LTZ Lux Styleguide

Luxembourgish Style Guide
Contents
What's New? .................................................................................................................................... 4
New Topics ................................................................................................................................... 4
Updated Topics ............................................................................................................................ 4
Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 5
About This Style Guide ................................................................................................................ 5
Scope of This Document .............................................................................................................. 5
Style Guide Conventions .............................................................................................................. 5
Sample Text ................................................................................................................................. 5
Recommended Reference Material ............................................................................................. 6
Normative References .............................................................................................................. 6
Informative References ............................................................................................................. 7
Language Specific Conventions ...................................................................................................... 8

Country/Region Standards ........................................................................................................... 8
Characters ................................................................................................................................ 8
Special Characters.................................................................................................................. 10
Date ........................................................................................................................................ 11
Time ........................................................................................................................................ 12
Numbers ................................................................................................................................. 14
Sorting ..................................................................................................................................... 18
Geopolitical Concerns ................................................................................................................ 22
Grammar, Syntax & Orthographic Conventions ......................................................................... 23
Adjectives ................................................................................................................................ 23
Articles .................................................................................................................................... 24
Capitalization .......................................................................................................................... 26
Compounds............................................................................................................................. 26
Gender .................................................................................................................................... 26
Genitive ................................................................................................................................... 27
Modifiers ................................................................................................................................. 27
Nouns ...................................................................................................................................... 28
Prepositions ............................................................................................................................ 28
Pronouns ................................................................................................................................. 29
Punctuation ............................................................................................................................. 29
Singular & Plural ..................................................................................................................... 32
Split Infinitive ........................................................................................................................... 32
Subjunctive ............................................................................................................................. 32
Symbols & Non-Breaking Spaces........................................................................................... 33
Syntax ..................................................................................................................................... 33
Verbs ....................................................................................................................................... 33
Word Order ............................................................................................................................. 34
Style and Tone Considerations .................................................................................................. 34
Audience ................................................................................................................................. 34
Style ........................................................................................................................................ 34
Tone ........................................................................................................................................ 35
Voice ....................................................................................................................................... 35
Localization Guidelines .................................................................................................................. 36

General Considerations ............................................................................................................. 36
Abbreviations .......................................................................................................................... 36
Accessibility ............................................................................................................................ 37
Acronyms ................................................................................................................................ 37
Applications, Products, and Features ..................................................................................... 38
Frequent Errors ....................................................................................................................... 38
Glossaries ............................................................................................................................... 40
Fictitious Information ............................................................................................................... 40
Recurring Patterns .................................................................................................................. 40
Standardized Translations ...................................................................................................... 40
Unlocalized Items.................................................................................................................... 40
Using the Word Microsoft ....................................................................................................... 42
Software Considerations ............................................................................................................ 42
User Interface ......................................................................................................................... 43
Messages ................................................................................................................................ 43
Keys ........................................................................................................................................ 47
Document Translation Considerations ....................................................................................... 51
Titles ....................................................................................................................................... 51
Copyright ................................................................................................................................. 52
What's New?
Last Updated: February 2011
New Topics
The following topics were added:
Please see updated topics
Updated Topics
The following topics were updated:
Sample Text - updated
Normative references
Country/Region standards
Grammar, Syntax & Orthographic Conventions
Style and Tone Considerations
Localization Guidelines
Software Considerations
Document Translation Considerations
4
Introduction
This Style Guide went through major revision in February 2011 in order to remove outdated and unnecessary
content. It contains information pertaining to all Microsoft products and services.
About This Style Guide

The purpose of this Style Guide is to provide everybody involved in the localization of Luxembourgish 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, grammatical conventions, as well as stylistic criteria. 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 Luxembourgish 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.
Sample Text
Historesch Entwcklung vum Wahlrecht
Nach virun 100 Joer htten di mannst vun ons dierfe wiele goen. Dat aktiivt Wahlrecht haten nmme Mnner, di
25 Joer al waren a genuch Akommes haten, dass se relativ vill Steieren hu misse bezuelen. An nmme wien
5
nach mi Steiere bezuelt huet, konnt sech wiele loossen. An dWieler hu missen di ltzebuergesch Nationalitit
hunn an hei am Land wunnen. Di di eppes ze soen haten, woren iwwerzeegt, dass nmme wie rich wor,
responsabel Decisioune fir si Land oder seng Gemeng gif huelen. Aarm Leit, di keng Steiere bezuelt hunn,
gife jo vlicht decidieren, dSchoulflicht anzefieren, oder dAarbechtszit ze verkierzen oder Gewerkschaften
erlaben. Dat huet misse verhnnert ginn.
1919 wor et eriwwer mat deem Zensuswahlrecht. Dat sougenannt allgemengt Wahlrecht gouf agefouert. Dat
heescht: Zwou Bedingunge goufen ofgeschaaft: et huet ee net mi missen e Mann sinn an et huet een net mi
misse Steiere bezuelen, m et huet ee weiderhi misse Ltzebuerger sinn an zu Ltzebuerg wunnen.
DAltersbedingung gouf op 21 Joer a 1972 op 18 Joer erofgesat.
Sit dem Maastrichter Vertrag gtt un der Nationalititsbedingung gefrckelt. Sit 1995 dierfen all Awunner vum
Land, di dNationalitit vun engem Memberland vun der europescher Unioun hunn, un de Gemengewahlen
deel huelen. Sit 2003 gllt dat fir all Auslnner. De 27. Januar huet dChamber e weidere Schrtt an di
Richtung dcidiert: am Oktober dierfen all Auslnner net nmme mat wiele goen, m och gewielt an esouguer
Schffen oder Buergermeeschter ginn.
Vun de fnnef Bedingungen, di am 19. Jorhonnert blech waren, sinn der also op dmannst fir dGemengewahle
vier ewech gefall. Et bleift dResidenzklausel, di och nach soll reduziert ginn. All Awunner, ob Ltzebuerger
oder Auslnner, ass vun den Decisioune vum Gemengen- a Schfferot betraff, soll also och knnen dMembere
vun deene Rit mat bestmmen. Ob en dodrun interessiert ass oder net, hnkt net vun der Nationalitit of. Fir
dZuel vun de Conseillere festzeleen, ziele jo och dAwunner alleguer, esou wi och de Pitt Biltgen, deen zu
Useldeng, an der Beetebuerger Strooss op Nummer 36 wunnt. Wann dir hie wllt per Telefon erreechen, rufft
w.e.g. de 45 99 45 1 un.
Source : Deeler aus enger Emissioun op RTL Radio Ltzebuerg, Auteur: Michel Pauly
Op der Antenn, de 7.02.2011 um 07 :25 Auer
Recommended Reference Material

