Dutch 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 .......................................................................................................................................... 8
Time ........................................................................................................................................ 12
Numbers ................................................................................................................................. 14
Sorting ..................................................................................................................................... 21
Geopolitical Concerns ................................................................................................................ 25
Grammar, Syntax & Orthographic Conventions ......................................................................... 26
Adjectives ................................................................................................................................ 26
Articles .................................................................................................................................... 27
Capitalization .......................................................................................................................... 27
Compounds............................................................................................................................. 28
Gender .................................................................................................................................... 30
Genitive ................................................................................................................................... 30
Modifiers ................................................................................................................................. 31
Nouns ...................................................................................................................................... 31
Prepositions ............................................................................................................................ 35
Pronouns ................................................................................................................................. 36
Punctuation ............................................................................................................................. 36
Singular & Plural ..................................................................................................................... 41
Split Infinitive ........................................................................................................................... 42
Subjunctive ............................................................................................................................. 42
Symbols & Non-Breaking Spaces........................................................................................... 42
Syntax ..................................................................................................................................... 43
Verbs ....................................................................................................................................... 44
Word Order ............................................................................................................................. 44
Style and Tone Considerations .................................................................................................. 44
Audience ................................................................................................................................. 44
Style ........................................................................................................................................ 44
Tone and consistency ............................................................................................................. 47
Voice ....................................................................................................................................... 48
Localization Guidelines .................................................................................................................. 50
General Considerations ............................................................................................................. 50
Abbreviations .......................................................................................................................... 50
Accessibility ............................................................................................................................ 50
Acronyms ................................................................................................................................ 51
Applications, Products, and Features ..................................................................................... 53
Frequent Errors ....................................................................................................................... 53
Glossaries ............................................................................................................................... 54
Fictitious Information ............................................................................................................... 54
Recurring Patterns .................................................................................................................. 54
Standardized Translations ...................................................................................................... 55
Unlocalized Items.................................................................................................................... 55
Using the Word Microsoft ....................................................................................................... 56
Software Considerations ............................................................................................................ 56
User Interface ......................................................................................................................... 56
Messages ................................................................................................................................ 57
Keys ........................................................................................................................................ 74
Document Translation Considerations ....................................................................................... 78
Language use ......................................................................................................................... 79
Titles ....................................................................................................................................... 81
Copyright ................................................................................................................................. 89
What's New?
Last Updated: June 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.
About This Style Guide
The purpose of this Style Guide is to provide everybody involved in the localization of Dutch 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 Dutch 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.
5
Sample Text
Over de uitslag kan niet worden gecorrespondeerd. Als u een exemplaar van de algemene voorwaarden
toegestuurd wilt krijgen, kunt u een aan uzelf geadresseerde envelop opsturen naar
Corporate Entrepreneurs bv
tav Flip van Delden
Keizerlaan 32
5632 BT ROOSENDAAL
Of bel 090 314 15 92 65.
Door deel te nemen aan de wedstrijd, gaat u akkoord met de actievoorwaarden. De minimum leeftijd voor
deelname aan de wedstrijd is 18 jaar. De uiterste inzenddatum is 29 februari 2011. Uiterlijk 14 dagen na de
uiterste inzenddatum worden alle inzendingen geëvalueerd en wordt door een deskundige jury één winnaar
gekozen. De uitslag wordt bekendgemaakt op 14 maart 2011. Als de winnaar niet binnen 14 dagen na de
bekendmaking van de uitslag reageert, wordt een andere winnaar gekozen. Als blijkt dat een deelnemer op
illegale wijze de uitslag of spel beïnvloedt, kan deze zonder opgaaf van redenen uit de wedstrijd worden
verwijderd. De deelnemer dient woonachtig te zijn in Nederland, Aruba, Bonaire of Curaçao.
De prijs heeft een winkelwaarde van € 250 en kan niet worden ingewisseld tegen contanten.
Deelname aan de actie is uitsluitend mogelijk wanneer de volledige gegevens zijn ingevuld in het actieformulier.
Deze persoonsgegevens zullen niet aan derden worden verstrekt of verkocht.
Deelname is uitgesloten voor medewerkers van Corporate Entrepreneurs, Mediacoôperatief Ogê en alle andere
partners van Corporate Entrepreneurs, alsmede iedereen die op enige wijze betrokken is bij de organisatie van
deze actie, hun partners, gezinsleden of huisgenoten.
Deze actie wordt gerealiseerd door Mediacoôperatief Ogê. Voor meer informatie over Mediacoôperatief Ogê,
inclusief informatie over carrièremogelijkheden bij dit dynamische bedrijf, kunt u een e-mail verzenden naar
[email protected].
Bron: GTW
Gemaakt op 28-11-2011 om 11:35
6
Recommended Reference Material
Use the Dutch 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. Woordenlijst Nederlandse taal ('Groene boekje') (2005). Den Haag: SDU Uitgevers.
2. Van Dale Groot woordenboek van de Nederlandse taal (2005). Veertiende druk. Utrecht – Antwerpen:
Van Dale Lexicografie.
3. Renkema, J. . Schrijfwijzer. (oktober 2005). Vierde aangepaste editie. Den Haag: SDU Uitgevers.
4. http://woordenlijst.org/
5. http://taalunieversum.org/
Informative References
These sources are meant to provide supplementary information, background, comparison, etc.
1. Algemene Nederlandse Spraakkunst (1997). W. Haeseryn et al. (Red.). Groningen: Nijhoff.
2. de Volkskrant Het nieuwe stijlboek (1997). H. van Gessel et al (Red.). Den Haag: SDU Uitgevers.
3. Horst, P.J. van den (1990). Leestekenwijzer. Den Haag: SDU Uitgevers.
4. Kano, N. (1995). Developing International Software. MSPress.
5. Renkema, J. (oktober 2005). Schrijfwijzer. Den Haag: SDU Uitgevers.
6. Taaldatabanken. Regels voor Belgische telefoonnummers. Geraadpleegd 29 mei 2002 via
http://www.taaldatabanken.com
6. Van Dale Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal (2005). 14e editie. Utrecht – Antwerpen: Van Dale
Lexicografie.
7. Woordenlijst Nederlandse taal ('Groene boekje') (2005). Den Haag: SDU Uitgevers.
7
Language Specific Conventions
This part of the style guide contains information about standards specific to Dutch.
Country/Region Standards
Characters
Country/region
Dutch (Netherlands)
Lower-case characters
a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, p, q, r, s, t, u, v, w, x, y, z
Upper-case characters
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, E, J, K, L, M , N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z
Characters in caseless
scripts
n/a
Extended Latin characters
ij, IJ; in addition, the following characters with diaresis can be used for emphasis
or to indicate clashing vowels: é, ä; à, ë,ê, ï, ô, ñ, ù. The c-cedilla (ç) is used very
rarely
Note on alphabetical order
Extended characters are treated as identical to their unaccented counterparts for
alphabetization purposes. In addition, ij is sorted as if it was y.
Total number of characters
37 (officially 26)
Unicode codes
All characters except ij and IJ are present in ISO 8859-1
Notes
n/a
Date
Country/region
Belgium
Calendar/Era
Gregorian calendar
First Day of the Week
Monday
First Week of the Year
The first week of the year is the first week in which there are 4 days in the new year.
Separator
d-m-yy
Default Short Date
Format
The year in the short date format are expressed in 2 numbers.
In the short date format, the month (without leading zero, the day (without leading
8
Country/region
Belgium
zero) and the year (without century) are displayed in numbers. The elements are
separated by the date separator.
Example
17-3-11
dddd d mmmm yyyy
Default Long Date Format
Example
In the default long date format, the names of the days are optional and the name of
the month is spelled out completely. The years are written in four numbers. The
names of the workdays and months start with a lower case.
donderdag 17 maart 2011 or 17 maart 2011
dd-mm-yy
Additional Short Date
Format 1
In the medium date format, the abbreviation of the name of the month is used. The
day (without leading zero) and the year (without century) are displayed in numbers.
The elements are separated by the date separator.
Example
17-mrt-11
Additional Short Date
Format 2
n/a
Example
n/a
Additional Long Date
Format 1
n/a
Example
n/a
Additional Long Date
Format 2
n/a
Example
n/a
Leading Zero in Day Field
for Short Date Format
Yes, for 1-9
Leading Zero in Month
Field for Short Date
Format
no
No. of digits for year for
Short Day Format
2
Leading Zero in Day Field
for Long Date Format
No
Leading Zero in Month
Field for Long Date
No
9
Country/region
Belgium
Format
Number of digits for
century for Long Day
Format
2
Date Format for
Correspondence
d mmmm yyyy
Example
17 maart 2011
Notes
n/a
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)
mon is the abbreviated notation of the name of the month. This is a three-letter
abbreviation
Country/region
Netherlands
Calendar/Era
Gregorian calendar
First Day of the Week
Monday
First Week of the Year
The first week of the year is the first week in which there are 4 days in the new year.
Separator
d-m-yy
Default Short Date
Format
Example
In the short date format, the month (without leading zero, the day (without leading
zero) and the year (without century) are displayed in numbers. The elements are
separated by the date separator.
17-3-11
dddd d mmmm yyyy
In the default long date format, the names of the days are optional and the name of
Default Long Date Format the month is spelled out completely. The years are written in four numbers. The
names of the workdays and months start with a lower case. Please use
abbreviations listed below.
10
Country/region
Netherlands
Example
donderdag 17 maart 2011 or 17 maart 2011
dd-mm-yy
Additional Short Date
Format 1
In the medium date format, the abbreviation of the name of the month is used. The
day (without leading zero) and the year (without century) are displayed in numbers.
The elements are separated by the date separator.
Example
17-mrt-11
Additional Short Date
Format 2
n/a
Example
n/a
Additional Long Date
Format 1
n/a
Example
n/a
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
Leading Zero in Day Field
for Long Date Format
No
Leading Zero in Month
Field for Long Date
Format
No
Number of digits for
century for Long Day
Format
2
Date Format for
Correspondence
d mmmm yyyy
Example
17 maart 2011
11
Country/region
Netherlands
Notes
n/a
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)
mon is the abbreviated notation of the name of the month. This abbreviation is three
letters long.
Time
Country/region
Belgium and Netherlands
24 hour format
Yes
Standard time format
h:mm:ss
Standard time format
example
7:15:33; 21:05:33
Time separator
Colon (:)
Time separator examples
e.g. "03:24:12"
Hours leading zero
Yes
Hours leading zero example
e.g. "03:24:12
String for AM designator
AM
String for PM designator
PM
Notes
Time is changed for daylight savings the last weekend in March and October
respectively
Days
Country/region: Netherlands and Belgium.
Day
Normal Form
Abbreviation
Monday
maandag
ma
12
Day
Normal Form
Abbreviation
Tuesday
dinsdag
di
Wednesday
woensdag
wo
Thursday
donderdag
do
Friday
vrijdag
vr
Saturday
zaterdag
za
Sunday
zondag
zo
First Day of Week: Monday
Is first letter capitalized?: No
Notes: In calendars, use a dot after the abbreviated day name.
Months
Country/region: Netherlands and Belgium
Month
Full Form
Abbreviated Form
Long Date Form
January
januari
jan
25 januari 2011
February
februari
feb
25 februari 2011
March
maart
maa
25 maart 2011
April
april
apr
25 april 2011
May
mei
mei
25 mei 2011
June
juni
jun
25 juni 2011
July
juli
jul
25 juli 2011
August
augustus
aug
25 augustus 2011
September
september
sep
25 september 2011
October
oktober
okt
25 oktober 2011
November
november
nov
25 november 2011
December
december
dec
25 december 2011
Is first letter capitalized?: No
Notes: In calendars use a dot after the abbreviated month name, including after mei if it appears in a series of
abbreviated month names.
13
Numbers
Cardinals
Write cardinal numbers as digits when they refer to numbered pages, chapters, figures etcetera
Chapter 9
page 3
figure 1
Use digits to refer to numbers that are displayed as digits on screen.
document 2
line 8
Column 30
Use digits to refer to units of measurement and time, percentages, street numbers etcetera, except in sentences
where the unit is stated in full.
3,5 inch
360 kB
van 16:00 tot 18:30 uur
12%
BUT: Van Amsterdam naar Parijs is vierhonderdvijftig kilometer.
In all other cases, refer to the Schrijfwijzer.
Phone Numbers
Belgium
The area code and the subscriber number are separated from one another by a dash, without adding in extra
spaces. The digits of the subscriber number are grouped in pairs, separated by a space. Subscriber numbers with
an odd number of digits are grouped 3-2-2.
02-123 45 67
053-12 34 56
0476-12 34 56
International numbers are preceded by a plus sign (+). This is followed by a space, the country code, the area
code (without a leading zero) and the subscriber number.
14
Area Codes
Used?
Number of
Digits –
Area Codes
Separator
region
International
Dialing Code
Number of
Digits –
Domestic
Digit Groupings –
Domestic
Belgium
32
yes
2 or 3
- or space ( )
9 or 10
02-123 45 67;
053-12 34 56;
0476-12 34 56
unless a different
grouping is easier
to remember
Country/re
gion
Number of
Digits – Local
Digit
Groupings –
Local
Number of
Digits –
Mobile
Digit
Groupings
– Mobile
Number of
Digits –
International
Digit Groupings –
International
Belgium
6 or 7
123 45 67
89;
10
1234 56 78
90
11 or 12
+32 12 345 67 89;
Country/
+32 123 45 67 89
12 456 78 90
+32 1234 56 78 90
Notes: Deviations from the above grouping rules are allowed when a different grouping creates an easier to
remember phone number or when within a company the first numbers are the same, but the last numbers differ.
Netherlands
Phone and fax numbers usually consist of an area code and a subscriber number. The area code is written
between brackets. Spaces are used inside the numbers: even numbers of digits are grouped in pairs separated
by spaces; subscriber numbers with an odd number of digits are grouped 3-2-2. In international formats, the +
sign indicates that an international access code has to be dialed. In international formats, the leading zero and the
brackets of the area code are dropped.
tel. (090) 123 45 67 of (0919) 12 34 56
tel. +31 90 123 45 67
fax (090) 123 45 67
Area Codes
Used?
