2. 2
Translation App Guide
Table of Contents
Introduction.........................................................................4
Getting started.....................................................................4
Main areas...........................................................................5
Search............................................................................................................................................................. 5
Translation activity overview ................................................................................................................ 6
Useful links................................................................................................................................................... 7
Leaderboards............................................................................................................................................... 7
Translation app feedback ...................................................................................................................... 8
Translation community ........................................................................................................................... 8
Translating with the app .........................................................9
Tokens ..........................................................................................................................................................10
Variations (applicable to some languages only).......................................................................11
Number................................................................................................................................................................11
Gender..................................................................................................................................................................12
Viewing user......................................................................................................................................................13
Subject..................................................................................................................................................................13
Multiple variations in one string..............................................................................................................14
How to use variations?.................................................................................................................................15
Attributes (applicable to some languages only).......................................................................16
Using an attribute for a token that will be replaced by a name .............................................18
Using an attribute for a token that will be replaced by a noun or a phrase ....................18
3. 3
Translation App Guide
Special characters before tokens .....................................................................................................19
Inline translations................................................................ 20
Voting with the app ............................................................. 21
4. 4
Translation App Guide
Introduction
Created: May 2014
Volunteer translators make it possible for us to make Facebook available in
many languages around the world. First of all, thank you for your interest and
contributions. You are helping to make Facebook accessible to a lot of
people!
The purpose of this guide is to show you how to use the translation app and
introduce its main features. We hope you will enjoy using the app!
Getting started
To get started with translations go to https://www.facebook.com/translations.
Select the language you are going to translate into. Note that once you set a
language you can only change to another language after 30 days. Please also
change the language you are using Facebook in to the language you are
translating into. This will enable you to see your translations in context to
check their accuracy. If there’s a mismatch between those settings you will see
the following message in the translation app:
5. 5
Translation App Guide
Main areas
The main part of the screen is the translations pane where you can enter
translations or vote for existing translations. If you have a preference for
voting vs. translation you can click either the Vote or Translate link at the top
of the page.
At the top of the page there’s also an Edit Settings link where you can
change your translation language setting (every 30 days). You can also choose
to hide your activity from the community so your name doesn’t show on the
leaderboard.
Search
At the top of the right pane you can search for strings either by source
(English) or translation. You might find it useful to open a separate window
6. 6
Translation App Guide
for search otherwise it might be difficult to get back to the string you were
working on.
Translation activity overview
Under the search bar you can find a ticker that tracks your translation and
voting activity over time.
As you submit more translations and votes you can also earn awards.
Clicking View All will take you to the awards page where you can see a
summary of your awards. You can currently earn 9 awards, some of which are
shown in the image below:
Translation awards: After translating 50, 500 and 5000 strings
Voting awards: After voting on 50, 500 and 5000 strings
Publisher awards: After 100, 500 and 1000 words displayed
7. 7
Translation App Guide
You’ll see a lock icon for any awards you haven’t earned yet. It might take a
day or two for newly earned awards to show.
Useful links
In the right bar you’ll also find the Useful Translations Links section that
includes links to the glossary and style guide for your language and a list of
FAQs.
Leaderboards
On the right side you’ll see a list of the top contributors for your language in
the current week. If you click View All, you can see the different leaderboards
and you can see how many translations and votes were contributed by the
translators on the leaderboard.
8. 8
Translation App Guide
The leaderboards we have today show the top contributors in the current
week, month and since translation started for the given language. Total
impact is calculated based on the number of words submitted that were
approved either by an administrator or auto-approved through up-votes from
other translators.
Translations have a heavier weight than votes in our leaderboard calculations.
Translation app feedback
This area has a link to answers to the frequently asked questions as well as to
forms that let you report problems with the translation app or report incorrect
translations in strings that are no longer open for editing. The problems you
submit are sent to the Facebook translations team and someone will get in
touch with you about your report.
You will also find a link to the Translation App Terms of Service in this section.
Translation community
This section includes a link to the discussion group that was created for your
language and you will also see some of the most recent posts in the group
(you can even comment on them from here). These discussion groups were
created to facilitate discussions related to translation and voting activities. You
can use the group to ask questions to other translators, make suggestions or
9. 9
Translation App Guide
report issues. If you’d like attention from the Facebook team, please make
sure you write in English and tag us (Facebook Translations Team) in your
post. Please limit discussions to the topic of translations in your language or
to the translation app.
Translating with the app
If you have a preference for translation work you can select Translate at the
top of the page. Otherwise you will be presented with a mix of strings
requiring votes and translations.