Use the Luxembourgish language and terminology as described and used in the following publications.
Normative References
These normative sources must be adhered to. Any deviation from them automatically fails a string in most cases.
When more than one solution is allowed in these sources, look for the recommended one in other parts of the
Style Guide.
1. www.lod.lu
2. 1,2,3, Ltzebuergesch GRAMMAIRE 3 Lorthographe; Franois Schanen Jacqui Zimmer; Editions
Schortgen; 2006; ISBN-10 : 2-87953-022-9 , ISBN-13 : 978-2-87953-022-2
3. Eis Sprooch richteg schreiwen; Josy Braun; rapidpress; 2008
4. 1,2,3, Ltzebuergesch GRAMMAIRE 1 Le groupe verbal; Franois Schanen Jacqui Zimmer; Editions
Schortgen; 2005; ISBN : 2-87953-908-0
5. 1,2,3, Ltzebuergesch GRAMMAIRE 2 Le groupe nominal; Franois Schanen Jacqui Zimmer; Editions
Schortgen; 2006; ISBN-10 : 2-87953-021-0 , ISBN-13 : 978-2-87953-021-5
6
6. Luxdico Franais luxembourgeois: Jrme Lulling Franois Schanen, Editions Schortgen, 2009,
ISBN: 978-2-87953-909-9
7. Luxdico Allemand luxembourgeois: Myriam Welschbillig Jrme Lulling Franois Schanen, Editions
Schortgen, 2008, ISBN: 978-2-87953-058-1
Informative References
These sources are meant to provide supplementary information, background, comparison, etc.
8. 1. http://www.cpll.lu/cpll/schanen_lulling_letz.pdf
9. 2. cpll.contact@cpll.lu
10. 3. http://www.crpgl.lu/cortina
11. 4. http://spellchecker.lu/online-checker
7
Language Specific Conventions
This part of the style guide contains information about standards specific to Luxembourgish.
Country/Region Standards
Characters
Luxembourg
Country/region
Lower-case characters a,,,b,c,d,e,,,,,f,g,h,i,j,k,l,m,n,o,,,p,q,r,s,t,u,,,v,w,x,y,z
Upper-case characters A,,B,C,D,E,,,F,G,H,I,K,L,M,N,O,,P,Q,R,S,T,U,,V,W,X,Y,Z
Characters in caseless
n/a
scripts
Extended Latin characters ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Note on alphabetical order Alphabetical order is not necessarily indicative of sorting order.
Total number of characters 64
A 0041
a 0061
00C4
00E4
00C0
00E2
00C2
B 0042
Unicode codes b 0062
C 0043
c 0063
D 0044
d 0064
E 0045
e 0065
00CB
00EB
8
Luxembourg
Country/region
00C9
00E9
00EA
00E8
F 0046
f 0066
G 0047
g 0067
H 0048
h 0068
I 0049
i 0069
J 004A
j 006A
K 004B
k 006B
L 004C
l 006C
M 004D
m 006D
N 004E
n 006E
O 004F
o 006F
00D6
00F6
00F4
P 0050
p 0070
Q 0051
q 0071
R 0052
r 0072
9
Luxembourg
Country/region
S 0053
s 0073
T 0054
t 0074
U 0055
u 0075
00DC
00FC
00F9
00D9
00DB
00FB
V 0056
v 0076
W 0057
w 0077
X 0058
x 0078
Y 0059
y 0079
Z 005A
z 007A
Always use the correct extended characters as not using the umlauts could
change the meaning of a word significantly (e.g.: "well" - 'because' versus
Notes "ech wll" - 'I want')
For the same reason, the umlauts , , are always to be used even for
capital letters. Austria in Luxembourgisch is written isterrich
Special Characters
The following is a list of special characters and their Microsoft standard names. Using other names than those in
the list is a terminology issue.
Character Name of character Character Name of character Character Name of character