Number of
Digits –
Area Codes
Separator
region
International
Dialing Code
Number of
Digits –
Domestic
Digit Groupings –
Domestic
Netherlands
31
yes
3 or 4
(including 0);
space ( )
10
(012) 345 67 89. or
(0123) 45 67 89
Country/
region
Number of
Digits –
Local
Digit
Groupings –
Local
Number of
Digits –
Mobile
Digit
Groupings
– Mobile
Number of
Digits –
International
Digit Groupings –
International
Netherlands
6 or 7
12 34 56 or
123 45 67
10
06-12 345
678.
11
+ 31 12 345 67 89
Country/
15
+ 31 123 45 67 89
+32 6 12 345 678
Notes: Deviations from the above grouping rules are allowed when a different grouping creates an easier to
remember phone number or when within a company the first numbers are the same, but the last numbers differ.
Addresses
Country/region: Netherlands
Disclaimer: Please note that the information in this entry should under no circumstances be used in examples as
fictitious information.
Address Format:
1. [CompanyName]
2. [DepartmentName]
3. [Title/Honorific] and/or[FirstName] LastName
4. Address1
5. [Address2]
6. PostalCode CITY
7. [Country]
Example Address:
Noordenwind B.V.
Drs. Flip van Delden
Keizerlaan 32
5632 BT ROOSENDAAL
Nederland
Local Postal Code Format: xxxx zz (four digits and two letters). Example: 5632 BT
Notes:
Please note that there should always be 2 spaces between the PostalCode and City.
The name of the city should be in all capitals.
The use of t.a.v. (attn:) is optional. If it is used please make sure to capitalize the t, because it is the start of a
new line.
Country/region: Belgium
Disclaimer: Please note that the information in this entry should under no circumstances be used in examples as
fictitious information.
16
Address Format:
1. [CompanyName]
2. [DepartmentName]
3. [Title/Honorific] and/or [FirstName] LastName
4. Address1
5. [Address2]
6. PostalCode CITY
7. [Country]
Example Address:
Uitgeverij Derkinderen
Afdeling Orderbeheer
Flip van Delden
Drukpersstraat 12
1100 BRUSSEL
België
Local Postal Code Format: xxxx Example: 1100
Notes:
Please note that there should always be 1 space between the PostalCode and City.
The name of the city should be in all capitals.
Please do not use t.a.v. (atten:).
Currency
Country/region
Belgium
Currency Name
Euro
Currency Symbol
€
Currency amounts can be written in three ways
€ 23,50
23,50 €
Currency Symbol Position
EUR 23,50
50 cent
The first variant with the Euro sign is preferred. The Euro sign is followed
by a space. In body texts, the word Euro will be pluralized if the emphasis
is on the individual coins or notes or if the currency itself is referred to.
17
€ 23,50
Positive Currency Format
23,50 €
EUR 23,50
50 cent
Negative Sign Symbol
€ -123.456,78
Negative Currency Format
-123.456,78 €
EUR -123.456,78
-50 cent
Decimal Symbol
,
Number of Digits after Decimal
2
Digit Grouping Symbol
.
Number of Digits in Digit
Grouping
3
€ 123.456,78
Positive Currency Example
123.456,78 €
EUR 123.456,78
50 cent
€ -123.456,78
Negative Currency Example
-123.456,78 €
EUR -123.456,78
50 cent
ISO Currency Code
EUR
Currency Subunit Name
Cent
Currency Subunit Symbol
Currency Subunit Example
€ 123,456,78
Country/region
Netherlands
Currency Name
Euro
Currency Symbol
€
Currency Symbol Position
Currency amounts can be written in three ways
€ 23,50
18
23,50 €
EUR 23,50
50 cent
The first variant with the Euro sign is preferred. The Euro sign is followed
by a space. In body texts, the word Euro will be pluralized if the emphasis
is on the individual coins or notes or if the currency itself is referred to.
€ 23,50
Positive Currency Format
23,50 €
EUR 23,50
50 cent
Negative Sign Symbol
- AFTER the amount, without a space
€ 123,456,78-
Negative Currency Format
123,456,78- €
EUR 123,456,7850- cent
Decimal Symbol
,
Number of Digits after Decimal
2
Digit Grouping Symbol
.
Number of Digits in Digit
Grouping
3
€ 123.456,78
Positive Currency Example
123.456,78 €
EUR 123.456,78
50 cent
€ 123.456,78-
Negative Currency Example
123.456,78- €
EUR 123.456,7850- cent
ISO Currency Code
EUR
Currency Subunit Name
cent
Currency Subunit Symbol
n/a
Currency Subunit Example
n/a
19
Digit Groups
Country/region: Belgium; Netherlands
Decimal Separator: ,
Decimal Separator Description: comma
Decimal Separator Example: 3,5 inch; 1,2 MB
Thousand Separator: .
Thousand Separator Description: period
Thousand Separator Example: 123,456
Notes: n/a
Measurement Units
Metric System Commonly Used?: yes
Temperature: Celsius
Category
English
Translation
Abbreviation
Linear Measure
Kilometer
kilometer
km
Meter
meter
m
Decimeter
decimeter
dm
Centimeter
centimeter
cm
Millimeter
milimeter
mm
Hectoliter
hectoliter
hl
Liter
liter
l
Deciliter
deciliter
dl
Centiliter
centiliter
cl
Milliliter
mililiter
ml
Ton
ton
n/a
Kilogram
kilogram
kg
Pound
pond
pd (different from the US
unit, not in official use)
Gram
gram
g
Decigram
decigram
dg
Capacity
Mass
20
Category
English Units of
Measurement
English
Translation
Abbreviation
Centigram
centigram
cg
Milligram
miligram
mg
Inch
inch
in
Feet
voet
vt
Mile
mijl
n/a
Gallon
gallon
gal
Notes: By law, the Netherlands uses the metric system. Pounds, miles, inches, feet and gallons have no legal
meaning and are to be avoided as much as possible.
Percentages
The percent sign is %, as in 12% for example, without a leading space. Where possible, spell it out ('procent').
Sorting
Belgium and Netherlands
Sorting rules
International alphabetization. Please note that at the beginning of a sentence or name, the 'ij'
(like in "wijzigen") is to be put in all uppercase: "IJsland". Accented letters such as ë, Ë, ï and Ï
will not make a difference and will be treated as their respective main letters: e, E, i, I
Character
sorting order
a, à, á, ä, â, b, c, d, e, è, é, ë, ê, f, g, h, i, í ì, ï, î, ij, j, k, l, m, n, o, ò, ñ, ô, ó, p, q, r, s, t, u, ÷, ö, ù,
ø, v, w, x, y, z.
21
Unicode
code point
U+0041
U+0042
U+0043
U+0044
U+0045
U+0046
U+0047
U+0048
U+0049
U+004A
U+004B
U+004C
U+004D
U+004E
U+004F
U+0050
U+0051
U+0052
U+0053
U+0054
U+0055
U+0056
U+0057
U+0058
U+0059
U+005A
U+0061
U+0062
U+0063
U+0064
U+0065
U+0066
U+0067
U+0068
U+0069
U+006A
Character
(postspelling
reform)
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
UTF-8
(dec.)
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
Name
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER A
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER B
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER C
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER D
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER E
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER F
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER G
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER H
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER I
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER J
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER K
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER L
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER M
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER N
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER O
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER P
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER Q
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER R
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER S
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER T
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER U
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER V
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER W
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER X
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER Y
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER Z
LATIN SMALL LETTER A
LATIN SMALL LETTER B
LATIN SMALL LETTER C
LATIN SMALL LETTER D
LATIN SMALL LETTER E
LATIN SMALL LETTER F
LATIN SMALL LETTER G
LATIN SMALL LETTER H
LATIN SMALL LETTER I
LATIN SMALL LETTER J
22
U+006B
U+006C
U+006D
U+006E
U+006F
U+0070
U+0071
U+0072
U+0073
U+0074
U+0075
U+0076
U+0077
U+0078
U+0079
U+007A
U+00C0
U+00C1
k
l
m
n
o
p
q
r
s
t
u
v
w
x
y
z
À
Á
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
195 128
195 129
U+00C2
Â
195 130
U+00C3
U+00C7
U+00C9
Ã
Ç
É
195 131
195 135
195 137
U+00CA
Ê
195 138
U+00CD
U+00D3
Í
Ó
195 141
195 147
U+00D4
Ô
195 148
U+00D5
U+00DA
U+00E0
U+00E1
Õ
Ú
à
á
195 149
195 154
195 160
195 161
U+00E2
â
195 162
U+00E3
U+00E7
U+00E9
ã
ç
é
195 163
195 167
195 169
U+00EA
ê
195 170
U+00ED
ì
195 173
LATIN SMALL LETTER K
LATIN SMALL LETTER L
LATIN SMALL LETTER M
LATIN SMALL LETTER N
LATIN SMALL LETTER O
LATIN SMALL LETTER P
LATIN SMALL LETTER Q
LATIN SMALL LETTER R
LATIN SMALL LETTER S
LATIN SMALL LETTER T
LATIN SMALL LETTER U
LATIN SMALL LETTER V
LATIN SMALL LETTER W
LATIN SMALL LETTER X
LATIN SMALL LETTER Y
LATIN SMALL LETTER Z
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER A WITH GRAVE
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER A WITH ACUTE
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER A WITH
CIRCUMFLEX
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER A WITH TILDE
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER C WITH CEDILLA
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER E WITH ACUTE
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER E WITH
CIRCUMFLEX
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER I WITH ACUTE
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER O WITH ACUTE
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER O WITH
CIRCUMFLEX
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER O WITH TILDE
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER U WITH ACUTE
LATIN SMALL LETTER A WITH GRAVE
LATIN SMALL LETTER A WITH ACUTE
LATIN SMALL LETTER A WITH
CIRCUMFLEX
LATIN SMALL LETTER A WITH TILDE
LATIN SMALL LETTER C WITH CEDILLA
LATIN SMALL LETTER E WITH ACUTE
LATIN SMALL LETTER E WITH
CIRCUMFLEX
LATIN SMALL LETTER I WITH ACUTE
23
U+00F3
ñ
195 179
U+00F4
ó
195 180
U+00F5
U+00FA
õ
ö
195 181
195 186
LATIN SMALL LETTER O WITH ACUTE
LATIN SMALL LETTER O WITH
CIRCUMFLEX
LATIN SMALL LETTER O WITH TILDE
LATIN SMALL LETTER U WITH ACUTE
Source: http://www.utf8-chartable.de/unicode-utf8-table.pl?utf8=dec
Character
sorting order
a, à, á, ä, â, b, c, d, e, è, é, ë, ê, f, g, h, i, í ì, ï, î, ij, j, k, l, m, n, o, ò, ñ, ô, ó, p, q, r, s, t, u, ÷, ö, ù,
ø, v, w, x, y, z.
Examples of
sorted words
@
Aaron
andere
ändere
chaque
chemin
cote
coté
cóte
cóté
Czech
čučēt
hiša
irdisch
lävi
lie
lire
llama
Lôwen
lõug
lòza
luč
luck
Lùbeck
lye
Männer
màšta
mîr
môchten
myndig
piða
pint
pylon
savoir
24
sämtlich
šàran
Šerbūra
Sietla
ślub
subtle
symbol
väga
verkehrt
vox
waffle
wood
yen
yuan
yucca
zoo
Zviedrija
Zùrich
zysk
ţal
ţena
Ţenēva
zzlj
zzlz
zznj
zznz
1
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
25
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.
Grammar, Syntax & Orthographic Conventions
This section includes information on how to apply the general rules of the Dutch language to Microsoft products
and documentation.
Adjectives
In Dutch, adjectives should be handled in the following manner.
Where possible, English compound adjectives should not be translated literally, but described instead.
English
Dutch
copy-protected disk
double-density disk
Microsoft FTP publishing
web based
tegen kopiëren beveiligde schijf
diskette met dubbele dichtheid
FTP-server van Microsoft voor internetpublicaties
op het web gebaseerde
This rule only applies to compound adjectives.
Limit the number of adjectives in a sentence to avoid 'breathless' style.
NietCompounds with adjectives that start with 'non-' in English get a hyphen behind the word 'niet' in Dutch.
English
Dutch
non-contiguous
non-Windows application
non-Microsoft
niet-aaneengesloten
niet-Windows-toepassing
niet-Microsoft
Possessive adjectives
The frequent use of possessives is a feature of English language. In Dutch, possessive adjectives are handled
about the same. However, in Microsoft translations, the use of the second person possessive, as in "uw
computer" is to be avoided.
26
Articles
General considerations
Do not use articles with product names. This means writing "Installeer Toolbar nu" and not "Installeer de Toolbar
nu". There is one exception. When an adjective is used, an article is required: "De verbeterde Windows Live
Mail".
Unlocalized Feature Names
Microsoft product names and non-translated feature names are used without definite or indefinite articles in the
English language. We treat them the same way in Dutch.
Example: SharePoint Portal Server 2007 is een uitgebreide oplossing voor het beheer van e-mail, taken en
contactpersonen.
Localized Feature Names
Translated feature names are handled in this way:
To indicate that it is a feature, capitalize the first letter and do not use the article.
Example: Ga naar Bureau-accessoires en start Rekenmachine.
Articles for English Borrowed Terms
When faced with an English loan word previously used in Microsoft products, consider the following options:



Motivation: Does the English word have any formally motivated features that would allow a
straightforward integration into the noun class system of Dutch language?
Analogy: Is there an equivalent Dutch term whose article could be used?
Frequency: Is the term used in other technical documentation? If so, what article is used most often?
The internet may be a helpful reference here.
Capitalization
Product names follow the source capitalization. In sentences and headings, only use uppercase at the beginning
of the sentence:
Correct: "Windows Live Toolbar: de snelste zoekresultaten. Download Windows Live Toolbar gratis!"
Incorrect: "Windows Live Toolbar: De Snelste Zoekresultaten. Download Windows Live Toolbar Gratis!"
