Croatian Style Guide
Contents
What's New? .................................................................................................................................... 4
New Topics ................................................................................................................................... 4
Updated Topics ............................................................................................................................ 4
Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 5
About This Style Guide ................................................................................................................ 5
Scope of This Document .............................................................................................................. 5
Style Guide Conventions .............................................................................................................. 5
Sample Text ................................................................................................................................. 6
Recommended Reference Material ............................................................................................. 7
Normative References .............................................................................................................. 7
Informative References ............................................................................................................. 7
Language Specific Conventions ...................................................................................................... 8
Country/Region Standards ........................................................................................................... 8
Characters ................................................................................................................................ 8
Date .......................................................................................................................................... 9
Time ........................................................................................................................................ 10
Numbers ................................................................................................................................. 12
Sorting ..................................................................................................................................... 16
Geopolitical Concerns ................................................................................................................ 18
Grammar, Syntax & Orthographic Conventions ......................................................................... 19
Adjectives ................................................................................................................................ 19
Articles .................................................................................................................................... 20
Capitalization .......................................................................................................................... 20
Compounds............................................................................................................................. 22
Gender .................................................................................................................................... 22
Genitive ................................................................................................................................... 22
Modifiers ................................................................................................................................. 23
Nouns ...................................................................................................................................... 23
Prepositions ............................................................................................................................ 24
Pronouns ................................................................................................................................. 24
Punctuation ............................................................................................................................. 26
Singular & Plural ..................................................................................................................... 29
Split Infinitive ........................................................................................................................... 29
Subjunctive ............................................................................................................................. 29
Symbols & Non-Breaking Spaces........................................................................................... 29
Syntax ..................................................................................................................................... 30
Verbs ....................................................................................................................................... 31
Word Order ............................................................................................................................. 33
Style and Tone Considerations .................................................................................................. 33
Audience ................................................................................................................................. 33
Style ........................................................................................................................................ 34
Tone ........................................................................................................................................ 34
Voice ....................................................................................................................................... 35
Localization Guidelines .................................................................................................................. 37
General Considerations ............................................................................................................. 37
Abbreviations .......................................................................................................................... 37
Accessibility ............................................................................................................................ 38
Acronyms ................................................................................................................................ 38
Applications, Products, and Features ..................................................................................... 39
Frequent Errors ....................................................................................................................... 39
Glossaries ............................................................................................................................... 39
Fictitious Information ............................................................................................................... 39
Recurring Patterns .................................................................................................................. 40
Standardized Translations ...................................................................................................... 40
Unlocalized Items.................................................................................................................... 40
Using the Word Microsoft ....................................................................................................... 40
Software Considerations ............................................................................................................ 41
User Interface ......................................................................................................................... 41
Messages ................................................................................................................................ 42
Keys ........................................................................................................................................ 52
Document Translation Considerations ....................................................................................... 57
Titles ....................................................................................................................................... 57
Copyright ................................................................................................................................. 59
What's New?
Last Updated: February 2011
New Topics
No new topics were added.
Updated Topics
The overall Style Guide content was fully updated in February 2011 as part of major Style Guide update project
performed for all languages.
4
Introduction
This Style Guide went through major revision in February 2011 in order to remove outdated and unnecessary
content. These topics are considered to be "Core & Common" - pertaining to all Microsoft products and services.
About This Style Guide
The purpose of this Style Guide is to provide everybody involved in the localization of Croatian Microsoft products
with Microsoft-specific linguistic guidelines and standard conventions that differ from or are more prescriptive than
those found in language reference materials. These conventions have been adopted after considering context
based on various needs, but above all, they are easy to follow and applicable for all types of software to be
localized.
The Style Guide covers the areas of formatting and grammatical conventions. It also presents the reader with a
general idea of the reasoning behind the conventions. The present Style Guide is a revision of our previous Style
Guide version with the intention of making it more standardized, more structured, and easier to use as a
reference.
The guidelines and conventions presented in this Style Guide are intended to help you localize Microsoft products
and materials. We welcome your feedback, questions and concerns regarding the Style Guide. You can send us
your feedback via the Microsoft Language Portal feedback page.
Scope of This Document
This Style Guide is intended for the localization professional working on Microsoft products. It is not intended to
be a comprehensive coverage of all localization practices, but to highlight areas where Microsoft has preference
or deviates from standard practices for Croatian localization.
Style Guide Conventions
In this document, a plus sign (+) before a translation example means that this is the recommended correct
translation. A minus sign (-) is used for incorrect translation examples.
In Microsoft localization context, the word term is used in a slightly untraditional sense, meaning the same as e.g.
a segment in Trados. The distinguishing feature of a term here is that it is translated as one unit; it may be a
traditional term (as used in terminology), a phrase, a sentence, or a paragraph.
References to interface elements really only refer to translatable texts associated with those interface elements.
Example translations in this document are only intended to illustrate the point in question. They are not a source
of approved terminology. Always check for approved translation in the Microsoft terminology database.
5
Sample Text
Za studij dijaloga potreban je bezinteresan, ravnodušan duh. Kad se poĉne s jednim dijalogom, nailazi se na
veliĉanstven uvod, na lijepe scene. U tome se nalazi ono što uzdiţe, ono što osobito nagovara mlade. Tek kad se
pustilo biti time obuzet, dolazi se na ono zapravo dijalektiĉko - na spekulativno. Poĉetak i kraj su uzvišeni, lijepi
dok se sredina upušta u dijalektiku. Ako se je pustilo biti uzdignut onim lijepim scenama, mora se sad od toga
odustati i dati se bosti trnjem i striĉcima metafizike. Da bi se prošlo kroz dijaloge, zahtijevaju se tako raznorodni
ugoĊaji, a i ravnodušnost spram razliĉitih interesa. Ĉita li se s interesom spekulacije, preskaĉe se ono što vaţi
kao lijepo. Ima li se pak interes uzdizanja, zanošenja itd., tad se prelazi preko onog spekulativnog, nalazi se to
neprimjerenim svojem interesu.
Sama vjeţba u odreĊivanju naravi lijepog, pravednog i dobrog je lijep i boţanski osjećaj. U mladosti se treba što
više uvjeţbavati u tom poslu koji se ĉini beskorisnim i koji mnoštvo naziva metafiziĉkim brbljanjem jer će mu inaĉe
umaći istina. Već sam ranije napomenuo da su ljudi odavno vjerovali da se ono istinito moţe pronaći samo
razmišljanjem. Pri razmišljanju se nailazi na misli, preinaĉuje se u misao ono što se pred sobom ima na naĉin
predodţbe ili vjerovanja.
Za detaljnije informacije obratite se na sljedeću adresu:
Luka Lukić
Ulica hrvatskih istomišljenika 58
51000 Dubrovnik
tel. (051) 999-822
Beskonaĉno je ono neodreĊeno, ono što je sposobno za više ili manje, što moţe biti intenzivnije ili ne, hladno,
toplo, suho, vlaţno itd. Ono konaĉno je, naprotiv, granica, proporcija, mjera - imanentno slobodno odreĊenje s
kojim i u kojem sloboda ujedno sebi stvara egzistenciju. On to razmatra dalje: ono beskonaĉno je to da o sebi
prijeĊe konaĉnom, ono što potrebuje tvar da bi se ostvarilo. Ili, ono konaĉno je, ukoliko sebe postavlja, nešto
razlikovano, neko drugo no što je to ono ograniĉeno.
Ono beskonaĉno je besformno; slobodna forma kao djelatnost je ono konaĉno. Jedinstvom pak tog dvoga nastaju
na primjer zdravlje, toplina, hladnoća, suhoća, vlaţnost, a jednako tako i harmonija glazbe viših i dubljih tonova,
brţeg i sporijeg kretanja. Uopće, sve lijepo i savršeno nastaje jedinstvom takvih suprotnosti. Zdravlje, ljepota itd.
je tako nešto proizvedeno, ukoliko su za to uporabljene suprotnosti. To se tako pokazuje njihovom mješavinom.
Umjesto „individualnost“, uporabljuju stari poĉesto izraz „mješavina“, „udio“ itd. Za nas su to neodreĊeni, netoĉni
izrazi. Dakle zdravlje, sreća, ljepota pokazuju se kao nešto nastalo spajanjem takvih suprotnosti. Ono što je tako
proizvedeno pretpostavlja nešto ĉime treće biva uĉinjeno, naime uzrok. Ovaj je izvrsniji od onih ĉijom djelatnošću
nešto takvo nastaje.
Naĉinjeno 15. sijeĉnja 2003. u 14:30 sati.
Source: Language Kits
6
Recommended Reference Material
Use the Croatian language and terminology as described and used in the following publications.
Normative References
These normative sources must be adhered to. Any deviation from them automatically fails a string in most cases.
When more than one solution is allowed in these sources, look for the recommended one in other parts of the
Style Guide.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Babić S.; Finka, B.; Moguš, M. Hrvatski pravopis (9. izd.). Zagreb: Školska knjiga, 2006.
Anić, V.; Silić, J. Pravopis hrvatskoga jezika. Zagreb: Novi Liber; Školska knjiga, 2001.
Anić, Vladimir. Rječnik hrvatskoga jezika (4. prošireno izd.). Zagreb: Novi Liber, 2003.
Barić, Eugenija [et al.]. Hrvatska gramatika 2. promijenjeno izdanje. Zagreb: Školska knjiga, 1997.
Hrvatski enciklopedijski rječnik (ur. Matasović, R.). Zagreb: Novi Liber, 2002.
Informative References
These sources are meant to provide supplementary information, background, comparison, etc.
1. Batnoţić, D.; Ranilović, S.; Silić, J. Hrvatski računalni pravopis. Zagreb: Matica hrvatska; SYS, 1996.
2. Brodnjak, Vladimir. Razlikovni rječnik srpskog i hrvatskog jezika (4. nepromijenjeno izd.). Zagreb:
Školske novine, 1998.
3. Drvodelić, Milan. Hrvatsko-engleski rječnik (7. preraĊeno i dopunjeno izd.). Zagreb: Školska knjiga,
1996.
4. Ĉengić, N.; Pavlović, S.; Micak, N. Englesko-hrvatski i hrvatsko-engleski moderni rječnik (4. izd.).
Zagreb: Naklada C, 2003.
5. Kiš, Miroslav. Englesko-hrvatski i hrvatsko-engleski informatički rječnik (2. izd.). Zagreb: Naklada
Ljevak, 2002.
6. Filipović, R. [et al.]. Englesko-hrvatski rječnik (24. izd.). Zagreb: Školska knjiga, 1999.
7. Bujas, Ţeljko. Veliki englesko-hrvatski rječnik (4. izd.). Zagreb: Nakladni zavod Globus, 2005.
8. Bujas, Ţeljko. Veliki hrvatsko-engleski rječnik (4. izd.). Zagreb: Nakladni zavod Globus, 2005.
7
Language Specific Conventions
This part of the style guide contains information about standards specific to Croatian.
Country/Region Standards
Characters
Country/region
Croatia
Lower-case characters
a, b, c, ĉ, ć, d, dţ, Ċ, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l , lj, m, n, nj, o, p, [q], r, s, š, t, u, v, [w], [x],
[y], z, ţ
Upper-case characters
A, B, C, Ĉ, Ć, D, Dţ, Đ, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, Lj, M, N, Nj, O, P, [Q], R, S, Š, T, U,
V, [W], [X], [Y], Z, Ţ
Characters in caseless
scripts
n/a
Extended Latin characters
ĉ, Ĉ, ć, Ć, dţ, Dţ, Ċ, Đ, lj, Lj, nj, Nj, š, Š, ţ, Ţ
Note on alphabetical order
n/a
Total number of characters
34
Unicode codes
Ć Ć Capital C-acute ć ć Lower C-acute Đ Đ Capital D-stroke Ċ
đ Lower D-stroke Ĉ Č Capital C hachek ĉ č Lower C-hachek Š
Š Capital S hachek š š Lower S-hachek Ţ Ž Capital Z hachek
ţ ž Lower Z-hachek

