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Vietnamese (Vietnam) style guide

Voice

  • Three principles: warm and relaxed; crisp and clear; ready to lend a hand.
  • Write for scanning first, reading second. Keep it simple.
  • Keep the audience in mind. Use technical terms for technical audiences and common words for consumers.
  • Choose words and grammatical structures that reflect the style of the source text.
  • Keep the general style clear, friendly and concise. Use everyday conversational language, not formal technical language.
  • Choose non-standard translations where they stay true to the intent of the source.
  • Do not translate literally. Translate the intent and what the customer needs to complete the task.

Flexibility

  • Modify or rewrite translated strings so they are natural to Vietnamese customers. Understand the intent of the sentence, paragraph and page, then write as if writing the content yourself.
  • Remove unnecessary content.
  • en Remember my password -> vi Lưu mật khẩu của tôi
  • en We recommend that you back up your files on a regular schedule. -> vi Bạn nên thường xuyên sao lưu tệp.
  • en We strongly discourage you from installing these codec packs. -> vi Bạn không nên cài đặt các gói codec này.
  • en Choose a nearby network to get online. Not sure which one to pick? Ask the person who might have the network name and password for the one you want to connect to -> vi Chọn mạng có sẵn để online. Nếu bạn không chắc chọn mạng nào, hãy hỏi người có tên và mật khẩu của mạng bạn muốn kết nối.
  • en This might take a while, so you have time to grab a snack or a cup of coffee. Your PC will restart several times before we’re done. -> vi Quá trình này có thể mất thời gian, vì vậy bạn có thể làm việc khác trong khi chờ đợi. Máy tính sẽ khởi động lại vài lần trước khi hoàn tất.

Word choice

  • Use approved terminology for key terms, technical terms and product names.
  • en-US prefers short, simple, everyday words. They save space on screen and read quickly.
  • en App: use app instead of application or program.
  • en Pick, choose: use pick in fun, less formal or light-weight situations (pick a color, not choose a color); use choose for more formal situations. Do not use select unless the UI requires it.
  • en Drive: use for any drive type. Use a specific drive type where necessary.
  • en Get: use as a synonym for obtain or come into possession of; avoid it for other general meanings.
  • en Info: use in most situations unless information fits the context better. Use info when pointing 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 with first- and second-person pronouns. Avoid third-person references such as user; they sound formal and impersonal.
  • Vietnamese also uses shorter, everyday words to convey meaning concisely and directly. The audience is reluctant to read long text, especially with obscure words.
  • en cancel -> vi hủy. Use as an equivalent of hủy bỏ.
  • en enter -> vi nhập. Use as an equivalent of nhập vào or đưa vào.

Word-to-word translation

  • Avoid word-to-word translation. Direct translation without understanding the paragraph or page sounds stiff and unnatural, and can be ridiculous.
  • 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.
  • en Bad, bad server. No donut for you. -> vi (+) Máy chủ đang gặp lỗi. Vui lòng thử lại sau!, (-) Máy chủ tồi. Không có bánh rán cho bạn!
  • en Feel free to reply this email if you have further questions. -> vi (+) Vui lòng trả lời email này nếu bạn có bất kỳ thắc mắc nào khác., (-) Cứ thoải mái trả lời email này nếu bạn có các câu hỏi khác.
  • en Image save failed. -> vi (+) Không lưu được hình ảnh., (-) Lưu hình ảnh thất bại.

Words and phrases to avoid

  • Avoid an unnecessarily formal tone. These en-US words add formality without adding meaning.
  • 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
  • Do not use old-fashioned, too formal or archaic words and expressions. They make the text unfriendly and sometimes incomprehensible.
  • en Failed to download: classic Tải về không thành công -> modern Không tải được
  • en follow these steps: classic theo các bước sau đây -> modern theo cách sau
  • en hide: classic giấu -> modern ẩn
  • en learn: classic học -> modern tìm hiểu
  • en ID: classic mã định danh -> modern ID
  • en Please wait: classic Vui lòng đợi -> modern Xin chờ
  • en Specifies the action that the server will take when encounters different error types during process.: classic Xác định hành động mà máy chủ sẽ thực hiện khi gặp các loại lỗi khác nhau trong khi xử lý. -> modern Chỉ rõ thao tác cho máy chủ khi gặp các dạng lỗi khác nhau trong khi xử lý.

Sample voice text: focusing on the user action

  • en The password isn’t correct, so please try again. Passwords are case-sensitive. -> vi Mật khẩu không đúng, xin thử lại. Mật khẩu có phân biệt chữ hoa/chữ thường.
  • en This product key didn’t work. Please check it and try again. -> vi Khóa sản phẩm này không đúng. Vui lòng kiểm tra và nhập lại.
  • en All ready to go -> vi Sẵn sàng sử dụng
  • en Would you like to continue? -> vi Bạn có muốn tiếp tục không?
  • 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. -> vi Đặt tên cho PC của bạn-bất kỳ tên nào bạn thích. Nếu bạn muốn thay đổi màu nền, hãy tắt độ tương phản cao trong thiết đặt PC.

Sample voice text: explanatory text and providing support

  • Keep the language natural, the way people talk. Make the tone reassuring. Use we for a more personal feel.
  • Tell the user clearly and directly what will happen. Use short, simple sentences.
  • en The updates are installed, but Windows Setup needs to restart for them to work. After it restarts, we’ll keep going from where we left off. -> vi Đã cài đặt các bản cập nhật, nhưng Thiết lập Windows cần bạn khởi động lại để chúng hoạt động. Sau khi khởi động lại, chúng tôi sẽ tiếp tục từ nơi chúng tôi vừa rời khỏi.
  • en If you restart now, you and any other people using this PC could lose unsaved work. -> vi Nếu bạn khởi động lại ngay, bạn và bất kỳ ai khác sử dụng PC này có thể mất công việc chưa lưu.
  • en This document will be automatically moved to the right library and folder after you correct invalid or missing properties. -> vi Tài liệu này sẽ tự động chuyển đến đúng thư viện và thư mục sau khi bạn sửa các thuộc tính không hợp lệ hoặc bị thiếu.
  • en Something bad happened! Unable to locate downloaded files to create your bootable USB flash drive. -> vi Có lỗi! Không thể định vị tệp đã tải về để tạo ổ flash USB có thể khởi động cho bạn.