Always use uppercase in the following cases:

At the beginning of each module descriptor title: "Start | Geavanceerd zoeken | Mijn voorkeuren | Site
aanmelden | Help";

For each descriptor of a graphic for functional element ("Klik op de knop Zoeken", "Klik op het tabblad
Opties");
27

When referring to UI elements: "Kies een provincie uit de lijst en klik op Zoeken.";

When referring to keys (T, Shift, Alt), key combinations should be rewritten using the plus sign (+):
"Ctrl+C";

Also remember that the first word following a colon should not be written with a capital in Dutch, unless
there is more than one sentence after the colon. In that case, the first word should be written with a
capital. For more information, see the topic "Dubbele punt" in the general style guide;
Please also use accents on uppercase letters to avoid pronunciation problems: "TWEE KOPIEËN,
GEÏNTEGREERD, GEÏNITIALISEERD, GEÜPLOAD, BELGIË". Use lowercase in months and days: "januari,
februari, etc", "maandag, dinsdag, etc".
Compounds
Generally, compounds should be understandable and clear to the user. Overly long or complex compounds
should be avoided. Keep in mind that unintuitive compounds are ultimately an intelligibility and usability issue.
Compounds with proper names, brand or product names
According to the Groene boekje, compounds with brand names are concatenated without hyphens, just as is the
case with compounds with proper names (see the examples Philipslamp and Essotankstation below). This also
applies to the final part of a multi-part compound. The capitalization is retained in the compound.
To improve readability and the word picture, we do use the hyphen in Microsoft texts. See also page 285 of the
Schrijfwijzer. Onze Taal also mentions this option as a clearer alternative. For example, the Groene boekje
recommends Albert Heijnfiliaal but allows Albert Heijn-filiaal as a clearer alternative. An additional reason for our
preference is that the version with the hyphen indicates much more clearly that the first two parts belong together
(for example, both Volkswagen Golfrijder and Volkswagen Golf-rijder are allowed, but the second option shows
more clearly that the final word is not really a compound in its own right, but that the first part goes with the
preceding word).
Compounds with a word group that ends with a symbol, letter or digit get a hyphen (e.g. in version indicators).
Een Microsoft-product
Een Microsoft Windows-hulpprogramma
Een Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer-bestand
Een Lotus 1-2-3-werkblad
Middellandse Zeegebied
een Philipslamp
een Essotankstation
een Intel Pentium-processor
een Pentium 4-processor
Koningin Beatrixestafette
Adjectives
Where possible, English compound adjectives should not be translated literally, but described instead.
28
English
Dutch
copy-protected disk
double-density disk
Microsoft FTP publishing
web based
tegen kopiëren beveiligde schijf
diskette met dubbele dichtheid
FTP-server van Microsoft voor internetpublicaties
op het web gebaseerde
This rule only applies to compound adjectives.
Limit the number of adjectives in a sentence to avoid 'breathless' style.
NietCompounds with adjectives that start witn 'non-' in English get a hyphen behind the word 'niet' in Dutch.
English
Dutch
non-contiguous
non-Windows application
non-Microsoft
niet-aaneengesloten
niet-Windows-toepassing
niet-Microsoft
Interpretation
The interpretation of long English compounds including multiple nouns and adjectives often results in problems. It
is important to consider the context. The following examples are errors that have occurred in a Microsoft operating
system:
English
Document Summary Info
Dutch
Info over de samenvatting van het document
Dutch
Samenvattende informatie over het document
English
Status dialog boxes
Dutch
Status van dialoogvensters
Dutch
Statusdialoogvensters
29
English
Permission Compatibility
Dutch
Machtigingen voor compabiliteit
Dutch
Machtigingscompabiliteit
English
Support SerialKey devices
Dutch
Serietoetsenapparaten ondersteunen
Dutch
Seriële toetsapparaten ondersteunen
Gender
This section does not apply to Dutch.
Genitive
Convention 1 (e.g. Attaching a genitive "s" to (trademarked) product names is not feasible, as it could be
interpreted as a modification of such names.)
English compounds are concatenated if the right part is a noun, unless the left part is a cardinal, genitive, 'no' or
'non' (in those cases, a hyphen is used) or an adjective consisting of multiple syllables including one syllable that
does not carry primary stress (in those two cases, the words are separated by a space (or that is part of a
compound derivative (in that case, a hyphen is used).
This is a new rule which has quite a few exceptions.
The general rule (concatenated) results in words like 'accountmanager', 'assetmanagement', 'homecomputer',
'floppydiskdrive', 'proxyserver'.
The exceptions results in words like 'first lady', 'hell's angel', 'non-fiction', 'no-nonsense', 'artificial intelligence', 'big
brother', 'fair play', 'real time', 'open source'. They may also result in somewhat surprising changes to known
words, such as the change from 'compactdisc' to 'compact disc' (in the natural evolution of a word, the opposite
would be expected, i.e. that the word would be concatenated once it became more familiar).
Although the rule above has some implications, it is mostly an extension of an existing rule. However, an extra
rule has been added, which can have considerable influence on a large number of English compounds: 'Threepart compounds formed from English two-part compounds of which the parts are either concatenated (fastfood) or
separated by a space (intensive care), follow the Dutch system and are therefore concatenated (fastfoodketen,
intensivecareafdeling), unless a vowel clash requires a hyphen.)'.
Examples of words resulting from this rule are 'fastfoodketen', 'intensivecareafdeling', 'desktoppublishing',
'hightechindustrie', 'realtimeonderzoek'.
30
Modifiers
This section does not apply to Dutch.
Nouns
General considerations
The parts of a compound noun in English are often separated by a space or hyphen. In Dutch, however, we
usually write compounds as a single word.
English
Dutch
text object
pie chart
lap-top computer
tekstobject
cirkeldiagram
laptopcomputer
The use of a compound is not always the best solution. Dutch offers the possibility to clarify the relationship
between the different components of a compound by using prepositions. In the following examples, the Dutch
translations are much clearer than the English compounds.
English
Dutch
conversion program disk
desktop-publishing program
driver information database
diskette met conversieprogramma
programma voor desktoppublishing
database met stuurprogrammagegevens
However, there are also many cases in which using compounds is to be preferred over using prepositions.
Excessive use of prepositions can make sentences unnecessarily long and difficult to read. Consider the following
examples:
English
The file name may be misspelled, or the file name extension was omitted.
Enter a different file name.
Dutch
Dutch
De naam van het bestand is verkeerd gespeld of de extensie van het
bestand ontbreekt. Geef een andere naam voor het bestand op.
De bestandsnaam is verkeerd gespeld of de bestandsextensie ontbreekt.
Geef een andere bestandsnaam op.
English
Find a solution provider an download their cache/proxy plug-in.
Dutch
Zoek een provider van oplossingen en download de invoegtoepassing voor
cache/proxy.
Zoek een oplossingsprovider en download de cache-/proxyinvoegtoepassing.
Dutch
31
Compounds with Dutch and English components
Compound nouns with Dutch and English components cause us problems because the English components are
often not included in the Groene boekje (unless they are well-accepted English-language terms). This may lead to
different spellings for certain compounds, making it hard to ensure consistency between software, documentation
and Help. Therefore, use the following guidelines:
- Always try to find a translation first.
Only leave a term in English if there are no other options (if it is a product name that cannot be localized, or when,
after consultation with the sub and Microsoft Language Excellence, the decision is made to use the English term).
A consistent, correct spelling is easier to ensure with compounds without English components.
A compound of English words that is accepted in Dutch is written as a single word. This also applies to three-part
compounds with two or three English components. In case of a vowel clash, or if one of the components is an
acronym, single letter, digit or symbol, we use a hyphen.
online
download
accountmanager
sciencefiction
businessclass
voicemail
demi-john
e-mail
pay-tv
publicrelationsschool
humanresourcesafdeling
lowbudgetfilm
onlinebestand
offlinewerkmap
online-Help
The following are separated by spaces, because they are considered word groups instead of compounds:
compact disc
(was compactdisc)
low budget
(was lowbudget)
slow motion
(was slowmotion)
Comment: compounds using online/offline and a verb are spelled as two words. Compounds with a noun are
spelled as one word.
offline gebruiken
online bankieren
offlinebestand
online-Help
Hyphens in compounds
In the following situations, among others, compounds are spelled with a hyphen:
1. In compounds of English words that are accepted in Dutch, but in which a vowel clash occurs or in which
one of the components is an acronym, individual letter, digit or symbol( as mentioned above).
32
2. To improve readability, an optional hyphen can be used between the components (bodyart and also bodyart, knowhowovereenkomst and also knowhow-overeenkomst). This also applies to many compounds
that only contain Dutch parts, such as valk-uil.
3. If the final letter of one component and the first letter of the next can spell a diphthong.
4. Certain combinations that are treated as compounds, such as combinations with equally important parts
(singer-songwriter), compounds that also have a hyphen in English (up-to-date), combinations of which
the left part is no or non (non-profit, no-nonsensepolitiek), combinations whose right part is an English
prepositional adverb (lay-out, back-upbestand, stand-by, all-invakantie).
contrastrijker
disketteeenheid
zwart/wit-dia
contrast-rijker
diskette-eenheid
zwart-witdia
identiteitschip
identiteits-chip
Vowel clash
When the following vowel combinations appear between two words in a compound, a hyphen must be used: a-a,
a-e, a-i, a-u, e-e, e-i, e-u, i-e, o-e, o-i, o-o, o-u, u-i en u-u.
When the following vowel combinations occur between two words in a compound, it is not necessary to use a
hyphen:
ao, ea, eo, ia, io, iu, oa, ua, ue, uo, aj, ej, oj, uj, iji (ij + i), ay, ya, ey, ye, iy, yi, oy, yo, uy en yu.
The combinations i + j, e + ij, e + ui and i + i result in a vowel clash in a compound (gummi-jas), but not in a
single-part word or a derivative (beijveren).
gala-avond
gummi-jas
poëzie
cameraopstelling
koffieautomaat
ruïne
bureau-inhoud
cadeauabonnement
onderzeeër
maximumprijs
geuit
college-uitstap
minimumprijs
beijveren
vanille-ijs
Linker/rechter, maximum/minimum
The use of ‘linker’ and ‘rechter’ before a noun often causes problems. Within Microsoft, we concatenate ‘linker’
and ‘rechter’ to the appropriate noun for consistency. 'Maximum' and 'minimum' are nouns and should always be
concatenated to the words that follow them within a compound, if they mean maximal and minimal. 'Maximum'
and 'minimum' cannot be used as adjectives.
33
rechtermarge
maximumprijs
rechtermuisknop
minimumprijs
linkerbenedenhoek
But:
Het maximum aantal deelnemers
(vanwege het zelfstandig naamwoord achter ‘maximum aantal’)
Standaard
If 'standaard' is used adjectivally and is tightly linked to the noun that follows it, we usually concatenate the two.
standaardbrief
standaardmap
standaardgeheugenconfiguratie
Audio/video
Unlike in English, audio and video cannot be used as individual nouns, but only as prefixes to other nouns.
audio instellen
instellingen voor video
audio-instellingen
video-instellingen
Naturally, the same rule applies to audioweergave, videoweergave. You may also use beeldweergave,
geluidsweergave etc instead.
Help
Compounds that start with the word 'Help', referring to the online documentation, use a hyphen to indicate that the
word has that specific meaning.
Help-tekst
Help-onderwerp
Help-venster
Help-index
Acronyms and numbers
If a compound noun contains an acronym or a number, both parts are separated by a hyphen.
VGA-kaart
386-modus
A4-formaat
y-as
34
This does not apply to compounds with word groups. If the first part of the word group is a cardinal number, then
we concatenate it in the three-part compound. But if the cardinal number is written with digits, we use a space.
vijftigeurobiljet
50 eurobiljet
3,5 inchdiskettes
64 bitsprocessor
eenaprilgrap
1 aprilgrap
In compounds with numbers, shortened units and a noun, the number and the unit are concatenated and a
hyphen is added between the unit and the noun.
35mm-dia
230V-aansluiting
600MHz-processor
30km-zone
Concatenations involving prepositions
Please note the spelling of concatenations involving prepositions, as in the following example
Bovenaan de pagina
Boven aan de pagina
Consult the Schrijfwijzer for general rules on word formation.
Plural formation
Consult the Woordenlijst Nederlandse taal for information on plural formations. If two plural forms are possible for
a word, e.g. 'typen' and 'types', the plural ending with 'en' must be used. If a word of Latin origin can have two
plural forms, e.g. 'datums' and 'data', the 'Dutch' plural form should be used.
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.
For interface terminology, the use of prepositions can sometimes cause problems. For that reason, the
prepositions have been standardized for a number of phrases, so that everyone uses the same prepositions. For
the following common phrases, the following prepositions must be used:
35
Kies de opdracht Plakken in het menu Bewerken
Klik op de knop Plakken op de werkbalk
Klik op de knop Ovaal in de werkset
Plaats de tekst op het Klembord
Verwijder de vermelding uit de lijst
Plaats de tekst in de lijst
Pronouns
This section does not apply to Dutch.
Punctuation
The purpose of punctuation is to improve legibility. Punctuation indicates how a sentence is constructed, and
marks phrases that need emphasis, or where a pause would be if the text were spoken.
Comma
Use a comma in situations where a sentence would otherwise be too long or complicated, or where omission of
the comma could cause confusion. Do not use the comma to separate two sentences. Consult the Schrijfwijzer for
more information on how the comma is used in Dutch.
Colon
Use colons to introduce lists and at the end of a sentence that introduces a procedure.
In dit hoofdstuk wordt beschreven hoe u:
· Voetnoten in een document kunt plaatsen.
· Commentaar in een document kunt opnemen.
Het hele document selecteren:
1. Druk op Ctrl+Home.
2. Druk op Ctrl+Shift+End.
If the colon is followed immediately by more text, the first word after the colon does not get a capital, if the item
following the colon is a single sentence.
Opmerking: met behulp van de liniaal kunt u de marges instellen in verschillende secties van het
document.
Er zijn drie typen velden: naamvelden, adresvelden en plaatsnaamvelden.
If the colon is followed by more than once sentence, the first word after the colon is capitalized.
36
Scenario: U bent de accountmanager van The Garden Company en u wilt een brief bekijken en
afdrukken. De brief dient als antwoord op een verzoek om informatie over een project dat u tijdens
een wetenschapsmarkt wilt uitvoeren.
Dashes and Hyphens
Three different dash characters are used in Dutch

the normal hyphen;

the non-breaking hyphen;

the N-dash (ANSI code 0150).