For every string you will see the English source in bold followed by a short
description that gives some context on how the string is displayed. To provide
the first translation for a string all you have to do is type your translation into
the Translate into [language] field and click the Translate button. To help
you with the translations and keep the main terms consistent, you’ll also find
the applicable glossary entries listed. Please use the glossary translations as
provided. If you don’t agree with the translations, post a comment in the
community discussion group or file a “bad translation” ticket.
10. 10
Translation App Guide
Tokens
Lots of strings contain tokens or variables that are replaced automatically
when they show on Facebook. These tokens are shown in curly braces.
As a general rule, tokens that contain an equality (=) sign before the text
included between the braces will be replaced by those same words, while
tokens that do not contain the equality sign will be replaced by a variable
item. In this string, {name} will be replaced by the name of a person and
{=link} will be replaced by the word “link” that is translated as a separate
string. An example for the string that’s actually displayed:
Facebook Translations Team shared a link.
You can only submit a translation if it contains all the tokens that are present
in the source text. To help you ensure that you are inserting them all, you can
click them from the token list that shows under the translation field.
11. 11
Translation App Guide
Variations (applicable to some languages only)
Variations are used when the item that will eventually replace the token
influences the translation of the rest of the phrase. There are four types of
variations: two related to tokens and two more that don’t actually involve
tokens. This feature is only available for certain languages. If it’s not currently
enabled for your language, but you think it should be, please contact us by
filing a “Report bugs with the translation app” ticket here.
Number
Number variations are used if the token will be replaced by a number, and
the rest of the phrase depends on what number the token is replaced with.
Example: You like {number} photos.
For some languages, the translation that eventually shows on the screen will
have to be different if {number} is 1, 0, 01-19 or 20-100, 120-200, etc. So the
translation has to vary according to the number in the token. When you apply
12. 12
Translation App Guide
number variations, the original string will become three separate strings
derived from the original one. Each variation string has a specific description
describing what type of number will replace the token {number}, so you can
type in the correct translation.
Number variation should only be applied to strings in which the {number} or
{name count} token is on its own, not embedded together with other text.
OK to use number variation:
{number} people use this
Not OK to use number variation:
{name1} ,{name2} and {name count other people} like your {=post}
Gender
Gender variations are used when a token will be replaced by someone’s name.
They are necessary because a name has a gender (female, male, unknown),
and this gender might influence the rest of the translated phrase.
Example: {name1} marked you safe during {crisis}
When you apply gender variations, three new variation strings will be created
based on the original. For each of them, the gender for {name1} is specified in
the description of a variation string description, so you can translate
accordingly.
13. 13
Translation App Guide
Note: Facebook has the option of “unknown gender” because some people
don’t specify their gender. Also some Page names are considered “unknown
gender”. Translation solutions for this situation vary for different languages.
Viewing user
This type of variation does not actually involve tokens. In this case, the
translated phrase is influenced by the gender of the viewer who sees the
translation on screen.
Example: You were invited to an event.
For some languages the translation of the verb “invited” needs to reflect the
viewer’s gender. If you apply this variation, the original string will split in three
(the person view it might be female, male or of an unknown gender). You can
then insert the three translations.
Subject
Subject variations are used when the subject of the phrase is not the person
viewing it, but it still does influence the translation of the phrase.
Example: Invited by you yesterday.
The translation of the verb “invite” might need to be adjusted according to
the gender of the invitee.
14. 14
Translation App Guide
Note 1: Unfortunately, subject variations only work in some places, such as
Timeline. Try to avoid using this option. If you really need to use it, you can
ask for a confirmation in the Admin Group, to make sure it will work. If it
doesn’t work, the translated string will show by default using the variation for
unknown gender.
Note 2: Do not confuse subject variations and the viewing user variations.
Whenever the viewing user is also the subject of the phrase, use the viewing
user variations.
Multiple variations in one string
You might see strings for which you need to apply variations not for just one
token, but for two or even three.
Example: {name} was tagged in this photo {hours} hours and {minutes}
minutes ago.
The {hours} and {minutes} tokens will be replaced by the respective number of
hours and minutes. You need to apply number variations for both. You also
need to apply gender variations for {name}. As a result, you end up with two
number variations and a gender variation, three in total.
If you apply number variations for one token in a string, you’ll get 3 variation
strings. If you do it for two tokens, the number increases to 9, and for three
tokens to 27. You cannot expand the string into more than 27 total. If the
number goes above 27 the variations will be disabled.
15. 15
Translation App Guide
How to use variations?
If your language is enabled with these features you can see a version of the
following under applicable strings:
Once you click the link, the following dialog will appear
Select the applicable checkboxes and click Save to generate a number of
alternate strings for translation. Please make sure you only select the
checkboxes that are necessary, otherwise you’ll generate a lot of unnecessary
strings. You’ll be presented with the list of strings to be translated:
16. 16
Translation App Guide
If you realize that too many unnecessary variations were created select the
Change options link above the variations and unselect the checkboxes that
are not needed. Then click Save again.