Sample voice text: 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. -> vi Mật khẩu ảnh là cách mới giúp bảo vệ PC màn hình cảm ứng. Bạn chọn ảnh — và động tác bạn dùng với ảnh — để tạo mật khẩu chỉ dành cho riêng bạn.
  • en Let apps give you personalized content based on your PC’s location, name, account picture, and other domain info. -> vi Hãy để các ứng dụng mang đến cho bạn nội dung cá nhân hóa dựa trên địa điểm, tên, ảnh tài khoản và thông tin tên miền khác của PC.
  • Add familiarity with everyday words where the context allows, for example for PC.

Sample voice text: providing how-to guidelines

  • en To go back and save your work, click Cancel and finish what you need to. -> vi Để quay lại và lưu công việc, hãy bấm Hủy và hoàn thành điều bạn cần làm.
  • en To confirm your current picture password, just watch the replay and trace the example gestures shown on your picture. -> vi Để xác nhận mật khẩu ảnh hiện tại, chỉ cần xem đoạn phát lại và theo dõi động tác mẫu hiện trên ảnh của bạn.
  • Tell the user only what they need to know to make a decision.
  • en It’s time to enter the product key. When you connect to the Internet, we’ll activate Microsoft Office 365 for you. -> vi Đã đến lúc nhập mã sản phẩm. Khi bạn kết nối Internet, chúng tôi sẽ kích hoạt Microsoft Office 365 cho bạn.

Inclusive language

  • Comply with Vietnamese language laws in Vietnam.
  • Use plain language: straightforward, concrete, familiar and current words. Prefer a two-syllable word over a three-syllable word, and several clear words over one complicated term.
  • Be careful naming cities, countries or regions in examples. Do not use politically disputed places. In examples that refer to several regions, use equivalent references; do not mix countries with states or continents.
  • In text and images, represent diverse perspectives and circumstances. Show a variety of people in a wide variety of professions, educational settings, locales and economic settings.
  • Do not generalize or stereotype people by region, economic status, ethnic background, culture, age or gender, not even with a positive stereotype. For job roles, choose names that reflect a variety of gender identities and cultural backgrounds.
  • Do not use profane or derogatory terms.
  • Do not use slang that could be considered cultural appropriation.
  • Do not use terms that may carry unconscious racial bias or terms associated with military actions, politics, or controversial historical events and eras.
  • Use chậu rửa/bồn rửa, not lavabo. lavabo is a French loanword used mainly by people in their 40s and 50s; chậu rửa/bồn rửa is more common in all age groups.
  • Use cha, bố, not thầy, cậu, tía, ba. thầy, cậu, tía, ba address fathers only in certain regions.
  • Use Người Trung Quốc, not Người Tàu, Bọn Tàu, Tàu khựa. The latter can lead to controversial cultural misunderstandings.
  • Use Cha mẹ/Bố mẹ. This form is now written in documents of the Ministry of Education and Training.

Avoid gender bias

  • Recognize the audience's sensitivity to male and female stereotypes. Use language that is as neutral as possible.
  • Apply the neutral approach to scenarios, comparisons, examples, illustrations and metaphors.
  • Balance the roles and functions given to men and women: active versus passive roles, leading versus secondary roles, technical versus non-technical professions.
  • Base scenarios, pictures, metaphors and comparisons on areas and attributes common to both genders.
  • Instead of phrases that mention the two genders separately, use a general term that includes both, such as people, users, persons.
  • Avoid compounds containing gender-specific terms.
  • Use Nhân viên, not Nam nhân viên, nữ nhân viên. Refer to them collectively as employees, regardless of male or female.
  • Use Mềm yếu, thiếu cương quyết, không chủ động, nhu nhược, not Tính đàn bà. Those adjectives describe a person who is indecisive and weak; đàn bà refers specifically to the female gender and is disparaging.
  • Use Tướng đi cứng nhắc, không linh hoạt, not Tướng đi như đàn bà/như đàn ông. Use existing adjectives about body shape or physique without the sexist phrase.
  • For generalization, use plural noun forms, for example quý vị, các bạn, họ.
  • Avoid sentences that refer to a single person whose gender is unknown. Where a reference to a single person is unavoidable, do not use he or she, him or her, his or hers. Avoid slashes to combine both genders.
  • Neutral noun, for concept descriptions and explanations: person, leader, team lead, expert, employee, user
  • Slash to combine both genders (he/she, s/he): only in exceptional cases such as License Terms, and sometimes in table headers or column and row titles.
  • Do not use gendered pronouns (ông, bà, cô, dì, dượng, chú, bác, anh, chị) in generic references.
  • Instead, rewrite to the second or third person (bạn); rewrite with a plural noun and pronoun; refer to the person's role, for example khách hàng, người dùng; or use người đó.
  • Use en A user with the appropriate rights can set other users' passwords., not en If the user has the appropriate rights, he can set other users' passwords.
  • Use vi Người dùng có các quyền thích hợp có thể đặt mật khẩu của người dùng khác., not vi Nếu người dùng có các quyền thích hợp, anh ta có thể đặt mật khẩu của người dùng khác.
  • Use en Developers need access to servers in their development environments, but they don't need access to the servers in Azure., not en A developer needs access to servers in his development environment, but he doesn't need access to the servers in Azure.
  • Use vi Các nhà phát triển cần quyền truy cập vào máy chủ trong môi trường phát triển của họ, nhưng họ không cần quyền truy cập vào máy chủ trong Azure., not vi Một nhà phát triển cần quyền truy cập vào các máy chủ trong môi trường phát triển của mình, nhưng anh ta không cần quyền truy cập vào các máy chủ trong Azure.
  • Use en When the author opens the document …., not en When the author opens her document ….
  • Use vi Khi tác giả mở tài liệu…., not vi Khi tác giả mở tài liệu của cô ấy….
  • Use en To call someone, select the person's name, select Make a phone call, and then choose the number you'd like to dial., not en To call someone, select his name, select Make a phone call, and then select his number.
  • Use vi Để gọi cho ai đó, hãy chọn tên của người đó, chọn Gọi điện, rồi chọn số bạn muốn gọi., not vi Để gọi cho ai đó, hãy chọn tên của anh ấy, chọn Gọi điện, rồi chọn số của anh ấy.
  • Where you cannot write around the problem, a plural pronoun (họ) in a generic reference to a single person is OK. Do not use constructions like anh ấy, cô ấy.
  • Gendered pronouns such as anh, chị are OK when writing about real people who use those pronouns themselves.
  • Use gender-neutral language in new products and content. Updating all existing or legacy material is not required.