:
Normal hyphen
The hyphen is used to connect the components of a compound term.
bestand met het kenmerk Alleen-lezen
PowerPoint-presentatie
client/server-verificatie
It is also used as an ellipsis marker for a component that has been omitted. It cannot be used for ellipsis of a
whole word and the ellipted component should be a word part of equal value, not a separate word.
vaste- en verwisselbare schijven
hoofd- en kleine letters
hard- en software
computerverkopers en -gebruikers
Consult the Schrijfwijzer for more information.
In software, hyphenation is only allowed in situations where the space is limited or the lay-out requires it.
Generally, hyphenation should be avoided.
The hyphen is also used as the minus sign.
Non-breaking hyphen
In all cases where a word or word combination cannot be broken down in the location of the hyphen, (e.g. pages
12-14, MS-DOS etcetera), a non-breaking hyphen should be used. Use the key combination Ctrl+Shift+hyphen(-)
to insert this hyphen into the text.
37
MS-DOS
Lotus 1-2-3
pagina 114-120
En Dash
Do not use the En or Em-dash. Any En or Em dashes that appear in English text must be replaced by commas or
brackets.
De aard van de gegevens in de cel – tekst, een getal of een formule – heeft invloed op de uitlijning
ervan.
De aard van de gegevens in de cel (tekst, een getal of een formule) heeft invloed op de uitlijning ervan.
Ellipses (Suspension Points)
Avoid the use of dots to mark ellipses/suspension points, except in captions consisting of multiple parts, and in
truncations.
Example:
De cellen die u op deze manier hebt geselecteerd...
... kunnen eindeloos worden gekopieerd.
Keep in mind the following when using ellipses/suspension points:
The English 'ing' form...
English status messages using the present participle ('ing' form) often result in truncations at runtime, in which the
most important part of the message is invisible to the user. This has to do with the limited amount of space
available to the user. Often the translator does not know how much space is available. Usually, there is hardly any
more character space available for Dutch than for English. Therefore, we prefer translations that are not much
longer, or even shorter, than the English. In that case, suspension points can indicate that something will take a
certain amount of time.
NOTE:
When suspension points are used in English, they must be used in Dutch as well.
English
Uninstalling software...
Dutch
(-) Bezig met het ongedaan maken van de installatie van de software
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Dutch
(-) De software wordt verwijderd
Dutch
(-) De software wordt verwijderd...
Dutch
(+) Software verwijderen...
English
Searching for updates
Dutch
(-) Bezig met het zoeken naar updates
Dutch
(-) Er wordt gezocht naar updates.
Dutch
(+ Updates zoeken...
English
Deleting temporary files
Dutch
(-) Bezig met het verwijderen van de tijdelijke bestanden
Dutch
(-) De tijdelijke bestanden worden verwijderd.
Dutch
(+) Tijdelijke bestanden verwijderen...
Please wait (while)
The same applies to constructions with 'Please wait' and 'Please wait while'. These are often translated with 'Een
ogenblik geduld terwijl…'. Depending on the speed of the computer and the length of the text, the user may not
see the final part of the text. Therefore, it is recommended to split the Dutch translation into two parts, with the
most important information in the first sentence.
English
Please wait while Windows copies the files to disk.
Dutch
(-) Een ogenblik geduld terwijl Windows de bestanden naar schijf kopieert.
Dutch
(+) De bestanden worden naar schijf gekopieerd. Een ogenblik geduld...
Period
A period between an abbreviation that is at the end of a sentence, is also the period that finishes the sentence
and should not be followed by another period.
39
Numbered lists
In American Numbered lists, the digit is not followed by a period. In Dutch, we put a period behind the digit.
English
1 abc
2 def
3 ghi...
Dutch
1. abc
2. def
3. ghi
Acronyms
Acronyms and units of measurement are not spelled with periods.
ASCII
kB
VGA
mm
Separator
The period is used as a separator in the following situations:
- Thousands (but not in years, postal codes, phone numbers etcetera):
1.000.000
- Dutch bank account numbers (Belgian bank account numbers use two dashes: 321-4567890-03):
56.34.78.587, but former Postbank numbers are written as 4950260
- Version numbers:
PowerPoint 11.0
- File names:
Autoexec.bat
Quotation Marks
Only single quotation marks are used in documentation and software.
Unlike in the English source texts, we use single quotation marks to mark names of chapters, sections and
appendixes of manuals.
40
With software, the colon may be required in certain cases (e.g. in text to be entered in which the software uses
double quotation marks). If the use of single quotation marks affects the functionality, use double quotation marks.
See chapter 10, 'Search and Replace'.
In English, file names and other variables are often placed between single quotation marks. In Dutch, we omit
these.
Do you want to save the changes in 'Sales.xls'?
Wilt u de wijzigingen in Verkoop.xls opslaan?
Parentheses
In English, there is no space between the parentheses and the text inside them.
Parentheses can be used to add a comment or a clarification to body text.
Example:
Er wordt een sterretje (*) naast de documentnaam geplaatst. Hiermee wordt aangegeven dat deze
documentnaam is geselecteerd.
Vul de gewenste gegevens (getallen) op de stippellijn in.
Also use brackets when you add the full form of an acronym.
XML (Extended Markup Language)
Singular & Plural
Consult the Woordenlijst Nederlandse taal for information on plural formations. If two plural forms are possible for
a word, e.g. 'typen' and 'types', the plural ending with 'en' must be used. If a word of Latin origin can have two
plural forms, e.g. 'datums' and 'data', the 'Dutch' plural form should be used.
type
datum
valuta
artikel
catalogus
platform
monitor
(+) typen
(+) datums
(+) valuta's
(+) artikelen
(+) catalogussen
(+) platformen
(+) monitoren
(-) types
(-) data
(-) valuta
(-) artikels
(-) catalogi
(-) platforms
(-) monitors
There are a few exceptions to this rule:
41
operator
volume
offerte
medium
(+) operators
(+) volumes
(+) offertes
(+) media
(-) operatoren
(-) volumen
(-) offerten
(-) mediums
The last case is unusual, because 'mediums' has a different meaning than 'media'. In the following cases, only
one plural form is possible according to the Groene Boekje:
module
matrix
processor
(+) modules
(+) matrices
(+) processors
(-) modulen
(-) matrixen
(-) processoren
Split Infinitive
Avoid splitting the infinitives of compound verbs or verbs that include a preposition. This applies regardless of
whether the infinitives can be split according to the grammar rules.
Example:
(-) Klik op Opslaan als u op wilt slaan
(+) Klik op Opslaan als u wilt opslaan
Subjunctive
Avoid the subjunctive as it sounds archaic.
Symbols & Non-Breaking Spaces
Special characters
Microsoft products often use special characters, either on-screen, in descriptive text or in key combinations.
In English, most special characters have a name (ampersand, dollar sign, etc). This is not always the case in
Dutch and sometimes we use a description instead. The following list contains the most used special characters
and their American and Dutch names.
Character
´
^
`
&
<>
'
*
English
Accent acute
Accent circumflex
Accent grave
Ampersand
Angle brackets
Apostrophe
Asterisk
Dutch
Accent aigu (´)
Accent circonflexe (^)
Accent grave (`)
&-teken
Punthaken (<>)
Apostrof (')
Sterretje (*)
42
@
\
{}
[]
^
«»
»
©
°
$
...
—
–
=
!
>
"
<
#
«
¶
()
%
|
+
±
?
®
§
/
~
_
At sign
Backslas
Braces
Brackets
Caret
Chevrons
Closing chevron
Copyright symbol
Dash
Degree symbol
Dollar sign
Ellipsis
Em dash
En dash
Equal sign
Exclamation point
Greater-than sign
Hyphen
Inch mark
Less-than sign
Minus sign
Number sign
Opening chevron
Paragraph mark
Parenthesis
Percent sign
Pipe
Plus sign
Plus-or-minus sign
Question mark
Registered trademark symbol
Section symbol
Slash
Tilde
Underscore
Apenstaartje (@); @-teken
Backslash (\)
Accolades ({ })
Vierkante haken ([ ])
Caret-teken (^)
Dubbele punthaken (« »)
Teken »
Copyrightsymbool (©)
Koppelstreepje (-)
Gradenteken (°)
Dollarteken ($)
Weglatingsteken (...)
Em-streepje (—)
En-streepje (–)
Gelijkteken (=)
Uitroepteken (!)
Groter-dan-teken (>)
Afbreekstreepje (-)
Dubbel aanhalingsteken (")
Kleiner-dan-teken (<)
Minteken (-)
Hekje (#)
Teken «
Alineateken (¶)
Ronde haken ( )
Procentteken (%)
Sluisteken (|)
Plusteken (+)
Plusminusteken (±)
Vraagteken (?)
Registratieteken (®)
Paragraafteken (§)
Slash (/)
Tilde (~)
Onderstrepingsteken (_)
Non-breaking spaces (&nbsp;) should only be used if they are also present in the US source. Otherwise, it is
recommended to use a blank space as non-breaking spaces can cause functionality issues.
Syntax
Syntax and register differ between Dutch and English in the following ways:
1. Adverbial phrases relating to time are not usually placed at the end of a sentence in Dutch. When
possible, reorder sentences so that the time or date occurs earlier in the sentence. Example:
43
English
John got married in Manchester last year.
Dutch
Jan is vorig jaar in Putten getrouwd.
Verbs
Example:
Continuous operations are usually expressed in English with a gerund, which should be translated into Dutch as
infinitives. See the section on Ellipses (Suspension Points), above.
Word Order
Names of interface terms, files etcetera must always be placed after their type designation.
Example:
het menu Opmaak
het bestand Config.sys
het onderdeel Printers
de functie AANTAL
de methode Delete
het object DocumentProperty
Style and Tone Considerations
This section focuses on higher-level considerations for audience, style, tone, and voice.
Audience
This section does not apply to Dutch.
Style
Order of finite verb and past participle
In written texts, the finite verb should be placed before the past participle.
(-) Nadat u de software geïnstalleerd hebt, dient u deze te configureren.
(+) Nadat u de software hebt geïnstalleerd, dient u deze te configureren.
44
However, this only applies if the past participle is treated as a verb (indicating an action), and not as an adjective
(indicating a state). For adjectival uses, the preferred order described above is incorrect. Compare the following
sentences:
(-) De gebruiker kwam tot de conclusie dat de Help-index was uitgebreid.
(+) De gebruiker kwam tot de conclusie dat de Help-index uitgebreid was.
For more information, consult page 136 of the Schrijfwijzer.
Repetition and overtranslation
Repetition
Repetition can prevent confusion and help the user understand the text faster. It is often better to use repetition
than to use synonyms or pronouns to refer back to the same item.
(-) De actieve presentatie heet Columbus. De nieuwe presentatie zal dezelfde naam hebben, maar
niet dezelfde dia’s.
(+) De actieve presentatie heet Columbus. De nieuwe presentatie zal eveneens Columbus heten,
maar niet de Columbus-dia’s bevatten.
Overtranslation
On the other hand, overtranslation should be avoided. Overtranslation is the use of unnecessary words in
situations where a less verbose version of the text would be equally clear. A common example would be the use
of 'met behulp van' where 'met' works just as well.
(-) Het tekstverwerkingsprogramma heeft speciale voorzieningen die het mogelijk maken hele
alinea's in één keer in te delen.
(+) Het tekstverwerkingsprogramma heeft voorzieningen waarmee u alinea's in één keer kunt
indelen.
Literal translations
Avoid literal translations. Translating literally without paying attention to Dutch rules for style and idiom can result
in sentences that are hard to understand.
English
Dutch
You may also find it easier to write complex formulas if parts of those
formulas contain named, shorter formulas.
(-) U kunt het ook gemakkelijker vinden om complexe formules te schrijven
als onderdelen van die formules benoemde, korte formules bevatten.
45
Dutch
(+) Complexe formules zijn ook eenvoudiger samen te stellen als ze
bestaan uit kleinere formules die een naam hebben.
In some cases, literal translations may be ungrammatical.
English
When you have finished selecting your product, click the Next button.
Dutch
(-) Wanneer u het product geselecteerd hebt, klik op de knop Volgende.
Dutch
(+) Klik op de knop Volgende als u het product hebt geselecteerd.
English
To enable this command, select some text or a shape.
Dutch
(-) Om deze opdracht beschikbaar te maken, selecteer tekst of een vorm.
Dutch
(+) Selecteer tekst of een vorm als u deze opdracht beschikbaar wilt
maken.
Constructions with 'om'
Sentences can only start with 'om' if 'om' indicates a purpose and starts a non-finite clause.
(-) Om steeds die om-ellende te moeten beredeneren, lijkt me geen pretje.
(+) Om een koppeling te maken met een diagram kunt u verschillende procedures volgen.
There is nothing wrong with using 'om', but Microsoft prefers constructions without 'om'. See the following
example:
English
Dutch
Dutch
If you want to create a link to a diagram, you can follow several different
procedures.
(+) U kunt verschillende procedures volgen om een koppeling te maken
met een grafiek.
(+) Als u een koppeling met een grafiek wilt maken, kunt u verschillende
procedures volgen.
In software messages the use of the om-construction is allowed. Constructions without 'om' are also preferred
here. Also prevent the use of 'om' at the beginning of a sentence.
46
English
Dutch
Dutch
Dutch
Dutch
The current application will be terminated. Press any key to terminate the
application.
(-) De actieve toepassing moet worden afgesloten. Om de toepassing af te
sluiten druk op een willekeurige toets.
(-) De actieve toepassing moet worden afgesloten. Om de toepassing af te
sluiten drukt u op een willekeurige toets.
(+) De actieve toepassing moet worden afgesloten. Druk op een
willekeurige toets om de toepassing af te sluiten.
(+) De actieve toepassing moet worden afgesloten. Sluit de toepassing
door op een willekeurige toets te drukken.
See also page 246 in the Schrijfwijzer.
Tone and consistency
For its Dutch-language products, Microsoft prefers an open, businesslike and clear style in documentation, online
text and the software itself.
Tone
The tone of American documentation and software is often paternalistic. In your translation, avoid a
condescending, childish or overly familiar tone and treat the reader as an adult and a professional. Strive for
clarity without resorting to unnecessary repetition. Downplay humor and keep the tone business-like.
English
Dutch
English
Dutch
English
Dutch
great looking slides
professionele dia's
The computer got very poorly and decided to end its own suffering.
