Casual and polite.
  • All ready to go -> Her şey hazır. Casual and short.
  • Would you like to continue? -> Devam etmek istiyor musunuz? Second person pronoun you, politely.
  • Give your PC a name—any name you want. If you want to change the background color, turn high contrast off in PC settings. -> Bilgisayarınıza istediğiniz bir ismi verin. Arka plan rengini değiştirmek isterseniz, Bilgisayar ayarlarında yüksek karşıtlık ayarını kapatın. Address the user directly in the second person.
  • Explanatory text and support: 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. -> Güncelleştirmeler yüklendi, ancak etkin olmaları için Windows Kurulumu'nun bilgisayarı yeniden başlatması gerekiyor. Yeniden başlatma tamamlandığında kaldığımız yerden devam edeceğiz. Natural language, the way people talk. Reassuring. we gives a personal feel.
  • If you restart now, you and any other people using this PC could lose unsaved work. -> Bilgisayarı şimdi yeniden başlatırsanız, siz ve bu bilgisayarı kullanan başka kişiler kaydetmediğiniz çalışmaları kaybedebilirsiniz. Clear and natural about what will happen.
  • This document will be automatically moved to the right library and folder after you correct invalid or missing properties. -> Geçersiz veya eksik özellikleri değiştirmenizin ardından bu belge otomatik olarak doğru kitaplığa ve klasöre taşınır. Informative and direct about the action.
  • Something bad happened! Unable to locate downloaded files to create your bootable USB flash drive. -> Bir sorun var! Başlatılabilir USB flash sürücünüzü oluşturmak için indirilen dosyalar bulunamıyor. Short sentences, no complexity.
  • Promoting a feature: 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. -> Resimli parolalar, dokunmatik ekranlı bilgisayarınızı korumak için yeni bir yol sağlar. Kendinize özel bir parola oluşturmak için istediğiniz resmi ve bununla kullanılacak hareketleri seçebilirsiniz. Em dash cannot mark emphasis in Turkish, so drop it. Parentheses can replace em dashes.
  • Let apps give you personalized content based on your PC's location, name, account picture, and other domain info. -> Uygulamalar bilgisayarınızın konumuna, adınıza, hesap resminize veya etki alanı bilgilerinize göre özel içerikler sunar. Add familiarity with everyday words for PC, by context.
  • Providing how-to guidelines: To go back and save your work, click Cancel and finish what you need to. -> Geriye dönüp çalışmanızı kaydetmek için İptal'e tıklayın ve yapmak istediklerinizi tamamlayın. Short, clear action in the second person.
  • To confirm your current picture password, just watch the replay and trace the example gestures shown on your picture. -> Resimli parolanızı onaylamak için yeniden gösterimi izleyin ve örnek hareketleri resminizde uygulayın. Simple and natural. Tell the user only what they need to decide.
  • It's time to enter the product key. When you connect to the Internet, we'll activate Windows for you. -> Artık ürün anahtarını girebilirsiniz. İnternet'e bağlandığınızda Windows'u etkinleştireceğiz. Speak directly and naturally in the second person.

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, or several clear words over one complicated term.
  • Be mindful of references to parts of the world. Do not name politically disputed cities, countries or regions. Use equivalent references across regions. Do not mix countries with states or continents.
  • Represent diverse perspectives and circumstances in text and images. Show a variety of people from all walks of life participating fully. Show many professions, educational settings, locales and economic settings.
  • Never generalize or stereotype people by region, culture, age or gender, not even a positive stereotype. Choose names for job roles that reflect a variety of gender identities and cultural backgrounds.
  • Never use profane or derogatory terms.
  • Never use slang that could read as cultural appropriation.
  • Never use terms carrying unconscious racial bias, or terms tied to military actions, politics, or controversial historical events and eras. Avoid zenci for black. Prefer siyahi. Handle any term referring to colour or race with care.
  • guru -> expert; usta -> uzman
  • blacklist -> block; kara listeye alma -> engelleme
  • guys; ladies and gentlemen -> colleagues; everyone; all; guys; kadınlar, erkekler; hanımlar, beyler -> iş arkadaşları; ekip arkadaşları; ekip; herkes
  • minority -> historically underrepresented; azınlık -> geçmişte yeterince temsil edilmemiş
  • mother or father -> parent; anne veya baba -> ebeveyn
  • go Dutch -> go halves; Alman usülü ödemek -> yarı yarıya ödemek