Accessibility

  • Focus on people, not disabilities. Do not use words that imply pity, such as cảm thấy khó chịu hoặc đau khổ. Prefer not to mention a disability unless it is relevant.
  • Use en person with a disability, not handicapped. Use vi người khuyết tật, not tật nguyền.
  • Use en person without a disability, not normal person; healthy person. Use vi người không khuyết tật, not người bình thường; người khỏe mạnh.
  • 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.
  • Use en Select, not Click. Use vi Chọn, not Nhấp (vào).
  • Keep paragraphs short and sentence structure simple. Aim for one verb per sentence. Read text aloud and imagine it spoken by a screen reader.
  • Spell out words like và, cộng and khoảng. Screen readers can 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.
  • Use common abbreviated words in the correct context for clear meaning.
  • vân vân / en etc. -> (+) v.v.
  • Công nghệ thông tin / en IT -> (+) CNTT
  • Công nghiệp phần mềm / en Software Industry -> (+) CNgPM
  • Ngôn ngữ đánh dấu siêu văn bản / en HyperText Markup Language -> HTML
  • Giao thức truyền siêu văn bản / en HyperText Transfer Protocol -> HTTP
  • Never abbreviate expressive terms such as thanks, sorry and please. They are among the strongest expressions of gratitude, respect, sincerity and sharing.
  • en Please -> vi Làm ơn/ Vui lòng
  • en Thanks -> vi Cảm ơn
  • en Sorry -> vi Xin lỗi/Rất tiếc

Acronyms

  • An acronym is made of the initial letters of the major parts of a compound term, for example WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get), DNS (Domain Name Server), HTML (Hypertext Markup Language).
  • Do not include a generic term after an acronym or abbreviation if one of its letters stands for that term. Correct it even where the US English version has it.
  • In Vietnamese all acronyms and abbreviations stay unchanged from the English source, so the English redundancy is not redundant in Vietnamese and can be translated: (-) RPC call - lời gọi RPC, (-) HTML language - ngôn ngữ HTML, (-) TCP/IP-Protocol - giao thức TCP/IP, (-) PIN Number - Số PIN
  • In online help or documentation, spell out an acronym the first time it appears. Give the Vietnamese translation, the US term, and the acronym.
  • Đối tượng truy nhập dữ liệu (Data Access Objects, DAO)
  • Đối tượng dữ liệu ActiveX (ActiveX Data Objects, ADO)
  • Users have different levels of product knowledge. An experienced user understands DL; the average user may need danh sách phân phối (distribution list) instead. Keep acronym use consistent within a product.
  • Never create a new acronym from the Vietnamese translated term. Leave the English acronym or abbreviation intact, for example DLL and DPI.
  • Many abbreviations and acronyms are standardized and stay untranslated. Follow them with their full English spelling only where the acronym needs explaining. Where the acronym is common, the fully spelled-out form only confuses users.
  • Never localize or spell out these commonly understood acronyms: ANSI (American National Standards Institute), ISO (International Standards Organization)

Adjectives

  • An adjective specifies a noun or pronoun. Normally the adjective goes after the noun. Placing it before the noun changes the meaning.
  • Điểm yếu (Weak point)
  • Yếu điểm (Important point)
  • In a phrase with two or more adjectives, the position of the adjectives relative to the noun changes the meaning.
  • Cô gái đẹp đi xe (Beautiful riding girl)
  • Cô gái đi xe đẹp (Girl riding nice car)
  • Mệnh đề này có lỗi tiếng Việt (This sentence has Vietnamese error(s))
  • Mệnh đề tiếng Việt này có lỗi (This Vietnamese sentence has error(s))
  • Thiết kế ứng dụng đồ họa (Graphic Application Design)
  • Thiết kế đồ họa ứng dụng (Application Graphic Design)
  • Possessives in Vietnamese are simple: add của before the subject or object pronoun. Subject and object pronouns are the same.
  • en I -> vi Tôi; en My -> vi Của tôi
  • en You (singular) -> vi Bạn; en Your -> vi Của bạn
  • en He -> vi Anh ấy; en His -> vi Của anh ấy
  • en She -> vi Cô ấy; en Her -> vi Của cô ấy
  • en It -> vi Nó; en Its -> vi Của nó
  • en We -> vi Chúng tôi; en Our -> vi Của chúng tôi
  • en You (plural) -> vi Các bạn; en Your -> vi Của các bạn
  • en They -> vi Họ; en Their -> vi Của họ