De computer functioneert niet meer goed en wordt daarom afgesloten.
To add content, select this text and then go for it, baby.
Selecteer deze tekst en geef de gewenste inhoud op.
Turn a 'folksy' question-and-answer construction into a neutral sentence.
English
Dutch
And the changes? Well, it usually takes longer to start your computer in the
morning than to change a PowerPoint slide.
Het aanbrengen van wijzigingen in een PowerPoint-dia kost minder tijd dan
het inschakelen van uw computer.
47
Consistency
Consistent use of terminology is vital for localizing computer products. Microsoft has created Dutch translations
for thousands of American terms. It is important that you use these standard translations at all times.
Consistency in style is also important. The large volumes of text to be translated often make it inevitable that more
than one translator will work on a document. In addition, more and more products are sold together as a single
package with the same 'look and feel' (such as Office and Back Office), so that consistency is becoming even
more important. Careful subediting will therefore be required to ensure that the localized product is stylistically
consistent throughout.
Voice
Avoid passive sentences and the use of the word "men". However, sometimes passive sentences may be used
for variation, such as in texts on packaging materials.
(-) Gegevensdocumenten kunnen ook met andere programma's worden gemaakt.
(+) U kunt gegevensdocumenten ook met andere programma's maken.
(-) Men kan elke tekengrootte tussen 2 en 20 punten kiezen.
(+) U kunt elke tekengrootte tussen 2 en 20 punten kiezen.
Always use the formal form of address, and always use 'u hebt' instead of 'u heeft'.
Example:
English
Translation
You are now connected to the Internet.
U hebt nu verbinding met internet.
Masculine and feminine
Try to keep translations gender neutral as much as possible. When referring to persons, use words like 'deze' and
'die' instead of 'hij'or 'zij'.
English
Dutch
Ask your network administrator if he can adapt your computer for the
application.
Vraag de netwerkbeheerder of deze uw computer voor de toepassing
geschikt kan maken.
When referring to objects, repeat the noun rather than using the personal pronoun.
48
English
Put the Setup disk in drive A. It contains the Setup installation program.
Dutch
(-) Plaats de diskette Setup in station A. Het bevat het installatieprogramma
Setup.
(+) Plaats de diskette Setup in station A. Deze diskette bevat het
installatieprogramma Setup.
Dutch
Taboos
While localizing examples and scenarios, avoid using situations that some users may find offensive. The most
obvious examples are racist or sexist references. But the following subjects can also be considered derogatory or
even offensive:
death, hunger, poverty, politics, ideology, religion, recent historical events, social classes and stereotypes.
For example, avoid giving the impression that all Dutch people wear wooden shoes and leave their
windmill every morning to gaze at their tulip field, before taking the dog cart to their job in the cheese
plant.
Localization of American scenarios
Localization is more than translation alone. Localization also means that an originally American product is
adapted to the Dutch market as much as possible.
Templates, examples and scenarios that are used in the original American products may be so American that
they are not relevant for the Dutch market. American place names, postal codes, proper names and activities
have to be converted into Dutch ones. For example, Bill becomes Wim, baseball teams become soccer teams
and office picnics become birthday parties. Fictional but American-sounding brand names must be converted to
Dutch Brand names. For legal reasons, the use of real business names is not allowed under any circumstances.
Templates must often be rewritten from scratch because an American tax form is useless to a Dutch user.
49
Localization Guidelines
This section contains guidelines for localization into Dutch.
General Considerations
Guidelines for software localization
There are standard translations available for the following software, Help and documentation components:
 Splash screen
 The About dialog, including all copyright notices for localized programs
 PSS information
 Copyright pages
 Part of the Setup texts
These standard translations are available from the project teams or can be found in the standard glossaries.
There is also a standard translation for the EULA, which is published by the Legal department in Redmond. Ask
the project team for the Dutch standard text; do not translate it yourself.
Abbreviations
Common Abbreviations
You may not use abbreviations in the software interface.
English
Use word wrap in read window.
Dutch
(-) Automat. terugloop in leesvenster.
Dutch
(+) Automatische terugloop gebruiken in leesvenster.
Do not use abbreviations in the body text or in the software. Expressions such as 'met betrekking tot' and 'ten
aanzien van' must be written in full instead of being abbreviated to, respectively, 'm.b.t.' and 't.a.v'.
Accessibility
This section does not apply to Dutch.
50
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).
Changes in the Spellingactualisering of October 2005
Although we use the term 'acronyms' in this section, since the Spellingactualisering 2005, we are now required to
think of them as 'letterwoorden' and 'initiaalwoorden'. A letterwoord is a word that is formed by the first letters of a
name or any other word group, which is read as a word. (eg: havo, SLIP and RAS). An initiaalwoord is a word that
is formed by the first letters of a name or any other word group, but which is read as a series of letters (eg: pc,
dvd and ftp).
The most important rule is that we write an initiaalwoord or a letterword without any periods. We follow the
capitalization of the abbreviated words. If an organisation uses a notation that deviates from this rule, we follow
their notation. In software, this usually applies to names of products and standards, so that capitals are copied
and used.
Initiaalwoorden:
pc (personal computer)
btw (belasting toegevoegde waarde)
dvd (digital versatile disc)
cd (compact disc)
NS: Nederlandse Spoorwegen
Letterwoorden:
pin (persoonlijk identificatienummer)
BuZa (Buitenlandse Zaken)
BUT: RAM
The second important rule applies to compounds and derivatives. For letterwoorden without capitals (and as
letterwoorden or initiaalwoorden become more accepted, the capitalization disappears), the hyphen or apostrophe
disappears when it is included in the compound or derivative. For letterwoorden that do have capitals, and for
initiaalwoorden, the rule is that the capital and apostrophe are retained.
aidsvirus
pincode
latrelatie
havoleerling
cd-romstation
btw-tarief
51
pc-gebruiker
AOW'er
tv-kijker
ADSL
RAM-geheugen
RAS-verbinding
When an acronym makes its first appearance in the text, we recommend spelling it out. Put the full term between
brackets, immediately after the acronym. After this initial clarification, the acronym can be used without the full
term. In software messages, the acronym must always be followed by the full form between brackets, because in
software, there is no such thing as a 'first appearance'.
CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) is een procedure die wordt gebruikt bij het
controleren op fouten tijdens gegevensoverdacht. CRC-foutcontrole maakt gebruik
van complexe berekeningen…
If the acronym refers to a term that is not normally translated into Dutch, then only give the full English term. If the
term that the acronym refers to does have a generally accepted translation, use the acronym followed by the
Dutch term. In both cases, use only the acronym once the term has been clarified.
SLIP (Serial Line Internet Protocol)
DTP (Desktoppublishing)
OLE (objecten koppelen en insluiten)
Compounds with acronyms
For the usage of a hyphen in compounds including acronyms, the rules for initiaalwoorden and letterwoorden
apply that were described above.
RAM-geheugen
LAN-verbinding
GUI-termen
No explanation
Acronyms that require no explanation include:
ADSL
pc
EGA
ROM
cd-rom
MS-DOS
ASCII
VGA
UNIX
dvd-rom
GUI
ANSI
PCI
TCP/IP
Very few acronyms are localized in Dutch. Most of these are names or organizations or countries.
52
Examples: VK, VSA, VAE, EU, VN, WNF. If the name of a country or organization that consists of multiple words
is localized, then so is the acronym for it.
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.
According to the Groene boekje, compounds with brand names are concatenated without hyphens, just as is the
case with compounds with proper names (see the examples Philipslamp and Essotankstation below). This also
applies to the final part of a multi-part compound. The capitalization is retained in the compound.
To improve readability and the word picture, we do use the hyphen in Microsoft texts. See also page 285 of the
Schrijfwijzer: 'Als het eerste deel een merknaam is, kan er een streepje komen om de naam beter te laten
uitkomen.' Onze Taal also mentions this option as a clearer alternative. For example, the Groene boekje
recommends Albert Heijnfiliaal but allows Albert Heijn-filiaal as a clearer alternative. An additional reason for our
preference is that the version with the hyphen indicates much ore clearly that the first two parts belong together
(for example, both Volkswagen Golfrijder and Volkswagen Golf-rijder are allowed, but the second option shows
more clearly that the final word is not really a compound in its own right, but that the first part goes with the
preceding word).
Compounds with a word group that ends with a symbol, letter or digit get a hyphen (e.g. in version indicators).
Een Microsoft-product
Een Microsoft Windows-hulpprogramma
Een Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer-bestand
Een Lotus 1-2-3-werkblad
Middellandse Zeegebied
een Philipslamp
een Essotankstation
een Intel Pentium-processor
een Pentium 4-processor
Koningin Beatrixestafette
Frequent Errors
Make sure sentences are fluent and well-rendered, avoiding unnecessary repetition of words or phrases. Also,
use creative solutions, try not to stick to the English word order and sentence structure too much. Make sure that
the style is neutral and personal pronouns are avoided where possible. Please make an effort to keep translations
as natural as possible while adhering to this guideline. See the General Writing Guidelines for more information.
Pay special attention to references to other products, services and features. It is important for Windows Live that
users can easily find their way through the products and to offer a seamless user experience across all products.
To ensure this, it is necessary that references to other products are made using correct terminology. Please
check the reference material provided. Always adhere to key UI terms and if links are given, check these links to
make sure terminology and translations on source and target page are in line.
Please take a look at the examples below from different Windows Live products. Please note that the product
where the error was originally found is given, but they may apply to other Windows Live products as well.
53
Product
Messenger
English
Click here to search the web
with your contact
Preferred
Klik hier om samen op het web te
zoeken
Select the alerts you want to
receive
Learn
Wrong
Klik hier om met je
contactpersoon te zoeken
op het web.
Selecteer een melding die
je wilt ontvangen
Leren
Windows Live
Alerts
Windows Live
Spaces
Windows Live
Safety
Windows Live
ID
Family members
Familieleden
Create an ID
Een id aanmaken
Windows Live
Search
Go to the Windows Live
homepage
Ga naar de startpagina
van Windows Live
Windows Live
Gallery
Image - Emoticon
Beeld - Emoticon
Gezinsleden
(Context issue)
Een ID aanmaken
(This refers to Windows Live ID.
Do not localize product names)
Naar de startpagina van Windows
Live
("Go to" is usually translated as
"to".)
Afbeelding - Emoticon
Selecteer de gewenste meldingen
Meer informatie
Glossaries
Because many translators often work on one product, it is important to agree on the style in advance. In addition,
it is important that all translators maintain a list of common terms, so that the same translation is always used for
standard phrases. This list of terms is the property of Microsoft and has to be delivered to the project team at the
end of the project.
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:
Recurring Patterns
When translating titles there are certain recurrent patterns that you should pay attention to, as indicated below:
54
A few examples of course titles:
Source
What's New in <productname>
Getting Started with <productname>
Installing and Configuring <productname>
Target
Nieuw in <productnaam>
Aan de slag met <productnaam>
<productnaam> installeren en configureren
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.
Localization guidelines
Shortcut keys
User Interface
Status messages
Error messages (Standard phrases in)
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.
Word
Comment
ALT
ALT GR
BACKSPACE
BREAK
OK
PRINT SCRN
SCROLL LOCK
INSERT
PG UP or PAGE UP
PG DOWN or PAGE DOWN
DELETE
ENTER
SHIFT
55
Word
Comment
CTRL
Using the Word Microsoft
In English and in Dutch, it is prohibited to use MS as an abbreviation for Microsoft.
Always capitalize the names of Microsoft Products and other brand names as in the example below:
Microsoft Word voor Windows
Lotus 1-2-3
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
General rules
When translating interface names, always place the descriptive term before the name. Always spell the interface
name with an initial capital. Do not capitalize the general term (opdracht, menu, bestand, etc) preceding the
specific term. If an interface term consists of more than one word, only the first term is capitalized. In general, the
same character formatting is used as in the American text.
Name of
menu
opdracht
dialoogvenster
selectievakje
venster
pictogram
bestand
diskette
macro
knop
Example
het menu Bestand
de opdracht Kopiëren
het dialoogvenster Werkmap beveiligen
het selectievakje Lettertype
het venster Mappenstructuur
het pictogram Kaartenbak
het bestand Mw.ini
de diskette Setup
de macro SCHERM
de knop Annuleren
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For interface terminology, the use of prepositions can sometimes cause problems. For that reason, the
prepositions have been standardized for a number of phrases, so that everyone uses the same prepositions. For
the following common phrases, the following prepositions must be used:
Kies de opdracht Plakken in het menu Bewerken
Klik op de knop Plakken op de werkbalk
Klik op de knop Ovaal in de werkset
Plaats de tekst op het Klembord
Verwijder de vermelding uit de lijst
Plaats de tekst in de lijst
Verbs in dialogs
Generally, the infinitive is also used in dialogs. The imperative is only used a direct request to the user to perform
an action.
Save Macro in:
Query Now
Insert Field Type
Mark New Text With:
Find What:
Cancel
Macro opslaan in:
Query uitvoeren
Veldtype invoegen
Nieuwe tekst markeren met:
Zoeken naar:
Annuleren (knop)
Exception
Enter your password
Geef uw wachtwoord op:
Verbal vs nominal constructions
Pay attention to whether the intended construction is verbal or nominal in context. This may seem to be selfevident, but in practice, it is a major source of errors. The following examples are errors that occurred in a
Microsoft operating system:
Messages
English
Display Limit
Dutch
(-) Limiet weergeven
Dutch
(+) Weergavelimiet
English
Display Troubleshooter
Dutch
(-) Probleemoplosser weergeven
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Dutch
(+) Probleemoplosser voor beeldscherm
English
Request Country/Region
Dutch
(-) Land/regio aanvragen
Dutch
(+) Land/regio voor aanvraag
English
Read permissions
Dutch
(-) Leesmachtigingen
Dutch
(+) Machtigingen lezen
English
Delete error
Dutch
(-) Fout wissen
Dutch
(+) Fout bij verwijderen
English
Document Summary Info
Dutch
(-) Info over de samenvatting van het document
Dutch
(+) Samenvattende info over het document
Dialog titles
The title of a dialog must be exactly identical to the command that preceded the dialog box. The Openen dialog
box follows the Openen command in the Bestand menu. This is not always the case in the American version. In
that case, we improve the Dutch version.
