Arabic 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 ............................................................................................. 6
Normative References .............................................................................................................. 6
Informative References ............................................................................................................. 6
Language Specific Conventions ...................................................................................................... 7
Country/Region Standards ........................................................................................................... 7
Characters ................................................................................................................................ 7
Date .......................................................................................................................................... 7
Time .......................................................................................................................................... 9
Numbers ................................................................................................................................. 12
Sorting ..................................................................................................................................... 26
Geopolitical Concerns ................................................................................................................ 27
Grammar, Syntax & Orthographic Conventions ......................................................................... 27
Adjectives ................................................................................................................................ 27
Articles .................................................................................................................................... 28
Capitalization .......................................................................................................................... 28
Compounds............................................................................................................................. 28
Gender .................................................................................................................................... 28
Genitive ................................................................................................................................... 29
Modifiers ................................................................................................................................. 29
Nouns ...................................................................................................................................... 30
Prepositions ............................................................................................................................ 30
Pronouns ................................................................................................................................. 30
Punctuation ............................................................................................................................. 30
Singular & Plural ..................................................................................................................... 31
Split Infinitive ........................................................................................................................... 31
Subjunctive ............................................................................................................................. 31
Symbols & Non-Breaking Spaces........................................................................................... 31
Syntax ..................................................................................................................................... 32
Verbs ....................................................................................................................................... 32
Word Order ............................................................................................................................. 32
Style and Tone Considerations .................................................................................................. 32
Audience ................................................................................................................................. 32
Style ........................................................................................................................................ 33
Tone ........................................................................................................................................ 33
Voice ....................................................................................................................................... 33
Localization Guidelines .................................................................................................................. 34
General Considerations ............................................................................................................. 34
Abbreviations .......................................................................................................................... 34
Accessibility ............................................................................................................................ 35
Acronyms ................................................................................................................................ 35
Applications, Products, and Features ..................................................................................... 36
Frequent Errors ....................................................................................................................... 36
Glossaries ............................................................................................................................... 37
Fictitious Information ............................................................................................................... 38
Recurring Patterns .................................................................................................................. 38
Standardized Translations ...................................................................................................... 38
Unlocalized Items.................................................................................................................... 38
Using the Word Microsoft ....................................................................................................... 38
Software Considerations ............................................................................................................ 38
User Interface ......................................................................................................................... 39
Messages ................................................................................................................................ 41
Keys ........................................................................................................................................ 45
Document Translation Considerations ....................................................................................... 50
Titles ....................................................................................................................................... 50
Copyright ................................................................................................................................. 50
What's New?
Last Updated: February 2011
New Topics
The following topics were added:

Sample Text

Country/Region Standards




Geopolitical Concerns
Style and Tone Considerations
Frequent Errors
Recurring Patterns
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 Arabic 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 Arabic localization.
Style Guide Conventions
In this document, a plus sign (+) before a translation example means that this is the recommended correct
translation. A minus sign (-) is used for incorrect translation examples.
In Microsoft localization context, the word term is used in a slightly untraditional sense, meaning the same as e.g.
a segment in Trados. The distinguishing feature of a term here is that it is translated as one unit; it may be a
traditional term (as used in terminology), a phrase, a sentence, or a paragraph.
References to interface elements really only refer to translatable texts associated with those interface elements.
Example translations in this document are only intended to illustrate the point in question. They are not a source
of approved terminology. Always check for approved translation in the Microsoft terminology database.
5
‫‪Sample Text‬‬
‫األسلوب المفضل للكتابة التقنٌة‬
‫استخدم كلمات سهلة ومباشرة‪ٌ .‬جب أن ٌكون األسلوب التحرٌري مبسطا ً وواضحا ً وصحٌحاً‪ .‬استخدم أكثر الكلمات بساطة ودقة فً نفس الوقت‪ ،‬مثل كلمة "أٌضاً"‬
‫بدال من "باإلضافة إلى"‪ .‬تجنب استخدام اللهجات العامٌة حٌث إ نها ال تالئم هذا المجال وهذا النوع من الكتابة باإلضافة إلى صعوبة فهمها من قبل نطاق عرٌض‬
‫ً‬
‫خاصة فً مجال التسوٌق والنصوص التً تقدم شرحا ً للمستخدم (ولٌس فً أوامر‬
‫من األشخاص‪ .‬إال أنه ٌمكن استخدام بعض الكلمات الدارجة والشائع استخدامها‬
‫واجهة المستخدم)‪ .‬وهذا ٌعنً إمكانٌة استخدام قدر قلٌل من الكلمات التً تتسم بالعامٌة ولكنها تعتبر شائعة االستخدام بالنسبة لنطاق عرٌض من األفراد‪.‬‬
‫تجنب استخدام الكلمات الؽرٌبة أو ا ختالق كلمات جدٌدة أو إلصاق معان جدٌدة لكلمات عادٌة‪ .‬أما إذا دعت الحاجة الستخدام كلمات قد تبدو جدٌدة أو ؼرٌبة إلى حد‬
‫ما فٌجب علٌك تقدٌم شرح واؾ لها داخل السٌاق‪ .‬وعاد ًة ما تستند الكلمات الؽرٌبة إلى التعبٌرات المجازٌة المستخدمة فً بٌئة معٌنة مما ٌجعلها ؼٌر مفهومة من‬
‫قبل اآلخرٌن‬
‫تجنب انتقاء الكلمات الهزلٌة أو ذات المدلول التهكمً‪ .‬فمثل هذه الكلمات التً تندرج تحت األسلوب العامً ال ٌفهما الكثٌر من الناس خ ً‬
‫اصة ممن ال ٌتحدثون‬
‫العربٌة‪.‬‬
‫السٌد‪/‬أحمد مصطفى‬
‫‪ 15‬ش السٌدة خدٌجة‪ ،‬حً السفارات‪ ،‬مدٌنة نصر‪،‬‬
‫القاهرة‪،‬‬
‫جمهورٌة مصر العربٌة‬
‫الرمز البرٌدي‪xxxxx :‬‬
‫الهاتؾ‪(####) ### ## ## #### :‬‬
‫تم تحرٌر هذا النص فً ‪ 8‬مارس ‪2011‬‬
‫‪Recommended Reference Material‬‬
‫‪Use the Modern Standard Arabic language that could be fully understood by all Arab countries.‬‬
‫‪Normative References‬‬
‫‪N/A‬‬
‫‪Informative References‬‬
‫‪These sources are meant to provide supplementary information, background, comparison, etc.‬‬
‫‪1. MSDN Site: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/ar-sa/default.aspx‬‬
‫‪2. TechNet Site: http://technet.microsoft.com/ar-sa/default.aspx‬‬
‫‪6‬‬
Language Specific Conventions
This part of the style guide contains information about standards specific to Arabic.
Country/Region Standards
Characters
Country/region
Arab Region
Lower-case characters
N/A
Upper-case characters
N/A
Characters in caseless
scripts
‫أ ب ت ث ج ح خ د ذ ر ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ع غ ؾ ق ك ل م ن هـ و ي‬
Extended Latin characters
N/A
Note on alphabetical order
Alphabetical order is not necessarily indicative of sorting order.
Total number of characters
28
Range: U+060x - U+06Fx
Unicode codes
The alphabetical order is different than the alphabet, although both can be used.
The alphabetical order is:
Notes
‫أ ب ج د هـ و ز ح ط ي ك ل م ن س ع ؾ ص ق ر ش ت ث خ ذ ض ظ غ‬
Date
Country/region
Arab Region
Calendar/Era
Hijri and Gregorian calendars
First Day of the Week
Saturday
First Week of the Year
N/A
Separator
/
Default Short Date
Format
yyyy/m/d
7
Country/region
Arab Region
Example
2011/3/7
Default Long Date Format yyyy mmmm dd
2011 ‫ مارس‬17
Example
Additional Short Date
Format 1
N/A
Example
N/A
Additional Short Date
Format 2
N/A
Example
N/A
Additional Long Date
Format 1
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 century
for Short Day Format
4
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
4
Date Format for
Correspondence
Hijri and Gregorian have the same format
8
Country/region
Arab Region
Hijri 1432 ‫ محرم‬17
Example
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)
Time
Country/region
Arab Region
24 hour format
Yes, but 24 hour format is mostly used in airports or another international places.