Articles

  • Articles a, an, the in the source need no translation. Vietnamese has no articles like English.
  • Translate the indefinite article a or an where it means one.
  • Unlocalized feature names are proper nouns. Use them without Vietnamese articles.
  • en Microsoft Outlook connected experiences with Office, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote -> vi (+) Microsoft Outlook kết nối trải nghiệm với Office, Word, Excel, PowerPoint và OneNote
  • en Website addresses will be sent to Microsoft -> vi (+) Địa chỉ website sẽ được gửi cho Microsoft
  • Handle translated feature names the same way: proper nouns, without Vietnamese articles.
  • en Hide the Task Manager when it is minimized -> vi (+) Ẩn Trình quản lý Tác vụ khi được thu nhỏ
  • en Check for updates in your installed Media Player's language -> vi (+) Kiểm tra các bản cập nhật trong ngôn ngữ đã cài đặt Media Player
  • Keep an English loan word for motivation reasons: popular English words that become ambiguous if translated (OK, tab, flip-flop); proper nouns such as font names and font types (TrueType, Calibri, Arial); words familiar in Vietnamese (monitor, modem); abbreviations (PC, USB); words that get too long in Vietnamese (README file, Script); terms for new concepts or new technology where a translation would be confusing or unclear.
  • Analogy: Vietnamese is a South Asian language written with Latin characters, with extended vowels and 5 tones, and has terms derived from Chinese and French. Examples: console (mặt nghiêng, bàn điều khiển), ziczag (chữ chi or dích dắc)

Capitalization

  • If the first word of the English source string is capitalized, capitalize the first word of the target. If it is not capitalized, do not capitalize the target, unless a language-specific rule says otherwise.
  • In Vietnamese, capitalize only the first character in a sentence.
  • For text on a menu, button, dialog, title or command: capitalize the first word, or the first word of a compound word referring to that element, where the English source capitalizes it.
  • en Select All -> vi (+) Chọn tất cả, (-) Chọn Tất Cả
  • en Select all -> vi (+) Chọn tất cả, (-) Chọn Tất cả
  • en Automatic Servers -> vi (+) Máy chủ tự động, (-) Máy Chủ Tự Động
  • en When my status is Do Not Disturb -> vi (+) Khi trạng thái của tôi là Không àm phiền, (-) Khi trạng thái của tôi là Không Làm Phiền
  • en Unhide Quick Start -> vi (+) Hiện Khởi động nhanh, (-) Hiện Khởi Động Nhanh
  • Proper name, place and location: capitalize the first character of each word. en Vietnam -> vi (+) Việt Nam, (-) Việt nam
  • Feature, product and service names, where they are translated: capitalize the first word, or the first word of a compound word, where English capitalizes it.
  • en Upsizing Wizard -> vi (+) Trình hướng dẫn Tăng kích cỡ, (-) Thuật Sĩ Tăng Kích Cỡ
  • en PivotTable -> vi PivotTable
  • In names of departments, centers, policies, agreements and cross-references to titles from other sources (sections, books), capitalize the first character of the compound. Example Bộ Lao động - Thương binh và Xã hội
  • Other cases: capitalize the first letter of the word, phrase or sentence.
  • en Enter a text description for the new custom chart type -> vi Nhập một đoạn văn bản mô tả cho loại biểu đồ tùy chính mới

Compounds

  • Keep compounds understandable and clear. Avoid overly long or complex compounds.
  • The order of Vietnamese compounds is inverse to the English compound.
  • en Internet Accounts -> vi (+) Tài khoản Internet
  • en Logon script processing -> vi (+) Xử lí script đăng nhập
  • en Internet News Server Name -> vi (+) Tên Máy chủ Tin tức Internet

Conjunctions

  • Start a sentence with a conjunction for an informal tone and style.
  • en old use As <product> gains features, there is a risk that older content may not display correctly. -> en new use But because of these features older content may not display correctly.
  • Vietnamese modern voice uses conjunctions and adverbs for an informal, enthusiastic tone.
  • en Because the connections are established via fully encrypted data channels, it is as safe as online banking. -> vi old Bởi vì mọi kết nối được hình thành qua các kênh dữ liệu được mã hóa toàn bộ, nên mức độ an toàn giống như ngân hàng trực tuyến. -> vi new Nhờ kết nối qua các kênh dữ liệu mã hóa toàn bộ, nên mức độ an toàn cao như ngân hàng trực tuyến.

Genitive

  • Does not apply to Vietnamese. Use của for of.

Modifiers

  • Adverbs and adjectives function as modifiers. A Vietnamese word can be either adverb or adjective: Công việc dễ dàng (ease work), dễ dàng sử dụng (Use easily), sử dụng dễ dàng (ease use).
  • (+) The adjective goes after the noun.
  • (+) The adverb goes before the verb.
  • en Easy planning work -> vi Dễ dàng lập kế hoạch công việc
  • en Planning ease work -> vi Lập kế hoạch công việc dễ (dàng)
  • The meaning changes with the position of the adjective, before or after the noun: Điểm yếu (Weakness), Yếu điểm (Important point)
  • en This will be explained in the proper case (in the case that's right for it) -> vi Điều này sẽ được giải thích trong trường hợp thích hợp
  • en This will be explained in the case proper (in the case itself) -> vi Điều này sẽ được giải thích trong trường hợp riêng biệt
  • Dangling modifiers do not apply to Vietnamese. Use trong lúc, trong khi, vừa … vừa for while and during.

