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Arabic Style Guide
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
http://www.microsoft.com/Language/en-US/Feedback.aspx/http://www.microsoft.com/Language/en-US/Feedback.aspx/http://www.microsoft.com/Language/en-US/Feedback.aspx/http://www.microsoft.com/Language/en-US/Feedback.aspx/
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Sample Text لا بواا
و .ٌادم أر اوو ط يرٌرا ٌون اوب ٌب أن "ادم ت ورة. ٌ أ " ل ات ط ود ف س اوت
."إ
ف
"ن
د
ث
ٌ
ٌ
ا
ات
ادام
ضب
ٌ
ر
طق
ل
ن
ف
و
إ
ف
ا
ن
اوع
وذا
ال
ذا
ئم
ئاو رادا تا ض مادا نٌ أ إ .صا نراوأ ف سٌو ( اوٌق واوص ا دم ر دم ادا ف ل
ٌو ر ئ ادام طق ٌل ن ات ا م إ ٌادام در ٌ رٌض ن افراد.وا ادم(. وذا
اؽر ٌأو ا ؼر ٌإ دب ادام ات دٌدة أو د .ٌأ إذا دت ا دام ت د دو دٌدة ت دٌدة أو إق ن ق ت
ٌ ئٌ ف دا ٌزا اٌرات إ ٌرؽا د ات اٌق. ود دٌم رح واؾ دال ٌك فٌب رٌؼ ٌ ن و
ن
ٌ
را ل
سا ن رٌا ٌ ا بوا ت جرد ا تا هذ لف .ا لودا تاذ وأ ٌزا ٌدونب اء ات ن
.ٌرا
ط دأ/دٌا
د ٌر15 ارات ٌد اٌدة ش
ارة
ارور ٌر
ارٌدي: xxxxxارز
#### ## ## ### (####)اؾ:
ف صا اذ رٌر 2011رس8م
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
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/ar-sa/default.aspxhttp://msdn2.microsoft.com/ar-sa/default.aspxhttp://msdn2.microsoft.com/ar-sa/default.aspxhttp://technet.microsoft.com/ar-sa/default.aspxhttp://technet.microsoft.com/ar-sa/default.aspxhttp://technet.microsoft.com/ar-sa/default.aspxhttp://technet.microsoft.com/ar-sa/default.aspxhttp://msdn2.microsoft.com/ar-sa/default.aspx
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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
scriptsي
و
ـ
ن
م
ل
ك
ق
ؾ
غ
ع
ظ
ط
ض
ص
ش
س
ز
ر
ذ
د
خ
ح
ج
ث
ت
ب
أ
Extended Latin characters N/A
Note on alphabetical order Alphabetical order is not necessarily indicative of sorting order.
Total number of characters 28
Unicode codesRange: U+060x - U+06Fx
Notes
The alphabetical order is different than the alphabet, although both can be used.
The alphabetical order is:
ز
و
ـ
د
ج
ب
أ
ي
ط
ظ
ض
ذ
خ
ث
ت
ش
ر
ق
ص
ؾ
ع
س
ن
م
ل
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
Formatyyyy/m/d
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Country/region Arab Region
Example 2011/3/7
Default Long Date Format yyyy mmmm dd
Example 2011رس17
Additional Short Date
Format 1N/A
Example N/A
Additional Short Date
Format 2N/A
Example N/A
Additional Long DateFormat 1
N/A
Example N/A
Additional Long Date
Format 2N/A
Example N/A
Leading Zero in Day Field
for Short Date FormatNo
Leading Zero in Month
Field for Short Date
Format
No
No. of digits for century
for Short Day Format4
Leading Zero in Day Field
for Long Date FormatNo
Leading Zero in Month
Field for Long Date
Format
No
Number of digits for
century for Long Day
Format
4
Date Format for
CorrespondenceHijri and Gregorian have the same format
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Country/region Arab Region
Example 1432Hijriحم17
Notes N/A
Abbreviations in Format
Codes
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)
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
example23:43:12
Time separator colon (:)
Time separator examples 11:43:12
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 ن ٌ ا
Tuesday ء ا
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Day Normal Form Abbreviation
Wednesday ء ر ا
Thursdayس ٌ ا
Friday ا