Notes

The Croatian alphabet consists of 30 characters, of which 3 are digraphs
(dţ, lj, nj).
The Croatian alphabet does not contain q, Q, w, W, x, X, y, Y but these
foreign characters are used in the language.
8
Date
Croatia
Croatia
Calendar/Era
Gregorian
First Day of the Week
Monday
First Week of the Year
Week no. one contains January 1
Separator
Period; between date and month and month and year, the separator is followed by a
space (e.g. 17. 3. 2011.)
Default Short Date
Format
d.M.yy.
Example
17.3.11.
Default Long Date Format d. MMMM yyyy.
Example
17. oţujka 2011.
Additional Short Date
Format 1
n/a
Example
n/a
Additional Short Date
Format 2
n/a
Example
n/a
Additional Long Date
Format 1
d. M. yyyy.
Example
17. 3. 2011.
Additional Long Date
Format 2
n/a
Example
n/a
Leading Zero in Day Field
for Short Date Format
no
Leading Zero in Month
Field for Short Date
Format
no
No. of digits for year for
Short Day Format
2
9
Croatia
Croatia
Leading Zero in Day Field
for Long Date Format
no
Leading Zero in Month
Field for Long Date
Format
n/a, full name of the month written
Number of digits for year
for Long Day Format
4
Date Format for
Correspondence
Long date format (d. MMMM yyyy.)
Example
17. oţujka 2011.
Notes
IMPORTANT: In long date format, genitive form of the month name is used: sijeĉnja
(January), veljaĉe (February), oţujka (March), travnja (April), svibnja (May), lipnja
(June), srpnja (July), kolovoza (August), rujna (September), listopada (October),
studenog (November), prosinca (December). It is erroneous to use nominative forms
of month names instead (e.g. 17. ožujak 2011.; the correct form is 17. ožujka
2011.).
d is for day, number of d's indicates the format (d = digits without leading zero, dd =
digits with leading zero, ddd = the abbreviated day name, dddd = full day name)
Abbreviations in Format
Codes
M is for month, number of M's gives number of digits. (M = digits without leading
zero, MM = digits with leading zero, MMM = the abbreviated name, MMMM = full
name)
y is for year, number of y’s gives number of digits (yy = two digits, yyyy = four digits)
Time
Croatia
Croatia
24 hour format
yes
Standard time format
HH:mm:ss
Standard time format
example
23:43:12; 23.43.12
Time separator
Colon (:); period (.)
Time separator examples
23:43:12; 23.43.12
Hours leading zero
no
Hours leading zero example
n/a (1:22:13)
10
Croatia
Croatia
String for AM designator
n/a
String for PM designator
n/a
Notes
n/a
Days
Country/region: Croatia
Day
Normal Form
Abbreviation
Monday
ponedjeljak
pon.
Tuesday
utorak
uto.
Wednesday
srijeda
sri.
Thursday
ĉetvrtak
ĉet.
Friday
petak
pet.
Saturday
subota
sub.
Sunday
nedjelja
ned.
First Day of Week: Monday
Is first letter capitalized?: No
Notes: n/a
Months
Country/region: Croatia
Month
Full Form
Abbreviated Form
Long Date Form
January
sijeĉanj
sij.
sijeĉnja
February
veljaĉa
velj.
veljaĉe
March
oţujak
oţu.
oţujka
April
travanj
tra.
travnja
May
svibanj
svi.
svibnja
June
lipanj
lip.
lipnja
11
Month
Full Form
Abbreviated Form
Long Date Form
July
srpanj
srp.
srpnja
August
kolovoz
kol.
kolovoza
September
rujan
ruj.
rujna
October
listopad
lis.
listopada
November
studeni
stu.
studenog
December
prosinac
pro.
prosinca
Is first letter capitalized?: No
Notes: n/a
Numbers
Phone Numbers
Country/
region
International
Dialing
Code
Area
Codes
Used?
Number of
Digits - Area
Codes
Separator
Number of
Digits Domestic
Digit
Groupings Domestic
Croatia
385
yes
2 or 3
Space or
hyphen
9
(##) ### ####;
(###) ### ###
[(##) ###-####;
(###) ###-###]
Country/
region
Number of
Digits Local
Digit
Groupings
- Local
Number of
Digits - Mobile
Digit
Groupings Mobile
Number of
Digits International
Digit
Groupings International
Croatia
6, 7
### ####;
### ###
[###-####;
###-###]
9, 10
(###) ###
###; (###)
### ####
[(###) ######; (###)
###-####]
11
+385 # ###
####; +385 ##
### ###
Notes:


7-digit numbers are grouped by 4 and 3 (e.g. 123 4567 or 123-4567), or by 3-2-2 (e.g. 123 44 67 or 12344-67).
6-digit numbers are grouped by 3 (e.g. 123 456 or 123-456), or 2-2-2 (e.g. 12 33 66 or 12-33-66)
12





Area (long distance) prefix is 0. Only Zagreb has two digit area prefix: 01. All other Croatian area prefixes
consist of 3 digits.
International prefix is 00.
In domestic use, long-distance prefix and area code are written together and separated from the phone
number by space or slash or is put in brackets: (01) 123 4567 (Zagreb) or 01/123-4567 (Zagreb). (021)
123 456 (Split) or 021/123-456 (Split).
When calling Croatia from abroad, the area prefix 0 should be omitted. When writing, country code is not
in parentheses and is prefixed by a plus sign. +385 1 123 4567 (Zagreb) or +385 1/123 4567 (Zagreb).
+385 21 112 345 (Split) or +385 21/112-345 (Split)
There are five area codes used for mobile phones: 091 (GSM), 098 (GSM), 099 (GSM), 092 (GSM) and
095 (GSM)
Addresses
Country/region: Croatia
Disclaimer: Please note that the information in this entry should under no circumstances be used in examples as
fictitious information.
Address Format:
1. [Title/Honorific] FirstName LastName
2. [CompanyName]
3. Address1
4. [CountryCode-]PostalCode City
5. [Country]
Example Address:
Dipl. ing. Petar Orlić
Slovo d.d.
Tratinska 30/I
[HR-]10000 Zagreb
[Croatia]
Local Postal Code Format: xxxxx
Notes:




Items in brackets are optional or seldom used. For example, the name of the country is only written if mail
is sent from abroad. Also, if mail is sent from abroad to Croatia then HR- [CountryCode plus hyphen] may
be added in front of the code: HR-xxxxx.
When writing postal code, non-breaking space can be used as a thousands separator, e.g. 10 000
Zagreb. This postal code format (xx xxx) is often used.
Address is left aligned.
One space between the PostalCode and the City.
First and second lines — Title etc. line and CompanyName line — can appear in reverse order, i.e. Company
name on first line and Title etc. on second.
13
Currency
Country/region
Croatia
Currency Name
kuna
Currency Symbol
kn
Currency Symbol Position
behind
Positive Currency Format
123,45 kn
Negative Sign Symbol
-
Negative Currency Format
-123,45 kn
Decimal Symbol
, (comma)
Number of Digits after Decimal
2
Digit Grouping Symbol
. (period)
Number of Digits in Digit
Grouping
3
Positive Currency Example
123.456.789,00 kn
Negative Currency Example
-123.456.789,00 kn
ISO Currency Code
HRK
Currency Subunit Name
lipa
Currency Subunit Symbol
lp
Currency Subunit Example
25 lp
Digit Groups
Country/region: Croatia
Decimal Separator: ,
Decimal Separator Description: comma
Decimal Separator Example: 123,45 kn
Thousand Separator: .
Thousand Separator Description: Space; period
Thousand Separator Example: 10 000 (postal code for Zagreb); 12.000 kn (monetary separator)
Notes: If space is used as a thousand separator, four-digit numbers are not grouped, e.g. 1234, not 1 234.
14
Measurement Units
Metric System Commonly Used?: Yes
Temperature: Celsius
Category
English
Translation
Abbreviation
Linear Measure
Kilometer
kilometar
km
Meter
metar
m
Decimeter
decimetar
dm
Centimeter
centimetar
cm
Millimeter
milimetar
mm
Hectoliter
hektolitar
hl
Liter
litra
l
Deciliter
decilitar
dl
Centiliter
centilitar
cl
Milliliter
mililitar
ml
Ton
tona
t
Kilogram
kilogram
kg
Pound
n/a
Gram
gram
g
Decigram
decigram
dg
Centigram
centigram
cg
Milligram
miligram
mg
Inch
palac, inĉ
'' (not commonly used)
Feet
stopa
' (not commonly used)
Mile
milja
n/a
Gallon
n/a
n/a
Capacity
Mass
English Units of
Measurement
Notes:


In Croatian documentation the SI system of measurement units is used.
If the unit of measurement is preceded by a number, there should be a space between the number and
the unit of measurement: 3 km, 55 MB, 128 kB.
15
Percentages
The percent sign (%) should not be separated from the numeral, e.g. 50%.
Sorting
1. Capital letters and lowercase letters are equal. No distinction is made between them.
2. The extended characters ĉ, Ĉ, ć, Ć, dţ, Dţ, Ċ, Đ, lj, Lj, nj, Nj, š, Š, ţ, Ţ are treated as
separate letters.
Sorting rules
3. Non-alphabetical characters (i.e. symbols like @ ! #) sort before the letters of the
alphabet.
4. Digits sort after the non-alphabetical characters and before the letters of the alphabet.
Character
sorting order
a, b, c, ĉ, ć, d, dţ, Ċ, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l , lj, m, n, nj, o, p, [q], r, s, š, t, u, v, [w], [x], [y], z, ţ
@
1
Aaron
andere
ändere
cote
coté
côte
côté
Czech
Examples of
sorted words
ĉuĉēt
hiša
chaque
chemin
irdisch
lävi
lie
lire
llama
lõug
Löwen
lòza
16
Lübeck
luck
luĉ
lye
màšta
Männer
mîr
möchten
myndig
piña
pint
pylon
savoir
sämtlich
Sietla
ślub
subtle
symbol
šàran
Šerbūra
väga
verkehrt
vox
waffle
wood
yen
yuan
yucca
zoo
Zürich
Zviedrija
zysk
zzlj
zzlz
zznj
17
zznz
ţal
ţena
Ţenēva
Geopolitical Concerns
Part of the cultural adaptation of the US-product to a specific market is the resolving of geopolitical issues. While
the US-product should have been designed and developed with neutrality and a global audience in mind, the
localized product should respond to the particular situation that applies within the target country/region.
Sensitive issues or issues that might potentially be offensive to the users in the target country/region may occur in
any of the following:





Maps
Flags
Country/region, city and language names
Art and graphics
Cultural content, such as encyclopedia content and other text where historical or political references may
occur
Some of these issues are relatively easy to verify and resolve: the objective should be for the localizer to always
have the most current information available. Maps and other graphic representations of countries/regions and
regions should be checked for accuracy and existing political restrictions. Country/region, city and language
names change on a regular basis and need to be checked, even if previously approved.
A thorough understanding of the culture of the target market is required for checking the appropriateness of
cultural content, clip art and other visual representations of religious symbols, body and hand gestures.
Guideline
As country/region and city names can change, please use the most up-to-date Croatian list for every release of
your product.
18
Grammar, Syntax & Orthographic Conventions
This section includes information on how to apply the general rules of the Croatian language to Microsoft products
and documentation.
Adjectives
In Croatian, adjectives should be handled in the following manner.
Croatian adjectives, unlike the English ones, have gender and number and it is impossible to localize single
adjective correctly without having a context or when the context require the adjective to be in masculine, feminine
or neuter at the same time (this often happens in menus). In these cases try to localize the adjective with the
neutral form.
Source text
New
Unknown
Translation
+ Novo
- Nov
+ Nepoznato
- Nepoznat
Agreement Rule
All adjectives describing a noun must be put in the same case, number (singular/plural), and gender as the noun
they describe. This holds across parts of sentence and across sentences!
Postpositive adjectives are common in some syntactic combinations. Be careful in translating to Croatian,
where such position of adjectives is rather uncommon.
Source text
Translation
Change the number of pages
displayed
Promijenite broj prikazanih stranica
Possessive adjectives
The frequent use of possessives is a feature of English language. However in Croatian, translations attention
needs to be paid to the correct use of possessive adjectives and cases. Influenced by the English language,
many translators mix them, translate them literally, as nouns, or change the word order.
Source text
Translation
user name
table direction
+ korisniĉko ime
+ smjer tablice
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Source text
Translation
- tabliĉni smjer
+ internetska veza
Internet connection
- Internet veza
Articles
General considerations
This section does not apply to Croatian.
Unlocalized Feature Names
This section does not apply to Croatian.
Localized Feature Names
This section does not apply to Croatian.
Articles for English Borrowed Terms
This section does not apply to Croatian.
Capitalization
In English, it is a general practice to capitalise all first characters of the words in titles, names, etc, and sometimes
middle characters in words too. Bear in mind that this is an error for the Croatian texts.
Source text
Translation
Move Down…
+ Premjesti dolje...
AutoArchive
+ Samoarhiviraj
The names of days, months, languages, also adjectives derived from country names are not capitalized.
The word Web, which is a synonym of World Wide Web, sometimes is used by the authors in the meaning of
Internet but strictly speaking Web is a part of the Internet. Be attentive, these terms are not always equal and
can’t be replaced freely. In Croatian, at the moment we use the notions Internet and Web, which are inflective.
20
A possesive adjective 'internetski' is also used. Note that the word 'internetski' begins with a lowercase 'i'.
In Croatian we also use 'web' (with lowercase 'w') as a synonim to 'internetski' in the compounds such as 'webaplikacija', 'web-stranica', 'web-posluţitelj' etc. It is then written with a hyphen.
Source text
Internet
Web
Web page
Web site
Web server
Internet cafe
Translation
+ Internet (G. Interneta, D. Internetu,
A. Internet...)
+ Web (G. Weba, D. Webu, A.
Web...)
+ web-stranica (also: internetska
stranica)
+ web-mjesto
+ web-posluţitelj
+ internetski kafić
- Internet kafić
- Internetski kafić
+ internetska veza
Internet connection
- Internet veza
- Internetska veza
Keep in mind that in near future there might be a change for these words. Web may become xxx and when the
two notions are used as modifiers they may begin with regular letters and may have a hyphen between them and
the following word, e.g. xxxxx etc.
Please remember that the following items are always written in CAPITAL LETTERS:





Device names (e.g. COM1)
Drive names (e.g. C)
Path names (e.g. C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM)
The first letter of a sentence, paragraph, heading, header, and footer
The first letter of a brand name (e.g. Excel, Microsoft)
Capitalization Of Text In Brackets
In the English software often additional short text in brackets starts with the capital letter. In Croatian localised
software, when the short text in brackets is not a full sentence, it should start with the lowercase letter.
21
Source text
Keep existing driver
(Recommended)
Translation
+ Zadrţite postojeći upravljaĉki
program (preporuĉeno)
- Zadrţite postojeći upravljaĉki
program (Preporuĉeno)
Compounds
In Croatian, the meaning of a compound word may be different from the meaning of a phrase consisting of the
same components. Take that difference into account and use the correct form.
Example:
Source text
Translation
+ smjer tablice
table direction
- tabliĉni smjer
Gender
Unlike in English, the names of things in Croatian, such as software, application, device, component, do have
gender, i.e. they are classified as masculine, feminine or neuter. The gender depends on the headword, since it is
the only inflectible element.
Example:
Croatian text
Gender
Operacijski sustav Windows
masculine
web-aplikacija
feminine
Sučelje Microsoft Office Fluent
neuter
Genitive
This section does not apply to Croatian.
22
Modifiers
In Croatian localized text you sometimes need to add modifiers before names of objects, menus, commands,
dialog box elements, icons, etc. (descriptions of the object the name refers to). In general, English text doesn't
have these modifiers.
Modifiers are especially necessary when the whole phrase needs to be declined - then decline only the modifier
and leave the name in the form that is used in the user interface.
Example:
Source text
Microsoft Excel Help files
Translation
+ Datoteke pomoći programa
Microsoft Excel
- Datoteke pomoći Microsoft Excela
This also applies for strings with placeholders, where the thing finally replacing the placeholder will
understandably not be declined. See also chapter Error Messages Containing Placeholders in this document.
Nouns
General considerations
Inflection
Product names can be inflected, but please approve new (not previously approved) translations with Microsoft
Language Excellence.
Example:
Source text
Translation
Office assistant
+ Officeov pomoćnik
Plural Formation
Use general language rules when creating a plural form (adding -i, -e, or -a at the end).
23
Example:
Source text
Translation
Connected clients
applications
panes
+ Povezani klijenti
+ aplikacije
+ okna
Translation of English phrases which allow both singular and plural forms at the same time, should generally be
changed into plural form only in Croatian in order to avoid confusing noun/verb endings in the statement.
Source text
Translation
Fill in the field(s)…
+ Popunite polja…
Prepositions
Pay attention to the correct use of the preposition in translations. Influenced by the English language, many
translators omit them or change the word order.
US Expression
Croatian Expression
Comment
Press OK to continue
Za nastavak kliknite U redu
(preferably you should use “kliknuti”,
see more explanation about
pritisnuti/kliknuti at the “Command
buttons” part of this Style Guide)
Pronouns
The possessive pronoun “your” is very frequent in English, but should be omitted in Croatian translation and used
only when the context makes it necessary (see the example).
Note that the Croatian grammar prescribes that the possessive pronoun “svoj” should be used instead of “vaš”
when the subject of sentence matches the object.
Example:
Source text
Translation
Turn on your computer.
+ Ukljuĉite raĉunalo.
24
Source text
Translation
- Ukljuĉite vaše raĉunalo.
+ Zatvorite dokument.
Close your document.
First save your document, then the
one on remote server.
- Zatvorite vaš dokument.
- Zatvorite svoj dokument.
+ Prvo zatvorite svoj dokument, a
zatim onaj na udaljenom
posluţitelju.
(personal pronoun is necessary
here to distinguish the two
documents)
- Prvo zatvorite dokument, a onda
onaj na udaljenom posluţitelju.
- Prvo zatvorite vaš dokument, a
onda onaj na udaljenom posluţitelju
One or More
There are sometimes problems with congruency in the translations into Croatian. To avoid such problems, use
pronoun neki (neki od) instead of the literal translation jedan ili više:
Source text
Translation
+ Neke datoteke potrebne za
vraćanje raĉunala u prijašnje stanje
nisu pronaĊene.
One or more of the files required to
restore your computer to its
previous state could not be found.
+ Neke od datoteka potrebnih za
vraćanje raĉunala u prijašnje stanje
nisu pronaĊene.
Setup has detected that you have
one or more of the following
features installed:…
- Jedna ili više datoteka potrebnih
za vraćanje raĉunala u prijašnje
stanje nisu pronaĊene.
+ Instalacijski program je otkrio da
su na raĉunalu instalirane neke od
sljedećih znaĉajki:...
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Punctuation
Croatian uses the following punctuation: period (.), exclamation mark (!), question mark (?), comma (,), semicolon
(;), colon (:), suspension points (…), quotation marks („“), parenthesis (), en dash (-), hyphen (-), slash (/),
apostrophe ('). Some punctuation marks are also used to express arithmetic formulas (. = multiplication, : =
division, - = subtraction, decimal comma, etc.).
At present, punctuation is often misused as a result of the influence of different graphic systems, e.g. English.
Comma
Misplacing a comma may have an adverse effect on the meaning of a sentence. In Croatian, commas have the
following functions: separating sentence elements (e.g. nouns, modifiers, or phrases), separating subordinate
clauses, offsetting appositive, etc. In these cases, the comma is followed by a space. Moreover, in Croatian,
commas separate decimal values, in which case they are not followed by a space.
Comma in subordinate clauses
The rules for writing comma in Croatian subordinate clauses (temporal, causal, if-clauses...) are those stated in
the reference materials. The general rule is that the comma is used when an inversion occurs, i.e. when the sub
clause precedes the main clause. Otherwise (the sequence is main clause, sub clause), comma is normally not
needed. Here are some of the examples:
Source text
Translation
+ Da biste nastavili, datoteku morate
izbrisati ili preimenovati.
To continue, you must delete or
rename the file.
If you convert the database, older
program versions will not be able to
use it.
+ Datoteku morate izbrisati ili
preimenovati da biste nastavili.
- Da biste nastavili datoteku morate
izbrisati ili preimenovati.
- Datoteku morate izbrisati ili
preimenovati, da biste nastavili.
+ Ako pretvorite bazu podataka, više
je nećete moći koristiti sa starijim
verzijama programa.
+ Više nećete moći koristiti bazu
podataka sa starijim verzijama
26
Source text
Translation
programa ako je pretvorite.
- Ako pretvorite bazu podataka više
je nećete moći koristiti sa starijim
verzijama programa.
+ Omogućite postavku „Jedan
korisnik“ kako biste mogli izvršiti
odreĊene promjene baze podataka.
Enable the 'Single user' setting, in
order to perform the chosen
database alterations.
+ Kako biste mogli izvršiti odreĊene
promjene baze podataka, omogućite
postavku „Jedan korisnik“.
- Omogućite postavku "Jedan
korisnik", kako biste mogli izvršiti
odreĊene promjene baze podataka.
Please note that it is customary not to use comma in translations like „Za x učinite y“ (not „Za x, učinite y“).
Example:
Source text
Translation
Contact the system manager if you
need to have your permissions
changed.
+ Za promjenu ovlaštenja obratite se
upravitelju sustava.
Colon
Colons introduce sentences/clauses or their parts, which develop previous text (e.g. examples). They often
introduce direct speech and are followed by a space character.
Dashes and Hyphens
Croatian punctuation rules do not make difference between m-dash (U+2014)(ALT+150) and n-dash (U+2013)
(ALT+151). If there is a need of dash use the n-dash (for consistency) but do not confuse it with the hyphen
(U+002D). A dash is longer and has a space before and after it. Using dash instead of hyphen and vice-versa is
an error.
27
Ellipses (Suspension Points)
There’s no space between the preceding word and the ellipsis, yet if an ellipsis marks the omission of a part of a
sentence, the ellipsis is separated by a space on both sides.
Keep in mind the following when using ellipses/suspension points:
Three periods have to be used, any other number is defective. If a sentence ends in an ellipsis, there’s no fourth
period.
Period
In Croatian, a period is usually followed by a space. Space is not used in time data, when the period character
separates hours and minutes (e.g. 14.15). A period is used after abbreviations, e.g. “npr.”, as well as after ordinal
numbers using numerals e.g. “u 3. dijelu”.
Periods are not used in acronyms, e.g. SAD
Quotation Marks
In Croatian, the following characters are used for quotation marks: („) (ALT+0132) - at the beginning - and (“)
(ALT+0147) - at the end.
Exceptionally (due to formatting problems for instance), it is necessary to use the English characters for quotation
marks (“) both at the beginning and the end of the quoted text.
Do not use quotation marks for names of controls used within sentences.
Example:
Source text
Incorrect translation
Correct translation
The name "Selection" is reserved.
Ime „Selection“ je rezervirano.
Ime Selection je rezervirano.
You have chosen to import your
address book. Click 'Finish' to
perform the import.
Izabrali ste uvoz adresara. Kliknite
„Finish“ za uvoz.
Izabrali ste uvoz adresara. Za uvoz
kliknite gumb Finish.
28
Parentheses
In English, there is no space between the parentheses and the text inside them, nor there is in Croatian. The
space is used outside the parentheses.
Example:
Install Microsoft Communicator 2010 (Beta Refresh)
Instalirajte program Microsoft Communicator 2010 (Beta Refresh)
Singular & Plural
When talking about things in general (i.e. any of the kind), we may use both singular and plural.
Example:
Source text
Translation
A driver is an application…
+ Upravljački program je aplikacija...
+ Upravljački programi su
aplikacije...
Split Infinitive
This section does not apply to Croatian.
Subjunctive
This section does not apply to Croatian.
Symbols & Non-Breaking Spaces
% - Symbols like the percent sign are post-positioned.