Standard time format
HH:mm:ss
Standard time format
example
Time separator
‫ م‬23:43:12
colon (:)
‫ ص‬11:43:12
Time separator examples
Hours leading zero
yes
Hours leading zero example
08:04:05
String for AM designator
‫ص‬
String for PM designator
‫م‬
Notes
The standard time can be used in 24 hour or 12 hour format.
Days
Country/region: Algeria; Bahrain; Egypt; Iraq; Jordan; Kuwait; Lebanon; Libya; Morocco; Oman; Qatar; Saudi
Arabia; Sudan; Syria; Tunisia; United Arab Emirates; Yemen
Day
Normal Form
Abbreviation
Monday
‫اإلثنٌن‬
‫ن‬
Tuesday
‫الثالثاء‬
‫ث‬
9
Day
Normal Form
Abbreviation
Wednesday
‫األربعاء‬
‫ع‬
Thursday
‫الخمٌس‬
‫خ‬
Friday
‫الجمعة‬
‫ج‬
Saturday
‫السبت‬
‫س‬
Sunday
‫األحد‬
‫د‬
First Day of Week: Saturday
Is first letter capitalized?: N/A
Notes: Abbreviated forms are rarely used.
Months
Country/region: Algeria; Bahrain; Egypt; Iraq; Jordan; Kuwait; Lebanon; Libya; Morocco; Oman; Qatar; Saudi
Arabia; Sudan; Syria; Tunisia; United Arab Emirates; Yemen
Month
Full Form
Abbreviated Form
Long Date Form
January
‫ ٌناٌر‬N/A
N/A
February
‫ فبراٌر‬N/A
N/A
March
‫ مارس‬N/A
N/A
April
‫ إبرٌل‬N/A
N/A
May
‫ ماٌو‬N/A
N/A
June
‫ ٌونٌو‬N/A
N/A
July
‫ ٌولٌو‬N/A
N/A
‫ أؼسطس‬N/A
N/A
September
‫ سبتمبر‬N/A
N/A
October
‫ أكتوبر‬N/A
N/A
November
‫ نوفمبر‬N/A
N/A
December
‫ دٌسمبر‬N/A
N/A
August
Is first letter capitalized?: N/A
Notes: The Gregorian calendar that is mainly used in Syria and Lebanon
10
Month
Full Form
Abbreviated Form
Long Date Form
ً‫ كانون الثان‬N/A
N/A
‫ شباط‬N/A
N/A
‫ آذار‬N/A
N/A
April
‫ نٌسان‬N/A
N/A
May
‫ أٌار‬N/A
N/A
June
‫ حزٌران‬N/A
N/A
‫ تموز‬N/A
N/A
‫ آب‬N/A
N/A
‫ أٌلول‬N/A
N/A
October
‫ تشرٌن األول‬N/A
N/A
November
ً‫ تشرٌن الثان‬N/A
N/A
December
‫ كانون األول‬N/A
N/A
January
February
March
July
August
September
Arabic Hejri calendar
Month
Full Form
Abbreviated Form
Long Date Form
January
‫ محرم‬N/A
N/A
February
‫ صفر‬N/A
N/A
March
‫ ربٌع األول‬N/A
N/A
April
‫ ربٌع اآلخر‬N/A
N/A
May
‫ جمادى األولى‬N/A
N/A
June
‫ جمادى اآلخرة‬N/A
N/A
July
‫ رجب‬N/A
N/A
August
‫ شعبان‬N/A
N/A
‫ رمضان‬N/A
N/A
‫ شوال‬N/A
N/A
November
‫ ذو القعدة‬N/A
N/A
December
‫ ذو الحجة‬N/A
N/A
September
October
11
Note: Number of days of the Hejri months and year is different from the Gregorian calendar as the Hejri calendar
is based on cycles of lunar phase. So, the calendar ceases to be linked to the Gregorian seasons and months,
and drifts each solar year by 11 to 12 days, and comes back to the position it had in relation to the solar year
approximately every 33 Hejri years.
Numbers
The following table details the rules that apply to the use of numbers:
Number element
Arabic Equivalent
List Separator
‫؛‬
Decimal Separator
,
،
Thousand Separator
See the comment below*
Date Separator
/
Time Separator
:
In page numbering, when roman numbers are used in a section of the English documentation, the localizer must
use the Arabic alphabet as equivalent in the translated documentation.
* Please note that the Thousand Separators are not used in Arabic most of the times.
Phone Numbers
Sample Country
Country/
region
International
Dialing
Code
Area
Codes
Used?
Number of
Digits – Area
Codes
Separator
Number of
Digits –
Domestic
Digit
Groupings –
Domestic
Egypt
20
yes
2
space or
hyphen
10 ,11 or 12
(###) ### ## ##
## or (###) ###
## ## # or (###)
### ## ##
Country/
region
Number of
Digits –
Local
Digit
Groupings
– Local
Number of
Digits – Mobile
Digit
Groupings –
Mobile
Number of
Digits –
International
Digit
Groupings –
International
Egypt
7 ,8 or 9
### ## ##
## or ###
## ## # or
### ## ##
8
(###) ###
### ##
13, 14 or 15
(####) ### ##
## #### or
(####) ### ##
## ### or (####)
### ## ####
12
Notes: N/A
Addresses
Country/region: Algeria; Bahrain; Egypt; Iraq; Jordan; Kuwait; Lebanon; Libya; Morocco; Oman; Qatar; Saudi
Arabia; Sudan; Syria; Tunisia; United Arab Emirates; Yemen
Disclaimer: Please note that the information in this entry should under no circumstances be used in examples as
fictitious information.
Address Format:
1. [Title/Honorific] FirstName LastName
2. [CompanyName]
3. Address1
4. [Address2]
5. City, PostalCode
6. [Country]
Example Address:
‫أحمد مصطفى‬/‫السٌد‬
‫الشركة الخٌالٌة المتحدة‬
‫ الطابق الثامن‬،‫ بناٌة النخٌل‬،ً‫ طرٌق المطار الدول‬،‫حً الورود‬
xxxxx ‫ الرمز البرٌدي‬،‫الرٌاض‬
‫المملكة العربٌة السعودٌة‬
Local Postal Code Format: xxxxx
Notes: N/A
Currency
Country/region
Algeria
Currency Name
‫دٌنار جزائري‬
Currency Symbol
.‫ج‬.‫د‬
Currency Symbol Position
Left side of the digits.
Positive Currency Format
.‫ ج‬.‫ د‬3
Negative Sign Symbol
-
Negative Currency Format
.‫ ج‬.‫ د‬3 -
Decimal Symbol
.
13
Number of Digits after Decimal
2
Digit Grouping Symbol
,
Number of Digits in Digit
Grouping
3
Positive Currency Example
.‫ ج‬.‫ د‬3,243
Negative Currency Example
.‫ ج‬.‫ د‬3,243 -
ISO Currency Code
DZA
Currency Subunit Name
‫سنتٌم‬
Currency Subunit Symbol
‫س‬
Currency Subunit Example
‫ سنتٌم‬25
Country/region
Bahrain
Currency Name
ً‫دٌنار بحرٌن‬
Currency Symbol
.‫ب‬.‫د‬
Currency Symbol Position
Left side of the digits
Positive Currency Format
.‫ب‬.‫ د‬3
Negative Sign Symbol
-
Negative Currency Format
.‫ب‬.‫ د‬3 -
Decimal Symbol
.
Number of Digits after Decimal
2
Digit Grouping Symbol
,
Number of Digits in Digit
Grouping
3
Positive Currency Example
.‫ب‬.‫ د‬3,243
Negative Currency Example
.‫ب‬.‫ د‬3,243 -
ISO Currency Code
BHR
Currency Subunit Name
‫فلس‬
Currency Subunit Symbol
‫ؾ‬
Currency Subunit Example
‫ فلس‬25
14
Country/region
Egypt
Currency Name
‫جنٌه مصري‬
Currency Symbol
.‫ م‬.‫ج‬
Currency Symbol Position
Left side of the digits
Positive Currency Format
.‫ م‬.‫ ج‬3
Negative Sign Symbol
-
Negative Currency Format
.‫ م‬.‫ ج‬3 -
Decimal Symbol
.
