Chinese (Simplified) localization guide¶
Use these rules with the localization principles,
Qt interface rules and Chinese (Simplified) language guide.
Examples name their source (Glyphs 3, Font Book, Qt's qtbase_zh_CN catalog)
or are marked constructed. They show grammar; the term table decides terms.
Locale and register¶
- Locale
zh, Qt catalogzh_CN: Simplified Chinese as written in mainland China, with the punctuation of GB/T 15834—2011. - Leave the user unnamed: Chinese drops the subject. Where a pronoun is unavoidable, write 你, as macOS and Windows do. Glyphs, FontForge, Adobe and Qt's catalog write 您; FontLab does not. The application never says 我 or 我们.
- Plain written Chinese: not bureaucratic (倘若, 予以), not chatty (哦, 啦, 亲). No exclamation marks. 请 appears only in a sentence that asks the user to act (…，请稍后再试。 Please try again later., Glyphs), never in a label.
Grammar of interface strings¶
| String | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Menu command | verb + object; no subject, no 请, no 。 | 添加锚点 (Add Anchor, Glyphs) |
| Command that opens a dialog | the same, with the source's ellipsis | 添加字体… (Add Fonts…, Font Book) |
| Button | verb of two to four characters | 取消, 安装 (Cancel, Install, Glyphs) |
| Checkbox or toggle | verb + object naming the on state; no 是否 | 显示已停用字体 (Show Disabled Fonts, Font Book) |
| Panel or dialog title | noun phrase | 字体信息 (Font Info, Glyphs) |
| Status, in progress | 正在 + verb + object, never …中 | 正在导出字体 (Exporting Font, Glyphs) |
| Success | 已 + verb, before or after the object | %@ 已下载 (%@ downloaded, Glyphs) |
| Failure | 无法 + verb + object + 。 | 无法在该位置添加像素。 (Can’t add pixel here., Glyphs) |
| Rule about a value | 不能 | 字干不能为零。 (Stems can’t be zero., Glyphs) |
| Empty or not found | 无 + noun, 未 + verb | 未选择字体 (No Font Selected, Font Book) |
| Confirmation | 是否 + verb + object + ？ | 是否移除已选色板？ (Do you really want to remove the selected palette?, Glyphs) |
| Tooltip | description without a subject | 单一网格被分割的份数。 (A factor by which the grid is divided., Glyphs) |
A dialog title repeats the command that opens it. A third-person English tooltip (Adds…) becomes a bare verb (添加…). Add 成功 only where the source says successfully.
Compact labels¶
Chinese has no abbreviations to fall back on; shorten by removing function words. Drop 的, 一个, 进行, 可以 and 你的 wherever the phrase stays unambiguous: 导出字体, not 对字体进行导出 (constructed). Prefer two-character verbs: 新建, 导出, 移除.
Never shorten a term from the term table, cut a two-character word to one
character, or drop a classifier after a count. Keep the Latin short forms the
source uses (UC, lc, UPM, PPM). A Han character is about as wide as two
Latin letters: count four characters as eight in a dense panel.
Plurals and placeholders¶
Qt gives Chinese one numerus form (nplurals=1; plural=0;); CLDR has
only other. Write one <numerusform> that reads correctly for 0, 1, 2 and
100, and drop the source's (s): %n glyph(s) becomes %n 个字形
(constructed). Avoid words that presume several: 这些, 多个, 各.
A count needs a classifier between the number and the noun. 个 is the default; use the specific one where the noun has it: %@ 对 (%@ pairs, Glyphs), %{value1}@ 项问题 (%{value1}@ issues, Glyphs), 条 for lines and records, 种 for kinds, 次 for times. Never add 们.
A placeholder that stands for a name or a noun needs no ending or particle: Chinese has no gender or case. Reorder numbered placeholders freely, because the modifier precedes the noun: %{value2}@ 中的 %{value1}@ (%{value1}@ of %{value2}@, Glyphs). An ordinal is 第 %1 个. Add a classifier to a placeholder only when you know it is a count.