€ - The Euro symbol and other monetary symbols are post-positioned and separated by a non-breaking space as
well. Please note, however, that the Euro symbol (as all other monetary units) is preferably replaced either by
“euro” or by its abbreviation EUR.
$ - The Dollar sign is not used in Croatian, the acronym USD is used instead.
Example:
50%
29
123,45 €
100 USD
Use non-breaking spaces (CTRL+SHIFT+SPACEBAR or Alt+0160) between words that should not separate onto
different lines. If two words are connected by a non-breaking space, Word will keep them together, even if
subsequent editing causes line breaks to change. On your screen, a non-breaking space looks like a degree
symbol ( ° ), but it will print like a space.
Syntax
Sentences with “You can…” and “You can not…”
Almost always when translating sentences with "You can…", "You can not…" it is necessary to rephrase.
Source text
You can have several documents
open at the same time.
You cannot change properties of a
built-in dictionary.
You can't send Web pages as
attachments.
You can delete more than one sheet
at a time.
Translation
+ Istodobno moţe biti otvoreno
nekoliko dokumenata.
- Moţete istodobno imati otvoreno
nekoliko dokumenata.
+ Svojstva ugraĊenog rjeĉnika ne
moţete promijeniti.
- Ne moţete promijeniti svojstva
ugraĊenog rjeĉnika.
+ Web-stranice ne moţete poslati
kao privitke.
- Ne moţete poslati web-stranice
kao privitke.
+ Istodobno moţete izbrisati više od
jednog radnog lista.
- Moţete izbrisati više od jednog
radnog lista istovremeno.
Sentences with “Use X to Y” and “Use X for Y”
These sentences are translated as "Za Y koristite X"
30
Source text
Translation
+ Za zastavice poruka koristi
engleski.
Use English for message flags.
Use Windows Control Panel to
remove one of the copies.
- Koristi engleski za zastavice
poruka.
+ Za uklanjanje jedne od kopija
koristite upravljaĉku ploĉu sustava
Windows.
- Koristite upravljaĉku ploĉu sustava
Windows za uklanjanje jedne od
kopija.
Verbs
English forms often do not distinguish between various uses of verbs (command, function name, description of an
ongoing process, etc.). Find out what is really meant with the string in Croatian, and translate accordingly. For
details on translating specific dialog box elements, see the corresponding paragraph below.
For commands and menu items use the personal imperative form (2nd person singular) only when they are a
direct command (the associated action is executed directly after the activation). Otherwise (indirect command followed by an ellipsis "…") use nouns, verbal nouns or impersonal forms. Interactive commands are the third
type of commands (the user takes part in their execution). They are also translated with the use of nouns or
verbal nouns.
Instructions:
For
Use
direct commands
imperative, 2nd person singular
indirect commands
noun, verbal noun
interactive commands
noun, verbal noun
Example:
Source text
Translation
Print
+ Ispis
31
Source text
Cancel Refresh
Translation
+ Ispiši (direct command)
+ Odustani od osvjeţavanja (direct
command)
- Odustajanje od osvjeţavanja
+ Ispis… (indirect command)
Print…
- Ispiši…
+ Spremanje… (indirect command)
Save…
Save As…
- Spremi…
+ Spremanje kao… (indirect
command)
- Spremi kao…
+ Crtanje (interactive command)
Draw
- Crtaj
+ UreĊivanje (interactive command)
Edit
- Uredi
Notification about Current Action
When translating notification about current action, it is best to use verbal noun and adverb “u tijeku”,
Personification of the program (verb in 1st person singular) should be avoided.
Source text
Translation
+ Ispis u tijeku…
Printing…
- Ispisujem…
+ Uĉitavanje u tijeku…
Loading…
- Uĉitavam…
Translating verbs Click, Choose and Select
For click use kliknuti (double click = dvoklik).
32
For choose use odabrati or (if it refers to command button) kliknuti.
Select can be translated as odabrati, označiti and potvrditi okvir. The adequate translation depends on the
context:
Element
Source Text
Translation
Comment
Lists
In the drop-down list, select
an option.
U padajućem popisu
odaberite jednu od
stavki.
Check boxes
Select the check box
Potvrdite okvir
to clear, to uncheck a
check box = poništiti
potvrdni okvir
Selecting text, cells,
images…
Select the text and then drag
it to the new location.
Oznaĉite tekst i odvucite
ga na drugo mjesto.
Here select is similar to
highlight.
+ Ispis u tijeku…
- Ispisujem…
Word Order
A more liberal word order of the Croatian sentence enables the placement of the major part of information (very
often the object) at the end of the sentence:
Source text
The following scanners or cameras
are installed:
Translation
+ Instalirani su sljedeći skeneri
i kamere:
- Sljedeći skeneri i kamere su
instalirani
Style and Tone Considerations
This section focuses on higher-level considerations for audience, style, tone, and voice.
Audience
The target text should not suggest in any manner that the users of the software product are exclusively of the
masculine or the feminine gender. Therefore, the second person plural or a neutral formulation is preferred in the
target text.
33
Style
Use correct and consistent grammar in all texts. Translate in easily understandable style, with good flow.
Tone
Person
The English forms often do not distinguish between various uses of verbs (command, function name, description
of an ongoing process, etc.). Find out what is really meant with the string, and translate accordingly. For details on
translating specific dialog box elements, see the corresponding paragraph below.
For commands, instructions, suggestions, etc., always use the personal imperative form, not impersonal forms,
infinitives or deverbal nouns.
Use the 2nd person plural to address the user. Normally, the pronoun “vi” itself will not be needed, but if it is
used, write it with a lowercase letter. This is to ensure consistency with any printed material on the same topic
(which traditionally uses lowercase pronouns).
Source text
...the following steps may be
different on your computer.
If you don't want to…
Translation
+ … koraci opisani u nastavku mogu
na vašem raĉunalu biti dukĉiji.
- … koraci opisani u nastavku mogu
na Vašem raĉunalu biti dukĉiji.
+ Ako ne ţelite…
- Ako Vi ne ţelite…
- Ako vi ne ţelite…
- Ako ne ţeliš…
Use the 2nd person singular to address the system, without using the pronoun itself.
Source text
Translation
+ Zamijeni
Replace
- Zamijenite
34
Use deverbal nouns with the -nje suffix to refer to system status, ongoing processes, etc.
Source text
Translation
Saving the file
+ Spremanje datoteke
In questions to the user about actions of the system, start the question with "Želite li".
Source text
Translation
+ Ţelite li spremiti datoteku?
Save the file?
- Spremi datoteku?
- Spremiti datoteku?
The same solution of adding the verb želite li should be used when a question or option is phrased as a
command to the user. When an option is phrased as a command to the user, imperative 2nd person singular
should be used.
Source text
View the file now
Translation
+ Pogledaj datoteku (option phrased
as direct command)
(After: Ţelite li pogledati datoteku?)
The first person may be used for personalized creations like the Office Assistant.
Voice
In Croatian try to avoid direct translation of “You” as much as possible, it is not commonly used and rephrasing
your sentences can often produce better results.
Example:
Source text
Translation
+ Povezani ste s internetom.
You are now connected to the Internet.
- Vi ste povezani s internetom.
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Composite strings
If a string appears as a part of another string, capitalization is sufficient. For multi-word strings, if necessary,
rephrase the sentence to avoid ambiguity. Using quotation marks is not preferred, be very careful and use it only
if there is no other option.
Source text
Translation
Click Save and close the window
Kliknite Spremi i zatvorite prozor
Click Save As and close the window
To save the file, click Save As
Kliknite Spremi kao, a zatim zatvorite prozor
(do NOT use: Kliknite „Spremi kao“ i zatvorite prozor)
Da biste spremili datoteku, kliknite Spremi kao
General Guidelines for Dialog Box Translation
When translating dialog box interface you should remember that you are expected to use consistent terminology
and language style in all dialog boxes, not only within currently localized application. You also need to ensure that
your translations are consistent with translations in other localized applications. Take also into account that
currently not localized applications may be localized in the future and solutions adopted now must be usable there
as well. This is particularly important when localizing common (identical) dialog boxes found in several
applications.
An example of a common dialog box containing the same terminology is the Options dialog box (Mogućnosti).
36
Localization Guidelines
This section contains guidelines for localization into Croatian.
General Considerations
Abbreviations
Common Abbreviations
You might need to abbreviate some words in the UI (mainly buttons or options names) due to lack of space. This
can be done in the following ways:
Method
Example of Acceptable Abbreviation
Truncation with a period
maksimalno = maks.; mjeseci = mj.
Initial capitals
Sjedinjene Ameriĉke Drţave = SAD
Slash
str. u min = str./min
Measurement units
The basic measurement units are: length — meter, weight — gram, liquid volume — liter.
Unit names are often abbreviated. No period is used in the abbreviation. Value and measurement unit are always
separated by a space.
Source text
Croatian (full)
Croatian (abbreviation)
meter
metar
m
kilometer
kilometar
km
centimeter
centimetar
cm
milimeter
milimetar
mm
gram
gram
g
kilogram
kilogram
kg
liter
litra
l
37
Information units
Units of information are often abbreviated. Always use the following translations.
Source text
Croatian (full)
Croatian (abbreviation)
KB
MB
kB
MB
kilobajt
megabajt
bit
bit
bit
bit/s
bit/s
bitova u sekundi
The abbreviated forms for the names of the days are the following: P, U, S, Č, P, S, N
The abbreviated forms for the names of the months are the following: sij., velj., ožu., tra., svi., lip., srp., kol.,
ruj., lis., stu., pro.
Don’t abbreviate words the abbreviations of which may be confusing or ambiguous.
Accessibility
Be foremost careful when choosing short-cut keys (see: Access Keys/Hotkeys).
Try to keep the translation as simple as possible.
Acronyms
Acronyms are words made up of the initial letters of major parts of a compound term. Some well-known examples
are WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get), OLE (Object Linking and Embedding), or RAM (Random
Access Memory).
Localized Acronyms
Acronyms are words made up of the initial letters of major parts of a compound term. OLE (Object Linking and
Embedding), RAM (Random Access Memory) and URL (Uniform Resource Locator) are some well know IT
related US acronyms.
Acronyms are written without a full stop: e.g. ASCII, VGA, RAM
Avoid to decline the acronyms as mush as possible and try to use a modifier, usually the main word from the
translation, e.g. 'RAM' - RAM memorija.
38
In the rare cases, declensional forms are unavoidable and case-endings should be added following the rules
below:
In Croatian case-endings are hyphenated:
Source text
Translation
Error in XML
Pogreška u XML-u
The acronym precedes the headword and no hyphen is used in strings of the type 'HTML file':
Source text
Translation
HTML files
HTML datoteke
Unlocalized Acronyms
N/A
Applications, Products, and Features
Application/product names are often trademarked or may be trademarked in the future and are therefore rarely
translated. Occasionally, feature names are trademarked, too (e.g. IntelliSense™). Before translating any
application, product, or feature name, please verify that it is in fact translatable and not protected in any way.
Frequent Errors
This section does not apply to Croatian.
Glossaries
Fictitious Information
Fictitious content is legally sensitive material and as such cannot be handled as a pure terminology or localization
issue. Below is some basic information and contact points when dealing with fictitious content:
Vendors and Localizers are not allowed to create their own fictitious names.
39
Recurring Patterns
This section does not apply to Croatian.
Standardized Translations
There are a number of standardized translations mentioned in all sections of this Style Guide. In order to find
them more easily, the most relevant topics and sections are compiled here for you reference.
Eula and Copyrights
Legal texts are translated by our legal partners but if you have to translate somewhere such notions look at the
following examples:
Source text
Translation
End User License Agreement
(EULA)
Licencni ugovor za krajnjeg
korisnika (EULA)
+ Autorska prava© Microsoft
Corporation 1995-2001. Sva prava
Copyright© Microsoft Corporation
pridrţana.
1995-2001. All rights reserved.
+ © Microsoft Corporation 19952001. Sva prava pridrţana.
Windows® is a registered trademark Windows® je registrirani zaštitni
of Microsoft Corporation.
znak tvrtke Microsoft Corporation.
Unlocalized Items
Trademarked names and the name Microsoft Corporation shouldn’t be localized. A list of Microsoft trademarks is
available for your reference at the following location: http://www.microsoft.com/trademarks/t-mark/names.htm.
Also the word 'Copyright' ('Autorska prava') can be omitted in the localized text if the © sign was preserved.
Using the Word Microsoft
In English, and in Croatian it is prohibited to use MS as an abbreviation for Microsoft.
40
Software Considerations
This section refers to all menus, menu items, commands, buttons, check boxes, etc., which should be consistently
translated in the localized product.
Refer to http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/aa511258.aspx for a detailed explanation of the Windows user interface
guidelines (English).
User Interface
Menus
Menu titles and menu items should be consistently translated in all localised products, the same US term should
have identical translation in all localised applications. If an exception to the rule is necessary, please approve the
new translation with Microsoft Language Excellence.
When possible, try to use the following combinations of word classes in menus:
Menu title
Menu items
A noun
Consistent with source word’s type
of speech use: noun, noun phrase,
verb (in imperative form), verb
phrase (in imperative form), or
adjective
Example
Izbornik Umetanje: Prijeloma,
Brojeva stranica...
Izbornik Tablica: Umetni, Izbriši,
Oznaĉi...
Izbornik Pogled: Obiĉan...; Izbornik
Datoteka: Nova...
The word classes of the US term and the localized term do not have to coincide, i.e. please do consider the
possibility of translating a verb as a noun or vice versa, if that improves the result. Adjectives are used relatively
rarely and adverbs only in exceptional cases.
Verbs should normally be in 2nd person singular imperative mood, nouns in singular or plural nominative or
genitive (Umetanje > Prijeloma, Brojeva...).
Menu titles should always contain only one word, since a two-word menu title would be undistinguishable from
two single-word ones.
IMPORTANT: In Croatian, the word order should normally reflect the order of user actions, even if it
doesn't in English.
41
Source text
Translation
Click Save in the File menu
Na izborniku Datoteka kliknite
Spremi
The preferred action to be performed with menu titles and menu items is kliknuti (click), even if the original
ignores a similar recommendation given for English.
Source text
Translation
Click Save in the File menu
+ Na izborniku Datoteka kliknite
Spremi
+ Na izborniku Datoteka kliknite
Spremi
Select Save from the File menu
- Na izborniku Datoteka odaberite
Spremi
- Na izborniku Datoteka pritisnite
Spremi
- Odaberite Spremi na izborniku
Datoteka
- Odaberite Spremi s izbornika
Datoteka
Note! Always check current translations of menu titles and menu items in the Microsoft terminology databases.
Messages
Status Messages
What is a Status Bar Message?
A status bar message is an informational message about the active document or a selected command as well as
about any active or selected interface item. Messages are shown in the status bar at the bottom of the window
when the user has chosen a menu, a command or any other item, or has started a function. The status bar
messages refer to actions being performed or already complete (for example in Outlook below).
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Croatian Style in Status bar Messages
In English, the status bar messages have different forms dependent on the information they must convey. In
Croatian, menu and commands status bar messages should follow the format below.
Name
Croatian Name
Category
English Status Bar
message
Croatian Status Bar
message
Edit
UreĊivanje
menu
Contains editing commands
Sadrţi naredbe za
ureĊivanje
Copy to
Folder...
Kopiranje u mapu...
menu
Copies the selected items to
a new location
Kopira odabrane stavke
na novu lokaciju
New
Novo
command
Creates a new document
Stvara novi dokument
Make object visible?
Izgled prikaza za polje
Word is converting the
document. Press Esc to
stop.
Uĉiniti objekt vidljivim?
Datasheet View
Word pretvara dokument.
Pritisnite Esc za prekid.
Done
Pogled podatkovnog lista
Gotovo
The importance of standardization
In the US product you can often find messages that are phrased differently even though they have the same
meaning. Try to avoid this in the localized Croatian version. Use one standard translation as in the examples
below:
English term
Correct Croatian translation
Press F1 to get Help
+ Za pomoć pritisnite F1
If you want Help press F1
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To get Help press F1
Not enough memory
+ Nema dovoljno memorije
Insufficient memory
There is not enough memory
Save changes to %1?
Do you want to save changes to %1?
Ţelite li spremiti promjene na [insert appropriate modifier
here] %1?
Error Messages
What Is An Error Message?
Here is an example:
Error messages are messages sent by the system or a program, informing the user that there is an error that
must be corrected in order for the program to keep running. For example, the messages can prompt the user to
take an action or inform the user of an error that requires rebooting the computer.
Croatian Style in Error Messages
It is important to use consistent terminology and language style in the localized error messages, and not just
translate as they appear in the US product.
Error messages in English are often space-savvy and use indefinite clauses, for example only the past participle
of a verb instead of the full form, or the construction “Error + present participle”, e. g. “Error creating…”. When
translating, we should adhere to the Croatian syntax, thus using definite clauses.
Standard Phrases in Error Messages
When translating standard phrases, standardize. Note that sometimes the US uses different forms to express the
same thing.
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Examples:
English
Translation
Example
Comment
Nije moguće podesiti…
Cannot configure...
Nije moguće utvrditi…
Cannot determine...
Nije moguće uĉitati…
Cannot load...
Cannot …
Could not …
nije moguće
ne moţe
Cannot open files from
later versions of Microsoft
Graph
Cannot save User-defined
Autoformats.
Nije moguće otvoriti
datoteke koje su
naĉinjene starijim
verzijama programa
Microsoft Graph.
Nije moguće saĉuvati
samooblikovanja koja je
definirao korisnik.
Nije moguće dijeliti s
nulom.
Stvaranje direktorija ...
Failed to create directory... nije uspjelo.
Cannot divide by zero.
Failed to …
Failure of …
nije uspjelo
neuspjelo
kvar/je u kvaru
Cannot find …
Could not find …
Unable to find …
ne moţe (pro)naći
pronalaţenje... nije
uspjelo
Unable to locate …
Failed to open…
Otvaranje ... nije uspjelo.
Equipment failure
Kvar na opremi.
(Oprema je u kvaru.)
Pronalaţenje
upravljaĉkog programa
... nije uspjelo.
IE ne moţe (pro)naći
DLL datoteku modula za
sigurnosni protokol.
Failed to find device
driver...
Internet Explorer cannot
find DLL for Security
Protocol Module.
Not enough memory
Insufficient memory
There is not enough memory
Nema dovoljno memorije
There is not enough memory
available
... is not available
... is unavailable
nema
nije dostupan
No error message is
available.
Nema (odgovarajuće)
poruke o pogrešci.
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English
Translation
Example
Comment
The DECnet protocol is
not currently available.
Protokol DECnet
trenutno nije dostupan.
Error Messages Containing Placeholders
When localizing error messages containing placeholders, try to find out what will replace the placeholder. This is
necessary for the sentence to be grammatically correct when the placeholder is replaced with a word or phrase.
Note that the letters used in placeholders convey a specific meaning, see examples below:
%d, %ld, %u, and %lu means <number>
%c means <letter>
%s means <string>