Nouns

  • (+) Normally the noun goes before the adjective: Văn bản tiếng Việt (Vietnamese text)
  • A word can be an adjective or an adverb, so word order matters. (+) dễ may be either.
  • Dịch văn bản này dễ (Translate this text easily); dễ is an adverb.
  • Dich văn bản dễ này (Translate this ease text); dễ is an adjective.
  • Noun as genitive: Hệ thống truyền hình (của) Việt Nam (Vietnam television system)
  • Proper geographic and human names: (+) capitalize all first letters. Hà Nội (Hanoi), Việt Nam (Vietnam), TP Hồ Chí Minh (Ho Chi Minh City), Hoa Kỳ (USA)
  • Common noun: do not capitalize the first letter, except as the initial letter of a new sentence, on a new line, or after a punctuation mark. Ngôn ngữ tiếng Việt (Vietnamese language)
  • (+) Title capitalization, first letter of each word, is accepted as in English: Mô tả Nhà cung cấp Dữ liệu Tin cậy (Trusted Data Provider Description)
  • Noun as complement-object for a transitive verb: Sao chép đoạn văn bản sau (Copy the following paragraph)
  • Tense: (+) convey the tense with an additional word. Present đang (being): Hệ thống đang làm việc độc lập (The system is working independently); Hệ thống làm việc độc lập (The system works independently). Future sẽ (will).
  • (+) Omit the tense word where no emphasis is needed.
  • Grammatical mood: complements are not modified by mood; add a word instead, for example của (of).
  • (+) Add của (of) for clarity in some cases: Maximum Cache Age -> Tuổi Tối đa của Bộ đệm ẩn
  • Grammatical voice, active: (+) word order in the sentence determines the meaning. Tôi quản lý hệ thống (I manage the system); Hệ thống quản lý tôi (The system manages me.)
  • Aspect: n/a. Add a word, for example vừa (just), sẽ (to be + ing). Tôi vừa dịch bài này (I just translated this article); Mai tôi (sẽ) đi TP HCM (Tomorrow I'm going to HCM City)
  • Person: en I -> vi Tôi, first person singular
  • en You -> vi Bạn, anh, chị, second person singular and plural; plural forms Các bạn, các anh, các chị
  • en He -> vi Anh ấy, ông ấy, third person singular, masculine
  • en She -> vi Cô ấy, bà ấy, third person singular, feminine
  • en It -> vi Nó, third person singular, neuter
  • en We -> vi Chúng tôi, chúng ta, first person plural
  • en They -> vi Họ, chúng nó, third person plural, gender-neutral third person
  • Take care with nó, chúng nó and họ.
  • Bố mẹ tôi sống ở quê. Chủ nhật này tôi về thăm họ (not chúng nó) — My parents are living in the country. This Sunday I am going to see them.
  • (+) Tôi ghét chúng nó (not họ) — I hate them.
  • (+) Bố tôi già rồi, tôi rất yêu ông ấy. — My father is old, I love him.
  • Plural formation: add các or chúng to a personal pronoun.
  • Các bạn (You), Các anh (You, plural masculine), Các chị (You, plural feminine), Chúng tôi (We, plural neuter), Chúng ta (We, plural neuter, includes the second person, that is we + you)
  • Add the article các or những before a noun. Các is the (+) definite plural article, for example Indochina countries. Những is the (+) indefinite plural article, for example pages densely packed with numbers.

Numerals

  • No specific rule fixes numbers as numerals or letters. In most cases write cardinal numbers as numerals and ordinal numbers as letters. 1 is often written nhất.
  • Bạn ấy có 2 cái bút và 4 quyển vở / Cho 2 tách trà nhé! / Cái bút thứ nhất màu đỏ, cái thứ hai màu xanh. — She has 2 pens and 4 notebooks / Give me 2 cups of tea! / The first pen is red, the second one is blue.

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 acceptable.
  • en migrate to -> vi di chuyển đến. Translate to as tới, đến, vào or với. Do not use sang; sang means across, moving from one side to the other at the same level.
  • en migrate from -> vi di chuyển từ
  • en import to -> vi nhập đến
  • en import from -> vi nhập từ
  • en export to -> vi xuất đến
  • en export from -> vi xuất từ
  • en update to -> vi cập nhật lên
  • en upgrade to -> vi nâng cấp lên
  • en change to -> vi đổi sang
  • en click on -> vi bấm vào
  • en connect to -> vi kết nối với
  • en welcome to ... -> vi chào mừng ...
  • Where there is progress or improvement, translate to as lên: (+) Cập nhật lên (update to), (+) Nâng cấp lên (upgrade to)
  • Take special care with in and on; their usage can differ from their normal meanings.
  • en A bird flies in the sky -> vi (+) Con chim bay trên trời, not (-) Con chim bay trong trời
  • en in the toolbar -> vi (+) trên thanh công cụ
  • en on the tab -> vi (+) trên tab
  • en on the menu -> vi (+) trên menu
  • en on the net -> vi (+) trên mạng
  • en on the Internet -> vi (+) trên Internet
  • en on the Web -> vi (+) trên Web
  • en on a web site -> vi (+) trên web site
  • en on a web page -> vi (+) trên trang web

Pronouns

  • Personal pronouns: add các or chúng to create the plural.
  • chúng ta means we plus the audience; chúng tôi means we.
  • Intensive pronouns: add tự before or after a personal pronoun. (+) Tôi tự làm việc này, tự anh ấy làm việc này — I did it myself, He did it himself.
  • Objective, prepositional and disjunctive pronouns are the same as personal pronouns.
  • Reciprocal pronoun: (+) lẫn nhau (each other). (+) Giúp đỡ lẫn nhau (Help each other.)
  • Dummy pronoun: either specify the subject Trời (Sky) or use no subject. en It is raining -> vi (+) Trời đang mưa or đang mưa. en It is difficult to do … -> vi (+) Khó làm ….