Numbers, punctuation and spacing¶
- Numbers:
1,234,567.89;25%with a half-width sign and no space. Digits and Latin letters are always half-width ASCII, never ＡＢＣ or １２３. - Han–Latin spacing: put one ordinary space (U+0020) between a Han
character and a Latin letter, a digit or a placeholder: 关于 %1 (About %1,
qtbase_zh_CN), OpenType 特性, 4 个字符 (Glyphs). Glyphs, Adobe, Microsoft and Qt's catalog do this; Apple writes no space, and Qt adds no automatic gap. No space beside a full-width mark or a quotation mark, before(&X), or between a number and%. - Full-width marks in every string that contains Chinese: ， 。 ： ； ？ ！
、 （ ）, with no space on either side. A label colon is ：: 色相(&E)：
(Hu&e:,
qtbase_zh_CN). Join parallel items with 、: A、B 和 C. - Half-width marks in code, paths, numbers (
1,000,12:30), markup, strings that stay wholly Latin, and the mnemonic(&X). - Quotation marks: “…”, with ‘…’ inside, no spaces around them:
正在下载字体“%@”… (Downloading font “%@”…, CoreText). Never 「…」. A
source
'x'or"x"around a name becomes “x”; straight quotes stay in code and inside HTML tags. - Ellipsis: copy the source's
...or…unchanged and in the same position. Never …… or 。。。 in a label. - Final period: 。 where the source ends with a period, none where it
does not. A source
!becomes 。. - Whitespace: keep the source's leading and trailing spaces,
\nand\t. Chinese wraps between any two characters: never add a space, a break or U+3000 to shape a line.
Mnemonics and key names¶
- Append the source's mnemonic letter, uppercase, in half-width parentheses
with no space before it: 打开(&O) (&Open,
qtbase_zh_CN). It goes before a final colon or ellipsis: 色相(&E)：;C&ustom...becomes自定义(&U)...(constructed). - Write exactly
(&X), four characters: Qt strips precisely that pattern on macOS, where menus show no mnemonics. - Keep the source's letter, so sibling items stay unique. Never put
&before a Han character; add no mnemonic the source lacks. A label that stays Latin keeps its&in place. &&is a literal ampersand: write 和 or keep&&, never a single&.- Key names stay in Latin script as the source spells them: Shift, Ctrl, Alt,
Option, Cmd, Enter, Esc, Tab, Delete, Backspace. Space is 空格键; arrows
are 向上键, 向下键, 向左键, 向右键. Keep
Ctrl+Sas written and add no 键 after a Latin key name: 按住 Shift (Glyphs).
Names and loans¶
- Latin script, exact case, no transliteration: product, company, typeface
and personal names (FontLab, OpenType, PostScript, Unicode, Python), format
names (VFJ, UFO), feature and table tags (
kern,OS/2), glyph names, extensions, unit symbols and code. - Embed a Latin name with a space on each side and its class noun after it: OpenType 特性, Glyphs V2 格式 (Glyphs). No 《》 and no quotation marks around a product name unless the source quotes it.
- Translate language, script and country names. An ordinary English word (layer, node) never stays in English, and a Chinese term is not followed by its English original in parentheses.
Script-specific rules¶
- Simplified characters and mainland words only: 软件, 文件, 默认, 信息, 鼠标, 打印, 字体; not 软体, 档案, 预设 for default, 资讯, 滑鼠, 列印, 字型.
- Han characters have no case: keep case only inside Latin names and identifiers. Keep the source's bold and italic markup and add none.
False friends and traps¶
The term table gives the term. These are the senses to reject:
- glyph is not character (字符); the Windows Font dialog uses 字形 for font style, which is not a glyph either.
- script is a writing system (文字, Font Book) or a Python script (脚本, Glyphs): read the control.
- hinting is not 提示 (a tooltip); outline is not 大纲; a font table is not 表格; an OpenType feature is not 功能; weight is not 重量; master is not 大师; instance is not 例子; stem is not 茎; case is not 案例.
- kerning, tracking and spacing are three things; so are component, element and reference.
- Machine-translation habits to remove: 被 passives (已被忽略 becomes 已忽略), 进行 + noun, 一个 for a, 当…时 for every when, 和 joining two verbs (use 并), half-width commas, and long modifiers stacked before 的.
Review¶
Check in this order:
- Placeholders, markup and
\nmatch the source. - Mnemonics: exactly
(&X), the source's letter, before the colon or ellipsis; none added, none lost. - Each numerus entry: one form, with a classifier, right for 1 and for 100.
- A space between Han and Latin or digits; no half-width comma, colon or parenthesis in Chinese text; no full-width Latin.
- No Traditional characters, Taiwan vocabulary or 您.
- Terms match the term table: one concept, one term.
- Form by role: command, title, 正在…, 已…, 无法….
- Would a mainland type designer say it this way?
FontLab terminology and compact labels¶
Preserve deliberately uppercase source labels using the language’s case rules. Keep numeric controls compact with UPM, PPM and LSB/RSB (French AG/AD); explain the full terms in help. The Family Dimensions “Units Per eM:” label is an intentional expanded exception.