Avoid gender bias

  • Use gender-neutral alternatives for common terms. Avoid compounds containing gender-specific terms.
  • insanoğlu -> insanlık. Oğul is a gendered concept.
  • bilim adamı, bilim kadını -> bilim insanı. Adam/kadın is a gendered concept.
  • iş adamı, iş kadını -> iş insanı. Adam/kadın is a gendered concept.
  • adam -> kişi; birey; insan. Adam is a gendered concept.
  • bayan -> kadın. Bayan is gender-biased.
  • adam -> erkek. Adam is gender-biased.
  • baba (adam); adam gibi; adamakıllı -> olgun (insan); doğru şekilde; düzgün biçimde; gerektiği gibi. Avoid adjectives with a gender reference.
  • kız arkadaş; erkek arkadaş; karı; koca -> eş; partner; sevgili. Do not use nouns that focus on the gender of a partner.
  • Use plural noun forms for generalizations. Examples: kişiler, bireyler, öğrenciler
  • Use the neutral noun form with no gendered adjective or noun phrase when diversity needs highlighting. Use Kız ve erkek öğrenciler Eylül ayında okula başlar instead of Öğrenciler Eylül ayında okula başlar.
  • The direct translation of gendered pronouns she-her/he-his is the non-gendered o and its suffixed forms. A direct translation works in many cases.
  • Rewrite to use the second or third person, siz or o.
  • Rewrite the sentence to have a plural noun and pronoun.
  • Prefer adjectives or definite nouns over a pronoun where applicable. Use söz konusu belge or belge instead of onun belgesi or kendi belgesi.
  • Refer to a person's role. Examples: okuyucu, çalışan, müşteri. Avoid implied genders in borrowed words: müdür/müdire.
  • Use kişi or kişiler.
  • If the user has the appropriate rights, he can set other users' passwords. -> A user with the appropriate rights can set other users' passwords.; Bir kullanıcı ilgili haklara sahipse bu adam diğerlerinin şifresini belirleyebilir. -> İlgili haklara sahip kullanıcılar, diğer kullanıcıların şifresini belirleyebilir.
  • A developer needs access to servers in his development environment, but he doesn't need access to the servers in Azure. -> Developers need access to servers in their development environments, but they don't need access to the servers in Azure.; Bir geliştiricinin, kendi geliştirme ortamındaki sunuculara erişebilmesi gerekir. Azure'daki sunuculara erişmesi gerekmez. -> Geliştiricilerin, geliştirme ortamlarındaki sunuculara erişebilmesi gerekir. Azure'daki sunuculara erişmeleri gerekmez.
  • When the author opens her document …. -> When the author opens the document ….; Bir kadın yazar dosyasını açtığında … -> Yazar dosyayı açtığında …
  • When writing about a real person, avoid the word-for-word approach with pronouns. Use actual names or other applicable nouns. Do not repeat or overuse pronouns consecutively as English does.
  • For a real person who uses the third person plural pronoun they, their, use o (onun).
  • Use gender-neutral language in new products and content. Existing or legacy material need not be updated.