Number of Digits after Decimal
2
Digit Grouping Symbol
,
Number of Digits in Digit
Grouping
3
Positive Currency Example
.‫ م‬.‫ ج‬3,243
Negative Currency Example
.‫ م‬.‫ ج‬3,243 -
ISO Currency Code
EGY
Currency Subunit Name
‫قرش‬
Currency Subunit Symbol
‫ق‬
Currency Subunit Example
‫ قرش‬25
Country/region
Iraq
Currency Name
ً‫دٌنار عراق‬
Currency Symbol
.‫ ع‬.‫د‬
Currency Symbol Position
Left side of the digits
Positive Currency Format
.‫ ع‬.‫ د‬3
Negative Sign Symbol
-
Negative Currency Format
.‫ ع‬.‫ د‬3 -
Decimal Symbol
.
Number of Digits after Decimal
2
Digit Grouping Symbol
,
15
Number of Digits in Digit
Grouping
3
Positive Currency Example
.‫ ع‬.‫ د‬3,243
Negative Currency Example
.‫ ع‬.‫ د‬3,243 -
ISO Currency Code
IRQ
Currency Subunit Name
‫فلس‬
Currency Subunit Symbol
‫ؾ‬
Currency Subunit Example
‫ فلس‬25
Country/region
Jordan
Currency Name
ً‫دٌنار أردن‬
Currency Symbol
.‫ أ‬.‫د‬
Currency Symbol Position
Left side of the digits
Positive Currency Format
.‫ أ‬.‫ د‬3
Negative Sign Symbol
-
Negative Currency Format
.‫ أ‬.‫ د‬3 -
Decimal Symbol
.
Number of Digits after Decimal
2
Digit Grouping Symbol
,
Number of Digits in Digit
Grouping
3
Positive Currency Example
.‫ أ‬.‫ د‬3,243
Negative Currency Example
.‫ أ‬.‫ د‬3,243 -
ISO Currency Code
JOR
Currency Subunit Name
‫فلس‬
Currency Subunit Symbol
‫ؾ‬
Currency Subunit Example
‫ فلس‬25
16
Country/region
Kuwait
Currency Name
ً‫دٌنار كوٌت‬
Currency Symbol
.‫ ك‬.‫د‬
Currency Symbol Position
Left side of the digits
Positive Currency Format
.‫ ك‬.‫ د‬3
Negative Sign Symbol
-
Negative Currency Format
.‫ ك‬.‫ د‬3 -
Decimal Symbol
.
Number of Digits after Decimal
2
Digit Grouping Symbol
,
Number of Digits in Digit
Grouping
3
Positive Currency Example
.‫ ك‬.‫ د‬3,243
Negative Currency Example
.‫ ك‬.‫ د‬3,243 -
ISO Currency Code
KWT
Currency Subunit Name
‫فلس‬
Currency Subunit Symbol
‫ؾ‬
Currency Subunit Example
‫ فلس‬25
Country/region
Lebanon
Currency Name
‫لٌرة لبنانٌة‬
Currency Symbol
.‫ ل‬.‫ل‬
Currency Symbol Position
Left side of the digits
Positive Currency Format
.‫ ل‬.‫ ل‬3
Negative Sign Symbol
-
Negative Currency Format
.‫ ل‬.‫ ل‬3 -
Decimal Symbol
.
Number of Digits after Decimal
2
Digit Grouping Symbol
,
17
Number of Digits in Digit
Grouping
3
Positive Currency Example
.‫ ل‬.‫ ل‬3,243
Negative Currency Example
.‫ ل‬.‫ ل‬3,243 -
ISO Currency Code
LBN
Currency Subunit Name
‫قرش‬
Currency Subunit Symbol
‫ق‬
Currency Subunit Example
‫ قرش‬25
Country/region
Libya
Currency Name
ً‫دٌنار لٌب‬
Currency Symbol
.‫ ل‬.‫د‬
Currency Symbol Position
Left side of the digits
Positive Currency Format
.‫ل‬.‫ د‬3
Negative Sign Symbol
-
Negative Currency Format
.‫ل‬.‫ د‬3 -
Decimal Symbol
.
Number of Digits after Decimal
2
Digit Grouping Symbol
,
Number of Digits in Digit
Grouping
3
Positive Currency Example
.‫ل‬.‫ د‬3,243
Negative Currency Example
.‫ل‬.‫ د‬3,243 -
ISO Currency Code
LBY
Currency Subunit Name
‫درهم‬
Currency Subunit Symbol
.‫ه‬.‫د‬
Currency Subunit Example
ً‫ درهم لٌب‬25
18
Country/region
Morocco
Currency Name
ً‫درهم مؽرب‬
Currency Symbol
.‫ م‬.‫د‬
Currency Symbol Position
Left side of the digits
Positive Currency Format
.‫ م‬.‫ د‬3
Negative Sign Symbol
-
Negative Currency Format
.‫ م‬.‫ د‬3-
Decimal Symbol
.
Number of Digits after Decimal
2
Digit Grouping Symbol
,
Number of Digits in Digit
Grouping
3
Positive Currency Example
.‫ م‬.‫ د‬3,243
Negative Currency Example
.‫ م‬.‫ د‬3,243 -
ISO Currency Code
MAR
Currency Subunit Name
‫سنتٌم‬
Currency Subunit Symbol
‫س‬
Currency Subunit Example
‫ سنتٌم‬25
Country/region
Oman
Currency Name
ً‫لاير عمان‬
Currency Symbol
.‫ ل‬.‫ر‬
Currency Symbol Position
Left side of the digits
Positive Currency Format
.‫ ل‬.‫ ر‬3
Negative Sign Symbol
-
Negative Currency Format
.‫ ل‬.‫ ر‬3-
Decimal Symbol
.
Number of Digits after Decimal
2
Digit Grouping Symbol
,
19
Number of Digits in Digit
Grouping
3
Positive Currency Example
.‫ ل‬.‫ ر‬3,243
Negative Currency Example
.‫ ل‬.‫ ر‬3,243 -
ISO Currency Code
OMN
Currency Subunit Name
‫بٌسه‬
Currency Subunit Symbol
‫ب‬
Currency Subunit Example
‫ بٌسه‬25
Country/region
Qatar
Currency Name
‫لاير قطري‬
Currency Symbol
.‫ ق‬.‫ر‬
Currency Symbol Position
Left side of the digits
Positive Currency Format
.‫ ق‬.‫ ر‬3
Negative Sign Symbol
-
Negative Currency Format
.‫ق‬.‫ ر‬3-
Decimal Symbol
.
Number of Digits after Decimal
2
Digit Grouping Symbol
,
Number of Digits in Digit
Grouping
3
Positive Currency Example
.‫ ق‬.‫ ر‬3,243
Negative Currency Example
.‫ ق‬.‫ ر‬3,243 -
ISO Currency Code
QAT
Currency Subunit Name
‫درهم‬
Currency Subunit Symbol
‫د‬
Currency Subunit Example
‫ درهم‬25
20
Country/region
Saudi Arabia
Currency Name
‫لاير سعودي‬
Currency Symbol
.‫ س‬.‫ر‬
Currency Symbol Position
Left side of the digits
Positive Currency Format
.‫ س‬.‫ ر‬3
Negative Sign Symbol
-
Negative Currency Format
.‫ س‬.‫ ر‬3-
Decimal Symbol
.