Punctuation

  • Follow the source punctuation in general, but keep the translation aligned with standard Vietnamese usage.
  • Insert no space between the text and the punctuation marks ., ?, !.
  • Comma: English often uses a comma before and and or. Do not use a comma before và or hoặc.
  • Vietnamese uses a comma as the decimal separator. Never use a space for this; a space separates the numeral from the abbreviation.
  • In paper sizes, keep the decimal separator and the abbreviation in for inches, because the sizes are US norms.
  • en 5.25 cm -> vi (+) 5,25 cm
  • en 5 x 7.2 inches -> vi (+) 5 x 7,2 inch
  • en Letter Landscape 11 x 8.5 in -> vi (+) Letter Landscape 11 x 8,5 in
  • Vietnamese uses a period as the thousands separator. Do not use a space; a period avoids wrapping problems.
  • en 1,526 -> vi (+) 1.526
  • en $ 1,526.75 -> vi (+) $ 1.526,75
  • Vietnamese script is Latin-based; the rules for commas and other common punctuation marks are the same as in Latin script.
  • Colon: (+) no space before the colon, one space after it. Example Các tính năng sau: (The following features: …)
  • Use a colon to introduce a list or a series.
  • (+) Capitalize the first letter of a proper noun after the colon: Tôi có ba con trai: Viet, Nam và Thanh (I have three sons: Viet, Nam and Thanh). Viet is a proper noun, so V is capitalized.
  • (+) Where the list after the colon is part of the sentence, do not capitalize the first letter: Mỗi người đàn ông và đàn bà có ba mục tiêu: sống, yêu và học tập. (Every man and woman has three aims: to live, to love, and to learn.) sống takes lower-case s.
  • Use no colon before a bulleted continuation: Để cài đặt chương trình bạn cần with items có đĩa cài đặt,, đọc hướng dẫn cài đặt,
  • (+) To introduce a list where each item is a new line, capitalize the first letters: Để phòng chống bệnh cúm chúng ta cần: with items Rửa tay thường xuyên với xà phòng và nước., Tránh tiếp xúc với người bệnh
  • (+) A quotation: Lời nói của Hamlet: “Tồn tại hay không tồn tại". (Hamlet's speech: "To be or not to be."); Michael Jackson đã tuyên bố: "Tôi là vua nhạc Pop”. (Michael Jackson proclaimed: "I am the King of Pop.")
  • (-) Never follow a colon with a hyphen or a dash: Michael Jackson đã tuyên bố:- "Tôi là vua nhạc Pop”.
  • Hyphen: never use it when translating into Vietnamese.
  • en Ease-to-us -> vi Dễ sử dụng
  • en Left-to-right -> vi Từ trái sang phải
  • En dash: smaller than an em dash, longer than a hyphen. Use it in place of the word to, for example 2-5 giờ chiều (2-5pm).
  • Em dash —: roughly the width of the letter m, used like a colon. Use it for an abrupt change or pause in thought where a full stop is too strong and a comma too weak, or to show that a sentence is unfinished because the speaker was interrupted.
  • An em dash marks an interruption or a change of direction. Usually two em dashes mark the beginning and end of the interruption; sometimes the sentence ends with the interrupting phrase.
  • (+) Hai nhà lãnh đạo—một từ Công ty A và người kia từ Công ty B—nghĩ hỗ trợ cho công việc của hội đồng. (The two leaders—one from Company A and one from Company B—sought to build support for the work of the commission.)
  • (+) Trà—với vị hoa sen hoặc hoa nhài—thơm và ngon. (The tea—with lotus or jasmine spices—was delicious and fragrant.)
  • Ellipsis: use … and v.v. as ellipses (et cetera).
  • Trong tiếng Việt tổ hợp của các nguyên âm với 5 thanh, thí dụ: á, ả, ã, ạ, à…
  • Period: place a period after a declarative sentence, one that makes a statement or a point. Example Cài đặt xong. (The installation is finished.)
  • Put a period at the end of an abridged sentence, one that is not a complete sentence. Example Thực hiện hợp đồng. (Contract implementation)
  • Add a period after an imperative sentence, one giving a command. Example Hãy viết tờ séc (Write a check.)
  • Use a period as the decimal point. A period can also express a thousands separator in figures. Example 2.400VND (2,400VND)
  • (+) Put the period after closing double quotes, also for an exclamation mark ! and a comma ,, for the exact words of the subject.
  • Madonna thích tuyên bố “Tôi không xấu hổ vì bất cứ điều gì” (Madonna is fond of declaring "I'm not ashamed of anything.")
  • Tổng thống Nixon đã tuyên bố “Tôi không phải kẻ lừa đảo”. (President Nixon declared "I am not a crook.")
  • Insert periods after abbreviations such as academic degrees, geographic names, courtesy titles, compass points, single-word headings, and abbreviated Latin words and phrases.
  • Periods can display lists, enumerate items, outlines, numerals and letters.
  • Space once after the period at the end of a sentence. Use no space in abbreviations. Use no spaces in thousands separators.
  • ưd (app.); cty (inc.); CPĐT (e-gov.)
  • (-) Never put a space before a period.
  • Quotation marks: use them for quoting sentences or phrases. They come as a pair, single ‘…’ or double “…”.
  • (+) In Vietnamese, the closing mark goes before the period . and the comma ,.
  • en "Good morning, Frank," greeted HAL. -> vi (+) “Chào anh Frank”, HAL chào.
  • Parentheses: use no space between the parentheses and the text inside them, as in English.
  • Text in parentheses is a comment or explanation; without it the meaning of the phrase does not change.
  • No spaces before or after LOB: (+) Đường lối kinh doanh (LOB)

Sentence fragments

  • Use sentence fragments for a conversational tone. They are short and to the point.
  • en long form Use the following steps. -> en fragment Here’s how
  • Vietnamese modern voice uses standard sentence fragments to represent similar source phrases consistently, keeping sentences brief.
  • en Start to use full version right now -> vi long Hãy bắt đầu sử dụng phiên bản đầy đủ ngay -> vi fragment Dùng ngay phiên bản đầy đủ
  • en If you still have problems -> vi long Nếu bạn vẫn còn sự cố -> vi fragment Nếu còn sự cố