Sometimes a certain dialog is used for different commands. Then this requirement cannot be met. The
Nieuw/Definiëren dialog follows the commands Nieuw and Definiëren in the Grafiek menu. In the American
version, the dialog is called New in both cases.
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Never use the indefinite article 'een' in a dialog title.
English
Define color
Dutch
(-) Een kleur definiëren
Dutch
(+) Kleur definiëren
English
Find exception
Dutch
(-) Een uitzondering zoeken
Dutch
(+) Uitzondering zoeken
Verbs in menus and commands
The infinitive is always used in software. In menu names or commands consisting of a verb or containing a verb,
only the infinitive of that verb is used and the verb is always placed at the end. Exceptions do exist, such as
'Plakken speciaal' and 'Ga naar', and cases where it is grammatically impossible to put the verb at the end.
Edit
Bewerken
Insert
Invoegen
Create Envelope
Envelop maken
Expand one level
Met één niveau uitbreiden
Word order in commands
It is recommended to follow the principle "what you see first, you name first" in commands. So interface elements
must be mentioned in the order in which the user sees them on screen, even if this is different in the American
text. Example:
English
Dutch
Dutch
To install a network adapter, go to the Adapters page of the Network
Control Panel applet and click te Add button.
(-) Indien u een netwerkadapter wilt toevoegen, gaat u naar het tabblad
Adapters in het onderdeel Netwerk van het Configuratiescherm, en klikt u
op de knop Toevoegen.
(+) Als u een netwerkadapter wilt toevoegen gaat u achtereenvolgens naar
het Configuratiescherm, het onderdeel Netwerk en het tabblad Adapters,
en klikt u op de knop Toevoegen.
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Names of toolbar buttons
The action that is performed through on a toolbar button matches a command or an option in a dialog. The name
of a toolbar button should therefore always match the corresponding command or option.
Names of wizards
Names of wizards are capitalized. In body text, ‘wizard’ is written without a capital.
Wizard Brief
Wizard Memo
But: Hiervoor gebruikt u de wizard Memo.
"Welcome to" in wizards and Setup
"Welcome to" is omitted from translations of wizards and Setup if it occurs in them:
English
Welcome to Fax Configuration Wizard
Dutch
(-) Welkom bij de wizard Faxconfiguratie
Dutch
(+) De wizard Faxconfiguratie
English
Welcome to the Check Server Wizard
Dutch
(-) Welkom bij de wizard Server controleren
Dutch
(+) De wizard Server controleren
Translations of checkboxes and radio buttons
Translations of check boxes and radio buttons do not end in a period, unless they consist of more than one
sentence.
English
Warn when adding a user task that won't be shown
Dutch
(-) Waarschuwen bij toevoegen van een gebruikerstaak die niet wordt
weergegeven.
(+) Waarschuwen bij toevoegen van een gebruikerstaak die niet wordt
weergegeven
Dutch
English
Dutch
Dutch
No, use another server. The server you select must have already been
configured as Distributor.
(-) Nee, gebruik een andere server. De server die u selecteert, moet al als
distributieserver zijn geconfigureerd
(+) Nee, een andere server gebruiken. De server die u selecteert, moet al
als distributieserver zijn geconfigureerd.
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Translation of 'About <productname>'
'About <productname>' in the Help menu used to be translated with 'Info'. However, this translation no longer
works very well, because many products allow the installation of other products or plug-ins; as a result, multiple
Info entries may appear in a Help menu (e.g. the MMC in Windows). If the word 'Info' is repeated three or four
times in the Help menu, this is confusing for the user. It is also possible that inconsistent translations appear. For
that reason, the translation 'Over <product name>' must always be used from now on.
About Microsoft Outlook
Info
Over Microsoft Outlook
Capitalization
In Dutch, we do not use initial capitals for each word like in English. We simply stick to the rules for Dutch.
English
Select Packages/Libraries
Dutch
(-) Pakketten/Bibliotheken Selecteren
Dutch
(+) Pakketten/bibliotheken selecteren
Note:
File names are also no longer written in all-caps.
Text length
The use of abbreviations and the omission of articles and prepositions in on-screen text is only allowed
in exceptional situations! If there is insufficient space, articles and prepositions can often be omitted first,
without the text losing content or clarity. However, do not use this 'telegram style' if it is not necessary.
(-) Knippersnelheid cursor wijzigen
(+) De knippersnelheid van de cursor wijzigen
(-) Importeren voltooid
(+) Het importeren is voltooid
(-) Beginpunt knippen instellen
(+) Beginpunt voor knippen instellen
If articles or prepositions do have to be omitted as a result of insufficient space, this should be done consistently:
(-) Instellingen van beeldgrootte en de compressie wijzigen
(+) Instellingen van beeldgrootte en compressie wijzigen
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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).
Dutch Style in Status bar Messages
In English, the status bar messages have different forms dependent on the information they must convey. In
Dutch, menu and commands status bar messages should follow the format below.
Name
Dutch Name
Category
English Status Bar
message
Dutch Status Bar
message
Edit
Bewerken
menu
Contains editing commands
Copy to
Folder...
Naar map kopiëren
menu
Copies the selected items to
a new location
New
Nieuw
command
Creates a new document
Een nieuw document
maken
Make object visible?
Het object zichtbaar
maken?
Word is converting the
document. Press Esc to
stop.
Datasheet View
Gegevensbladweergave
Done
Gereed
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 Dutch version. Use one standard translation as in the examples below:
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English term
Correct Dutch translation
Press F1 to get Help
Druk op F1 voor meer hulp.
If you want Help press F1
To get Help press F1
Not enough memory
Onvoldoende geheugen
Insufficient memory
There is not enough memory
Save changes to %1?
Wilt u de wijzigingen in %1 opslaan?
Do you want to save changes to %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.
Dutch 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.
General guidelines
General
The style of error messages should be neutral and direct, and clearly communicate the intended message to the
user. Cryptic language and newspaper headline style must be avoided. Verbs should be in the present tense. And
naturally, sentences must be correct, grammatical Dutch sentences.
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Translate everything
All information in an error message must be translated. In case of the more technical error messages, such as
error messages that occur in Windows XP or ODBC, this may mean that research must be carried out. Leave no
terms in English unless the glossary prescribes this.
Style
The space that is available for an error message is often limited and text translated into Dutch is on average
twenty to thirty percent longer than the original English text. For that reason, it is important to find a balance
between the available space and a good, direct translation of the message. However, it is not recommended to
start out by abbreviating messages, or to copy the often cryptic style of the English text. While translating error
messages, the goal should be to communicate all information as accurately as possible to the user, in a direct,
friendly style and in sentences that are as complete as possible. Do not let fear lack of space lead you to
preemptively remove articles and prepositions. Articles and prepositions may only be omitted if this solves actual
problems with lack of space!
English
Problem converting equation. Continue with document conversion?
Dutch
(-) Er is een probleem opgetreden bij converteren van vergelijking. Wilt u
toch doorgaan met conversie van document?
(+) Er is een probleem opgetreden bij het converteren van een vergelijking.
Wilt u toch doorgaan met de conversie van het document?
Dutch
When using articles and propositions, do keep in mind that you use them consistently.
English
An error occurred while trying to update the Stored Settings file.
Dutch
(-) Er is een fout opgetreden bij bijwerken van het bestand met opgeslagen
instellingen.
(-) Er is een fout opgetreden bij het bijwerken van bestand met
opgeslagen instellingen.
(+) Er is een fout opgetreden bij het bijwerken van het bestand met
opgeslagen instellingen.
Dutch
Dutch
Do keep in mind that the English text may be followed by placeholders or variables. Do not put a period at the end
of a sentence if there is no period in English, unless you are certain that this is correct.
English
Disk full
Dutch
(-) Schijf vol.
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The text may be followed by a variable to be pulled in later.
English
Disk full when writing to drive %1
The result in Dutch would then be:
(-) Schijf vol.bij het schrijven naar station %1.
Note: with longer messages, you will not be sure if an error message fits into a dialog until after you have
translated the error message and have reviewed it in a build of the program. A rule of thumb for translating error
messages: if a US error message has a forced line break (code \n), then add a line break to the Dutch version
after the same number of characters. If you do not do this, the sentence may be broken up by the dialog box and
immediately after that by the line break code \n.
Consistency
For translating error messages, consistent use of terminology is paramount,. Use the glossary that is handed off
with the project and the standard glossaries for the correct terminology and the correct software references.
Also be consistent in general language use:
Do not translate like this:
English
Dutch
Error restoring network connections
(-) Fout bij het herstellen van de netwerkverbindingen
and next:
English
Dutch
Error selecting drive
(-) Fout bij selecteren van station.
Do not personify
Avoid personifying program names. In the example below, Microsoft Excel can be omitted from the Dutch
sentence without causing any problems:
English
Microsoft Excel cannot display the information
Dutch
(-) Microsoft Excel kan de gegevens niet weergeven
Dutch
(+) De gegevens kunnen niet worden weergegeven.
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Variables are often used in error messages. This means that sometimes the use of personification cannot be
avoided. However, personification is only allowed when there is insufficient space. In very long constructions, the
use of personification can prevent this problem.
'%s' cannot display the information.
%s kan de gegevens niet weergeven.
Testing
An error message that looks good on paper, may be unclear and difficult to read on screen. Therefore, it is
recommended that you test the style and content of error message on-screen on a regular basis.
Variables
Translating error messages in which variables are used should be done with care. Always check if all the
variables in the US error message have also been included in the translated error message. It is also important to
find out what will be substituted for the variable. This may have consequences to the use of articles, adjectives,
word order etc.
Can't read the selected '%s'.
This sentence may look as follows in the translation, depending on what is substituted for %s:
(+) Het geselecteerde bestand kan niet worden gelezen.
Or:
(+) De geselecteerde map kan niet worden gelezen.
There are different types of variables. The three most important ones are '%s ', '%d' en '%c'. %s is a string (text,
including numbers), %d is a digit (always a number) and %c is a single character (such as a station name).
Variables may only be omitted when using them results in personifications or when the variable is used so often in
the US error message that it is pointless to copy this in the Dutch (e.g. if the product name is repeated three or
four times in a single error message). Always check carefully if omitting the variable does not cause problems. Do
not place variables at the beginning of a sentence, because it is not always clear if the replacement text at
runtime starts with a capital letter.
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Quotation marks in error messages
In American error messages, variables are often placed between quotation marks. In the Dutch error message,
these quotation marks have to be removed.
Do you want to save the changes in '%s'?
(+) Wilt u de wijzigingen in %s opslaan?
Sometimes, quotation marks have to be used for different reasons. In those cases, use only single quotation
marks.
Ending an error message
Error messages always end in a period or a question mark. Also, keep in mind that the US messages often have
two spaces after the period. This must always be changed to a single space.
Compounds
English error messages often contain compounds of three or more nouns that are hard to translate into Dutch. If
these compounds are translated literally into Dutch, this results in awkward translations that are grammatically
and stylistically bad and sometimes plainly wrong. In these cases, always try to give a description.
English
Error opening address book provider root container.
Dutch
(-) Fout bij openen van adresboekprovider hoofdcontainer.
Dutch
(+) Fout bij het openen van de hoofdcontainer van de adresboekprovider.
English
floppy disk controller track address
Dutch
(-) diskettecontroller spooradres
Dutch
(+) adres van het controllerspoor van de diskette
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:
An error occurred while; An error occurred in
Error messages with this construction are translated with Er is een fout opgetreden bij.
English
An error occurred while writing a data file.
Dutch
(-) Tijdens het opslaan van een gegevensbestand is een fout gevonden.
Dutch
(+) Er is een fout opgetreden bij het verzenden bij het opslaan van een
gegevensbestand.
Are you sure
Error messages with this construction are translated with Weet u zeker dat.
Are you sure you want to remove this driver?
(+) Weet u zeker dat u dit stuurprogramma wilt verwijderen?
Cannot/unable/not possible
Cannot open the file '%s'.
(+) Het bestand %s kan niet worden geopend.
(+) Kan het bestand %s niet openen.
File '%s' could not be found.
(+) Het bestand %s is niet gevonden.
(+) Kan het bestand %s niet vinden.
Unable to open file.
(+) Het bestand kan niet worden geopend.
(+) Kan het bestand niet openen.
No longer able to read '%s'
(+) %s kan niet langer worden gelezen.
(+) Kan het bestand %s niet meer lezen.
No longer able to read '%s'
(+) %s kan niet langer worden gelezen.
(+) Kan het bestand %s niet meer lezen.
Not possible to read file now.
(+) Het bestand kan nu niet worden gelezen.
(+) Kan het bestand nu niet lezen.
The tape cannot be read.
(+) De band kan niet worden gelezen.
(+) Kan de band niet lezen.
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NOTE: Although two variants exist for this type of error message, it is recommended to use one of the two
variants within a single product, as much as possible.
Disk
Always translate 'disk' as schijf, unless it is absolutely sure that the word refers to a floppy disk.
The print file could not be saved. The disk is locked or full.
(+) Het afdrukbestand kan niet worden opgeslagen. De schijf is vol of vergrendeld.
Insert '%s' or the disk with the updated %s driver in:
(+) Plaats %s of de diskette met het bijgewerkte stuurprogramma %s in:
Do you want to continue? Do you really want to do this? Continue?
Always translate these constructions as Wilt u toch doorgaan? of Wilt u doorgaan?, depending on the context.
You are about to delete the report '%s'. Do you really want to do this?
(+) U staat op het punt om het rapport %s te verwijderen. Wilt u toch doorgaan?
Some data in existing non-selected cells will be lost.
Do you want to continue?
(+) Sommige gegevens in bestaande, maar niet-geselecteerde cellen zullen verloren gaan. Wilt u
toch doorgaan?
Some data in existing cells will be lost. Continue?
(+) Sommige gegevens in bestaande cellen zullen verloren gaan. Wilt u toch doorgaan?
Corrupt/Critical/Fatal/Invalid/Wrong
Corrupt is translated as beschadigd.
Critical is translated as kritiek.
Fatal is translated as onherstelbaar.
Invalid is translated as ongeldig.
Wrong is translated as onjuist.
The file '%s' is corrupted.
(+) Het bestand %s is beschadigd.
A critical error has occurred.
(+) Er is een kritieke fout opgetreden.
A fatal error has occurred.