Saturday ت ا
Sunday د ا
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 ٌٌر N/A N/A
February فراٌر N/A N/A
March رس N/A N/A
Aprilل
ٌ
رإ
N/A N/A
May ٌو N/A N/A
June ٌوٌو N/A N/A
July ٌوٌو N/A N/A
August أؼطس N/A N/A
September ر N/A N/A
October أور N/A N/A
Novemberوفر
N/A N/A
December دٌر N/A N/A
Is first letter capitalized?: N/A
Notes: The Gregorian calendar that is mainly used in Syria and Lebanon
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Month Full Form Abbreviated Form Long Date Form
January ا نو N/A N/A
Februaryط
N/A N/A
March آذار N/A N/A
April ٌن N/A N/A
May أٌر N/A N/A
June زٌران N/A N/A
July وز N/A N/A
August آب N/A N/A
September أٌول N/A N/A
October رٌن اول N/A N/A
November ا نٌر N/A N/A
December ون اول N/A N/A
Arabic Hejri calendar
Month Full Form Abbreviated Form Long Date Form
Januaryرم
N/A N/A
February ر N/A N/A
March ر ٌاول N/A N/A
April ر ٌار N/A N/A
May اودى N/A N/A
June دى ارة N/A N/A
July رب N/A N/A
August ن N/A N/A
September رن N/A N/A
October وال N/A N/A
November ذو ادة N/A N/A
December ا وذ N/A N/A
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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 mustuse 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 (####)
### ## ####
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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, PostalCode6. [Country]
Example Address:
ط دأ/دٌا
ا ٌٌادة را
اطق ان اٌل ٌ ودا رطا قٌرط اورود
ارٌدي ارز xxxxxارٌض
ٌ
دوا ٌرا ا
Local Postal Code Format: xxxxx
Notes: N/A
Currency
Country/region Algeria
Currency Name دٌر زائري
Currency Symbol د.ج.
Currency Symbol Position Left side of the digits.
Positive Currency Format د. ج.3
Negative Sign Symbol -
Negative Currency Format د. ج.3-
Decimal Symbol .
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Number of Digits after Decimal 2
Digit Grouping Symbol ,
Number of Digits in DigitGrouping
3
Positive Currency Example د. ج.3,243
Negative Currency Example د. ج.3,243-
ISO Currency Code DZA
Currency Subunit Name ٌم
Currency Subunit Symbol س
Currency Subunit Example 25ٌ
Country/region Bahrain
Currency Name ٌر دٌر
Currency Symbol د.ب.
Currency Symbol Position Left side of the digits
Positive Currency Format د.ب.3
Negative Sign Symbol -
Negative Currency Format -3.ب
.د
Decimal Symbol .
Number of Digits after Decimal 2
Digit Grouping Symbol ,
Number of Digits in Digit
Grouping3
Positive Currency Example د.ب.3,243
Negative Currency Example د.ب.3,243-
ISO Currency Code BHR
Currency Subunit Name فس
Currency Subunit Symbol ؾ
Currency Subunit Example 25ف
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Country/region Egypt
Currency Name ٌري
Currency Symbol .م
.ج
Currency Symbol Position Left side of the digits
Positive Currency Format ج. م.3
Negative Sign Symbol -
Negative Currency Format ج. م.3-
Decimal Symbol .
Number of Digits after Decimal 2
Digit Grouping Symbol ,
Number of Digits in Digit
Grouping3
Positive Currency Example ج. م.3,243
Negative Currency Example ج. م.3,243-
ISO Currency Code EGY
Currency Subunit Name رش
Currency Subunit Symbol ق
Currency Subunit Example 25ر
Country/region Iraq
Currency Name ار رٌد
Currency Symbol د. ع.
Currency Symbol Position Left side of the digits
Positive Currency Format د. ع.3
Negative Sign Symbol -
Negative Currency Format د. ع.3-
Decimal Symbol .