ANSI code (if available) ANSI code (if available) ANSI code (if available)
& An (geschftlech) 038
10
Character Name of character Character Name of character Character Name of character
ANSI code (if available) ANSI code (if available) ANSI code (if available)
<> Wnkelklamer lnks/riets 060, 062
Apostrophe 0146
* Astrisque 042
@ (+) @-Zeechen (In Internet-specific 064
explanations also referred to as "at-
Zeichen".)
Date
Country/region Luxembourg
Calendar/Era Gregorian
First Day of the Week Monday
First Week of the Year In January, the week which contains the first Thursday of the month
Separator / or or .
Default Short Date

d/M/yyyy
Format
Example 17/3/2011
Default Long Date Format dddd. MMMM yyyy
Example 17. Merz 2011
Additional Short Date

dd-MM-yyyy
Format 1
Example 17-03-2011
Additional Short Date

d.M. yyyy
Format 2
Example 17.3.2011
Additional Long Date

dddd, de(n) dd. MMMM yyyy
Format 1
Example Mindeg, de 17. Merz 2011
Additional Long Date

n/a
Format 2
Example n/a
11
Leading Zero in Day Field

No
for Short Date Format
Leading Zero in Month

Field for Short Date No
Format
No. of digits for year for

4
Short Day Format
Leading Zero in Day Field

No
for Long Date Format
Leading Zero in Month

Field for Long Date n/a
Format
Number of digits for year

4
for Long Day Format
Date Format for

dddd, de(n) dd. MMMM yyyy
Correspondence
Example Mindeg, de 17. Merz 2011
Notes n/a
d is for day, number of d's indicates the format (d = digits without leading zero, dd =
digits with leading zero, ddd = the abbreviated day name, dddd = full day name)
Abbreviations in Format M is for month, number of M's gives number of digits. (M = digits without leading
Codes 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
24 hour format Yes
Standard time format H:mm; H:mm:ss
Standard time format

6:34; 6:34:22
example
Time separator Doppelpunkt (colon) :
Time separator examples 03:24:12
12
Hours leading zero No
Hours leading zero example 3:24:12
String for AM designator n/a
Notes AM / PM is not used for time format, 24 hour format only.
Days
Country/region: Luxembourg
Day Normal Form Abbreviation
Monday Mindeg M
Tuesday Dnschdeg D
Wednesday Mttwoch M
Thursday Donneschdeg Do
Friday Freideg Fr
Saturday Samschdeg Sa
Sunday Sonndeg So
13
First Day of Week: Mindeg
Is first letter capitalized?: Yes
Notes: Names of the weekdays may as well be ending with en instead of eg, both forms are used.
Months
Month Full Form Abbreviated Form Long Date Form
January Januar Jan Januar
February Februar Feb Februar
March Merz Me Merz
April Abrll Abr Abrll
May Mee Mee Mee
June Juni Jun Juni
July Juli Jul Juli
August August Aug August
September September Sep September
October Oktober Okt Oktober
November November Nov November
December Dezember Dez Dezember
Is first letter capitalized?: Yes

Notes: Abbreviated form not used very often if at all, this is just a proposal for abbreviate form.
Numbers
Note: Comma and dot are used in the opposite way from UK and US.
Example : Two thousand = 2.000
14
Phone Numbers
Country/ International Area Codes Number of Separator Number of Digit Groupings
region Dialing Used? Digits Area Digits Domestic
Code Codes Domestic
Luxembourg +352 No n/a Space 6,8,9 (###) ## ## ## ##
Country/ Number of Digit Number of Digit Number of Digit Groupings

region Digits Groupings Digits Groupings Digits International
Local Local Mobile Mobile International
Luxembourg 6,8,9 ######; ### 9 ### ### (00###) ## +352 ######;

###; ## ## ###; ### ## ## +353 ## ## ##;
##; ### ### ######; +353 ### ###;
###; ### ### ## ## +353 ## ######;
######; ### ## +353 ## ### ###;
## ## ##; ## +353 ## ## ## ##;
### ###; ## +353 ### ######;
## ## ## +353 ### ###
###; +353 ### ##
## ##
Notes: The prefixes for Luxembourgish mobile numbers (first 3 digits) can till today, only be: 621; 661; 691.
Addresses
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. [CountryCode-] PostalCode City
6. [Country]
Example Address:
Dr. Patrick Mertes
Clinique St. Anselle
3 rue Principale
L-1234 Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Local Postal Code Format: [Z-XXXX]
15
Notes: Always 4 digits
Country code always to be used: L (not ISO lu, and uppercased)
Currency
Currency Name Euro
Currency Symbol
Currency Symbol Position Symbol is positioned behind the amount
Positive Currency Format 145,71
Negative Sign Symbol -145,71
Negative Currency Format -
Decimal Symbol Comma (,)
Number of Digits after Decimal 2
Digit Grouping Symbol Period (.)
Number of Digits in Digit