Number of Digits after Decimal
2
Digit Grouping Symbol
,
Number of Digits in Digit
Grouping
3
Positive Currency Example
.‫ س‬.‫ ر‬3,243
Negative Currency Example
.‫ س‬.‫ ر‬3,243 -
ISO Currency Code
SAU
Currency Subunit Name
‫هللة‬
Currency Subunit Symbol
‫هـ‬
Currency Subunit Example
‫ هللة‬25
Country/region
Sudan
Currency Name
ً‫جنٌه سودان‬
Currency Symbol
.‫ س‬.‫ج‬
Currency Symbol Position
Left side of the digits
Positive Currency Format
.‫ س‬.‫ ج‬3
Negative Sign Symbol
-
Negative Currency Format
.‫ س‬.‫ ج‬3-
Decimal Symbol
.
Number of Digits after Decimal
2
Digit Grouping Symbol
,
21
Number of Digits in Digit
Grouping
3
Positive Currency Example
.‫ س‬.‫ج‬3,324
Negative Currency Example
.‫ س‬.‫ ج‬3,243 -
ISO Currency Code
SDG
Currency Subunit Name
‫قرش‬
Currency Subunit Symbol
.‫ س‬.‫ق‬
Currency Subunit Example
ً‫ قرش سودان‬25
Country/region
Syria
Currency Name
‫لٌرة سورٌة‬
Currency Symbol
.‫ س‬.‫ل‬
Currency Symbol Position
Left side of the digits
Positive Currency Format
.‫ س‬.‫ ل‬3
Negative Sign Symbol
-
Negative Currency Format
.‫ س‬.‫ ل‬3-
Decimal Symbol
.
Number of Digits after Decimal
2
Digit Grouping Symbol
,
Number of Digits in Digit
Grouping
3
Positive Currency Example
.‫س‬.‫ ل‬3,243
Negative Currency Example
.‫س‬.‫ ل‬3,243 -
ISO Currency Code
SYR
Currency Subunit Name
‫قرش‬
Currency Subunit Symbol
.‫ س‬.‫ق‬
Currency Subunit Example
‫ قرش‬25
22
Country/region
Tunisia
Currency Name
ً‫دٌنار تونس‬
Currency Symbol
.‫ ت‬.‫د‬
Currency Symbol Position
Left side of the digits
Positive Currency Format
.‫ ت‬.‫ د‬3
Negative Sign Symbol
-
Negative Currency Format
.‫ ت‬.‫ د‬3-
Decimal Symbol
.
Number of Digits after Decimal
2
Digit Grouping Symbol
,
Number of Digits in Digit
Grouping
3
Positive Currency Example
.‫ ت‬.‫ د‬3,243
Negative Currency Example
.‫ ت‬.‫ د‬3,243 -
ISO Currency Code
TUN
Currency Subunit Name
‫ملٌم‬
Currency Subunit Symbol
‫م‬
Currency Subunit Example
‫ ملٌم‬25
Country/region
UAE
Currency Name
ً‫درهم إمارات‬
Currency Symbol
‫ إ‬.‫د‬
Currency Symbol Position
Left side of the digits
Positive Currency Format
‫ إ‬.‫ د‬3
Negative Sign Symbol
-
Negative Currency Format
‫ إ‬.‫ د‬3-
Decimal Symbol
.
Number of Digits after Decimal
2
Digit Grouping Symbol
,
23
Number of Digits in Digit
Grouping
3
Positive Currency Example
‫ إ‬.‫ د‬3,243
Negative Currency Example
‫ إ‬.‫ د‬3,243 -
ISO Currency Code
ARE
Currency Subunit Name
‫فلس‬
Currency Subunit Symbol
‫ؾ‬
Currency Subunit Example
‫ فلس‬25
Country/region
Yemen
Currency Name
ً‫لاير ٌمن‬
Currency Symbol
.‫ ي‬.‫ر‬
Currency Symbol Position
Left side of the digits
Positive Currency Format
.‫ ي‬.‫ ر‬3
Negative Sign Symbol
-
Negative Currency Format
.‫ ي‬.‫ ر‬3-
Decimal Symbol
.
Number of Digits after Decimal
2
Digit Grouping Symbol
,
Number of Digits in Digit
Grouping
3
Positive Currency Example
.‫ ي‬.‫ ر‬3,243
Negative Currency Example
.‫ ي‬.‫ ر‬3,243 -
ISO Currency Code
YEM
Currency Subunit Name
‫فلس‬
Currency Subunit Symbol
‫ؾ‬
Currency Subunit Example
‫ فلس‬25
24
Digit Groups
Country/region: Arab Region
Decimal Separator: Comma (,)
Decimal Separator Description: Comma
Decimal Separator Example: 1,5
Thousand Separator: N/A
Thousand Separator: N/A
Thousand Separator Example: N/A
Notes: The comma might be used as thousand separator
Measurement Units
Metric System Commonly Used?: Yes
Temperature: Celsius
Category
English
Translation
Abbreviation
Linear Measure
Kilometer
‫كٌلومتر‬
‫كم‬
Meter
‫متر‬
‫م‬
Decimeter
‫دٌسٌمتر‬
‫دسم‬
Centimeter
‫سنتٌمتر‬
‫سم‬
Millimeter
‫مللٌمتر‬
‫مم‬
Hectoliter
‫هكتولتر‬
‫هكل‬
Liter
‫لتر‬
‫ل‬
Deciliter
‫دٌسٌلتر‬
‫دسل‬
Centiliter
‫سنتٌلتر‬
‫سل‬
Milliliter
‫مللٌتر‬
‫مل‬
Ton
‫طن‬
‫طن‬
Kilogram
‫كلٌوؼرام‬
‫كػ‬
Pound
‫رطل‬
‫رطل‬
Gram
‫ؼرام‬
‫غ‬
Decigram
‫دٌسٌؽرام‬
‫دسػ‬
Centigram
‫سنتٌؽرام‬
‫سػ‬
Capacity
Mass
25
Category
English Units of
Measurement
English
Translation
Abbreviation
Milligram
‫مللٌؽرام‬
‫مػ‬
Inch
‫بوصة‬
N/A
Feet
‫قدم‬
N/A
Mile
‫مٌل‬
N/A
Gallon
‫ؼالون‬
N/A
Notes: N/A
Percentages
This section does not apply to Arabic.
Sorting
Sorting rules
1. There are no capital rules in Arabic
2. The order of vowels is: unaccented, long, umlaut, or dot.
3. hamza does not sort. It sorts according to its "seat" .
4. Alphabetical order is not necessarily indicative of sorting order .
5. The alphabetical order is different than the alphabet, although both can be used .
6. Digits sort after the non-alphabetical characters and before the letters of the alphabet.
7. The alphabetical order is:
‫أ ب ج د هـ و ز ح ط ي ك ل م ن س ع ؾ ص ق ر ش ت ث خ ذ ض ظ غ‬
Examples of
sorted words
‫أب‬
‫ابتداع‬
‫ابتذال‬
‫أتاح‬
‫اتباع‬
‫اتجاه‬
‫إثارة‬
‫إجابة‬
‫إحاطة‬
‫أخوة‬
‫أداة‬
‫إذاعة‬
‫إؼارة‬
‫إفادة‬
26
Geopolitical Concerns
Part of the cultural adaptation of the US-product to a specific market is the resolving of geopolitical issues. While
the US-product should have been designed and developed with neutrality and a global audience in mind, the
localized product should respond to the particular situation that applies within the target country/region.
Sensitive issues or issues that might potentially be offensive to the users in the target country/region may occur in
any of the following:





Maps
Flags
Country/region, city and language names
Art and graphics
Cultural content, such as encyclopedia content and other text where historical or political references may
occur
Some of these issues are relatively easy to verify and resolve: the objective should be for the localizer to always
have the most current information available. Maps and other graphic representations of countries/regions and
regions should be checked for accuracy and existing political restrictions. Country/region, city and language
names change on a regular basis and need to be checked, even if previously approved.
A thorough understanding of the culture of the target market is required for checking the appropriateness of
cultural content, clip art and other visual representations of religious symbols, body and hand gestures.
Grammar, Syntax & Orthographic Conventions
This section includes information on how to apply the general rules of the Arabic language to Microsoft products
and documentation.
Adjectives
Unlike English, in Arabic, adjectives should follow the number form of the modified.
