Translator’s Handbook

Welcome to the Translator’s Handbook!

The translator’s handbook will teach you everything you need to know about the Polyglots teamPolyglots Team Polyglots Team is a group of multilingual translators who work on translating plugins, themes, documentation, and front-facing marketing copy. https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/teams/. and how we translate WordPress into different languages.

This Handbook is organized according to the different roles that exist in the Polyglots community. For new translators, we recommend starting here before moving on to the Translator’s section. This guide will walk you through the process of contributing to the Polyglots team and help you understand how to become progressively more involved with our community.

About the Team

The Polyglots team is responsible for translating WordPress into hundreds of languages. It’s a big job, which is why we need help from native speakers to make it possible.

The Polyglots team consists of volunteers from around the globe who take care of translations for a specific language (see a list of translation teams). Find out how you can become a part of your local team or how you can create one and help translate WordPress into your language. The Polyglots team can be reached at the Polyglots P2 and on the #polyglots channel on the WordPress Slack.

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What’s Internationalization and Localization?

InternationalizationInternationalization Internationalization (sometimes shortened to I18N , meaning “I - eighteen letters -N”) is the process of planning and implementing products and services so that they can easily be adapted to specific local languages and cultures, a process called localization. This is the process of making software translatable. Information about Internationalization for developers can be found in the Developer’s handbooks. and localizationLocalization Localization (sometimes shortened to "l10n") is the process of adapting a product or service to a particular language, culture, and desired local "look-and-feel." (commonly abbreviated as i18nInternationalization Internationalization (sometimes shortened to I18N , meaning “I - eighteen letters -N”) is the process of planning and implementing products and services so that they can easily be adapted to specific local languages and cultures, a process called localization. This is the process of making software translatable. Information about Internationalization for developers can be found in the Developer’s handbooks. and l10nLocalization Localization (sometimes shortened to "l10n") is the process of adapting a product or service to a particular language, culture, and desired local "look-and-feel." respectively) are terms used to describe the effort to make WordPress (and other such projects) available in languages other than the source, or original, language for people from different localesLocale Locale = language version, often a combination of a language code and a region code, for instance es_MX denotes Spanish as it’s used in Mexico. A list of all locales supported by WordPress in https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/teams/, who have different dialects and local preferences.

The process of localizing software has two steps. The first step is when the developers provide a mechanism and method for the eventual translation of the program and its interface to suit local preferences and languages for users worldwide. This process is internationalization (i18n). WordPress developers have done this already, so in theory, WordPress can be used in any language.

The second step is the actual localization (l10n), the process by which the text on the page and other settings are translated and adapted to another language and culture, using the framework prescribed by the developers of the software. WordPress has already been localized into many languages (see our list of teams for more information).

This handbook explains how translators (bi- or multi-lingual WordPress users) can go about localizing WordPress to more languages.

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Translating WordPress

The easiest way to start translating WordPress is to go to translate.wordpress.org. Everyone can translate, as long as they are logged into their WordPress.org account.

On translate.wordpress.org, you will find a list of every language available for translating WordPress. If you speak one of the languages listed and it hasn’t been completely translated (listed at 100%), you can see the untranslated stringsString A string is a translatable part of the software. A translation consists of a multitude of localized strings. and suggest translations.

Before your translations become part of WordPress, they will need to be approved by a translation editor – a trusted member of the Polyglots community who can also appoint new translation editorsTranslation Editor Translation editors can approve translations for projects. The GTE (General Translation Editor) and LM (Locale Manager) roles can add new users with the "Project Translation Editor" role that can approve translations for specific projects. There are two different Translation Editor roles: General Translation Editor and Project Translation Editor.

To learn about the translation process and how to get started, read the How to translate page.

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Our Translation Platform

On the official site for translating WordPress – https://translate.wordpress.org – the Polyglots team uses a WordPress pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party called GlotPressGlotPress GlotPress is the translation management software that powers Translate.WordPress.org. More information is available at glotpress.org. that turns WordPress into a translation management system. It allows collaborative work by translation contributors and translation editors and is the recommended tool for translating WordPress, plugins, and themes.

http://Translate.WordPress.org
https://translate.wordpress.org

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Connecting to your Local Community

RosettaRosetta The code name of the theme for the local WordPress sites (eg. bg.wordpress.org is a “Rosetta” site). All locale specific WordPress sites are referred to as “Rosetta sites.” The name was inspired from the ancient Rosetta Stone, which contained more or less the same text in three different languages. Sites (localized versions of WordPress.orgWordPress.org The community site where WordPress code is created and shared by the users. This is where you can download the source code for WordPress core, plugins and themes as well as the central location for community conversations and organization. https://wordpress.org/, like es.wordpress.org or ja.wordpress.org) are gateways to local communities. They are the version of WordPress.org in a specific language. They are also the place where you can download WordPress in that language and find more information on the team of translators.

Many Rosetta Sites also have forums where discussions and support happen for a specific language. Likewise, many locales have their own local SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/. installations where community members can connect via chat. You can find either through your relevant Rosetta Site or on our Local Slacks page.

RosettaSites

A list of these localized WordPress sites can be found on the Teams page.

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Terms

Throughout this handbook, we’ll use a few terms with which you might want to familiarize yourself.

  • Internationalization: as mentioned above, internationalization is the method in which we make WordPress available in different languages and regions.
  • Localization: Localization is the process of translating software to a different language. This term is often used interchangeably in this handbook with internationalization.
  • LocaleLocale Locale = language version, often a combination of a language code and a region code, for instance es_MX denotes Spanish as it’s used in Mexico. A list of all locales supported by WordPress in https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/teams/: A locale (as opposed to “local”) is the combination of a language and a regional dialect. Locales often refer to countries. For example, Portuguese (Portugal) and Portuguese (Brazilian). The default locale for WordPress is English (U.S.). To define a locale we either use a language code + a country code or the ISO 639-3 code of a language.
  • Rosetta site: The local WordPress.org site for a specific locale. For example the Portuguese Rosetta site is pt.wordpress.org and the Bulgarian site is bg.wordpress.org.
  • StringString A string is a translatable part of the software. A translation consists of a multitude of localized strings.: A string is a translatable part of the software. A translation consists of a multitude of localized strings. In GlotPress, the translation tool we use, each string appears as an individual unit that can be translated, submitted, and approved.
For a full list of terms, read the Polyglots Handbook Glossary

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