Accessibility

  • Focus on people, not disabilities. Never use words implying pity, such as tekerlekli sandalyeye mahkum. Prefer not to mention a disability unless it is relevant.
  • handicapped; confined to a wheelchair; wheelchair-bound; cripple -> person with a disability; wheelchair user; özürlü; tekerlekli sandalyeye mahkum; sakat; topal -> özel gereksinimli birey; engelli (birey); tekerlekli sandalye kullanan
  • deaf; deaf and dumb; deaf mute -> person with hearing impairment; sağır; sağır ve dilsiz -> işitme engelli kişi; işitme güçlüğü çeken kişi; ağır işiten kişi
  • blind; dull -> person with visual impairments; blind people; partially sighted people; kör -> görme engelli kişi; görme güçlüğü çekenler
  • mental patient; insane; crazy; mad -> person with a mental health condition; akıl hastası; çatlak; deli; kaçık; spastik -> zihinsel engelli kişi; zihinsel rahatsızlık yaşayanlar
  • Use generic verbs that apply to all input methods and devices. In procedures and instructions, avoid verbs that make no sense with alternative input methods.
  • Click -> Select; Tıklayın -> Seçin
  • 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 such as ve, ile, ayrıca, yaklaşık. Screen readers misread special characters such as the ampersand &, plus sign + and tilde ~.

Abbreviations

  • Abbreviate words in the UI, mainly button or option names, only for lack of space, and only when no shorter translation exists.
  • There is no standard way. Two options: take vowels out, starting with e, the commonest vowel and easiest to compensate for; or truncate the end of a word and add a period to mark the shortening.
  • program -> pgm
  • mesaj -> msj
  • Never abbreviate product names.
  • Never put abbreviated words in titles or headings.
  • Prefer hyphenation over abbreviation.

Acronyms

  • Acronyms are words made from the initial letters of the major parts of a compound term. Examples: WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get), DNS (Domain Name Server), HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)
  • Use only widely known acronyms in localized form. TDK provides a list of acronyms used in Turkish.
  • Most acronyms stay as is in Turkish. Few are localized.
  • USA -> ABD
  • OVR (overwrite) -> ÜYZ
  • Inflect unlocalized acronyms by Turkish grammar rules.
  • If the acronym reads as a word, with enough vowels to read it as a word rather than letters, inflect it as a word.
  • If the acronym holds no vowels, or cannot be read as a word, spell it letter by letter and append the proper suffix for the last letter.
  • Some product names, MSN, and commonly known acronyms, IP, can be read in English and inflected accordingly.
  • from OLE DB -> OLE DB'den
  • to SMTP -> SMTP'ye
  • its API -> API'si

Adjectives

  • Consecutive adjectives in English cause fluency issues in Turkish. Rearrange word order or sentence structure by Turkish grammar rules.
  • monthly photo calendar -> fotoğraflı aylık takvim
  • Turkish uses possessive adjectives less often than English. Turkish adds possessives as suffixes. Omit them for fluency where needed.
  • Set Up Your Device -> Cihazı Ayarla

Articles

  • Turkish grammar has no articles. Render them by context. Definite and indefinite articles do not always translate the same way.
  • Do not always use bir for indefinite articles. English definite articles often require inflecting the associated word in Turkish.
  • Choose a color to apply to the selected item. -> Seçili öğeye uygulanacak bir renk seçin. or Seçili öğeye uygulanacak rengi seçin.
  • Choose the font color. -> Yazı tipi rengini seçin.

Capitalization

  • English overuses capitals. In software translations, follow the source style, but keep consistency between similar items.
  • Capitalize only proper nouns and the first word of a sentence. Few exceptions exist, such as legal terms in a contract.
  • Do not use ALL CAPS or no caps in Turkish. Where the source uses them as design elements, apply the same in Turkish.
  • Changing case automatically does not work for Turkish. Do it manually, so the Turkish characters i (İ in uppercase) and ı (I in uppercase) stay intact.