Possessive adjectives
The frequent use of possessives is a feature of English language. However in Arabic, possessive adjectives
should be handled differently, where pronouns should be avoided.
Source
Correct
wrong
My folders
ً‫المجلدات الخاصة ب‬
ً‫مجلدات‬
Comment
27
Articles
General considerations
The definite article should follow the source.
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 in this same way in Arabic.
Example:
Microsoft Office
Localized Feature Names
Translated feature names should be highlighted using double or single quotes, especially if it comes within other
text.
Example:
"‫"صانع األفالم‬
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 Arabic language?
Analogy: Is there an equivalent Arabic 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
This section does not apply to Arabic.
Compounds
This section does not apply to Arabic.
Gender
Transliterated words and English names need to be given a gender in Arabic. For example: the Mouse as it is
called “‫ ”ماوس‬in Arabic, you might wonder: shall I say “‫”هو‬or “ً‫?”ه‬
28
As there is no real rule to this except that we tend to return to the unwritten word that indicates what the function
of the word is, here are some examples to guide you:
RAM
‫ذاكرة‬
RAM
Feminine gender
RAM
Windows
Windows
‫برنامج‬
Masculine gender
Windows
Mouse
‫ماوس‬
‫جهاز الماوس‬
Masculine gender
Due to the absence of an equivalent to “it” as a gender in Arabic, when the user points on an icon (which has the
feminine gender in Arabic) or on a button (which has the masculine gender in Arabic), a messages that says:
“Displays full pages as they will be printed” would leave you to wonder whether to say ”‫ “تعرض‬or .”‫“ٌعرض‬
Therefore, and because we always seek a more direct and short way to translate these messages, we have opted
for the use of the verbal noun.”‫“المصدر‬
Genitive
Genitive Construction: when there English word between the governed and governing word. It is looks better to
place the English after the Arabic ones. Like:
Incorrect
correct
Excel ‫الجداول البٌانٌة لبرنامج‬
‫ البٌانٌة‬Excel ‫جداول‬
Class Genitive Constructs ‫اإلضافة إلى الفئات‬: These differ in structure between English and Arabic. English uses a
prepositioned singular form of the class word, while Arabic uses a postpositioned plural form of the same. Thus
“Field Area” becomes “‫ ”ناحٌة الحقول‬and not "‫"ناحٌة الحقل‬. Singular is used in Arabic genitive construct when the
genitive complement (‫ )المضاؾ إلٌه‬is a function word, hence “Break area” becomes “‫”ناحٌة الفصل‬, and “Add Print
Wizard” should be “‫”معالج إضافة طابعة‬
Genitive Conjunctive Constructs "‫"العطؾ على المضاؾ إلٌه‬: This is a very common Anglicism in translation. In Arabic,
the genitive complement is linked solely to its antecedent regardless of conjunctions. Two Arabic genitive
complements, the second of which is a pronoun, are needed as equivalents to an English one, i.e. the correct
translation of “Creating and Sending Reports” would be ‫ إنشاء التقارٌر وإرسالها‬and not “‫”إنشاء وإرسال التقارٌر‬.
Modifiers
This section does not apply to Arabic.
29
Nouns
General considerations
This section does not apply to Arabic.
Inflection
This section does not apply to Arabic.
Plural Formation
English plural is the equivalent of both the Arabic plural (‫ )جمع‬and the Arabic dual (‫)مثنى‬. A proper contextualization
is needed for translating the occurrences of English plural.
Example: Spin Arrows are rather ‫ سهمان‬and not ‫أسهم‬.
Prepositions
This section does not apply to Arabic.
Pronouns
Avoid using the second person pronoun.
Example:
Source
Correct
wrong
My folders
ً‫المجلدات الخاصة ب‬
ً‫مجلدات‬
Comment
Punctuation
General punctuation rules are available in the recommended reference material
Comma
Spacing: No space before. Space after.
Colon
Spacing: No space before. Space after.
Dashes and Hyphens
It’s preferable to use the Kashida character which resides on the shifted J key in Arabic instead of the normal
dash on the keyboard due to the horizontal alignment of this character with the Arabic fonts
Ellipses (Suspension Points)
Should be used like source.
30
Period
Spacing: No space before. Space after.
Quotation Marks
Quotation marks are used to highlight UI items like button names.
Example:
Source
correct
Click View menu
wrong
"‫انقر فوق القائمة "عرض‬
‫انقر فوق قائمة عرض‬
Parentheses
Spacing:
Opening: Space before. No space after.
Closing: No space before. Space after.
Singular & Plural
English plural is the equivalent of both the Arabic plural (‫ )جمع‬and the Arabic dual (‫)مثنى‬. A proper contextualization
is needed for translating the occurrences of English plural. Example: Spin Arrows are rather ‫ سهمان‬and not ‫أسهم‬
Split Infinitive
This section does not apply to Arabic.
Subjunctive
This section does not apply to Arabic.
Symbols & Non-Breaking Spaces
Use non-breaking spaces (CTRL+SHIFT+SPACEBAR) between words that should not separate onto different
lines. You may use them in the following instances:
Between Part, Chapter, or Appendix and its number or letter.
Between a unit of measurement or currency, and the number that goes with it.
Between any items that should not be divided onto separate lines, such as product names “Microsoft Windows
XP” and version numbers “Word 2002”.
31
Syntax
This section does not apply to Arabic.
Verbs
This section does not apply to Arabic.:
Word Order
This section does not apply to Arabic.
Style and Tone Considerations
Because of the wide number of countries which have adopted Arabic as their first language, and due to the
different culture, customs, and dialects noted between these countries, Microsoft had to approach this issue with
a lot of care and diplomacy. Therefore, we took into great consideration the two major schools: the Levant and the
Egyptian schools. We conducted surveys in different countries before we established the following general rules:
1.
Characters with or without upper and lower dual dots:
Characters such as “‫”ٌاء‬and “‫ ”تاء مربوطة‬have to have their lower and upper dual dots respectively.
2. The guttural “g” is represented by the “‫ ”ؼاء‬and not by the “‫”جٌم‬. Of course this is not always. Because
some times it is pronounced as “‫ ”جٌم‬like “George” should be “‫ ”جورج‬not “‫”ؼورغ‬.
3. The month names are used as defaults, the way they are dominantly used in most Arab countries, i.e., in
the Egyptian calendar, transliterated from English ‫ مارس‬،‫ فبراٌر‬،‫ٌناٌر‬.
Now to fine tune the written material that is a dominant component of a product, and this covers the strings in the
User Interface, the on-line assistance and the documentation, it is important to make sure that all staff has training
on “how to write.” This means having them reach a point where they all write the same way; they all have the
same style, and they all follow the same syntax and structure. This is very critical to good localization. Also, avoid
addressing the computer as a person since this is not quite acceptable in Arabic.
The style is also important throughout the components to secure that things are “homogeneous.” The
documentation or the help files are certainly split among your staff to work on. At the end of the day, once all of
the help files are built together and compiled, they should look as one entity and they should read as such as well.
One of the most important goals at Microsoft is to always make it easier for the user. We want to avoid confusing
him or her, so we provide literature that is homogenous, consistent, clear, and easy to understand.
Finally, make it easy. We want the words to be among the simplest, clearest, and most common words used in
the language
Audience
Same as in Style and Tone above
32
Style
Same as in Style and Tone above
Tone
Same as in Style and Tone above
Voice
Unlike Arabic, “you” in English might refer to singular, plural or both gender types. So, this should be considered
in Arabic.
Example: You in the below source might refer to above types.
English
Translation
You are now connected to the Internet.
.‫أنت اآلن متصل باإلنترنت‬
You are now connected to the Internet.
‫أنتم اآلن متصلون باإلنترنت‬
33
Localization Guidelines
This section contains guidelines for localization into Arabic.
General Considerations
In order to ensure better consistency among all the product components on one side, and among different
Microsoft products on another side, you must ensure that you have a copy of the glossary. Everything should start
with the glossary. Whether you or another party is establishing it, do not start any work before the glossary is set
and final.
The glossary is normally established for each product and comprises those terms found in that specific product.
