Translation rules
The rules that apply to every language. Short, and worth reading before you start.
These rules apply to every language. Some languages have extra guidelines on top.
- Only translate into your native language. Machine translation and second languages show, and native speakers notice right away.
- Do not translate names. Product and brand names stay as they are: Home Assistant, Supervisor, Hue, Z-Wave, Matter.
- Keep placeholders intact. A placeholder name between curly brackets, like
{name}, stays exactly as it is. In plurals and choices, keep the keywords and the brackets, and translate the text inside the inner brackets. See Placeholders and references. - Match the tone of Home Assistant. Friendly, clear, and direct. Write the way you would explain something to a friend, not the way a manual would.
- Keep it short where space is short. Buttons, badges, and state names often have little room. For example, translations under
state_badgeare shown on small badges, so they need to be short. To try one out, open Settings > Tools > States, set a state on a test entity likedevice_tracker.test, and use your translation as the state. - Reuse, do not repeat. If the same text appears in multiple strings, link them with a reference.
- Be consistent. Use the same word for the same thing everywhere. If your language has agreed on a term, use it.
- Ask when in doubt. Leave a comment on the string in Lokalise. A question is better than a guess.