(+) Er is een onherstelbare fout opgetreden.
Invalid column specified. Column values must be in the range A to IV.
(+) Ongeldige kolomaanduiding. Kolomaanduidingen moeten liggen in het bereik van A tot IV.
BUT:
English
Invalid number '%d'.
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Dutch
(-) Ongeldig getal %d.
Dutch
(+) %d is geen geldig getal.
Not found/not available/there are no...
English
File not found.
Dutch
(-) Bestand niet aanwezig.
Dutch
(+) Het bestand is niet gevonden.
English
No network adapter found.
Dutch
(-) Geen netwerkadapter gevonden.
Dutch
(+) Er is geen netwerkadapter gevonden.
English
Value not found in Configuration Registry
Dutch
(-) Waarde niet gevonden in het Configuratieregister.
Dutch
(+) Geen waarde gevonden in het Configuratieregister.
English
Permanent connection not available.
Dutch
(-) Permanente verbinding niet voorhanden.
Dutch
(-) Alle permanente verbindingen zijn bezet.
Dutch
(+) Er is geen permanente verbinding beschikbaar.
English
There are no available interrupts. The sound card will not work
Dutch
(-) Geen interrupts. De geluidskaart zal niet werken.
Dutch
(+) Er zijn geen interrupts beschikbaar. De geluidskaart zal niet werken.
Extremely low on memory/Not enough memory
For these expressions, Dutch translations usually use onvoldoende.
English
Extremely low on memory. Please save your work and close other
applications to free up memory and continue.
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Dutch
Dutch
(-) Er is uitermate weinig geheugen beschikbaar. Sla wijzigingen op en sluit
andere toepassingen af om geheugen vrij te maken en probeer het
opnieuw.
(+) Er is onvoldoende geheugen beschikbaar. Sla wijzigingen op en sluit
andere toepassingen af om geheugen vrij te maken en probeer het
opnieuw.
Please note the translation of 'your work'.
English
There is not enough memory available to load '%s'.
Dutch
(-) Er is niet genoeg geheugen beschikbaar om %s te laden.
Dutch
(+) Er is onvoldoende geheugen beschikbaar om %s te laden.
English
Sorry, there was not enough memory to translate some pictures.
Dutch
(-) Er is niet genoeg geheugen om een aantal figuren te converteren.
Dutch
(+) Er is onvoldoende geheugen om een aantal figuren te converteren.
English
System disk is locked or full and memory is nearly full. Save your work.
Dutch
(-) De systeemschijf is vergrendeld of vol en er is bijna geen geheugen
meer beschikbaar. Sla wijzigingen op.
(+) De systeemschijf is vergrendeld of vol en er is onvoldoende geheugen
beschikbaar. Sla wijzigingen op.
Dutch
Not enough (disk) space
Not enough wordt altijd vertaald met onvoldoende.
English
There is not enough free disk space to install MS-DOS.
Dutch
(-) Er is niet voldoende ruimte op de schijf voor de installatie van MS-DOS.
Dutch
(+) Er is onvoldoende ruimte op de schijf voor de installatie van MS-DOS.
English
Your computer does not have enough available space to install the
selected programs.
(-) Uw computer heeft niet genoeg ruimte beschikbaar om de
geselecteerde programma's te installeren.
(+) Er is onvoldoende schijfruimte beschikbaar op de computer voor de
installatie van de geselecteerde programma's.
Dutch
Dutch
Occurred
Occurred is used frequently in the English error messages and is generally translated AS optreden.
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English
A write fault occurred.
Dutch
(-) Schrijffout.
Dutch
(+) Er is een schrijffout opgetreden.
English
General error has occurred.
Dutch
(-) Algemene fout.
Dutch
(+) Er is een algemene fout opgetreden.
Please/sorry
Please and Sorry in error messages are not translated.
English
Please cancel Setup and make more room, and then run Setup again.
Dutch
(+) Sluit Setup af en maak ruimte vrij op de schijf. Voer Setup vervolgens
opnieuw uit.
English
Sorry, the file cannot be opened because part of it is missing.
Dutch
(+) Het bestand kan niet worden geopend omdat een gedeelte ontbreekt.
IMPORTANT
When the user is asked to wait until a certain operation has been performed by the program, the following
expression must always be used:
(+) Een ogenblik geduld.
(-) Even wachten a.u.b.
(-) Even geduld a.u.b.
(-) Een ogenblik geduld a.u.b.
Please verify...
Please verify is translated as Controleer of.
English
Drive %c: does not exist. Please verify the appropriate drive was given.
Dutch
(+) Station %c: bestaat niet. Controleer of het juiste station is ingevoerd.
English
Cannot create the %s file. Please verify that the correct path and filename
are given.
(+) Het bestand %s kan niet worden gemaakt. Controleer of het juiste pad
en de juiste bestandsnaam zijn ingevoerd.
Dutch
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Successfully
'Successfully' is usually omitted from the translation.
English
The operation was successfully completed.
Dutch
(+) De bewerking is voltooid.
English
You have successfully defined the following document profile:
Dutch
(+) U hebt het volgende documentprofiel gedefinieerd.
Your
Where possible, 'your' should always be translated neutrally with an article.
English
The sound card is not detected in your machine.
Dutch
(-) Kan de geluidskaart niet vinden in uw computer.
Dutch
(+) Kan de geluidskaart niet vinden in de computer.
English
This will end your Windows session.
Dutch
(-) Hiermee sluit u uw Windows-sessie af.
Dutch
(+) Hiermee sluit u de Windows-sessie af.
Then
The English 'then' must always be translated with 'vervolgens', and not with 'dan'. Sentences with 'als-dan' should
be avoided.
English
Please cancel Setup and make more room, and then run Setup again.
Dutch
(-) Sluit Setup af en maak ruimte vrij op de schijf. Voer Setup dan opnieuw
uit.
(+) Sluit Setup af en maak ruimte vrij op de schijf. Voer Setup vervolgens
opnieuw uit.
Dutch
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>
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%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".
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).
Access Keys/Hot keys
Hotkeys are the underlined letters in menus, commands and options in dialogs. In combinations with the Alt key,
the underlined letter activates an option.
There are a number of rules for hotkey assignment, which should be applied in this order:
1. No double hotkeys may occur.
2. Do not use letters or digits between brackets to indicate a hotkey. (The only exception is when there are no
letters left in a dialog.)
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(-) Selectievakje inschakelen (x)
(+) Selectievakje inschakelen
3. As much as possible, try to use the same hotkey within a product for a term that appears in multiple places.
Such as B for the Bladeren button. All applications in Office together qualify as one product, and all add-ins in,
e.g. Windows XP or Internet Explorer together form one product.
4. Avoid the use of g, j, y, p and q, and of i, especially in ij. It is often hard to figure out where the underlining is if
these letters are used.
5. Use the first letter of the most important word in an option.
(+) Verschillen in rij (r in rij is de hotkey)
(+) Verschillen in kolom (k in kolom is de hotkey)
6. As much as possible, try to use the first letter of an option.
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
This can only be used when there
are no letters left in a dialog.
Characters with downstrokes, such
as g, j, y, p and q can be used as
hotkeys
no
Extended characters can be used as
hotkeys
no
An additional letter, appearing
between brackets after item name,
can be used as hotkeys
yes
This can only be used when there
are no letters left in a dialog.
A number, appearing between
brackets after item name, can be
used as hotkey
yes
This can only be used when there
are no letters left in a dialog.
A punctuation sign, appearing
between brackets after item name,
can be used as hotkey
no
Duplicate hotkeys are allowed when
no other character is available
no
No hotkey is assigned when no more
characters are available (minor
options only)
yes
This can only be used when there
are no letters left in a dialog.
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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.
These key combinations, such as Ctrl+B or Shift+F12, are NOT localized. As a rule, we copy the US
combinations exactly. However, there is an exception to the rule. The Dutch products must support multiple
keyboard lay-outs: the US keyboard and the Belgian Azerty keyboard. This may mean that a key combination that
is possible on a US keyboard cannot be replicated on the Belgian keyboard. In those cases, the shortcut key
combination must be localized. Keep in mind that the shortcut key combinations must always be tested with two
different keyboard lay-outs.
Standard Shortcut Keys
US
Command
US English
Shortcut Key
Dutch
Command
Dutch
Shortcut key
General Windows Shortcut keys
Help window
F1
Help
F1
Context-sensitive Help
Shift+F1
Contextafhankelijke Help
Shift+F1
Display pop-up menu
Shift+F10
Pop-upmenu weergeven
Shift+F10
Cancel
Esc
Annuleren
Esc
Activate\Deactivate menu bar mode F10
Menubalk activeren/deactiveren
F10
Switch to the next primary
application
Alt+Tab
Schakelen naar de volgende
toepassing
Alt+Tab
Display next window
Alt+Esc
Volgende venster weergeven
Alt+Esc
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US
Command
US English
Shortcut Key
Dutch
Command
Dutch
Shortcut key
Display pop-up menu for the
window
Alt+Spacebar
Pop-upmenu voor het venster
weergeven
Alt+Spatiebalk
Display pop-up menu for the active
child window
Alt+-
Pop-upmenu voor het actieve
onderliggende venster weergeven
Alt+-
Display property sheet for current
selection
Alt+Enter
N/A
Alt+Enter
Close active application window
Alt+F4
Actief toepassingsvenster sluiten
Alt+F4
Switch to next window within
(modeless-compliant) application
Alt+F6
Schakelen naar volgende niet-modale
venster binnen toepassing
Alt+F6
Capture active window image to the
Clipboard
Alt+Prnt Scrn
Schermafdruk kopiëren naar Klembord
Alt+Prnt Scrn
Capture desktop image to the
Clipboard
Prnt Scrn
Bureaubladafdruk kopiëren naar
Klembord
Prnt Scrn
Access Start button in taskbar
Ctrl+Esc
Menu Start in taakbalk activeren
Ctrl+Esc
Display next child window
Ctrl+F6
Volgende onderliggende venster
weergeven
Ctrl+F6
Display next tabbed pane
Ctrl+Tab
Volgende tabblad weergeven
Ctrl+Tab
Launch Task Manager and system
initialization
Ctrl+Shift+Esc
Taakbeheer en systeemintialisatie
starten
Ctrl+Shift+Esc
File Menu
File New
Ctrl+N
Nieuw...
Ctrl+N
File Open
Ctrl+O
Openen
Ctrl+O
File Close
Ctrl+F4
Sluiten
Ctrl+F4
File Save
Ctrl+S
Opslaan
Ctrl+S
File Save as
F12
Opslaan als
F12
File Print Preview
Ctrl+F2
Afdrukvoorbeeld
Ctrl+F2
File Print
Ctrl+P
Afdrukken
Ctrl+P
File Exit
Alt+F4
Afsluiten
Alt+F4
Edit Menu
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US
Command
US English
Shortcut Key
Dutch
Command
Dutch
Shortcut key
Edit Undo
Ctrl+Z
Ongedaan maken
Ctrl+Z
Edit Repeat
Ctrl+Y
Opnieuw
Ctrl+Y
Edit Cut
Ctrl+X
Knippen
Ctrl+X
Edit Copy
Ctrl+C
Kopiëren
Ctrl+C
Edit Paste
Ctrl+V
Plakken
Ctrl+V
Edit Delete
Ctrl+Backspace
Verwijderen
Ctrl+Backspace
Edit Select All
Ctrl+A
Alles selecteren
Ctrl+A
Edit Find
Ctrl+F
Zoeken
Ctrl+F
Edit Replace
Ctrl+H
Vervangen
Ctrl+H
Edit Go To
Ctrl+B
Ga naar
Ctrl+B
Help Menu
Help
F1
Help
F1
Font Format
Italic
Ctrl+I
Cursief
Ctrl+I
Bold
Ctrl+G
Vet
Ctrl+G
Underlined\Word underline
Ctrl+U
Onderstreept
Ctrl+U
Large caps
Ctrl+Shift+A
Hoofdletters
Ctrl+Shift+A
Small caps
Ctrl+Shift+K
Kleinkapitalen
Ctrl+Shift+K
Paragraph Format
Centered
Ctrl+E
Centreren
Ctrl+E
Left aligned
Ctrl+L
Links uitlijnen
Ctrl+L
Right aligned
Ctrl+R
Rechts uitlijnen
Ctrl+R
Justified
Ctrl+J
Uitvullen
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.
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Language use
In all printed and online documentation of Dutch Microsoft products the language use needs to be friendly and
direct. Written language needs to be avoided. The same text or descriptive phrases need to be translated in the
same way throughout the entire product. Manuals are not literary works of art, and variation in the use of
language or words is more annoying than clarifying.
Consistency
One of the most important aspects of documentation and Help is consistency in terminology between the text and
the actual software. The most common mistake in documentation is the use of an incorrect translation of a
software term. That is why it is important that the terminology is checked in the software during proofreading.
In the localized software it often happens that a certain function in the American version does not exist in the
localized product, or that the functionality of a certain function is different. In the Dutch version of Word the
function AutoCorrect does not work in the same way as in the American version. This means that the English text
in the documentation and the online Help needs to be changed in cases like this so it agrees with the real
functionality in the localized product. It is the responsibility of the translation agency to make sure that no incorrect
information is mentioned in the Dutch product.
So always ask the project team for a list of components that have been removed or changed in the Dutch version.
Procedures
By far the most common type of text in the online Help and in the printed documentation is the description of
procedures. Procedures tell the user how a certain operation needs to be performed. In procedures a certain style
and a certain use of words is used to make sure that all procedures in all Dutch Microsoft products are the same.
This does not mean that there is no variation, because the American text also contains variation.
A procedure is usually introduced by a short description, which is followed by a number of steps that need to be
performed.
A number of general rules:
 Be as concise and clear as possible.
 Add a period after the numbers which indicate the steps.
 If the number of actions in one step is very large, it is better to split the sentence in two.
 Never use 'dan', but always 'vervolgens'. For example: Klik op Veld en vervolgens op Opties.
 Never use 'druk op' for a button on a tool bar or in a dialog.
 Always use 'typen', and not 'invoeren', 'intikken', etc.
 Always translate 'select' with 'selecteren' or ‘dubbelklikken op’ (depending on the context) and 'choose'
with 'kiezen'.
 'Point to' is translated with 'aanwijzen'.