However, Microsoft glossaries should be - and are - complementary to each other. Each glossary is a
continuation of the preceding one if it concerns the same product but a later version.
For Cross-Product consistency, Microsoft Language Excellence has adopted the idea of having one Glossary for
more than a product, The Glossary is called “Master Glossary”. The main purpose of “Master Glossary” is to
escalate the consistency stage to the next level by expanding its vision to include more products.
In addition to glossaries that are specific to products, there is a certain terminology that dominates these products’
language or translation. This is what we call “the Microsoft Conventions”. An example is when - at Microsoft - we
decide to call a “computer” in Arabic “‫ ”كمبٌوتر‬rather than “‫”حاسوب‬. And when we call the “mouse” simply “‫ ”ماوس‬in
Arabic and not “‫”فأرة‬.
Therefore, it is very important that all your staff be familiar with these terms before they start working on any of the
components.
Abbreviations
The Arabic language has very few abbreviations most of which appear in the mathematics field. Do not attempt to
create abbreviations just because you need an equivalent to the English one. Remember that we want to convey
the information to the user in its most appropriate and clear way.
The most commonly used abbreviations in Arabic are those of country names and currencies. While it is noted
that although it is appropriate in the English or French languages for example, to use a “diminutive” or to
abbreviate words such as month names, day names, etc., the same practice is not acceptable in Arabic. And
while abbreviations are normally followed by a dot in English, this appears not to be the rule in Arabic.
The general rule for abbreviations in Arabic is to either use the first character of the word (such as “‫ ”ص‬in “ً ‫”صباحا‬
for “AM”), or to connect two characters that are originally present in the English word which has in fact no
translation in Arabic but a transliteration such as “‫”سم‬for “‫ ”سنتٌمتر‬for “Centimeter”.
List of common abbreviations:
Abbreviation
AM
C (Celsius)
Arabic Equivalent
‫ص‬
‫درجة مئوٌة‬
34
CD
‫قرص مضؽوط‬
CM
‫سم‬
CPU
‫وحدة المعالجة المركزٌة‬
EB
‫إكساباٌت‬
GB
‫ؼٌؽاباٌت‬
USB
ً‫الناقل التسلسلً العالم‬
Grams
‫ؼرام‬
Hz
‫هرتز‬
KB
‫كٌلوباٌت‬
KHz
‫كٌلوهرتز‬
MB
‫مٌؽاباٌت‬
MHz
‫مٌؽاهرتز‬
Mm
‫مم‬
MS
Microsoft
PB
‫بٌتاباٌت‬
PM
‫م‬
Pt
‫نقطة‬
RAM
ً‫ذاكرة الوصول العشوائ‬
ROM
‫ذاكرة للقراءة فقط‬
TB
U.S.
‫تيرا بايت‬
‫الوالٌات المتحدة األمرٌكٌة‬
Accessibility
This section does not apply to Arabic.
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
35
Access Memory). As you may notice, acronyms are pronounceable words, that is, you don’t just state the letters
that they are made of one after another.
Localized Acronyms
Acronyms are not common in the Arab world, although some of the western acronyms have been - again transliterated in Arabic. For example: “OPEC” is spelled and pronounced and written in Arabic as “‫”أوبٌك‬. As far as
Microsoft’s style in this regards is concerned, the acronym should be as is in English and followed by the
translation in the full form. For example, “RAM” should be spelled as is and followed by, “ً‫”ذاكرة الوصول العشوائ‬
between parentheses. This is our practice to introduce a term or to give the user the chance and the time to get
familiar with a new term which was not long ago absent from any Arabic dictionary. And this is what we
recommend you do with acronyms - and sometimes abbreviations.
Unlocalized Acronyms
However, some acronyms remain in English and are not translated nor transliterated for some or all of the
following reasons:
1.
The acronym is so well established as an English word that it has been standardized as such.
2.
Transliterating an acronym would result in an unacceptable word in Arabic.
Note
It is acceptable in some cases to present acronyms fully in English in the documentation, followed by its full
spelling in English.
For example: ANSI (American National Standards Institute).
When dealing with acronyms that appear in Software UI, like dialogs and menus, spacing constraints should be
considered. If the space doesn't permit using the above practice, the English acronym should be used.
For example: ANSI
Applications, Products, and Features
Application/product names are often trademarked or may be trademarked in the future and are therefore rarely
translated. Occasionally, feature names are trademarked, too (e.g. IntelliSense™). Before translating any
application, product, or feature name, please verify that it is in fact translatable and not protected in any way.
Frequent Errors
Source
Show and hide an image
Translation
‫إظهار وإخفاء صورة‬
Fix
Comment
There shouldn't be
space between the
‫إظهار صورة وإخفاؤها‬
genitive and its
complement
36
Show and hide an image
‫إظهار صورة وإخفائها‬
‫إظهار صورة وإخفاؤها‬
To resolve this problem,
enter a valid product key.
‫ أدخل مفتاح منتج‬،‫لحل هذه المشكلة‬
.‫صالح‬
.ً‫ أدخل مفتاح منتج صالحا‬،‫لحل هذه المشكلة‬
it should be in the
nominative form
‫ صالح‬should be in
the accusative form
click All Programs, click
‫ انقر فوق‬،‫انقر فوق كافة البرامج‬
Accessories, right-click the
‫ثم انقر فوق "البرامج‬،"‫انقر فوق" كافة البرامج‬
‫ انقر بزر الماوس‬،‫البرامج الملحقة‬
command-prompt shortcut,
‫ثم انقر بزر الماوس األٌمن فوق اختصار‬،"‫الملحقة‬
‫ ثم‬،‫األٌمن فوق اختصار موجه األوامر‬
and then click Run as
."‫ ثم انقر فوق "تشؽٌل كمسؤول‬،"‫"موجه األوامر‬
.‫انقر فوق تشؽٌل كمسؤول‬
Administrator.
Unlike English, the
conjunction should
be used
repeatedly.
However, there may be
times when you want to
manually change your
‫ قد ترٌد فً بعض األحٌان‬،‫ قد تحتاج فً بعض األحٌان إلى تؽٌٌر ومع ذلك‬،‫ومع ذلك‬
presence status. For
‫ على‬.‫ على سبٌل تؽٌٌر حالة التواجد ٌدوًٌا بها‬.‫ إذا كنت حالة التواجد ٌدو ًٌا بها‬،‫المثال‬
example, if you are working
‫ إذا كنت تعمل بشًء مهم‬،‫سبٌل المثال‬
‫ فقد تحتاج إلى‬،‫تعمل بشًء مهم فً هذا الوقت‬
on something that is time‫ فقد ترٌد تؽٌٌر حالتك‬،‫فً هذا الوقت‬
‫تؽٌٌر حالتك إلى "ممنوع اإلزعاج" لتجنب‬
critical, you may want to
‫ إلى ممنوع‬.‫اإلزعاج لتجنب مقاطعتك‬
.‫مقاطعتك‬
change your status to Do
Not Disturb to avoid being
interrupted.
Due to literal and
incorrect translation
of "may want", it
resulted in
incoherent
meaning.
The application has three
action
Incorrect plural
form.
Not all file types can be
edited
‫التطبٌق به ثالث إجراءات‬
‫ال ٌمكن تحرٌر كافة أنواع الملفات‬
‫التطبٌق به ثالثة إجراءات‬
Due to literal
translation or
following the
‫ قد ٌتعذر تحرٌر بعض أنواع الملفات‬wordiness of the
source, the
translation is totally
wrong.
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.
37
Fictitious Information
Fictitious content is legally sensitive material and as such cannot be handled as a pure terminology or localization
issue. Below is some basic information and contact points when dealing with fictitious content:
Vendors and Localizers are not allowed to create their own fictitious names. You must either use the source
names or use the list of legally approved names.
Recurring Patterns
This section does not apply to Arabic.
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.
Standard Phrases in Error Messages
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.
Using the Word Microsoft
In English, it is prohibited to use MS as an abbreviation for Microsoft.
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).