Compounds

  • Keep compounds understandable and clear. Avoid overly long or complex compounds.
  • English compound nouns generally do not translate the same way into Turkish.
  • workforce -> iş gücü
  • businesswoman -> iş kadını
  • background -> arka plan
  • Turkish compound noun spelling changed recently. Check the TDK website for general guidelines and recent updates.
  • olağandışı -> olağan dışı
  • balkabağı -> bal kabağı

Conjunctions

  • Avoid conjunctions excessively in Turkish. Divide an overly long sentence into smaller sentences.
  • Repeating the same conjunction more than once hurts fluency and sounds unnatural.
  • There's no substitute for manually saving your work, so click Save (or press CTRL+S) often.: Çalışmanızı kaydetmenin yerini hiçbir şey tutmaz; bu sebeple sık sık Kaydet düğmesine (veya CTRL ve S tuşlarına) basın. -> Çalışmanızı kaydetmenin yerini hiçbir şey tutmaz. Sık sık Kaydet düğmesine (veya CTRL+S tuşlarına) basmayı ihmal etmeyin.
  • We couldn't find a match. Flick left or right for other results, or try a different search term.: Bir eşleşme bulamadık. Diğer sonuçları görmek için sola veya sağa doğru hızlı kaydırın veya farklı bir arama terimi deneyin. -> Bir eşleşme bulamadık. Diğer sonuçları görmek için sola veya sağa doğru hızlı kaydırın ya da farklı bir arama terimi deneyin.
  • Remove one or more recipients and try again.: Bir veya daha fazla alıcıyı silin ve tekrar deneyin. -> Bir veya daha fazla alıcıyı silip tekrar deneyin.

Genitive

  • Translate genitives on product names as separate words, especially for unlocalized names that are hard to read in Turkish.
  • OneNote's -> OneNote uygulamasının

Localizing colloquialism, idioms, and metaphors

  • Do not replace a source colloquialism with a Turkish colloquialism of the same meaning unless it is a perfect and natural fit for the context.
  • Translate the intended meaning of the colloquialism, not the colloquialism itself, but only where its meaning is an integral part of the text.
  • Omit the colloquialism where it can go without affecting the meaning.
  • We've hit a snag… -> Bir engelle karşılaştık…
  • Crashes happen. -> Bilgisayarınız kilitlenebilir.

Nouns

  • Inflect nouns with the proper suffixes by the vowel harmony rule. Turkish is agglutinative, so a noun may take several suffixes and its stem may change.
  • to your computer -> bilgisayarınıza
  • Form plurals by adding the plural suffix -ler or -lar by the vowel harmony rule. Avoid the unnecessary plural form.
  • To add parameters -> Parametre eklemek için
  • Singular usage in English does not require singular usage in translation. The plural form is sometimes more fluent in Turkish.
  • User can delete this sentence. -> Kullanıcılar bu cümleyi silebilir.
  • Rearrange noun and adjective groups by Turkish syntax. Following the source word order may not work.
  • Holiday party invitation with ornaments and swirling border -> Yılbaşı partisi için kırmızı ve yeşil süslemeli davetiye

Numbers

  • Check the Turkish Language Association website for guidelines on the use of numbers: https://www.tdk.gov.tr/icerik/yazim-kurallari/sayilarin-yazilisi/

Prepositions

  • Use prepositions correctly. Do not omit them or change the word order under English influence.
  • Starting or ending a sentence with a preposition is not possible in Turkish grammar. Use other ways to reach a conversational tone.
  • Following the source word-for-word, or repeating the same prepositions, causes fluency problems and sounds unnatural.
  • To make this process more convenient for you, there are a couple of quick ways to switch back to the events list right from Outlook. -> Bu işlemi sizin için daha kolay hale getirmek üzere doğrudan Outlook'tan olay listesine dönmenizi sağlayan birkaç hızlı yol vardır. Overuse of için causes fluency issues. Use different prepositions for for and to: için and üzere.