Attributes (applicable to some languages only)
Attributes can be used when the rest of the translated phrase influences the
item that will replace the token. Attributes work differently than variations.
This feature is only available for certain languages. If it is not currently
enabled for your language, but you think it should be, please contact us by
filing a “Report bugs with the translation app” ticket here.
17. 17
Translation App Guide
If attributes are activated for your language, then you can edit any token by
adding a special string of characters inside the token. Such a string of
characters is called an “attribute”.
If you place the cursor at the end of a token (after the closing curly brace “}”),
and then press backspace, a drop-down with all the attributes available for
your language will show on screen, allowing you to select an attribute (see
the screenshot below). Once you select the attribute you need, it will be
added to the token and you can continue translating.
This screenshot shows three attributes available for Romanian. The last item
on the list is just the token itself. Attributes may vary from language to
language.
18. 18
Translation App Guide
Using an attribute for a token that will be replaced by a name
Some tokens clearly indicate that they will be replaced by peoples’ names,
such as: {name}, {user}, {owner}, {owner name}. For some languages and some
translations, dative or genitive concordance might be needed for the names
that replace these tokens.
Example: {name} likes a photo.
If the name that will replace {name} needs to be displayed not in the
nominative case, but in dative case, you can edit the token and add the
attribute related to the dative case. The edited token will look approximately
like this:
{name # Case: dative} likes a photo.
After you add the attribute, the attribute will activate an automated
replacement function that changes person’s name before displaying it on
screen.
Using an attribute for a token that will be replaced by a noun
or a phrase
Some tokens will be replaced by the translation of the exact word or phrase
found inside the token. (You can learn more about this in section “The
equality sign ‘=’ in tokens”.)
19. 19
Translation App Guide
Example: The {=photo} has been deleted.
In the example above, for some languages, the definite article “The” translates
into a suffix added to the word “photo”. This means that the translation itself
needs to reflect this definite article. Adding an attribute will do nothing to
that kind of token. This means there should be another string, “photo”, that
needs to be translated and for which the definite article attribute is specified.
You can see this other string in the screenshot below. Circled in red is the
type of attribute requested. Translated into English, it reads “Form: definite
article”.
The word entered as a translation for this string will be used to replace
{=photo # Definite article} token used in the example above, when the string
is shown on screen.
Special characters before tokens
When working with tokens you can place one of two characters, caret “^” or
underscore “_”, right before the first curly brace:
• The character “^” will help get the first letter of the word or phrase
that replaces the token into an upper case letter
20. 20
Translation App Guide
• The character “_” will help change the word or phrase that replaces
the token to lower case
Example: You posted this in {month}.
In this string {month} will be replaced by the name of a month. If you would
like to make sure that the first letter of the name of the month is lowercase,
insert the “_” character before it
You posted this in _{month}.
Or to ensure that it’s uppercase, use “^”
You posted this in ^{month}.
Inline translations
When a language is still new on Facebook and few strings are translated we
recommend using inline translations so that you can view strings you are
translating in context. To turn on inline translations, go to the bottom of a
Facebook page and look for the globe icon in the bottom right corner. Click
the icon and select Turn on inline translating.
21. 21
Translation App Guide
With inline translations turned on, strings that do not yet have an approved
translation will be underlined by red. In the first example below no translation
has been submitted yet, so the string is displayed in English. If you right-click
on the underlined string, the translation dialog appears and you can type in
your translation. In the second example there is already a translation available.
If you right-click on the underlined string you will be able to vote for the
available translations or submit a new one.
Strings that are not underlined are either approved already or are not
supported by the inline translation feature. If you find a mistake in a string
you are not able to edit, please file a ticket here.
Voting with the app
If you have a preference for voting, select Vote at the top of the page or go
directly to https://www.facebook.com/?sk=translations&view=voting.
22. 22
Translation App Guide
Otherwise you will be presented with a mix of strings requiring votes and
translations.
You will be presented with a list of strings that already have translations. You
will see the source English string followed by a short description that gives
some context on how the string is displayed. To vote for the best translation,
click the checkmark next to that translation. If you find a bad translation, click
the “x”. Only click the “x” if the translation is incorrect or offensive, not
merely if it contains some mistakes.
Only the top 5 translations are displayed. If a string has more than 5
translations, you can review them by clicking on the {count} More link.
23. 23
Translation App Guide
If none of the translations are accurate and you’d like to provide a new one,
click + New translation and type the correct translation. You can also copy
and edit an existing translation by clicking on it.
Once a translation receives enough votes to be approved, it no longer
appears in the translation app.
Thank you for your contributions to Facebook translations. We hope you have
fun and enjoy using the site in the language you are translating into!