Required word combinations are:
(+) Kies de opdracht Openen in het menu Bestand.
(+) Klik op Eigenschappen in het menu Bestand.
79
(+) Kies de knop Openen op de werkbalk Standaard.
(+) Schakel het selectievakje Naar bestand afdrukken in (of uit).
(+) Dubbelklik op het onderdeel Landinstellingen in het Configuratiescherm.
(Control panel components in American text usually become Icons, also called Control Panel
applets.)
(+) Klik op het tabblad Papier
(+) Wijs Programma's aan in het menu Start.
(+) Klik in de lijst Schermbeveiliging op de schermbeveiliging die u wilt gebruiken.
Instructions
Instructions can usually be translated with the same style as is used in the original English text
English
Move the cursor to the section you want to format.
Dutch
(+) Verplaats de cursor naar de sectie die u wilt opmaken.
English
Choose Format Page to format a page.
Dutch
(+) Kies Opmaak Pagina als u een pagina wilt opmaken.
Constructions with 'om'
Only start sentences with 'om' if this is used as a indicative conjunction, and if this introduces a reduced clause.
(-) Om steeds die om-ellende te moeten beredeneren, lijkt me geen pretje.
(+) Om een koppeling te maken met een diagram kunt u verschillende procedures volgen.
There is nothing wrong with using 'om', but Microsoft prefers constructions without 'om'. See the following
example:
English
Dutch
Dutch
If you want to create a link to a diagram, you can follow several different
procedures.
(+) U kunt verschillende procedures volgen om een koppeling te maken
met een grafiek.
(+) Als u een koppeling met een grafiek wilt maken, kunt u verschillende
procedures volgen.
In software messages the use of the om-construction is allowed. Constructions without 'om' are also preferred
here. Also prevent the use of 'om' at the beginning of a sentence.
English
Dutch
Dutch
The current application will be terminated. Press any key to terminate the
application.
(-) De actieve toepassing moet worden afgesloten. Om de toepassing af te
sluiten druk op een willekeurige toets.
(-) De actieve toepassing moet worden afgesloten. Om de toepassing af te
sluiten drukt u op een willekeurige toets.
80
Dutch
Dutch
(+) De actieve toepassing moet worden afgesloten. Druk op een
willekeurige toets om de toepassing af te sluiten.
(+) De actieve toepassing moet worden afgesloten. Sluit de toepassing
door op een willekeurige toets te drukken.
See the Schrijfwijzer for more information.
Cross-references
Cross-references in documentation can refer to a chapter (general cross-reference) or to a specific part of a
chapter (specific cross-references).
General cross-references:
English
Dutch
For more information about selecting a drawing in Paintbrush, see Chapter
10, 'Paintbrush'.
(+) Zie hoofdstuk 10, 'Paintbrush', voor meer informatie over het selecteren
van tekeningen in Paintbrush.
Specific cross-references:
English
Dutch
For more information about naming macros, see 'Writing a Command
Macro' in Chapter 7.
(+) Zie 'Een opdrachtmacro schrijven' in hoofdstuk 7 voor meer informatie
over het bepalen van macronamen.
Titles
In English the titles for chapters usually begin with "How to …" or with phrases such as "Working with …" or
"Using …". In the Dutch version of Microsoft documentation this is as follows:
Headings
Procedures in American text can be introduced in two ways: in the way of a gerund or in the way of a sentence
starting with the 'To...' form of a verb. This usually concerns the title of a section or a heading.
Gerund
In Dutch we translate gerunds with infinitives.
English
Moving text
Dutch
(+) Tekst verplaatsen
English
Opening a window
Dutch
(+) Een venster openen
81
The 'to' form
Procedures that are introduced with 'To...' and that are often the title of a section, are constructed in the following
way in Dutch.
English
To move text
Dutch
(+) Tekst verplaatsen
English
To open a window
Dutch
(+) Een venster openen
In certain cases these guidelines can lead to heading that are (almost) the same as the introduction of the
procedure. The use of the plural of the noun in the heading is preferred. This creates a heading that seems like a
general concept, followed by a procedure introduction that is a bit more specific.
English heading
Opening windows
Dutch heading
Vensters openen
English procedure
introduction
To open a window
Dutch procedure introduction
Een venster openen
It might be that this method of working cannot be used. Uncountable nouns are a problem for example. For these
you should use infinitives in both cases. The heading and the introduction will be the same, but experience
teaches us that these problem cases are real exceptions.
English heading
Storing section formatting
Dutch heading
Sectieopmaak opslaan
English procedure
introduction
To store section formatting
Dutch procedure introduction
Sectieopmaak opslaan
82
So do not use the following to introduce a procedure:
(-) Als volgt slaat u sectieopmaak op:
(+) But: U slaat sectieopmaak op de volgende manier op:
Capital letters
In titles of manuals and chapters, and in headings of paragraphs only the first word starts with a capital letter.
Words that are written with a capital letter in running text, are of course written with a capital letter in titles and
headings.
Kies de opdracht Openen in het menu Bestand.
Werken met het Klembord
Punctuation marks
For headings the same rules apply for punctuation marks. The only exception is that headings do not end with a
punctuation mark.
Help index
The key words from the Help files are ordered alphabetically in the interface of the Help, whereby sorting is
performed on section head level. In these situations special attention needs to be given to the editing of headings.
The following rules apply:
a. Place the most important word at the beginning, followed by a comma and the descriptive word.
b. Do not use articles or prepositions.
English
Printing a document
Dutch
(-) Document afdrukken
Dutch
(+) Afdrukken, document (because printing is the key word)
English
NORMAL.DOT file
Dutch
(-) Bestand Normal.dot
Dutch
(+) Normal.dot, bestand (because it is a name of a file)
English
Function Add text
Dutch
(-) Functie TekstToevoegen
83
Dutch
(-) TekstToevoegen Functie
Dutch
(+) TekstToevoegen, functie
Enumerations
The items of an enumeration are usually preceded by a bullet or a sequential number. Use the same format in
your translation as in the original text.
Editing and punctuation marks
When the enumeration is introduced with a main sentence, the rules that can be found here apply. If the
enumeration is introduced by running text, it always ends with a colon. The items in an enumeration start with a
capital letter. If the items in the enumeration are not sentences or instructions, these do not end with a period.
Alinea's kunnen op vier manieren worden uitgelijnd:
· Links
· Gecentreerd
· Rechts
· Uitgevuld
U kunt kiezen uit de volgende getalnotaties:
· Arabische cijfers (1, 2, 3...)
· Kleine letters of hoofdletters (a, b, c... of A, B, C...)
· Romeinse cijfers in kleine letters of hoofdletters (i, ii, iii... of I, II, III...)
If the items in an enumeration are complete sentences, the general rules apply to each sentence. Every sentence
starts with a capital letter and ends with a period. In an enumeration where the items are preceded by a number,
a period needs to be placed after the number.
Een pagina-einde invoegen:
1. Selecteer de cel onder of rechts van de rasterlijn waar u het pagina-eind wilt invoegen.
2. Kies de opdracht Eindemarkering in het menu Invoegen.
If the items in an enumeration contain both complete sentences and loose elements, all elements in the
enumeration end with a period.




Bestanden selecteren voor reservekopieën.
Bestanden toevoegen.
Bestanden uitsluiten.
Speciale selecties.
Illustrations
Style
84
In the images (art) that are used for illustration in both printed documentation and online documentation you need
to use the general style rules. In addition, the images should always be localized, which means that the images
need to be adapted to Dutch scenarios. If an image contains a list of addresses for example, these addresses
need to be converted to the Dutch format for addresses.
Faithful representation
When an image shows part of the software, for example a dialog, it is very important that the terms that are
displayed in that dialog correspond to the terms that will be used in the end product. Because the printed
documentation usually needs to be finished before the software, it is important that the person who is responsible
for taking the images should consult with the person who is translating the software.
Regional settings
When taking images it is important that the machine that is being used, runs on a Dutch version of Windows, and
that the correct Dutch regional settings have been set in Windows. When an English version of Windows is being
used, the Dutch regional settings need to bet set.
Names
Names that are being used in the images can never be existing names. This applies to both personal names and
company names. Other information and scenarios cannot correspond to scenarios that really exist. The Dutch
Vendor Kit contains a document with fictitious names.
Captions
Captions give a name to a figure or add an explanatory text. Captions do not end in a period, unless they are
written as complete sentences. The first word in a caption always starts with a capital letter.
Het menu Bestand
Het menu Bestand. De opdracht Nieuw staat meestal bovenaan.
Call-outs
Call-outs refer the reader to a special part of a figure. Call-outs do not end in a period, unless they are written as a
regular sentence (see a) and b) in the following example). If a call-out is split in two parts, the first part ends in
three dots and the second part starts with thee dots (see c) and d) in the following example). The first word in a
call-out always starts with a capital letter, unless the call-out is the second part of a split caption (see d in the next
example).
a) Databasebereik
b) De eerste rij van een bereik moet leeg zijn.
c) Iedere rij bevat onveranderlijke tekst...
d) ...of een tekstblok.
85
Procedures
In some manuals procedures are accompanied by screenshots in which the procedures that need to be
performed are illustrated graphically. These procedures are a part of the figure in which the graphic images have
been added. They are enclosed as captions. For these captions applies that they end in a period, unless they are
not a complete sentence (since these are parts of procedures, they will be complete sentences in most cases).
Call-outs can also be a part of these figures. For call-outs the same rule applies, namely they end in a period
when they are complete sentences. Since call-outs usually refer the reader to a specific part of a figure, here the
use of complete sentences is less likely. Because the procedures have been added as part of figures, it is
important that the translations are not extremely long. Below are a number of examples of this type of caption and
call-out:
Captions
1. If the toolbar is not visible, click View, and then click Toolbar.
1. Klik op Beeld en vervolgens op Werkbalk als de werkbalk niet zichtbaar is.
1. Double-click My Computer. Find the file or folder you want to delete, and then click it.
1. Dubbelklik op Deze computer. Zoek het bestand of de map die u wilt verwijderen en klik hierop.
Call-outs
This is the Large Icons view.
Dit is de weergave Grote pictogrammen.
Toolbars contain buttons for common tasks.
Werkbalken bevatten knoppen voor vaak voorkomende taken.
Local printer
Lokale printer
Because the procedures have been integrated into the images and are only present as captions in a figure, it is
better to not use any character format here, this means not using bold for menu names or quotation marks. For
this we follow the example of the English text. In the call-outs no special character format needs to be used either.
The only exception to this is the format of button names. Use the same format for button names as the English
text.
Tables
In Microsoft manuals and in the Help texts a lot of use is made of data in tables. Always start the first word in the
heading of a table with a capital letter, even if it is just one word or part of a sentence.
Raadpleeg voor informatie over
Het gedeelte
86
Starten van Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word starten
Openen van documenten
Documenten openen
Indexes
An index is generally placed at the back of a manual, the table of contents at the front. In an index all key words
(also called entries) are ordered alphabetically. Entries that start with a number (for example 3D-grafiek) are
placed at the beginning of the index before the letter A. Main items are aligned to the left. Subentry 1 is placed on
the line underneath the main entry and is indented one level. Subentry 2 is placed underneath subentry 1 and is
indented one level. In general no more than two sublevels are used. For sorting the index the indexing function in
Word is used.
Consistency
When translating the index consistency is essential. The smallest differences in translating index entries on level
1 and level 2 (assuming that these have subentries), will cause Word to generate different index entries for the
different terms and place the concerning subentries below these. An example of such a small difference is the use
of curly quotes when translating the main entry 'stuurprogramma's' with the subentries 'installatie' and 'toevoegen
of bijwerken'. The translated index entries for this need to be as follows:
{XE "Stuurprogramma's:installatie} {XE "Stuurprogramma's:toevoegen of bijwerken}
The correct index entry that will be generated by this is as follows:
Stuurprogramma's
installatie 5
toevoegen of bijwerken 218, 220
If the use of curly quotes and straight quotes is alternated, the following index entries will be added to the file:
{XE "Stuurprogramma's:installatie} {XE "Stuurprogramma’s:toevoegen of bijwerken}
The incorrect index entry that this generated is as follows:
Stuurprogramma's
installatie 5
Stuurprogramma’s
toevoegen of bijwerken 218, 220
Capital letters
The main entries in an index start with a capital letter. Subentries are written without any capital letters, unless
they contain words that start with a capital letter in normal text.
Netwerk
definitie 19
Microsoft Excel-map 4-7, 12
Microsoft Excel installeren 5
87
Punctuation marks
Index entries do not contain punctuation marks, except:
- Brackets that are used for enclosing additional information:
Wissen (opdracht)
cellen 2, 128
datareeksen 24-30, 97
- Quotation marks around entries that contain numbers and which could be confused with page numbers:
Compatibiliteit met 'Windows 3.0' 3
- Hyphens
Maken
alinea-index 10
alineaverwijzing 15
Microsoft Excel-map 16, 121
Microsoft Excel-document 35
References
An index can contain the following references: Zie, Zie ook and Zie elders onder dit trefwoord.
Zie
Zie (italics) is placed on the same line as the entry and is separated by two spaces.
Computergestuurde training Zie Zelfstudie
Zie ook
Zie ook (italics), followed by two spaces, is placed on the line underneath the entry and indents one level.
Laserprinter
Zie ook Printer
enveloppen afdrukken 79
Zie elders onder dit trefwoord
Zie elders onder dit trefwoord (italics) can be placed either on the same line as the entry itself or on the next line.
If placed on the same line Zie ... elders onder dit trefwoord is preceded by two spaces.
Tekstindeling Zie tekstopmaak elders onder dit trefwoord
If placed on the next line Zie elders onder dit trefwoord is indented one level.
Kolom
doorlopende kolommen 134
88
Zie krantenstijlkolommen elders onder dit trefwoord
....
krantenstijlkolommen 145
Word order
If an index entry consist of a 'sentence', the most important word of the sentence is placed at the front and it is
written with a capital letter.
Rasterlijn, kleur wijzigen 154
(vervolg)
When a sub entry runs over to the next column or next page, the main entry is repeated at the beginning of the
new column or new page, after which the word 'vervolg' is added, placed between brackets and in italics.
Tekst (vervolg)
centreren 123
corrigeren 15-23
....
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.
It may be indicated with a copyright warning using the copyright sign ©, as in English.
89