Number of Digits after Decimal 2
Digit Grouping Symbol ,
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Country/region Kuwait
Currency Name ٌو دٌر
Currency Symbol .ك
.د
Currency Symbol Position Left side of the digits
Positive Currency Format د. ك.3
Negative Sign Symbol -
Negative Currency Format د. ك.3-
Decimal Symbol .
Number of Digits after Decimal 2
Digit Grouping Symbol ,
Number of Digits in Digit
Grouping3
Positive Currency Example د. ك.3,243
Negative Currency Example د. ك.3,243-
ISO Currency Code KWT
Currency Subunit Name فس
Currency Subunit Symbol ؾ
Currency Subunit Example 25ف
Country/region Lebanon
Currency Name ٌ ٌرة
Currency Symbol ل. ل.
Currency Symbol Position Left side of the digits
Positive Currency Format ل. ل.3
Negative Sign Symbol -
Negative Currency Format ل. ل.3-
Decimal Symbol .
Number of Digits after Decimal 2
Digit Grouping Symbol ,
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Number of Digits in Digit
Grouping3
Positive Currency Example ل. ل.3,243
Negative Currency Example ل. ل.3,243-
ISO Currency Code LBN
Currency Subunit Name رش
Currency Subunit Symbol ق
Currency Subunit Example ر25
Country/region Libya
Currency Name
ٌ
ر
ٌ
د
Currency Symbol د. ل.
Currency Symbol Position Left side of the digits
Positive Currency Format د.ل.3
Negative Sign Symbol -
Negative Currency Format د.ل.3-
Decimal Symbol .
Number of Digits after Decimal 2
Digit Grouping Symbol ,
Number of Digits in Digit
Grouping3
Positive Currency Example د.ل.3,243
Negative Currency Example د.ل.3,243-
ISO Currency Code LBY
Currency Subunit Name درم
Currency Subunit Symbol .ه
.د
Currency Subunit Example 25ٌ درم
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Country/region Morocco
Currency Name رؽ مرد
Currency Symbol .م
.د
Currency Symbol Position Left side of the digits
Positive Currency Format د. م.3
Negative Sign Symbol -
Negative Currency Format د. م.3-
Decimal Symbol .
Number of Digits after Decimal 2
Digit Grouping Symbol ,
Number of Digits in Digit
Grouping3
Positive Currency Example د. م.3,243
Negative Currency Example د. م.3,243-
ISO Currency Code MAR
Currency Subunit Name ٌم
Currency Subunit Symbol س
Currency Subunit Example 25ٌ
Country/region Oman
Currency Name
Currency Symbol ر. ل.
Currency Symbol Position Left side of the digits
Positive Currency Format ر. ل.3
Negative Sign Symbol -
Negative Currency Format ر. ل.3-
Decimal Symbol .
Number of Digits after Decimal 2
Digit Grouping Symbol ,
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Number of Digits in Digit
Grouping3
Positive Currency Example ر. ل.3,243
Negative Currency Example ر. ل.3,243-
ISO Currency Code OMN
Currency Subunit Name ٌ
Currency Subunit Symbol ب
Currency Subunit Example 25ٌ
Country/region Qatar
Currency Nameطري
Currency Symbol ر. ق.
Currency Symbol Position Left side of the digits
Positive Currency Format ر. ق.3
Negative Sign Symbol -
Negative Currency Format ر.ق.3-
Decimal Symbol .
Number of Digits after Decimal 2
Digit Grouping Symbol ,
Number of Digits in Digit
Grouping3
Positive Currency Example ر. ق.3,243
Negative Currency Example ر. ق.3,243-
ISO Currency Code QAT
Currency Subunit Name درم
Currency Subunit Symbolد
Currency Subunit Example 25رد
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Country/region Saudi Arabia
Currency Name ودي
Currency Symbol .س
.ر
Currency Symbol Position Left side of the digits
Positive Currency Format ر. س.3
Negative Sign Symbol -
Negative Currency Format ر. س.3-
Decimal Symbol .