Examples of error messages containing placeholders:
"Checking Web %1!d! of %2!d!" means "Checking Web <number> of <number>".
"INI file "%1!-.200s!" section" means "INI file "<string>" section".
When localizing error messages containing placeholders, try to find out what will replace the placeholder. This is
necessary for the sentence to be grammatically correct when the placeholder has been replaced with a word or
phrase. The example below uses the error message Cannot find %s, where the placeholder %s is replaced with a
file name (standard.doc).
Source text
Translation
Cannot open standard.doc
+ Nije moguće otvoriti datoteku
standard.doc.
Command buttons
When possible, try to use verbs for command buttons. The word classes of the US term and the localised term do
not have to coincide, i.e. please do consider the possibility of translating a verb as a noun or vice versa, if that
improves the result. Adjectives are used relatively rarely and adverbs only in exceptional cases.
Verbs should normally be in 2nd person singular imperative mood, nouns in singular or plural nominative.
Source text
Translation
Click the Save button
+ Kliknite gumb Spremi
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IMPORTANT: In Croatian, the word order should normally reflect the order of user actions, even if it
doesn't in English.
Source text
Translation
Click Save in the File menu
+ Na izborniku Datoteka kliknite
Spremi
The preferred action to be performed with command buttons is kliknuti (click), even if the original ignores a
similar recommendation given for English.
Source text
Translation
Click Cancel
+ Kliknite Odustani
+ Kliknite Odustani
Press Cancel
- Pritisnite Odustani
Note! Always check current translations of command buttons in the Microsoft terminology databases.
Static text
Information text contained in dialog boxes as well as confirmation text should be translated consistently and it
should take personal form (use 2nd person plural imperative).
Source text
Translation
+ Kliknite Sljedeće ako ne ţelite
filtrirati podatke.
If you don't want to filter the data,
click Next.
? Ako ne ţelite filtrirati podatke,
kliknite Sljedeće
- Klikni Sljedeće ako ne ţeliš filtrirati
podatke.
Note! Always look for approved current translation of the required term in the Microsoft terminology databases.
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Dialog Box Titles
In English, dialog box titles are usually identical with the command that opened the dialog box. In Croatian, they
should normally be nouns (transform the command verbs into deverbal nouns with the -nje suffix) except for
adjectives that are translated as adjectives.
Source text
Translation
+ Spremanje
Save
New
Include in index?
- Spremiti
- Spremi
+ Novo
+ Unos u kazalo
If for some reason the command name in the US software is not the same as the dialog title, stay close to original
with the translation.
Source text
Translation
Command: Information
+ Obavijesti
Dialog title: Information window
+ Prozor za obavijesti
Note! Always look for approved current translation of the required term in the Microsoft terminology databases.
Group Box Titles
When translating the title of a group of control elements and it is a verb or verb phrase, use verbal nouns or
impersonal forms. Questions are translated as questions.
Source text
Translation
Save the file
Spremanje datoteke
Select the right file
Odabir odgovarajuće datoteke
New
Novo
Include in index?
Unijeti u kazalo?
Group titles are not grammatically connected to the options that follow. This means that the options are
capitalised as usual and their form does not depend on the form of the group title.
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Note! Always look for approved current translation of the required term in the Microsoft terminology databases.
Option Buttons
Option buttons that are verbs may be written as (A) commands to the system or (B) options available for the user.
If (A), translate them using 2nd person singular imperative. If (B), translate them as verbal nouns.
Source text
Translation
+ Prikaţi datoteku sada
Display the file now (to the system)
- Prikaz datoteke sada
+ Pregled datoteke sada
View the file now (to the user)
- Pregledaj datoteku sada
Option buttons that are nouns should normally be translated using the nominative case. Do not try to make full
sentences out of groups of option buttons.
Option buttons are not grammatically connected to preceding group titles. This means that options are capitalised
as usual and their form does not depend on the form of the group title.
Regardless of how US option buttons end - with or without a period - the Croatian translations never end with a
period.
The preferred action to be performed with option buttons is kliknuti (click), even if the original ignores a similar
recommendation given for English.
Source text
Translation
Click Right
+ Kliknite Desno
+ Kliknite Desno
Select Right
- Odaberite Desno
Note! Always look for approved current translation of the required term in the Microsoft terminology databases.
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Checkboxes
Checkboxes that are verbs may be written as commands to the system or options available for the user. Translate
the latter as nouns.
Source text
Translation
Display the file now (to the system)
+ Prikaţi datoteku sada
View the file now (to the user)
+ Pregled datoteke sada
Checkboxes that are nouns should normally be translated using the nominative case. Do not try to make full
sentences out of groups of check boxes.
Check boxes are not grammatically connected to preceding group titles. This means that check boxes are
capitalized as usual and their form does not depend on the form of the group title.
Regardless of how US check boxes end - with or without a period - the Croatian translations never end with a
period unless they are complete sentences.
The preferred actions to be performed with check boxes are potvrditi okvir (check) and poništiti potvrdni okvir
(clear, uncheck).
Source text
Translation
To add a component, select its
check box. To remove the
component, clear the check box.
Da biste dodali komponentu,
potvrdite okvir. Da biste je uklonili,
poništite potvrdni okvir.
If the original does not mention the check box, and only refers to the item the check box applies to, then also use
potvrdite okvir (check) and poništite potvrdni okvir (uncheck) in reference to the items themselves.
Source text
Translation
Check all subfolders
Potvrdite okvir svih podmapa
Poništite potvrdni okvir svih
podmapa
Uncheck all subfolders
Note! Always look for approved current translation of the required term in the Microsoft terminology databases.
Dialogbox Tabs
Dialog box tabs should be treated similarly to dialog box titles (see above), plus obvious length constraints.
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Also pay attention to consistency with other tabs of the same dialog and with similar dialogs elsewhere.
The preferred action to be performed with option buttons is kliknuti (click), even if the original ignores a similar
recommendation given for English.
Source text
Translation
Click the Edit tab
Kliknite karticu UreĊivanje
Select the Edit tab
+ Kliknite karticu UreĊivanje
- Odaberite karticu UreĊivanje
Note! Always look for approved current translation of the required term in the Microsoft terminology databases.
Listboxes/Tables
Items in a list box or table are not grammatically connected to list box titles or table headings. This means that the
items are capitalized as usual and their form does not depend on the form of the title or heading.
Regardless of how US list items or table items end - with or without a period - the Croatian translations never end
with a period unless they are complete sentences.
Table column and row headings should take the same language style throughout the software. Column and row
headings should start with capital letters and they usually do not end with any punctuation marks.
When table items are complete sentences, each of them starts with a capital letter and ends with a period. When
table items are not complete sentences, they may start with a small or capital letter and do not end with a period.
However, the whole column must be consistent, i.e. start with either small or capital letter.
The preferred action to be performed with list boxes is odabrati (select), even if the original ignores a similar
recommendation given for English.
Source text
Translation
Select your location from the
Country list box.
Odaberite svoju lokaciju iz okvira
popisa Drţava.
Note! Always look for approved current translation of the required term in the Microsoft terminology databases.
Tooltips
Most of the button ToolTips have the names identical with the commands they represent. You should ensure that
this consistency is maintained in the localized software as well. If for some reason that rule doesn't apply in
English product, then the rule doesn’t apply in Croatian either; you just translate the English text selecting
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appropriate terminology. Regardless of how the US ToolTips end - with or without a period - ToolTips localized
into Croatian do not end with a period.
Source text
Translation
US Command: Print Preview
US ToolTip: Print Preview
Croatian command and tooltip:
Pretpregled ispisa
Note! Always look for approved current translation of the required term in the Microsoft terminology databases.
Wizards
Wizards often include US specific information. For relevant specific Croatian information contact your Project
Team representative in Microsoft in order to replace the US specific information.
Keys
The keyboard is the primary input device used for text input in Microsoft Windows. For accessibility and efficiency,
most actions can be performed using the keyboard as well. While working with Microsoft software, you use keys,
key combinations and key sequences.
In English, References to key names, like arrow keys, function keys and numeric keys, appear in normal text (not
in small caps).
Key names should be translated in accordance with the Microsoft Glossaries. While working with Microsoft
software, you use keys, key combinations and key sequences.
1. Key combination KEY1+KEY2
This term is used to underline, that the user is supposed to press the first key, hold it and press the second key.
Key names are combined with “+” character. For example the command
Na tipkovnici pritisnite ALT+ESC