Pronouns

  • Omitting pronouns is a common mistake. Overusing them hurts fluency. Change the word order instead, to avoid wordiness.
  • Pronouns can be rendered as null subjects only where the subject of the sentence is clear.
  • To make the sentence more understandable, you should make it simplified. -> Daha anlaşılır olması için cümleyi sadeleştirmelisiniz. Cümlenin daha anlaşılır olması için bunu sadeleştirmelisiniz. is unnecessarily complex. Use the simpler form.
  • It seems that "Delete" option is not enabled in the Advanced Settings pane before this operation. It cannot be used in the specified context. -> Bu işlemden önce "Sil" seçeneği Gelişmiş Ayarlar bölmesinde etkinleştirilmemiş gibi görünüyor. Bu seçenek, belirtilen bağlamda kullanılamaz. Where the preceding sentence is complicated and the subject is unclear, do not render the pronoun as a null subject.
  • Where the source uses the first person plural, follow the same structure in Turkish, to keep the informal tone and the sense of speaking to the user.
  • Wait and we'll let you know when this is done. -> Lütfen bekleyin. İşlem tamamlandığında haber vereceğiz.
  • Use the first person, I, me, my, when the user tells the application or a wizard what to do.
  • Automatically include my signature on messages I send (checkbox) -> Gönderdiğim iletilere imzamı otomatik olarak ekle
  • Use the second person, you, your, when the application, wizard or UI tells the user what to do.
  • You can send replies to senders the whole time you're away or for a specific period of time (introductory text) -> Dışarıda olduğunuz süre boyunca veya belirli bir süre içinde ileti gönderenlere yanıt verebilirsiniz.
  • Use the formal you (siz) when addressing the user in general context.
  • Use the informal you (sen) for a younger audience, or in marketing banners and taglines calling to action.

Punctuation

  • Bulleted lists: a bullet item that is a full sentence starts with a capital letter and ends with a period.
  • Bulleted phrases also start with capital letters.
  • Comma: use when needed. A missing comma can change the meaning. Do not overuse commas. Divide a long sentence into two parts instead, for a natural, conversational tone.
  • Add a comma for clarity where the subject and the verb of a sentence are not closely placed.
  • Colon: text after the colon that is a full sentence starts with a capital letter. A fragment stays lower case.
  • This application does not have these functions; cut-paste, drag and drop. -> Bu uygulama şu özelliklere sahip değildir: kesme-yapıştırma, sürükleyip bırakma.
  • Never use colons in document titles.
  • Semicolon: text after the semicolon does not start with a capital letter.
  • Never use semicolons after the subject of a long sentence. A comma is generally enough.
  • Exclamation mark: used less often than in English. Do not copy it from the source where the translation does not need it.
  • English uses three dash characters. In Turkish the hyphen and the en dash are basically the same thing.
  • Hyphen: divides words between syllables, links parts of a compound word, and connects the parts of an inverted or imperative verb form. Its Turkish use is very limited. Most compounds are written as two separate words, or as a single word without hyphens.
  • user-specified parameter -> kullanıcı tarafından belirtilen parametre. The meaning is clear without a hyphen.
  • En dash as a minus sign: no spaces after the minus sign in Turkish. - 5 -> -5
  • En dash in number ranges: no spaces around it. Pages 3-5 -> Sayfa 3-5
  • Em dash emphasizes an isolated element or introduces an element that is not essential to the meaning. This does not apply to Turkish. Convert em dashes to colons, semicolons or parentheses.
  • Time is precious. More than ever, you need a system that is simple, easy, natural, and enjoyable – so you can get things done and focus on what matters most in your life. -> Zaman değerlidir. İşlerinizi yapıp yaşamınızdaki en önemli konulara yoğunlaşabilmek için basit, kolay, doğal ve zevkli bir sisteme her zamankinden daha çok ihtiyacınız var. Replace the em dash with a proper alternative, or change the word order to carry the sense.
  • Ellipses: no spaces before ellipses. Always three points, never two.
  • In software translations, use ellipses at the end of a sentence that mentions an on-going operation, in the present continuous tense.
  • Downloading the updates... -> Güncelleştirmeler indiriliyor... No spaces before the ellipses.
  • Period: only one space after the period at the end of a full sentence. English sometimes uses double spaces. Do not follow that.
  • Quotation marks: use straight quotation marks in Turkish. Source strings may surround software references with English quotation marks.
  • Parentheses: no space between the parentheses and the text inside, as in English.
  • A sentence inside parentheses keeps its full stop inside the parentheses.
  • A fragment inside parentheses goes just after the part of the sentence it complements. Never leave it alone at the end of a sentence. Never start a sentence with a fragment in parentheses.
  • Add suffixes to the word before the parentheses, to keep fluency.
  • Install the required Windows version (Windows 10 or later). -> Gerekli Windows sürümünü (Windows 10 ve sonrası) yükleyin.