Use the current core memory and its approval status. OpenType lookup defaults to the translation of procedure, with a different term only when strong OpenType-specific evidence supports it. Explicit choices are German Lookup, French lookup, Polish procedura and Russian процедура. Ordinary searches, individual rules and OpenType features are separate concepts. Preserve literal code keywords and identifiers.
Translate Fusion with the fallback Welder. Use the core's phonetic FontAudit transliteration in non-Latin scripts, including Chinese; preserve FontAudit in code. Proposed spellings remain proposed. Before rebuilding a QPH, recover team edits and import their terms and notes into the core memory.
Compare mnemonic-split terms with unmarked labels. Keep labels compact, aiming for 120% of the English length in Dimensions and Glyph Window preferences without losing meaning. Omit redundant font, color or command wording when context supplies it. TTH labels can omit “use” and abbreviate TrueType hinting; help can explain more. A full harmonization requires three complete catalog reviews, then reconciliation of help with the final UI and verification of generated resources.
Current terminology¶
The Chinese (Simplified) term table, generated from localization/zh-core.tmx, is the
terminology authority. Use its definitions to select the right concept and its notes for grammar and
usage. Check each entry’s status: team-approved decisions and proposed translations are distinct.
A proposed term still stays consistent across the interface and help; consistency does not confer approval.
For a missing term, translate the fallback original term and record the proposal with its reason.
The terms that other strings are built from:
| English | Chinese (Simplified) |
|---|---|
| glyph | 字形 |
| character | 字符 |
| family dimensions | 家族尺寸 |
| master | 母版 |
| instance | 实例 |
| interpolation | 插值 |
| axis | 轴 |
| variable font | 可变字体 |
| kerning | 字偶距 |
| kerning pair | 字偶对 |
| kerning class | 字偶距类 |
| tracking | 字距调整 |
| metrics | 量度 |
| sidebearing | 边距 |
| left sidebearing | 左边距 |
| right sidebearing | 右边距 |
| advance width | 字宽 |
| UPM | UPM |
| font unit | 字体单位 |
| baseline | 基线 |
| x-height | x 字高 |
| cap height | 大写字高 |
| ascender | 上升部 |
| descender | 下降部 |
| overshoot | 溢出补偿 |
| stem | 字干 |
| counter | 字腔 |
| serif | 衬线 |
| terminal | 末端 |
| contour | 轮廓 |
| node | 节点 |
| handle | 手柄 |
| segment | 线段 |
| extremum | 极值点 |
| element | 元素 |
| component | 部件 |
| reference | 引用 |
| layer | 图层 |
| anchor | 锚点 |
| guide | 参考线 |
| hint | 渲染提示 |
| hinting | 渲染提示 |
| autohinting | 自动渲染提示 |
| feature | 特性 |
| lookup | 查找表 |
| OpenType class | OpenType 类 |
| mark | 标符 |
| ligature | 连字 |
| smart | 机灵 |
| Smart Corner | 机灵角 |
| Power Brush | 超能画笔 |
| Power Guide | 超能参考线 |
| Power Nudge | 超能轻推 |
| Power Stroke | 超能描边 |
| Nudge | 轻推 |
| Servant node | 跟随节点 |
| Genius node | 天才节点 |
| Tunni line | Tunni 线 |
| cousins | 表亲 |
| Sketchboard | 速写板 |
| Skin | 外皮 |
| Matchmaker | 红娘 |
| match | 匹配 |
| True Fill | 如实填充 |
| Dream Up | 畅想 |
| Remove Overlap | 去除重叠 |
| decompose | 分解 |
| panel | 面板 |
| property bar | 属性栏 |
Rapid tool and Quick Help references¶
The tool name is 拉皮德. Use 用拉皮德绘制 for Rapid draw and 用拉皮德编辑 for Rapid edit. Keep the name distinct from ordinary descriptions of speed and from the Vertical rapid and Horizontal rapid contrast classifications. Do not use Rapidograph as the tool name.
This is the local-script transliteration of Rapid. Its spelling follows the current TS catalog; the core records its review status separately.
For Quick Help, match tool, panel, option and command references to the current
TS catalog in the same control context. Keep inflection natural in sentences.
If a core entry differs, reconcile it with the catalog before regenerating
phrasebooks. A compact UI label and its full prose explanation can differ.
Check the current English conditions and consequences: disabling Cloud also
disables mark/mkmk generation, and mark generation requires Cloud. Preserve
mark and mkmk as literal OpenType feature tags.