means, that the user should press ALT, hold it, press simultaneously ESC and then release both buttons.
2. Key sequence KEY1, KEY2
This term is used to underline, that the user is supposed to press and release the given keys one after the other.
Key names are separated with a comma (,) and a hard space. For example the command
Na tipkovnici pritisnite ALT, F
means, that the user is supposed to press ALT first, release it, then press and release the F key.
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Access Keys/Hot keys
Sometimes, there are underlined or highlighted letters in menu options, commands or dialog boxes. These letters
refer to access keys (also known as hot keys) that allow you to run commands, perform tasks, etc. more quickly.
Hot Key Special Options
Usage: Is It Allowed?
Notes
"Slim characters", such as I, l, t, r, f
can be used as hot key
yes
Only when no other characters are
available.
Characters with downstrokes, such
as g, j, y, p and q can be used as
hotkeys
yes
Only when no other characters are
available.
Extended characters can be used as
hotkeys
yes
Only when no other characters are
available.
An additional letter, appearing
between brackets after item name,
can be used as hotkeys
no
A number, appearing between
brackets after item name, can be
used as hotkey
no
A punctuation sign, appearing
between brackets after item name,
no
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Hot Key Special Options
Usage: Is It Allowed?
Notes
can be used as hotkey
Duplicate hotkeys are allowed when
no other character is available
yes
No hotkey is assigned when no more
characters are available (minor
options only)
no
Text Strings with Hotkeys
There are text strings that are located in the String Table in the EDBs, which might later appear in dialog boxes.
They often show up as names of buttons, etc. and should be translated according to rules for main GUI
components. These strings are easily recognizable because they have hotkeys. They are included in the
Microsoft Language Excellence approval of UI strings.
Note! Always look for approved current translation of the required term in the Microsoft terminology databases.
Additional notes: n/a
Arrow Keys
The arrow keys move input focus among the controls within a group. Pressing the right arrow key moves input
focus to the next control in tab order, whereas pressing the left arrow moves input focus to the previous control.
Home, End, Up, and Down also have their expected behavior within a group. Users can't navigate out of a control
group using arrow keys.
Numeric Keypad
It is recommended that you avoid distinguishing numeric keypad keys from the other keys, unless it is required by
a given application. In case which keys to be pressed is not obvious, provide necessary explanations.
Shortcut Keys
Shortcut keys are keystrokes or combinations of keystrokes used to perform defined functions in a software
application. Shortcut keys replace menu commands and they are sometimes given next to the command they
represent. In opposition to the access keys, which can be used only when available on the screen, shortcut keys
can be used even when they are not accessible on the screen.
54
Standard Shortcut Keys
US
Command
US English
Shortcut Key
Croatian
Command
Croatian
Shortcut key
General Windows Shortcut keys
Help window
F1
Prozor za pomoć
F1
Context-sensitive Help
Shift+F1
Pomoć po kontekstu
Shift+F1
Display pop-up menu
Shift+F10
Prikazivanje skoĉnog izbornika
Shift+F10
Cancel
Esc
Otkazivanje
Esc
Activate\Deactivate
menu bar mode
F10
Aktiviranje\Deaktiviranje trake
izbornika
F10
Switch to the next
primary application
Alt+Tab
Prebacivanje na sljedeću
primarnu aplikaciju
Alt+Tab
Display next window
Alt+Esc
Prikazivanje sljedećeg prozora
Alt+Esc
Display pop-up menu
for the window
Alt+Spacebar
Prikazivanje skoĉnog izbornika
za prozor
Alt+Spacebar
Display pop-up menu
for the active child
window
Alt+-
Prikazivanje skoĉnog izbornika
za potprozor
Alt+-
Display property sheet
for current selection
Alt+Enter
Prikazivanje lista svojstava
odabrane stavke
Alt+Enter
Close active
application window
Alt+F4
Zatvaranje aktivnog aplikacijskog
prozora
Alt+F4
Switch to next window
within (modelesscompliant) application
Alt+F6
Preacivanje na sljedeći prozor
unutar (nemodalno sukladne)
aplikacije
Alt+F6
Capture active window
image to the Clipboard
Alt+Prnt Scrn
Snimanje slike aktivnog prozora u Alt+Prnt Scrn
meĊuspremnik
Capture desktop
image to the Clipboard
Prnt Scrn
Snimanje slike radne površine u
meĊuspremnik
Prnt Scrn
Access Start button in
taskbar
Ctrl+Esc
Prikazivanje Start izbornika u
programskoj traci
Ctrl+Esc
Display next child
Ctrl+F6
Prikazivanje sljedećeg potprozora Ctrl+F6
55
US
Command
US English
Shortcut Key
Croatian
Command
Croatian
Shortcut key
Display next tabbed
pane
Ctrl+Tab
Prikazivanje sljedeće kartice
Ctrl+Tab
Launch Task Manager
and system
initialization
Ctrl+Shift+Esc
Pokretanje Upravitelja zadataka i
pokretanje sustava
Ctrl+Shift+Esc
window
File Menu
File New
Ctrl+N
Nova datoteka
Ctrl+N
File Open
Ctrl+O
Otvaranje datoteke
Ctrl+O
File Close
Ctrl+F4
Zatvaranje datoteke
Ctrl+F4
File Save
Ctrl+S
Spremanje datoteke
Ctrl+S
File Save as
F12
Spremanje datoteke kao
F12
File Print Preview
Ctrl+F2
Pretpregled ispisa datoteke
Ctrl+F2
File Print
Ctrl+P
Ispis datoteka
Ctrl+P
File Exit
Alt+F4
Izlaz iz datoteke
Alt+F4
Edit Menu
Edit Undo
Ctrl+Z
UreĊivanje - Poništi
Ctrl+Z
Edit Repeat
Ctrl+Y
UreĊivanje - Ponovi
Ctrl+Y
Edit Cut
Ctrl+X
UreĊivanje - Izreţi
Ctrl+X
Edit Copy
Ctrl+C
UreĊivanje - Kopiraj
Ctrl+C
Edit Paste
Ctrl+V
UreĊivanje - Zalijepi
Ctrl+V
Edit Delete
Ctrl+Backspace
UreĊivanje - Izbriši
Ctrl+Backspace
Edit Select All
Ctrl+A
UreĊivanje - Odaberi sve
Ctrl+A
Edit Find
Ctrl+F
UreĊivanje - Traţi
Ctrl+F
Edit Replace
Ctrl+H
UreĊivanje - Zamijeni
Ctrl+H
Edit Go To
Ctrl+B
UreĊivanje - Idi na
Ctrl+B
Help Menu
Help
F1
Pomoć
F1
56
US
Command
US English
Shortcut Key
Croatian
Command
Croatian
Shortcut key
Font Format
Italic
Ctrl+I
Kurziv
Ctrl+I
Bold
Ctrl+G
Podebljano
Ctrl+G
Underlined\Word
underline
Ctrl+U
Podcrtano\Podcrtana rijeĉ
Ctrl+U
Large caps
Ctrl+Shift+A
Velika slova
Ctrl+Shift+A
Small caps
Ctrl+Shift+K
Smanjena velika slova
Ctrl+Shift+K
Paragraph Format
Centered
Ctrl+E
Centrirano
Ctrl+E
Left aligned
Ctrl+L
Poravnato nalijevo
Ctrl+L
Right aligned
Ctrl+R
Poravnato nadesno
Ctrl+R
Justified
Ctrl+J
Poravnato
Ctrl+J
Document Translation Considerations
Document localization may require some specific considerations that are different from software localization. This
section covers a few of these areas.
In order to ensure that you are using current terminology and phrases, please always look for the translations in
the most recent version of the Microsoft terminology databases and other approved glossaries. Consistent use of
Microsoft approved terminology in all localized documentation is one of the major factors in achieving required
quality of the localized documentation.
Titles
In English the titles for chapters usually begin with "How to …" or with phrases such as "Working with …" or
"Using …". In the Croatian version of Microsoft documentation, only the first letter of a heading is capitalized,
unless the heading also contains a word or words that would normally be written with an initial capital or in all
capitals (e.g. name of a product or an acronym). In Croatian headings, the full stop is only used between
sentences or phrases, or between the heading and subheading.
57
Example:
Source text
Translation
In Case Your Users Need Help
Give a Great Presentation on Paper
+ Ako korisnici zatrebaju pomoć
Odrţite izvrsnu prezentaciju na
papiru
What's New in Office 2010?
+ Što je novo u sustavu Office
2010?
Cross references
The following translations are standard. Note that no commas are needed in the Croatian sentences and that the
word for 'chapter' (poglavlje, pogl.) has a lowercase 'p' with no comma following, and the number (as an ordinal
number) precedes the word 'chapter' (poglavlje).
Source text
For more information about XXX,
see Chapter 10, "YYY", in the
Microsoft Windows User's Guide.
For information on XXX, see "YYY",
in ZZZ.
For further information about XXX,
see Chapter 12, "YYY".
Translation
+ Za više informacija o XXX
pogledajte 10. poglavlje "YYY" u
Vodiĉu za korisnike Microsoft
Windowsa
+ Za informacije o XXX vidi "YYY" u
ZZZ.
+ Za daljnje informacije o XXX vidi
12. poglavlje "YYY".
Manual Titles
Examples of some useful translations of manual titles:
Source text
Translation
Building Applications
Getting Started with (product name)
Functions Reference
Installation Guide
Introducing (product name)
Learning Guide
Network Administrator's Guide
Upoznavanje s (ime proizvoda)
Vodiĉ kroz instalacijsku proceduru
Predstavljanje (ime proizvoda)
Vodiĉ za osposobljavanje
Vodiĉ za mreţne administratore
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Source text
Translation
Pocket Guide
Quick Reference Card
Quick Reference Guide
Roadmap to (product name)
Short User Guide
Start Here Windows NT
Tools Quick Reference
User's Guide
User's Reference Guide
Worksheet Functions Reference
Dţepni vodiĉ
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Što je što u (ime proizvoda)
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Copyright
Copyright protection is granted to any original work of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression from
which it can be perceived, reproduced, or communicated.
Once the localized copyrights are handed off to the relevant Application Team, the localization companies (or
internal units) are not allowed to change them. It is very important that notices are left the way they are - for legal
reasons among others.
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MAY, 15,2014 MAY, 16,2014 - Erciyes University

Translation Contest for Undergraduate Students - 2014

IED 337

Language Translation Software Market Shares, Strategies, and Forecasts,Worldwide 2020

translatability

Seget Donji

gala concert in zagreb - Croatian Scholarship Fund

8/21/2014-Unofficial negotitations with Asya Katılım Bankası A.Ş.

CroDeriV: a New Resource for Processing Croatian Morphology

What`s new SharePoint 2016 for Power Users

Remnants of Serbo-Croatian Lexis in Present

Comparing polysemy of English and Croatian verbs by using

transcription translation practice worksheet

to download the Computer Capsule for IBPS PO 2014. - Bank Power

Europeana Day

survival guide

PRELIMINARNI PROGRAM (.pdf)

astah* SysML 簡易マニュアル ver 1.4