Symbols and nonbreaking spaces

  • Some symbols widely used in English, such as @, #, &, are not used in Turkish translation.
  • # items -> Öğe sayısı
  • Bullets & Numbering -> Madde İşaretleri ve Numaralandırma
  • 25 min.@ 25 Gbps -> 25 Gb/sn hızda 25 dk.
  • Use non-breaking spaces between items that must not be divided onto separate lines.
  • Do not overuse non-breaking spaces. Delete extra ones from the source. A non-breaking space is necessary between a product name and its version, not between two words in regular text.
  • 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

  • Use simple tenses. The simple present is easiest to understand. Avoid the future tense unless describing something that will really happen in the future and the simple present does not apply. Use the simple past for events that have already happened.
  • Prefer simpler tenses and simpler verb forms, with fewer suffixes, over complex forms. They are more to-the-point and sound less formal and distant.
  • Never use the polite verb form (yap-ın-ız). It gives an authoritative tone.
  • Give the right meaning and the desired tone with the simplest verb form.
  • This completes all. -> Böylece tüm işlemler tamamlanır. Passive voice sounds more natural in Turkish.
  • You haven't set this option before. -> Bu ayarı daha önce belirtmediniz. Use the simple past for events that already happened. No complex tenses like -mişli geçmiş zaman.
  • First, complete these. -> Önce bu işlemleri tamamlayın. Short and direct tone is better.
  • We can't complete this action. -> Bu işlemi tamamlayamıyoruz. Adapt we with the proper suffix on the verb. Avoid complex structures like tamamlayamamaktayız, hard to read and too formal.
  • Prefer active voice over passive voice. An indirect tone is useful in informational messages that must not blame the user.
  • Translate status messages and progress indicators in passive voice.
  • Avoid complex sentence structures that use passive forms unnecessarily.
  • This document will be automatically moved to the right library and folder after you correct invalid or missing properties. -> Geçersiz ayarlar ve eksik özellikler değiştirildikten sonra bu belge otomatik olarak doğru kitaplığa ve klasöre taşınır. Use passive voice when needed for better fluency.
  • You have restored this document before. -> Bu belgeyi daha önce geri yüklediniz. Active voice gives the right tone for a completed action, clear and personal.
  • We can't save this document. -> Bu belgeyi kaydedemiyoruz. Informative message in a direct and friendly tone.

Localization considerations

  • Adapt the translated text to the local language, customs and standards.
  • The language reads as if originally written in Turkish, with idiomatic syntax and terminology, while keeping terminological consistency high.

Accessibility options

  • Accessibility options and programs make the computer usable by people with cognitive, hearing, physical or visual disabilities.
  • Hardware and software components engage 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 Turkish-speaking markets. Double-check with the appropriate resources.

Applications, products, and features

  • Application and product names are often trademarked and are rarely translated.
  • Version numbers always contain a period. Example: Version 4.2
  • Version 8.1 -> Sürüm 8.1
  • Version numbers are usually part of version strings, but they are not the same thing.
  • Product, feature and component names often sit in version strings as they appear in the software.
  • Always translate version strings that contain copyright information. Check approved terminology for the correct translations.