Symbols and non-breaking spaces

  • Per TCVN 6909:2001, NBSP has the hex code 00A0H.
  • In HTML, &nbsp; represents a non-breaking space. It is a standard space that a browser must not break or wrap a line at.
  • Use &nbsp; only where it is also in the US text. Otherwise use a blank space; non-breaking spaces can create functionality problems.
  • No space before !, ), ,, ., :, ;, ?, ], }, ”, but a space after it.
  • No space after (, [, {, but a space before it.
  • A non-breaking space goes between a number and a unit.
  • No space between a number and %.
  • Examples: 2.34 cm, 250 GB, 80%

Verbs

  • Verbs carry general vocabulary meaning and specify the operation or status of things.
  • Single verbs: chạy, nhảy, đi, về, ăn… (run, jump, walk, return, eat)
  • Complex verbs: quay lại, từ chối, thu thập, chọn, bắt đầu… (to go back, deny, collect, select, start)
  • (+) Specify clearly: en Remove -> vi Loại bỏ; en Delete -> vi Xóa bỏ; en Clear -> vi Xóa; en Reject -> vi Bác bỏ
  • (+) Do not use spoken language, such as xóa for the different meanings xóa bỏ and loại bỏ.
  • Tense: add an adverb of time before the verb for past, continuous present and future: đã, đang, sẽ. Vietnamese does not distinguish detailed past and future tenses such as simple past and complete past.
  • Tôi đang đọc (I am reading)
  • (+) Except for emphasis, sometimes omit đang, đã and sẽ.
  • (+) Tôi đã cài đặt chương trình diệt virus (I installed the antivirus program)
  • (+) Tôi sẽ làm việc vào chủ nhật này (I will work on this Sunday)
  • Verbs merge with adverbs that add continuity, such as còn, vẫn, cứ. (+) Tôi vẫn làm (I'm still working)
  • Verbs merge with adverbs that add negative meaning, such as không, chưa, chẳng. (+) Tôi không biết (I don't know)
  • The negative adverb depends on the level of negation. (+) Tôi không biết (In general, I don't know); (+) Tôi chưa biết (I don't know, but I would like to know or I will know later); (+) Tôi chẳng biết (I don't know, but I don't care). All translate as I don't know.
  • Verbs merge with adverbs that add demand, such as hãy, đừng, chớ. (+) Hãy đọc ReadMe sau đây (Read the following ReadMe); (+) Vui lòng đọc ReadMe sau đây (Please read the following ReadMe)
  • Verb in infinitive and imperative form: en Read carefully the following paragraph -> vi (+) add the adverb Hãy: Hãy đọc kỹ đoạn văn bản sau
  • Verb in impersonal form for description, or imperative in a subordinate clause: en To resolve this issue, ask your system administrator to verify that Excel Services are enabled on this site and are functioning properly. -> vi (+) adding Hãy is not necessary: (+) Để giải quyết vấn đề này, (hãy) hỏi người quản trị hệ thống của bạn để kiểm chứng là các Dịch vụ Excel được phép trên site này và hoạt động đúng.
  • Polite form: en Please read… -> vi (+) add Vui lòng before the verb: Vui lòng đọc …
  • Translate an English gerund for a continuous operation into Vietnamese.
  • en Reading this book is compulsory -> vi Đọc cuốn sách này là bắt buộc. A verb can be the subject; Đọc (Read) is a verb.
  • (-) Adding the article việc before the verb đọc is not necessary.
  • en I like programming -> vi Tôi thích lập trình. The gerund works as object; lập trình can be read as việc lập trình.
  • en I’m tired of arguing -> vi (+) Tôi mệt vì tranh cãi. The gerund follows the preposition; tranh cãi can be read as việc tranh cãi.
  • Vietnamese has transitive and intransitive verbs, each with specific prepositions. Chuyển đổi 013AH từ hệ hexa sang hệ thập phân (Convert 013A from hexa to decimal system). chuyển đổi (convert) is transitive; the direct complement is 013AH từ hệ hexa sang hệ thập phân; the two prepositions are từ and sang (from, to).

Localization considerations

  • Adapt the translated text to the local language, customs and standards.
  • Give the product the look and feel of a product originally written in Vietnamese, with idiomatic syntax and terminology and a high level of terminological consistency.
  • Accessibility options and programs make the computer usable by people with cognitive, hearing, physical, or visual disabilities.
  • Accessible components use a flexible, customizable UI, alternative input and output methods, and greater exposure of screen elements.
  • Some accessible products and services are not available in Vietnamese-speaking markets. Double-check with the appropriate resources.

Applications, products, and features

  • Application and product names are rarely translated. Feature names are sometimes trademarked too, for example IntelliSense™.
  • Most feature names can be translated, to be more user-friendly. Examples: en Print Preview -> vi Xem trước khi in; en Zoom -> vi Thu phóng
  • Leave a trademarked application, product or feature name untranslated. Anything translatable that goes with the name can be translated: en Microsoft Rights Management sharing application -> vi Ứng dụng chia sẻ Microsoft Rights Management
  • Read the instructions carefully before translating. Where instructed, leave the product name in English.
  • Version numbers always contain a period, for example Version 4.2.
  • en Version 5.1 -> vi Phiên bản 5.1
  • Version numbers are usually part of version strings, but are technically not the same.
  • Product, feature and component names often sit in version strings as they appear in the software.
  • Always translate version strings that contain copyright information. Use approved terminology for the 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 must fit all of them.
  • Aim for cross-platform consistency in products used on desktop, mobile and cloud.
  • Every principle can have an exception, based on the product, the experience and the customer. Interpret the guidelines for the best customer experience.