3
Grouping
Positive Currency Example 1.234,23 Euro
Negative Currency Example -1.234,23 Euro
ISO Currency Code EUR
Currency Subunit Name cent
Currency Subunit Symbol n/a
Currency Subunit Example 15 cent
Digit Groups
Decimal Separator: ,
Decimal Separator Description: Comma
Decimal Separator Example: 1,56; 1.400,65
Thousand Separator: .
Thousand Separator Description: Period (full stop)
Thousand Separator Example: 1.400,65
Notes: Comma and dot are used in the opposite way from UK and US.
16
Measurement Units
Metric System Commonly Used?: Yes
Temperature: Celsius
Category English Translation Abbreviation
Linear Measure Kilometer Kilometer km
Meter Meter m
Decimeter Dezimeter dm
Centimeter Zentimeter cm
Millimeter Millimeter mm
Capacity Hectoliter Hektoliter hl
Liter Liter l
Deciliter Deziliter dl
Centiliter Zentiliter cl
Milliliter Milliliter ml
Mass Ton Tonn t
Kilogram Kilogramm kg
Pound Pond N/A
Gram Gramm g
Decigram Dezigramm dg
Centigram Zentigramm cg
Milligram Milligramm mg
English Units of Inch Zoll

Measurement
Feet Fouss ft
Mile Meil n/a
Gallon n/a n/a
Notes: There is no abbreviation for pound (500g), just a symbol.
Percentages
Always put a space before the % sign. Example : 12,5 %.
17
Sorting
1. Capital letters and lowercase letters are equal. No distinction is made between them.
2. Whether these letters are accented or not, it does not affect the alphabetizing order.
Sorting is organized according to the second letter of the word regardless of accents.
Sorting rules 3. Other accented characters are equal with non-accented characters; so and e are
equal.
4. Non-alphabetical characters (i.e. symbols like @ ! #) sort before the letters of the
alphabet.
5. Digits sort after the non-alphabetical characters and before the letters of the alphabet.
A 65
a 97
196
228
226
B 66
b 98
C 67
c 99
D 68
d 100
E 69
e 101
Character 203
sorting order 235
201
233
234
232
F 70
f 102
G 71
g 103
H 72
h 104
I 73
i 105
J 74
18
j 106
K 75
k 107
L 76
l 108
M 77
m 109
N 78
n 110
O 79
o 111
214
246
244
P 80
p 112
Q 81
q 113
R 82
r 114
S 83
s 115
T 84
t 116
U 85
u 117
220
252
V 86
v 118
W 87
w 119
X 88
x 120
Y 89
19
y 121
Z 90
z 122
1
@
Alphabet
anerer
Beien
Blummen
Chef
Cousin
Daach
Dafgiedel
derfen
eidel
Eil
il
mfalen
Examples of Faarf
sorted words Fr
Feig
ganz
Gehir
Gi
Happ
Hr
Haus
Iddi
Jackett
Jus
Kabes
Kar
Kr
keimen
Kis
20
Laachen
Lcheren
Leen
Mann
Mnner
Meessel
Mindes
Meldung
Misseg
nach
nchsten
Nei
Niesch
Obligatioun
Paangech
Pckelchen
Perd
Pppel
Quadrat
Qutschbloder
Rad
Rissen
Rebellioun
Rcpiss
Rees
Rnnen
Saach
Scheck
schcken
Seid
Siduch
Taart
testen
Uelech
Usaz
21
Vakanz
vermeiden
vermssen
waarm
wertvoll
Wiprouf
X-Been
Yoga
Zaang
Znn
Zensur
znter
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.
Guideline
As country/region and city names can change, please use the most up-to-date Luxembourgish list for every
release of your product.
22
Grammar, Syntax & Orthographic Conventions
This section includes information on how to apply the general rules of the Luxembourgish language to Microsoft
products and documentation.
Adjectives
In Luxembourgish, adjectives should be handled in the following manner.
1. Luxembourgish morphology distinguishes two types of adjective: attributive and predicative. Predicative
adjectives appear with verbs like sinn ("to be"), and receive no extra ending:
2. Attributive adjectives are placed before the noun they describe, and change their ending according to the
grammatical gender, number, and case:
3. Interesting to note is how the definite article changes with the use of an attributive adjective: feminine d
goes to di (or di), neuter d' goes to dat, and plural d' changes to di.
4. The comparative in Luxembourgish is formed analytically, i.e. the adjective itself is not altered (compare
the use of -er in German and English; tall taller, klein kleiner). Instead it is formed using the adverb
mi: e.g. schin mi schin
5. The superlative involves a synthetic form consisting of the adjective and the suffix -st: e.g. schin
schinst (compare German schnst, English prettiest). Attributive modification requires the emphatic
definite article and the inflected superlative adjective:
6. Predicative modification uses either the same adjectival structure or the adverbial structure am+ -sten:
e.g. schin am schinsten:
Possessive adjectives
To use the possessive adjective it is important to know the number and the gender of the owner and of what is
owned.
The possessive adjective is declined like the indefinite article.
Person Pronoun (M,F,N,P) Adjective (M,F,N,P)

st
1 sing. min, meng, min, meng Mengem, menger, mengem, mengen
nd
2 din deng, din deng dengem. denger, dengem, dengen
rd
3 sin seng, sin seng sengem, senger, sengem, sengen
hiren, hir, hiert, hir hirem, hirer, hirem, hiren
st
1 plural eisen, eis, eist, eis eisem, eiser, eisem, eisen
nd
2 plural ren, r, ert, r rem, rer, rem, eisen
ren, r, ert, r rem, rer, rem, ren
rd
3 plural Hiren, hir, hiert, hir Hirem, hirer, hirem, hiren
23
Note:
The possessive construction of the sentence consists of two elements:
1. The owner
2. The object (the person or the possessed thing) This item is preceded by a possessive adjective
Examples:
(+) Ech hu menge Kanner hir Bicher schonns all kaaft.