Software considerations

  • Clarity and simplicity are the key considerations.
  • Be as short as possible. Avoid unnecessary words.
  • Different devices, sizes and formats are used. The UI fits all of them.
  • Aim for cross-platform consistency on desktop, mobile and cloud.
  • Every principle below may have an exception, by product, experience and customer. Interpret the guidelines for the best customer experience.

Error messages

  • An error message tells the user an error must be corrected for the program to keep running. It may prompt an action or report an error that requires rebooting the computer.
  • Apply the voice principles, so the target is natural and empathetic, not robot-like.
  • Sorry, that can't be blank... -> Maalesef bu alan boş olamaz…
  • Not enough memory to process this command. -> Bu komutu işlemek için bellek yeterli değil.
  • Keep terminology and language style consistent across localized error messages. Do not translate as they appear in the source.
  • Follow the logical order of events, not the source word order. Proper grammar explains the error clearly. Following the source too closely causes fluency issues.
  • The server cannot send email notifications because the e-mail server cannot be contacted. -> E-posta sunucusuyla iletişim kurulamadığından, sunucu e-posta bildirimi gönderemiyor.
  • To enter your address, you should select your country. -> Adresinizi girebilmek için önce ülkenizi seçmelisiniz.
  • Use the target phrases below for standard phrases. Use other wording where it works better in context.
  • Cannot …, Could not … -> ... yapılamıyor. Example: İleti gönderilemiyor. The translation uses the to do verb. Only the inflection part is standard. Use passive voice.
  • Failed to …, Failure of … -> ... yapılamadı. Example: İleti gönderilemedi. To fail and the main verb combine into one Turkish verb with proper suffixes. Only the inflection part is standard. Use passive voice.
  • Cannot find …, Could not find …, Unable to find …, Unable to locate … -> ... bulunamıyor. Example: İleti bulunamıyor. Only the inflection part is standard. Use passive voice.
  • Not enough memory, Insufficient memory, There is not enough memory, There is not enough memory available -> Bellek yeterli değil, Bellek yetersiz, Yetersiz bellek. Several forms give stylistic consistency.
  • ... is not available, ... is unavailable -> ... yok, ...kullanılamıyor. The verb changes with the subject. Examples: Erişim izni yok., Ağ paylaşımı kullanılamıyor.
  • Find out what replaces a placeholder, so the sentence stays grammatical after replacement.
  • %d, %ld, %u, and %lu means <number>
  • %c means <letter>
  • %s means <string>
  • "Checking Web %1!d! of %2!d!" means "Checking Web <number> of <number>."
  • "INI file "%1!-.200s!" section" means "INI file "<string>" section."
  • Handling placeholders is a main challenge of Turkish software translation. Incorrect handling causes accuracy and grammar issues.
  • Could not locate %s on server %s -> %s, %s sunucusunda bulunamıyor. Placeholders are not numbered, so they keep their original positions in translation.
  • Unable to delete %s -> %s silinemiyor. The placeholder content is unknown, so no suffixes are allowed.
  • %d items cannot be deleted -> %d öğe silinemiyor. The placeholder holds a number, so the following word is not plural as in the source.
  • Copying: %d%% -> Kopyalama sürüyor: %%%d. The percentage sign always leads the number in Turkish. With a placeholder it may be written %%. Put it before the number.

Keyboard shortcuts

  • Underlined or highlighted letters in menu options, commands or dialog boxes are keyboard shortcuts. They help the user perform tasks faster. Examples: New, Cancel, Options
  • Slim characters, I, l, t, r, f, allowed.
  • Characters with downstrokes, g, j, y, p, q, allowed. Not preferred over upstroke characters.
  • Extended characters allowed. Not preferred over Latin characters.
  • An additional letter in brackets after the item name: allowed. Not preferred over other characters.
  • A number in brackets after the item name: allowed. Not preferred over other characters.
  • A punctuation sign in brackets after the item name: allowed. Not preferred over other characters.
  • Duplicate keyboard shortcuts: allowed when no other character is available.
  • 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 access UI controls that have text labels. Access keys go on top-level controls, so the user moves 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 the Alt key is pressed. In UI localization, the key tip is the last character in the string after the ` character. Example: HomeH``
  • shortcut key: a subtype of keyboard shortcut. A key the user types to perform a common action without going through the UI. Shortcut keys are not available for every command. Examples: Ctrl+N, Ctrl+V. Most shortcut keys are used with the Ctrl key. Ctrl+letter combinations and function keys F1 through F12 are usually the best choices.