Number of Digits after Decimal 2
Digit Grouping Symbol ,
Number of Digits in Digit
Grouping3
Positive Currency Example ر. س.3,243
Negative Currency Example ر. س.3,243-
ISO Currency Code SAU
Currency Subunit Name
Currency Subunit Symbol ـ
Currency Subunit Example 25
Country/region Sudan
Currency Name ٌادو
Currency Symbol . س.ج
Currency Symbol Position Left side of the digits
Positive Currency Format . س.3
Negative Sign Symbol -
Negative Currency Format . س.3-
Decimal Symbol .
Number of Digits after Decimal 2
Digit Grouping Symbol ,
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Number of Digits in Digit
Grouping3
Positive Currency Example . س.3,324
Negative Currency Example . س.3,243-
ISO Currency Code SDG
Currency Subunit Name رش
Currency Subunit Symbol . س.ق
Currency Subunit Example ودار25
Country/region Syria
Currency Name
ٌ
رو
رة
ٌ
Currency Symbol ل. س.
Currency Symbol Position Left side of the digits
Positive Currency Format ل. س.3
Negative Sign Symbol -
Negative Currency Format ل. س.3-
Decimal Symbol .
Number of Digits after Decimal 2
Digit Grouping Symbol ,
Number of Digits in Digit
Grouping3
Positive Currency Example ل.س.3,243
Negative Currency Example ل.س.3,243-
ISO Currency Code SYR
Currency Subunit Name رش
Currency Subunit Symbol .س
.ق
Currency Subunit Example ر25
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Country/region Tunisia
Currency Name و رٌد
Currency Symbol .ت
.د
Currency Symbol Position Left side of the digits
Positive Currency Format د. ت.3
Negative Sign Symbol -
Negative Currency Format د. ت.3-
Decimal Symbol .
Number of Digits after Decimal 2
Digit Grouping Symbol ,
Number of Digits in Digit
Grouping3
Positive Currency Example د. ت.3,243
Negative Currency Example د. ت.3,243-
ISO Currency Code TUN
Currency Subunit Name ٌم
Currency Subunit Symbol م
Currency Subunit Example 25ٌ
Country/region UAE
Currency Name ارإ مرد
Currency Symbol د. إ
Currency Symbol Position Left side of the digits
Positive Currency Format د. 3
Negative Sign Symbol -
Negative Currency Format د. 3-
Decimal Symbol .
Number of Digits after Decimal 2
Digit Grouping Symbol ,
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Number of Digits in Digit
Grouping3
Positive Currency Example د. 3,243
Negative Currency Example د. 3,243-
ISO Currency Code ARE
Currency Subunit Name فس
Currency Subunit Symbol ؾ
Currency Subunit Example 25ف
Country/region Yemen
Currency Name
ٌ
Currency Symbol ي.ر.
Currency Symbol Position Left side of the digits
Positive Currency Format ر. ي.3
Negative Sign Symbol -
Negative Currency Format ر. ي.3-
Decimal Symbol .
Number of Digits after Decimal 2
Digit Grouping Symbol ,
Number of Digits in Digit
Grouping3
Positive Currency Example ر. ي.3,243
Negative Currency Example ر. ي.3,243-
ISO Currency Code YEM
Currency Subunit Name فس
Currency Subunit Symbolؾ
Currency Subunit Example 25ف
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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 ٌور م
Meter ر م
Decimeter ٌد دم
Centimeter ٌر م
Millimeter ٌ م
Capacity Hectoliter ور ل
Liter ر ل
Deciliter ٌد دل
Centiliter ٌر ل
Milliliter ٌ ل
Mass Ton طن طن
Kilogram ٌوؼرام ػ
Pound رطل رطل
Gram ؼرام غ
Decigram ٌؽراد دػ
Centigram ٌؽرام ػ
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Category English Translation Abbreviation
Milligram ارؽٌ ػ
English Units ofMeasurement
Inchو N/A
Feet دم N/A
Mile ٌل N/A
Gallon ؼون 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:
ك
ي
ط
ح
ز
و
ـ
د
ج
ب
أ
ظ
ض
ذ
خ
ث
ت
ش
ر
ق
ص
ؾ
ع
س
ن
م
ل
Examples of
sorted words
أب
اداع
اذال
أح
اع
اه
إرة
إ
طإ
أوة
أداة
اذإ
إؼرة
إفدة
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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 Comment
My folders ا تادا اد
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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:
" افم"
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 iscalled “سو” in Arabic, you might wonder: shall I say “و”or “”?