(+) Hie schwtzt mat sengem Bouf sengem Professer.
(+) Dem Hond si Pelz ass gekmmt ginn.
Articles
General considerations
Luxembourgish has three genders (masculine, feminine, and neuter), and has three cases (nominative,
accusative, and dative). These are marked morphologically on determiners and pronouns. As in German, there is
no morphological gender distinction in the plural.
nominative/accusative
singular plural
masculine feminine neuter
definite den d' d' d'
def. emphatic deen di dat di
demonstrative dsen ds dst ds
indefinite en eng en
negative keen keng keen keng
dative
singular plural
definite dem der dem den
def. emphatic deem dr deem deenen
demonstrative dsem dser dsem dsen
indefinite engem enger engem
negative kengem kenger kengem kengen
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 way.
Example:
English example Luxembourgish example

Windows Vista cannot start your system. If the problem (+) Windows Vista kann de System net starten. Wann
persists, contact your network administrator. dat sech widderhlt, kontaktiert ren
NetzwierkAdministrateur.
24
Avoid using possessive marker ren/ert/r unless ownership is important in context. In Luxembourgish, use of
possessives can be reduced to occurrences when the user is addressed.
Localized Feature Names
Translated feature names are handled in this way
Use the terminology that is most widely used in the computer press and among users. This terminology usage
naturally depends on the target market of each product (technical products are bound to contain more specialized
language, which usually means more English terminology). When incorporating English terms, you must follow
the spelling, grammar, and syntax rules of your language.
Example:

chat (+) chatten hu gechatt beim Chatten
Administrators (+) Administratoren
Disks (+) Disken
Service packs (+) ServicePck
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 Luxembourgish language? Is the word derived
from another word that is kept in English and whose article is already adopted?
Analogy: Is there an equivalent Luxembourgish 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.
Example:
Enter a valid URL. (+) Gitt eng valabel URL an
A Download (+) Een Download
A proxy (+) Eng Proxy
A disk (+) Een Disk
A browser (+) E Browser
The Internet (+) Den Internet
Neologisms in Luxembourgish include both entirely new words, and the attachment of new meanings to old words
in everyday speech. The most recent neologisms come from the English language in the fields of
telecommunications, computer science, and the Internet.
Direct loans from English: Browser, Spam, CD, Internet, Come-back, Terminal, hip, cool, E-mail
25
Capitalization
In Luxembourgish all nouns are capitalized. You should not try to mimic the capitalization in the source strings,
but use your knowledge of the spelling conventions of Luxembourgish to decide which words in a string to
capitalize and which to leave lowercase. Overcapitalization is awkward and leads to inconsistencies in the UI.
Should an English noun be capitalized in the source string and be translated by two words in the target language,
be consistent in capitalizing either both words or neither word, or capitalize one word and not the other. Be
consistent in the application of spelling rules.
Compounds
Generally, compounds should be understandable and clear to the user. Overly long or complex compounds
should be avoided. Keep in mind that unintuitive compounds are ultimately an intelligibility and usability issue.
In Luxembourgish, there aren't yet any precise rules for compounding. The different elements of compounds are
written in one word and may include linking elements such as s or e(n). Some elements may be joined by
hyphens for better readability or if they consist of elements from a foreign language. Compounds with more than
two elements should be avoided if one or more elements are foreign (loan) words. In such cases, periphrastic
constructions are preferable.
Example:

Internet Accounts (+) Internetkonten
Logon script processing (+) Ausfiere vum logon-Skript
Parental control (+) Elterekontroll
Windows password (+) Windows-Passwuert
Microsoft BackOffice product family (+) Microsoft-Back-Office-Produktfamill
Gender
Luxembourgish has three genders (masculine, feminine, and neuter), and has three cases (nominative,
accusative, and dative). These are marked morphologically on determiners and pronouns. As in German, there is
no morphological gender distinction in the plural.
singular plural
definite den d' d' d'
def. emphatic deen di dat di
demonstrative dsen ds dst ds
indefinite en eng en
26
negative keen keng keen keng
The forms of the articles and of some selected determiners are given below:
dative
singular plural
definite dem der dem den
def. emphatic deem dr deem deenen
demonstrative dsem dser dsem dsen
indefinite engem enger engem
negative kengem kenger kengem kengen
Genitive
Rare examples of the genitive are found: (+) Enn des Mounts ("end of the month"), (+) Ufanks der Woch ("at the
beginning of the week").
The functions of the genitive are normally expressed using a combination of the dative and a possessive
determiner: e.g. dem Mann si Buch (lit. "to the man his book", i.e. "the man's book"). This is known as a
periphrastic genitive, and is a phenomenon also commonly seen in dialectal and colloquial German.
Attaching a genitive "s" to (trademarked) product names is not feasible, as it could be interpreted as a
modification of such names.)
Modifiers
In Luxembourgish localized text, a modifier (or qualifier) is an optional element in phrase structure or clause
structure; the removal of the modifier typically doesn't affect the grammaticality of the construction. Modifiers can
be a word, a phrase or an entire clause. Semantically, modifiers describe and provide more accurate definitional
meaning for another element.
27
Nouns
General considerations
Luxembourgish words that indicate people, beings, things, places, phenomena, qualities or ideas.
Proper nouns: Luxembourgish nouns that indicate individual entities, such as names of persons, places or
organizations.
Inflection
Luxembourgish nouns are always written with a capital letter, similar to German nouns. Luxembourgish nouns are
declined for case, meaning they change form to indicate their role in a sentence.
You can see the cases in determiners (articles, pronouns etc.) and partly in adjective endings, but not in the
nouns.
Plural Formation
As a rule of thumb, most nouns form their plural with the suffix -en or -er. For some -er plurals, the stressed vowel
changes: A becomes , O becomes E, U becomes I.
Example:
Mann (+) Mnner
Kand (+) Kanner
That is all more or less similar to German grammar. But words of French origin have their plural in -en:
Timber - (+) Timberen (stamp), Pompjee - (+) Pompjeen (firefighter), Client - (+) Clienten (client)
Prepositions
Pay attention to the correct use of the preposition in translations. Influenced by the English language, many
translators omit them or change the word order.
Luxembourgish allows prepositional phrases to appear after the verb cluster in subordinate clauses.
Examples: (+) a Spuenien (in Spain), (+) an Holland (in the Netherlands), (+) an der Belsch (in Belgium)
Another major difference is the preposition used for towns. In German, you say "in Berlin" (English "in Berlin") and
"aus Paris" (English "from Paris").
In Luxembourgish, this is zu Berlin and vu Paris respectively.
There is one exception, however. Something in Luxembourg City is an der Stad ("in the city").
US Expression Luxembourgish Expression Comment
in Berlin (+) zu Berlin Expressing that someone comes from

from Berlin (+) vu Berlin a specific country: you use aus : aus
Frankrich/Ditschland (from
hes from Paris (+) hien ass vu Paris
France/Germany).
28
Pronouns
Many error messages in English vary with regard to the use of articles, demonstrative and possessive pronouns.
Please be consistent in how you deal with such variation in Luxembourgish.
Example:
English example Luxembourgish example Explanation

In complete sentences, use
determiners consistently even if the
File already exists
US string does not. If the meaning is
The file already exists (+) Et gtt de Fichier schonn clear, use the article instead of
This file already exists demonstrative pronouns.
Demonstrative pronouns are not

Not enough memory to complete (+) Net genuch Memoire fir necessary because redundant: this
this operation dOperatioun zu Enn ze brngen operation = dOperatioun. The
message refers to the only possible
operation
Windows Vista cannot start your (+) Windows Vista kann de System Avoid using possessive marker
system. If the problem persists, net starten. Wann dat sech ren/ert/r unless ownership is
contact your network administrator. widderhlt, kontaktiert ren important in context. In
Netwierk-Administrateur. Luxembourgish, use of possessives
can be reduced to occurrences
when the user is addressed.
Punctuation
General punctuation rules should be available in the recommended reference material.
Please follow the following basic rules for the use of punctuation marks in Luxembourgish. If your language uses
a character set that is based on the Latin alphabet, make sure to include a space after commas and periods.
Luxembourgish follows the same punctuation rules as German. Also there is no space before dots, colons,
question marks or exclamation marks as in French.
Comma
Commas are used to make sentences readable, above all in enumerations and before subordinate clauses.
Commas are used to separate the place name and the date in letters, as in Ltzebuerg, den 13. September
1987. Commas are also used to separate decimals.
Colon
Use colons to introduce lists and explanations. You may use a colon at the end of an introductory phrase even if it
is not a complete sentence.
Do not capitalize the word following a colon unless (1) the colon is at the end of a heading or (2) the text following
the colon is a complete quotation.
29
Example: (+) Dir hutt zwee Fichieren opgemaach : de Quellfichier an den Zilfichier.
(+) Remarque : klickt op OK fir zouzemaachen.
(+) Microsoft deelt mat : Den Erfolleg schwtzt fir sech ! .
Do not use colons to introduce only one idea.
Click on: File. (+) Klickt op Fichier.