38
User Interface
When explaining how to use the mouse or when giving instructions about its use, use the following conventions:
Example:
Mouse action
Click
Click in the window
Click the button
Double-click
Arabic Equivalent
‫ النقر‬،‫نقر‬
‫انقر ضمن اإلطار‬
‫انقر فوق الزر‬
‫ النقر المزدوج‬، ً ‫انقر نقراً مزدوجا‬
Move the mouse pointer to
‫انقل رأس المؤشر إلى‬
Position the mouse pointer on
‫ضع رأس المؤشر فوق‬
Press and hold the mouse button
Drag
‫اضؽط زر الماوس واستمر فً الضؽط‬
‫ سحب‬،‫اسحب‬
Click and drag
‫ النقر والسحب‬،‫انقر واسحب‬
Press and drag
‫ الضؽط والسحب‬،‫اضؽط واسحب‬
Hove the mouse
‫تمرٌر الماوس‬
Also, in order to avoid confusion while naming some of the uncommon colors, here is a table that provides the
terms in Arabic.
Color
Arabic Equivalent
Aqua
‫توركواز‬
Butter Milk
ً‫لبن‬
Black
‫أسود‬
Blue
‫أزرق‬
Dark gray
‫رمادي داكن‬
Fuchsia
‫زهري‬
Gray
‫رمادي‬
Green
‫أخضر‬
Light gray
Lime
‫رمادي فاتح‬
ً‫لٌمون‬
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Maroon
Medium gray
ً‫أحمر بن‬
‫رمادي متوسط‬
Navy
‫أزرق داكن‬
Olive
ً‫زٌت‬
Purple
ً‫أرجوان‬
Red
‫أحمر‬
Silver
ً‫فض‬
Teal
‫أزرق مخضر‬
White
‫أبٌض‬
Yellow
‫أصفر‬
Aquamarine
‫أزرق مائل للخضرة‬
Blanched Almond
‫لوزي مبٌض‬
Blue Gradient
‫تدرج أزرق‬
Blue Violet
Dark Magenta
Dark Olive Green
Dark Orchid
‫بنفسجً مائل للزرقة‬
‫ماجنتا داكن‬
‫أخضر زٌتً داكن‬
‫أرجوانً داكن‬
Dark Slate Blue
‫أزرق إردوازي داكن‬
Dark Turquoise
‫تركوازي داكن‬
Deep Pink
‫قرنفلً داكن‬
Dodger Blue
‫أزرق متوسط‬
Fire Brick
‫قرمٌدي ناري‬
Green Gradient
‫تدرج أخضر‬
Honeydew
Light Sky Blue
Light Slate Gray
Medium Aquamarine
Medium Turquoise
ً‫عسل‬
‫أزرق سماوي فاتح‬
‫رمادي إردوازي فاتح‬
‫أزرق متوسط مائل للخضرة‬
‫تركوازي معتدل‬
40
Mint Cream
‫كرٌمً مائل للخضرة‬
Misty Rose
‫وردي‬
Moccasin
Navajo White
Olive Drab
Orchid
‫موكاسٌن‬
‫أبٌض نفاجو‬
‫زٌتً فاتح‬
‫أرجوانً فاتح‬
Pale Goldenrod
‫أصفر ذهبً شاحب‬
Pale Turquoise
‫تركوازي شاحب‬
Papaya Whip
Plum
‫لون الباباٌا‬
‫أرجوانً مائل للزرقة‬
Powder Blue
‫أزرق أؼبر‬
Sandy Brown
‫بنً مائل للصفرة‬
Sky Blue
Tan
Turquoise
‫أزرق سماوي‬
‫خمري‬
‫تركوازي‬
White Smoke
ً‫أبٌض دخان‬
Yellow Green
‫أخضر مائل للصفرة‬
Messages
Messages are on-line warnings, instructions, or descriptions that inform the user about the product or the
conditions that may require special consideration. There are two types of messages: Informative Messages and
Interactive Messages.
Informative messages an informative message appears in a message box or in the status bar at the bottom of the
screen.
Interactive messages an interactive message usually appears in a message box and requires a response or an
action.
It is important not to be too literate when translating messages. Do not forget that you are limited in many ways by
the total number of characters allowed in a message. The following table shows two frequently found ambiguities
and the work around for a better translation:
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English
Windows cannot open this file
Arabic
Rational
‫ من فتح هذا الملؾ‬Windows ‫ لم ٌتمكن‬Do not say:
‫ فتح هذا الملؾ‬Windows ‫ال ٌستطٌع‬
We need the user to understand
that under the particular
circumstances or due to the
particular status of the file, Windows
is “unable” to open it
File can not be saved
‫ تعذر حفظ الملؾ‬Do not say:
‫ال ٌمكن حفظ الملؾ‬
This will implicate that it is not
possible to save a file, which is not
true. We need to let the user
understand that under the present
circumstances, the file cannot be
saved.
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).
Arabic Style in Status bar Messages
In English, the status bar messages have different forms dependent on what kind of information they give. Menu
status bar messages and commands status bar messages localized into Arabic do not differ as shown in the
tables.
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Due to the absence of an equivalent to “it” as a gender in Arabic, when the user points on an icon (which has the
feminine gender in Arabic) or on a button (which has the masculine gender in Arabic), a messages that says:
“Displays full pages as they will be printed” would leave you to wonder whether to say ”‫ “تعرض‬or .”‫“ٌعرض‬
Therefore, and because we always seek a more direct and short way to translate these messages, we have opted
for the use of the verbal noun.”‫“المصدر‬
Examples:
Name
Category English bar message
Arabic bar message
Edit
menu
Contains editing commands
Copy to Folder
menu
Copies the selected items to a
new location
New
command Creates a new document
‫تحتوي على أوامر التحرٌر‬
‫نسخ العناصر المحددة إلى موقع‬
‫جدٌد‬
‫إنشاء مستند جدٌد‬
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 Arabic version. Use one standard translation as in the examples below:
English term
Press F1 to get Help
Correct Arabic translation
‫ للحصول على التعلٌمات‬F1 ‫اضؽط‬
If you want Help press F1
To get Help press F1
Not enough memory
‫الذاكرة ؼٌر كافٌة‬
Insufficient memory
There is not enough memory
Save changes to %1?
‫؟‬%1 ‫هل ترٌد حفظ التؽٌٌرات على‬
Do you want to save changes to %1?
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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.
Arabic 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.
Standard Phrases in Error Messages
When translating standard phrases, standardize. Note that sometimes the US uses different forms to express the
same thing.
Examples:
English
Cannot …
Could not …
Failed to …
Failure of …
Translation
Example
Comment
‫تعذر‬
.‫تعذر حذؾ الملؾ‬
‫فشل‬
.‫فشل حذؾ الملؾ‬
‫تعذر العثور‬
.‫تعذر العثور على الملؾ‬
‫الذاكرة ؼٌر كافٌة‬
‫الذاكرة ؼٌر كافٌة‬
Cannot find …
Could not find …
Unable to find …
Unable to locate …
Not enough memory
Insufficient memory
44
English
Translation
Example
Comment
There is not enough memory
There is not enough memory
available
is not available
is unavailable
‫ؼٌر متوفر‬
‫ؼٌر متوفر‬
Error Messages Containing Placeholders
When localizing error messages containing placeholders, try to find out what will replace the placeholder. This is
necessary for the sentence to be grammatically correct when the placeholder is replaced with a word or phrase.
Note that the letters used in placeholders convey a specific meaning, see examples below:
%d, %ld, %u, and %lu means <number>
%c means <letter>
%s means <string>
Examples of error messages containing placeholders:
"Checking Web %1!d! of %2!d!" means "Checking Web <number> of <number>".
"INI file "%1!-.200s!" section" means "INI file "<string>" section".
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).
Due to the absence of keyboards, and stickers, that have all of the function keys in Arabic, the general rule
has been to:
Keep all the keys in English when they are listed as an action to be done or an instruction to be followed, when
directly concerning the User Interface. And translate them when they occur in a narrative or explanatory manner.