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As there is no real rule to this except that we tend to return to the unwritten word that indicates what the functionof the word is, here are some examples to guide you:
RAM RAM ذارة
RAM
Feminine gender
Windows Windows ر
Windows
Masculine gender
Mouse وس ز اوس 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 ”ر“ or ”.ٌر“
Therefore, and because we always seek a more direct and short way to translate these messages, we have optedfor the use of the verbal noun ”.اد“
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
ا ٌٌراد Excelول اExcelٌود
Class Genitive Constructs : These differ in structure between English and Arabic. English uses aاف إ ائت
prepositioned singular form of the class word, while Arabic uses a postpositioned plural form of the same. Thus
“Field Area” becomes “لوا ٌ ” and not ٌال" ". Singular is used in Arabic genitive construct when the
genitive complement ( إاؾ ) is a function word, hence “Break area” becomes “لا ٌ ”, and “Add Print
Wizard” should be “ط فإ ”
Genitive Conjunctive Constructs إ" "ٌاطؾ ؾ : 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 إرإو رٌرا ء and not “رٌرا .”إء وإرل
Modifiers
This section does not apply to Arabic.
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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 () and the Arabic dual (). A proper contextualization
is needed for translating the occurrences of English plural.
Example: Spin Arrows are rather and notن .أم
Prepositions
This section does not apply to Arabic.
Pronouns
Avoid using the second person pronoun.
Example:
Source Correct wrong Comment
My folders ا تادا اد
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.
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Period
Spacing: No space before. Space after.
Quotation Marks
Quotation marks are used to highlight UI items like button names.
Example:
Source correct wrong
Click View menu "رض" ئا قوف ر ا ض ر ئ قوف را
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 () and the Arabic dual (). A proper contextualization
is needed for translating the occurrences of English plural. Example: Spin Arrows are rather and notن أم
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”.
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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 theEgyptian 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 “ءٌ ”and “طور ء” have to have their lower and upper dual dots respectively.
2. The guttural “g” is represented by the “ءؼ” and not by the “مٌ ”. Of course this is not always. Because
some times it is pronounced as “مٌ ” like “George” should be “جرو” not “غروؼ”.
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 رس فراٌر ٌٌر .
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
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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. ان ل رت.أت
You are now connected to the Internet. أم ان ون رت
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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 differentMicrosoft products on another side, you must ensure that you have a copy of the glossary. Everything should startwith the glossary. Whether you or another party is establishing it, do not start any work before the glossary is setand 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 acontinuation 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 formore than a product, The Glossary is called “Master Glossary”. The main purpose of “Master Glossary” is toescalate the consistency stage to the next level by expanding its vision to include more products.
In addition to glossaries that are specific to products, ther e 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 - wedecide to call a “computer” in Arabic “روٌ ” rather than “بو”. And when we call the “mouse” simply “سو” in Arabic and not “ةرف”.
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 conveythe 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 notedthat although it is appropriate in the English or French languages for example, to use a “diminutive” or toabbreviate words such as month names, day names, etc., the same practice is not acceptable in Arabic. Andwhile 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 “ص” in “ ”
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 “م”for “رٌ ” for “Centimeter”.
List of common abbreviations:
Abbreviation Arabic Equivalent
AM ص
C (Celsius) ٌوئ رد
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CD رص ؽوط
CM م
CPU
ٌ
زرا
ا
ودة
EB ت
ٌ
إ
GB ؼٌؽٌت
USB ا ا لا
Grams ؼرام
Hz رز
KB ٌوٌت
KHz ورز
ٌ
MB ٌؽٌت
MHz ٌؽرز
Mm م
MS Microsoft
PB ت
ٌ
ٌ
PM م
Pt ط
RAM ئاوا لووا ةراذ
ROM فط
راءة
ذارة
TB ب يت
U.S. ٌٌرا اوٌت ادة
Accessibility
This section does not apply to Arabic.