Keys

  • References to key names, such as arrow keys, function keys and numeric keys, appear in normal text, not in small caps.
  • Alt -> Alt
  • Backspace -> Geri Al
  • Break -> Break
  • Caps Lock -> Caps Lock
  • Ctrl -> Control
  • Delete -> Delete
  • Down Arrow -> Aşağı Ok
  • End -> End
  • Enter -> Enter
  • Esc -> Esc
  • Home -> Home
  • Insert -> Insert
  • Left Arrow -> Sol Ok
  • Num Lock -> Num Lock
  • Page Down -> Page Down
  • Page Up -> Page Up
  • Pause -> Pause
  • Right Arrow -> Sağ Ok
  • Scroll Lock -> Scroll Lock
  • Shift -> Shift
  • Spacebar -> Ara çubuğu
  • Tab -> Sekme
  • Up Arrow -> Yukarı Ok
  • Windows key -> Windows tuşu
  • Print Screen -> Print Screen
  • Menu key -> Menü tuşu

Spoken text

Pronounce untranslated English product names recognizably, allowing natural Turkish pronunciation. Keep the spoken register consistent with the localized text.

English pronunciation

  • Pronounce English terms and product names left unlocalized the English way.
  • Where Turkish has an established pronunciation for a common term, such as server, use the local pronunciation.
  • Adapt pronunciation to the Turkish phonetic system where the original sounds very awkward.
  • SecurID -> [sı'kjuər aı di:]
  • .NET -> [dot net]. Do not say nokta net. It is a product name.
  • Skype -> [skaip]. Always pronounced as in English.
  • Pronounce acronyms like real words, adapted to the local pronunciation.
  • RADIUS -> radius
  • RAS -> ras
  • ISA -> isa
  • LAN -> lan
  • WAN -> van
  • WAP -> vap
  • API -> api
  • MAPI -> mapi
  • POP -> pop
  • OWA -> ova
  • Pronounce other abbreviations letter by letter.
  • ICMP -> i ce me pe
  • IP -> i pe. Can be pronounced in English, as it is also commonly known.
  • TCP/IP -> te ce pe i pe. Can be pronounced in English, as it is also commonly known.
  • XML -> eks me le. Can be pronounced in English, as it is also commonly known.
  • HTML -> he te me le. Can be pronounced in English, as it is also commonly known.
  • URL -> u re le
  • SQL -> es ku el
  • URLs: leave out http://. Read the rest of the URL entirely.
  • Pronounce www as dabıl yu dabıl yu dabıl yu.
  • Omit the dot, or read it out. If read out, pronounce it the Turkish way, nokta.
  • http://www.microsoft.com/turkiye -> dabıl yu dabıl yu dabıl yu nokta mikrosoft nokta kom eğik çizgi turkiye
  • The sound of voice implies most punctuation marks: ? ! : ; ,
  • En dash – marks an isolated element. Pronounce it as a comma, a short pause.
  • Pronounce special characters such as / \ ˘ < > + - using the approved Turkish translations.
  • Pronounce numbers in product names in Turkish.

Tone

  • Match the tone to the target audience. Use a more informal, playful and inspiring tone for consumer products and games. Use a formal, informative and factual tone for technical texts.

Local usage

Use an agreed Turkish spelling authority and established product terminology. Check translated strings in a running localized product; proposals and machine suggestions require contextual review.