45
Access Keys/Hot keys
Sometimes, there are underlined or highlighted letters in menu options, commands or dialog boxes. These letters
refer to access keys (also known as hot keys) that allow you to run commands, perform tasks, etc. more quickly.
The ampersand (&) is used in the localization of software to designate hot keys. A hot key is the character that
appears underlined on a menu or inside a dialog box.
The general rule is that the hot key should be clearly visible to the user. So it is very important to avoid –
whenever possible – using the ampersand on ligatures to designate a hot key. This means avoiding the “alef with
hamza,” for example.
Where the hot keys have already been established for commonly used commands such as the File menu, for
example, and all its menu commands, the hot keys must always remain the same – whenever possible – in all
Microsoft products.
Avoid using & on English abbreviation unless it is necessary (e.g. &TCP/IP), where there is no Arabic
alternative or would result in duplication.
Avoid assigning keys that require using the shift key like ‫ أ‬as & is used by pressing the shift key.
Avoid using the & with Alef with Hamza under; e.g.; &‫إدراج‬
Sometimes the English uses && representing the meaning of And. This should be replaced with "‫"و‬
Additional notes: N/A
Arrow Keys
The arrow keys move input focus among the controls within a group. Pressing the right arrow key moves input
focus to the next control in tab order, whereas pressing the left arrow moves input focus to the previous control.
Home, End, Up, and Down also have their expected behavior within a group. Users can't navigate out of a control
group using arrow keys.
46
Right Arrow
‫مفتاح السهم األٌمن‬
‫مفتاح السهم األٌمن‬
Left Arrow
‫مفتاح السهم األٌسر‬
‫مفتاح السهم األٌسر‬
Up Arrow
‫مفتاح السهم لألعلى‬
‫مفتاح السهم لألعلى‬
Down Arrow
‫مفتاح السهم لألسفل‬
‫مفتاح السهم لألسفل‬
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.
Standard Shortcut Keys
US
Command
US English
Shortcut Key
Arabic
Command
Arabic
Shortcut key
General Windows Shortcut keys
‫ نافذة التعلٌمات‬F1
Help window
F1
Context-sensitive Help
Shift+F1
Display pop-up menu
Shift+F10
Cancel
Esc
‫ إلؽاء األمر‬Esc
Activate\Deactivate
menu bar mode
F10
‫إلؽاء تنشٌط وضع شرٌط القوائم‬/‫ تنشٌط‬F10
Switch to the next
primary application
Alt+Tab
ً‫ التبدٌل إلى التطبٌق األساسً التال‬Alt+Tab
Display next window
Alt+Esc
‫ عرض النافذة التالٌة‬Alt+Esc
Display pop-up menu
for the window
Alt+Spacebar
Display pop-up menu
for the active child
Alt+-
‫ التعلٌمات التً تظهر حسب السٌاق‬Shift+F1
‫ عرض القائمة المنبثقة‬Shift+F10
‫ عرض القائمة المنبثقة للنافذة‬Alt+Spacebar
‫ عرض القائمة المنبثقة للنافذة الفرعٌة النشطة‬Alt+-
47
US
Command
US English
Shortcut Key
Arabic
Command
Arabic
Shortcut key
window
ً‫ عرض ورقة الخصائص للتحدٌد التال‬Alt+Enter
Display property sheet
for current selection
Alt+Enter
Close active
application window
Alt+F4
‫ إؼالق نافذة التطبٌق النشط‬Alt+F4
Switch to next window
within (modelesscompliant) application
Alt+F6
‫ التبدٌل إلى اإلطار التالً ضمن التطبٌق‬Alt+F6
Capture active window
image to the Clipboard
Alt+Prnt Scrn
‫ التقاط صورة للنافذة النشطة فً الحافظة‬Alt+Prnt Scrn
Capture desktop
image to the Clipboard
Prnt Scrn
‫ التقاط صورة للنافذة النشطة فً الحافظة‬Prnt Scrn
Access Start button in
taskbar
Ctrl+Esc
Display next child
window
Ctrl+F6
‫ عرض النافذة الفرعٌة التالٌة‬Ctrl+F6
Display next tabbed
pane
Ctrl+Tab
ً‫ عرض الجزء المبوب التال‬Ctrl+Tab
Launch Task Manager
and system
initialization
Ctrl+Shift+Esc
‫ الوصول إلى الزر "ابدأ" فً شرٌط المهام‬Ctrl+Esc
‫ تشؽٌل "إدارة المهام" وتهٌئة النظام‬Ctrl+Shift+Esc
File Menu
File New
Ctrl+N
‫ ملؾ جدٌد‬Ctrl+N
File Open
Ctrl+O
‫ فتح ملؾ‬Ctrl+O
File Close
Ctrl+F4
‫ إؼالق ملؾ‬Ctrl+F4
File Save
Ctrl+S
File Save as
F12
File Print Preview
Ctrl+F2
File Print
Ctrl+P
‫ طباعة‬Ctrl+P
File Exit
Alt+F4
‫ إنهاء‬Alt+F4
‫ حفظ‬Ctrl+S
‫ حفظ باسم‬F12
‫ معاٌنة الطباعة‬Ctrl+F2
Edit Menu
48
US
Command
US English
Shortcut Key
Arabic
Command
Arabic
Shortcut key
Edit Undo
Ctrl+Z
‫ تراجع‬Ctrl+Z
Edit Repeat
Ctrl+Y
‫ تكرار‬Ctrl+Y
Edit Cut
Ctrl+X
‫ قص‬Ctrl+X
Edit Copy
Ctrl+C
‫ نسخ‬Ctrl+C
Edit Paste
Ctrl+V
‫ لصق‬Ctrl+V
Edit Delete
Ctrl+Backspace
‫ حذؾ‬Ctrl+Backspace
Edit Select All
Ctrl+A
‫ تحدٌد الكل‬Ctrl+A
Edit Find
Ctrl+F
‫ بحث‬Ctrl+F
Edit Replace
Ctrl+H
‫ استبدال‬Ctrl+H
Edit Go To
Ctrl+B
‫ انتقال إلى‬Ctrl+B
Help Menu
Help
‫ تعلٌمات‬F1
F1
Font Format
Italic
Ctrl+I
‫ مائل‬Ctrl+I
Bold
Ctrl+G
‫ ؼامق‬Ctrl+G
Underlined\Word
underline
Ctrl+U
‫ تسطٌر‬Ctrl+U
Large caps
Ctrl+Shift+A
‫ حرؾ كبٌر‬Ctrl+Shift+A
Small caps
Ctrl+Shift+K
‫ حرؾ صؽٌر‬Ctrl+Shift+K
Paragraph Format
Centered
Ctrl+E
‫ توسٌط‬Ctrl+E
Left aligned
Ctrl+L
‫ محاذاة للٌسار‬Ctrl+L
Right aligned
Ctrl+R
‫ محاذاة للٌمٌن‬Ctrl+R
Justified
Ctrl+J
‫ ضبط‬Ctrl+J
49
Document Translation Considerations
Document localization may require some specific considerations that are different from software localization. This
section covers a few of these areas.
Titles
In English the titles for chapters usually begin with "How to …" or with phrases such as "Working with …" or
"Using …".
General guidelines when translating titles



Avoid resorting to literal or word by word translation. The Target should read as original in simple and
understandable way.
Avoid the use of American idioms or Microsoft jargon/acronyms/abbreviations that would not be readily
understood in the Arabic market.
If something seems to be unsuitable for a market either because it is “too American” or culturally
inappropriate, alert your Microsoft PU contact
Consistency
Consistency is very important, and all related titles should be translated consistently. In a few cases it might be
advisable to adopt a solution different from the above guidelines, e.g. by using infinitives only, if this ensure better
consistency and improved understand ability for the end user.
Recurring patterns
When translating titles there are certain recurrent patterns that you should pay attention to, as indicated below:
A few examples of course titles:
Source
What's New in <product name>
Getting Started with <product name>
Installing and Configuring <product name>
Target
"‫الجدٌد فً "اسم المنتج‬
"‫الشروع فً استخدام "اسم المنتج‬
‫تثبٌت "اسم المنتج" وتكوٌنه‬
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.
50