Acronyms
Acronyms are words made up of the init ial 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
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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 “ أوٌك ”. As far asMicrosoft’s style in this regards is concerned, the acronym should be as is in English and followed by thetranslation in the full form. For example, “RAM” should be spelled as is and followed by, “ئاوا لووا ةراذ”between parentheses. This is our practice to introduce a term or to give the user the chance and the time to getfamiliar with a new term which was not long ago absent from any Arabic dictionary. And this is what werecommend 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 thefollowing 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 fullspelling 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 beconsidered. 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 Translation Fix Comment
Show and hide an image إظر وإء ورة ؤإو ةرو رظإ
There shouldn't be
space between the
genitive and its
complement
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Show and hide an image ئإو ةرو رظإ ؤإو ةرو رظإ it should be in the
nominative form
To resolve this problem,enter a valid product key. ح لدأ ا هذ ل. . ح لدأ ا هذ ل should be inthe accusative form
click All Programs, click
Accessories, right-click the
command-prompt shortcut,
and then click Run as
Administrator.
ف قوف راقوف را ارا
ار زر اوس ا ارا
م اٌن فوق ار و اوار
ؽٌل ؤول. ار فوق
"ار فوق "ارا فارا" ار فوق
م "ارا قوف نٌا ار زر اوس
ؽٌل ؤول". " م ار فوق "و اوار"
Unlike English, the
conjunction should
be used
repeatedly.
However, there may be
times when you want to
manually change your
presence status. For
example, if you are working
on something that is time-
critical, you may want to
change your status to Do
Not Disturb to avoid being
interrupted.
ن
ٌ
ا
ض
ف
د
ٌ
ر
د
ذك
و
. ٌدو ؽٌٌر اواد
إذا ت ل ء م ٌل ال
ؽٌٌر ك رٌد فد ف ذا اوت
ازج ب طك. إ وع
ر
ٌ
ٌ
ؽ
إ
ن
ٌ
ا
ض
ف
ج
د
ذك
و
ٌدو ٌاواد . إذا ت ال
إ ج دف ل ء م ف ذا اوت
" إ ك رٌٌؽ"جزا عوب
طك.
Due to literal and
incorrect translation
of "may want", it
resulted in
incoherent
meaning.
The application has three
action ق
ٌ
طااءارإ ث اطٌق إراءات Incorrect plural
form.
Not all file types can be
edited رٌر ف أواع ات ٌن رٌر ض أواع ات ٌذر د
Due to literaltranslation or
following the
wordiness 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.
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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).
http://www.microsoft.com/trademarks/t-mark/names.htmhttp://www.microsoft.com/trademarks/t-mark/names.htmhttp://www.microsoft.com/trademarks/t-mark/names.htmhttp://msdn.microsoft.com/library/aa511258.aspxhttp://msdn.microsoft.com/library/aa511258.aspxhttp://msdn.microsoft.com/library/aa511258.aspxhttp://msdn.microsoft.com/library/aa511258.aspxhttp://www.microsoft.com/trademarks/t-mark/names.htm
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User Interface
When explaining how to use the mouse or when giving instructions about its use, use the following conventions:
Example:
Mouse action Arabic Equivalent
Click ار ر
Click in the window ار ن اطر
Click the button ار فوق ازر
Double-click ار ازدوج ودز ار ر
Move the mouse pointer to إ رؤا سأر لا
Position the mouse pointer on فوق
اؤر
رأس
Press and hold the mouse button اؽط زر اوس وار ف اؽط
Drag ب اب
Click and drag ار واب ار واب
Press and drag اؽط واب اؽط واب
Hove the mouse رٌر اوس
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 ورواز
Butter Milk
Black أود
Blue أزرق
Dark gray ردي دان
Fuchsia زري
Gray ردي
Green أر
Light gray ف يدر
Lime وٌ
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Maroon أر
Medium gray ردي وط
Navy دان