Error messages

  • An error message tells the user of an error that must be corrected for the program to keep running. It can prompt an action or state that the computer needs a restart.
  • Make the translation natural-sounding and empathetic, not robot-like.
  • Use consistent terminology and language style. Do not just translate the US string.
  • Translate error messages in a declarative form. Always use lỗi for error. Example: en An error occurred -> vi Có lỗi.
  • Use a period after an error message. In strings ending with a placeholder, follow US punctuation where the runtime replacement is unknown.
  • Use a standard phrase for error messages that have the same meaning and purpose in the US-English version, even where the US-English messages are inconsistent.
  • en Could not … / Cannot … -> vi (+) Không tìm được tệp for File could not be found / File cannot be found. Use the impersonal active voice. Do not distinguish past and present tense.
  • en Failed to … / Failure of … -> vi (+) Kết nối hỏng or (+) Không kết nối được for Failed to connect / Failure to connect. Express it closer to Vietnamese, not word by word.
  • en Cannot find … / Could not find … / Unable to find … / Unable to locate … -> vi (+) Không tìm thấy.... English has different expressions; Vietnamese uses one, Không tìm thấy, to specify only the result.
  • en Not enough memory / Insufficient memory / There is not enough memory / There is not enough memory available -> vi (+) Không đủ bộ nhớ. Vietnamese uses one phrase to specify only the result.
  • en ... is not available / ... is unavailable -> vi (+) Không có lệnh for The command is not available / The command is unavailable, that is the command does not exist.
  • Find out what replaces a placeholder before localizing, so the sentence stays grammatical.
  • Placeholder letters carry a meaning: %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

  • In English, key names such as arrow keys, function keys and numeric keys appear in normal text, not in small caps.
  • en Alt -> vi Alt
  • en Backspace -> vi Backspace
  • en Break -> vi Break
  • en Caps Lock -> vi Caps Lock
  • en Ctrl -> vi Control
  • en Delete -> vi Delete
  • en Down Arrow -> vi Mũi tên Xuống
  • en End -> vi End
  • en Enter -> vi Enter
  • en Esc -> vi Esc
  • en Home -> vi Home
  • en Insert -> vi Insert
  • en Left Arrow -> vi Mũi tên Trái
  • en Num Lock -> vi Num Lock
  • en Page Down -> vi Page Down
  • en Page Up -> vi Page Up
  • en Pause -> vi Pause
  • en Right Arrow -> vi Mũi tên Phải
  • en Scroll Lock -> vi Scroll Lock
  • en Shift -> vi Shift
  • en Spacebar -> vi Cách trống
  • en Tab -> vi Tab
  • en Up Arrow -> vi Mũi tên Lên
  • en Windows key -> vi Windows key
  • en print screen -> vi print screen
  • en menu key -> vi phím menu

Keyboard shortcuts

  • Underlined or highlighted letters in menu options, commands or dialog boxes are keyboard shortcuts. They help the user perform tasks more quickly.
  • Slim characters such as I, l, t, r, f: allowed.
  • Characters with downstrokes such as g, j, y, p, q: allowed.
  • Extended characters: not recommended. There is no agreed unique way to type extended characters in Vietnamese.
  • An additional letter in brackets after the item name: allowed but not encouraged.
  • A number in brackets after the item name: allowed but not encouraged.
  • A punctuation sign in brackets after the item name: allowed but not encouraged.
  • Duplicate keyboard shortcuts: allowed when no other character is available, if the software allows moving from the first to the next item.
  • Assigning no keyboard shortcut when no more characters are available (minor options only): allowed. Where no more characters are available, use a duplicate keyboard shortcut or assign none.
  • Preferred characters, not case sensitive: A B C D E G H I K L M N O P Q R S T U V X Y 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
  • Allowed characters, not case sensitive: F J W Z
  • 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 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 it is the last character after the backtick character. Example in UI localization: Home plus a backtick plus 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. 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.

English pronunciation

  • Pronounce English terms and product names left unlocalized the English way. Example Microsoft.
  • Where Vietnamese has an established pronunciation for a common term such as server, use the local pronunciation.
  • Adapt pronunciation to the Vietnamese phonetic system where the original sounds very awkward.
  • SecurID -> [sı’kjuər aı di:], also [aı di: bảo mật]
  • .NET -> [dot net], also [chấm net]
  • Skype -> [skaip]. Product names are always pronounced as in the source language.
  • Pronounce acronyms like real words, adapted to the local pronunciation.
  • RADIUS -> ['rây diớts]
  • RAS -> [ráts]
  • ISA -> [Ai za]
  • LAN -> [Lan]
  • WAN -> [Oan]
  • WAP -> [Oáp]
  • MAPI -> [Máp pi]
  • POP -> [Pốp]
  • URL -> [U Rờ Lờ]
  • Pronounce other abbreviations letter by letter.
  • ICMP -> [icmp]
  • IP -> [ip]
  • TCP/IP -> [tcp ip]
  • XML -> [xml]
  • HTML -> [html]
  • OWA -> [owa]
  • SQL -> [sql]
  • Leave out http:// in a URL. Read the rest of the URL entirely.
  • Pronounce www as v đúp v đúp v đúp.
  • Omit the dot, or read it out. If read out, pronounce it the Vietnamese way, as chấm.
  • http://www.microsoft.com/vi-vn -> [v đúp v đúp v đúp chấm mai crô sóp chấm com gạch chéo vờ i gạch ngang vờ enờ]
  • Most punctuation marks such as ?, !, :, ;, , are implied by the speaker's tone of voice.
  • Pronounce an en dash – that emphasizes an isolated element as a comma, that is a short pause.
  • Pronounce special characters such as /, \, ˘, <, >, +, - using the approved Vietnamese terminology.

Tone

  • Use a tone appropriate for the text and target audience: informal, playful and inspiring for consumer products and games; formal, informative and factual for technical content.
  • Keep the tone standard. The three main dialects differ slightly in tone, pronunciation and terminology. Northern (Hanoi) pronunciation is standard.
  • en Send mail -> North (+) Gửi thư, South Gởi thơ. Use North.
  • en Select -> North (+) Chọn, South Lựa. Use North.

Local usage

Use common Vietnamese words and do not mechanically add plural markers to labels such as settings. Prefer natural active wording; leave a doubtful translation for review rather than guessing its meaning.