أزرق
Olive ٌز
Purple اورأ
Red أر
Silver ف
Teal أزرق ر
White أٌض
Yellow أر
Aquamarine أزرق ئل رة
Blanched Almond ٌض وزي
Blue Gradient درج أزرق
Blue Violet رز لئ
Dark Magenta دان
Dark Olive Green ز ٌدان أر
Dark Orchid أروا دان
Dark Slate Blue أزرق إردوازي دان
Dark Turquoise روازي دان
Deep Pink ر دان
Dodger Blue أزرق وط
Fire Brick رٌدي ري
Green Gradient درج أر
Honeydew
Light Sky Blue ف يو قرزأ
Light Slate Gray ف يزاودرإ يدر
Medium Aquamarine أزرق وط ئل رة
Medium Turquoise روازي دل
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Mint Cream ر ٌئل رة
Misty Rose وردي
Moccasin ن
ٌ
و
Navajo White أٌض و
Olive Drab ف ٌز
Orchid ف اورأ
Pale Goldenrod أر ذ ب
Pale Turquoise روازي ب
Papaya Whip ٌا ون
Plum رز
ئل
اورأ
Powder Blue أزرق أؼر
Sandy Brown ئل رة
Sky Blue أزرق وي
Tan ري
Turquoise روازي
White Smoke دأٌض
Yellow Green أر ئل رة
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 Arabic Rational
Windows cannot open this file ٌن ن ف ذا اWindowsم Do not say:
ٌ
ط
ٌ
Windowsا اذ ف
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 ذر ظ اؾ Do not say:
ٌن ظ اؾ
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 asabout 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 ”ر“ or .”ٌر“
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 .”اد“
Examples:
Name Category English bar message Arabic bar message
Edit menu Contains editing commands ارٌر وي أوار
Copy to Folder menuCopies the selected items to a
new location
و إ ةددا را
د
ٌ
د
New command Creates a new document دٌد إء د
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 Correct Arabic translation
Press F1 to get Help اF1ٌاؽط لو
If you want Help press F1
To get Help press F1
Not enough memory ٌف ؼٌر اذارة
Insufficient memory
There is not enough memory
Save changes to %1? تارٌٌؽا رٌد ظ %1ل
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 Translation Example Comment
Cannot …
Could not … ذر ذر ذؾ اؾ.
Failed to …
Failure of … فل فل ذؾ اؾ.
Cannot find …
Could not find …
Unable to find …
Unable to locate …
ذر اور ذر اور اؾ.
Not enough memory
Insufficient memory
ٌ
ف ؼٌر ة ر ا ذ ا ٌ ف رٌؼ اذارة
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English Translation Example Comment
There is not enough memory
There is not enough memory
available
is not available
is unavailableر وف ٌ ؼ ر ف و رٌؼ
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
%c means
%s means
Examples of error messages containing placeholders:
"Checking Web %1!d! of %2!d!" means "Checking Web of ".
"INI file "%1!-.200s!" section" means "INI file "" 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 rulehas 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.
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Access Keys/Hot keys
Sometimes, there are underlined or highlighted letters in menu options, commands or dialog boxes. These letters
refer to access keys (also known as hot keys) that allow you to run commands, perform tasks, etc. more quickly.
The ampersand (&) is used in the localization of software to designate hot keys. A hot key is the character thatappears 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 withhamza,” for example.
Where the hot keys have already been established for commonly used commands such as the File menu, forexample, and all its menu commands, the hot keys must always remain the same – whenever possible – in allMicrosoft products.
Avoid using & on English abbreviation unless it is necessary (e.g. &TCP/IP), where there is no Arabicalternative or would result in duplication.
Avoid assigning keys that require using the shift key like . as & is used by pressing the shift keyأ
Avoid using the & with Alef with Hamza under; e.g.; &جاردإ
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.
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Right Arrow اٌن ح ام ن ٌ ا ما ح
Left Arrow اٌر ح ام اٌح ام
Up Arrow ما ح ما ح
Down Arrow ح ام ل ل ما ح
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 softwareapplication. 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
Help window F1 اٌت فذة F1
Context-sensitive Help Shift+F1 اٌق اٌت ا ظر ب Shift+F1
Display pop-up menu Shift+F10 ائ ارض Shift+F10
Cancel Esc إؽء ار Esc
Activate\Deactivate
menu bar mode
F10 رٌط اوائ/ٌط و طٌ إؽء F10
Switch to the next
primary application
Alt+Tab ا ا قٌطا إ لٌدا Alt+Tab
Display next window Alt+Esc ارض افذة Alt+Esc
Display pop-up menu
for the window
Alt+Spacebar رض ائ ا فذة Alt+Spacebar
Display pop-up menu
for the active child
Alt+- طا ٌرا رض ائ ا فذة Alt+-
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US
Command
US English
Shortcut Key
Arabic
Command
Arabic
Shortcut key
window
Display property sheet
for current selection
Alt+Enter ا دٌد رض ور ائص Alt+Enter
Close active
application window
Alt+F4 اطٌق اط إؼق فذة Alt+F4
Switch to next window
within (modeless-
compliant) application
Alt+F6 اطٌق ادٌل إ اطر ا ن Alt+F6
Capture active window
image to the Clipboard
Alt+Prnt Scrn ظفا ف طا ةذف ةرو طا Alt+Prnt Scrn
Capture desktop
image to the Clipboard
Prnt Scrn ظفا ف طا ةذف ةرو طا Prnt Scrn
Access Start button in
taskbar
Ctrl+Esc رٌط ااوول ف "أدا" إ ازر Ctrl+Esc
Display next child
window
Ctrl+F6 ٌا ٌرا رض افذة Ctrl+F6
Display next tabbed
pane
Ctrl+Tab ا بوا ءزا ضر Ctrl+Tab
Launch Task Managerand system
initialization
Ctrl+Shift+Escإدارة
"ل
ٌ
ؽظا
ئ
ٌ
و
"ام
Ctrl+Shift+Esc
File Menu
File New Ctrl+N دٌد ؾ Ctrl+N
File Open Ctrl+O ف ؾ Ctrl+O
File Close Ctrl+F4 إؼق ؾ Ctrl+F4
File Save Ctrl+S ظ Ctrl+S
File Save as F12م
ظ
F12File Print Preview Ctrl+F2 طا ٌ Ctrl+F2
File Print Ctrl+P ط Ctrl+P
File Exit Alt+F4 إء Alt+F4
Edit Menu
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US
Command
US English
Shortcut Key
Arabic
Command
Arabic
Shortcut key
Edit Undo Ctrl+Z ار Ctrl+Z
Edit Repeat Ctrl+Y رار Ctrl+Y
Edit Cut Ctrl+X ص Ctrl+X
Edit Copy Ctrl+C Ctrl+C
Edit Paste Ctrl+V ق Ctrl+V
Edit Delete Ctrl+Backspace ذؾ Ctrl+Backspace
Edit Select All Ctrl+A دٌد ال Ctrl+A
Edit Find Ctrl+F ث Ctrl+F
Edit Replace Ctrl+Hادال
Ctrl+H
Edit Go To Ctrl+B إ لا Ctrl+B
Help Menu
Help F1 ٌت F1
Font Format
Italic Ctrl+I ئل Ctrl+I
Bold Ctrl+G ؼق Ctrl+G
Underlined\Wordunderline
Ctrl+Uر
ٌ
ط
Ctrl+U
Large caps Ctrl+Shift+A ٌر رؾ Ctrl+Shift+A
Small caps Ctrl+Shift+K ؽٌر رؾ Ctrl+Shift+K
Paragraph Format
Centered Ctrl+E وٌط Ctrl+E
Left aligned Ctrl+L ٌر ذاة Ctrl+L
Right aligned Ctrl+R ٌٌن ذاة Ctrl+R
Justified Ctrl+Jط
Ctrl+J
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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 andunderstandable way.
Avoid the use of American idioms or Microsoft jargon/acronyms/abbreviations that would not be readilyunderstood in the Arabic market.
If something seems to be unsuitable for a market either because it is “too American” or culturallyinappropriate, 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 Target
What's New in ف دٌدا"اا"
Getting Started with "اا"اروع ف ادام
Installing and Configuring ت
ٌ
"اا"ٌوو
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.