(-) Klickt op : Fichier.
Dashes and Hyphens

Three different dash characters are used in English:
Hyphen
The hyphen (Bindestrch) is used to divide words between syllables, to link parts of a compound word, and to
connect the parts of an inverted or imperative verb form.
When a hyphenated compound should not be divided between lines (e.g., MS-DOS), use a non-breaking hyphen
(CTRL+SHIFT+HYPHEN). Both parts of the compound will be kept together on the same line.
En Dash
The en dash is used as a minus sign, usually with spaces before and after. The en dash is also used like in
German as Gedankenstrich like in two words which following each other and only separated by one word (i.e.
and) and the last part of which is the same.
Example: (+) Gedanke- a Bindestrch is the same as Gedankestrch a Bindestrch
Em Dash
The em dash is not common in Luxembourgish. In most cases where the English uses dashes, commas or
parentheses will suffice in the Luxembourgish.
Each table in your database should store facts about a (+) All Tabell an rer Datebank misst sech op een
single subject about customers, for example, or eenzelne Sujet beschrnken, wi Client oder Produit
products. zum Beispill.
Ellipses (Suspension Points)
Character Ellipses
Ellipsis is a triple-dot punctuation mark, which is also called a suspension point. Ellipses,
in general, tend to apply to a colloquial register and wherever possible should be
avoided in the Microsoft context.
30
Three dots (dot dot dot) used to indicate an ellipsis are not preceded by a blank. Do not use three periods for
suspension points in printed documentation. Instead use the ellipsis character (ANSI 0133).
Period
Periods are used to mark the end of a sentence. When an abbreviation is ending a sentence, only one period is
written. Do not use a period after IS measurement units, unless these are written at the end of a full sentence. Do
not use a period with acronyms.
A period can be used as a thousand separator (6.520), but remember that years and page numbers do not take a
thousand separator.
Do not use a period in titles or headings.
Three dots (dot dot dot) used to indicate an ellipsis are preceded by a blank. When this ellipsis ends a sentence,
no additional period is added.
Note: US English uses a period as the decimal separator, while many other languages use a comma. In
Luxembourgish, a comma is used. Do not use a space for this purpose as a space separates the numeral from
the abbreviation.
Quotation Marks
Quotation marks are, for example, used when a software user interface element is referred to or in quotations.
Double quotes are the correct German typographical characters although slightly different from the English in
terms of direction and location. The opening quotation mark is at the bottom (ANSI 0132); the closing quotation
mark is at the top (ANSI 0147) (cp. English closing quotation mark: (ANSI 0148)).
Non-breaking spaces (CTRL+SHIFT+SPACEBAR or Alt+0160) should be used between the chevrons and the
quoted text. Punctuation marks that do not belong to the quoted text are always placed outside the quotation
marks in Luxembourgish.
Examples:
1. Favored solution (curly, bottom/top): Gnsefisercher
2. Alternate solution (straight, top/top): "Gnsefisercher"
3. Alternate solution Gnsefisercher
Click the "Delete" button to delete the selected item. (+) Klickt op Lschen fir dat ausgewielten Element ze
lschen
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Parentheses
In English, there is no space between the parentheses and the text inside, this is the same in Luxembourgish.
Singular & Plural

In Luxembourgish there are nouns which have Plural identical with the Singular.
Example:
(+) Leg e Been zwee Been
Some Plurals are marked by a change of vowel:
(+) Brother e Brudder zwi Bridder
Others will have a suffix:
(+) Animal en Dier zwee Dieren
Finally, there are Plurals marked by both er and a chang of vowel:
(+) Book e Buch zwee Bicher
And other marked by a change of consonant:
(+) Dog en Hond zwin Hnn
(+) Child e Kand zwee Kanner
(+) Mouth e Mond zwee Mnner
Split Infinitive
Non-finite verbs (infinitives and participles) generally appear in final position:
Example:
(+) Ech hunn en Hutt kaaft.
These rules interact so that in subordinate clauses, the finite verb and any non-finite verbs must all cluster at the
end. Luxembourgish allows different word orders in these cases. This is also the case when two non-finite verb
forms occur together: Luxembourgish allows prepositional phrases to appear after the verb cluster in subordinate
clauses.
Example:
(+) Ech hunn net knne kommen.
(+) Alles, wat Dir mmer wollt wssen iwwer Ltzebuerg.
Subjunctive
In Luxembourgish the subjunctive is rarely used.
Example:
(+) Et sief dann!
(+) Sief et mam Velo oder ze Fouss, ech kommen net.
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Symbols & Non-Breaking Spaces
In HTML coding, the non-breaking space ( ) is a character entity which can create white space between
words or web page elements, or stop the browser from breaking a line in the wrong place.
Example for preventing a line break with a non-breaking space:
Mr. Fischer Hr Fischer
Non-breaking spaces ( ) should only be used whenever they are present also in the US text. Otherwise it is
recommended to use a blank space as non-breaking spaces can create functionality problems.
Syntax
Syntax and register differ between Luxembourgish and English in the following ways:
Luxembourgish exhibits "verb second" word order in clauses. More specifically, Luxembourgish is a V2-SOV
language, like German and Dutch. In other words, we find the following finite clausal structures:
Example:
Mir kafen en Hutt.
Wat kafen ech haut?
Verbs
Be consistent in how you translate verbs in error messages. If it is grammatical to omit the predicate be in your
language, you can omit it in error messages, but you should be consistent in your usage across all error
messages. Be concise without changing the meaning of the source string.
English example Luxembourgish example Explanation
The document is too large. (+) D'Dokument ass ze grouss. Use the verb to be in such
Document too large. constructions, even if English omits
them.
Access was denied. (+) Den Zougrff gouf refusiert. In complete sentences, use verbs and
Access denied. the same tense as in the source string.
The file '%s' is an unknown graphics (+) D'Grafikformat vum Fichier '%s' Rephrase if necessary to produce an
format. ass onbekannt. appropriate translation (use
prepositional phrase or different verb).
The application may attempt to convert (+) D'Applicatioun kint For may + Verb, a conditional can be
the graphic. probieren, d'Grafik ze used.
konvertieren.
A problem occurred while trying to (+) Problem bei der Connexioun Shorten and rephrase if necessary.
connect to the network share '%1!s!'. op de gedeelte Reseau '%1!s!'. Nominalizations may be possible.
The following error occurred: '%1!s!' (+) Feeler: '%1!s!' (Feeler #%2!lx!) Shorten this construction where
(error #%2!lx!) possible.
An unknown error has occurred./No (+) Onbekannte Feeler. / Kee Shorten this construction where
error occurred. Feeler.
33
Continuous operations are usually expressed in English with a gerund, which should be translated into
Luxembourgish.
Example:

Sending a file (+) Eng Datei gtt geschckt
Using Styles (+) Formatmuster gi benotzt
Switching Between Windows (+) Vun enger an di aner Fnster wiesselen
Word Order
When explaining a concept, please try to put the purpose of the action at the beginning of the sentence.
Click New to open a new file. (+) Fir en neie Fichier opzemaachen, klickt op Nei
Nouveau.
(-) Klickt op Nei fir en neie Fichier opzemaachen.
Style and Tone Considerations

This section focuses on higher-level considerations for audience, style, tone, and voice.
Audience
A product may be targeted at individual consumers, businesses, or internet audiences. When localizing a product,
please always keep in mind the target user audience and address the intended user with the appropriate tone and
level of grammar and formality, as well as reading level (e.g. technical register for IT professionals, childrens
register for children).
Style
The tone of the Luxembourgish translation should mimic the tone of the source product, but should also be
respectful. Any word forms that are specific to a particular dialect should be avoided.
For personal pronouns, do use
the forms eis, eist instead of variants like ons/is, onst/ist.
mir, dir instead of mr, dr etc.
Nominative Dative Accusative

hien/en/et* him hien
si* hir si
mir eis eis
Dir Iech Iech
si hinnen si
34
hien/si: If the pronoun refers to an object, the unstressed form en should be used:
Maacht de Computer un. Wann e geboot huet, ...
Hatt should be avoided; si can be used both for persons and things.
Relevant forms of possessive eisen ren/ren hiren

pronouns: sin/hiren
seng/hir eis r/r hir
Tone
The way you say something can strongly affect the person you are talking to. In fact, its not always what you say,
but how you say it that determines the response you get from your audience. This is why using the appropriate
tone and voice is critical to the success of any Microsoft product.
Please always keep in mind the target user audience and address the intended user with the appropriate tone
and level of grammar and formality, as well as reading level (e.g. technical register for IT professionals, childrens
register for children).
US English Luxembourgish Comment
When you (formal) try to start (+) Wann Dir versicht Microsoft Polite form is used throughout the text;
Microsoft Money after you Money ze starten, nodeems Dir you is written in uppercase (Dir) jargon
(formal) reinstall Money, you Money neu installiert hutt, kint may not be used in Microsoft products;
(formal) may receive an error Dir eng Feelermeldung krien di
message that is similar to the dser glicht.
Exceptions for a more relaxed tone may
following.
be Windows Live and Gaming products.
Voice
In Microsoft software and documentation, the user is addressed in a formal way. Please also refer to the example
provided under Tone and Style.
Example:
English Translation
You are now connected to the Internet. (+) Dir sidd elo mat dem Internet verbonnen.
Polite forms should always be uppercase.
35
Localization Guidelines
This section contains guidelines for localization into Luxembourgish.
General Considerations
Abbreviations
Common Abbreviations
You might need to abbreviate some words in the UI (mainly buttons or options names) due to lack of space. This
can be done in the following ways:
Use the common abbreviations listed in this section, but avoid extensive use of abbreviations. Do not abbreviate
such words as and, or, something, someone, or any other word that users might not recognize. If you have
any doubt, spell out the word rather than using an abbreviation.
Many abbreviations and acronyms are standardized and remain untranslated. They are only followed by their full
spelling in English if the acronym needs to be explained to the speakers of a different language. In other cases,
where the acronym is rather common, adding the fully spelled out form will only confuse users. In these cases,
the acronym can be used on its own.
List of common abbreviations:
ANSI (American National Standards Institute)
ISO (International Standards Organization)
ISDN
DOS
DSL
CD
DVD
Expression Acceptable Abbreviation
An hnleches (+) a .
An der regel (+) a. d. R.
An esou weider (+) asw.
Dat heescht (+) d. h.
nner anerem (+) . A.
nner mstnn (+) . .
Gegebenenfalls (+) ggf.
Respektiv (+) resp.
Verglicht (+) vgl.
36
Expression Acceptable Abbreviation
Versus (+) vs.
Wann ech gelift (+) w.e.g.
Zum Beispill (+) z. Bsp.
Zum Deel (+) z.D.
zurzit (+) zz.
Accessibility
Microsoft provides people with disabilities with more accessible products and services. Accessibility options and
programs are designed to make the computer usable by people with cognitive, hearing, physical, or visual
disabilities.
Hardware and software components engage a flexible, customizable user interface, alternative input and output
methods, and greater exposure of screen elements. Some accessible products and services may not be available
in all markets. Please double-check with the appropriate resources.
Acronyms
Acronyms are words made up of the initial letters of major parts of a compound term. Some well-known examples
are WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get), OLE (Object Linking and Embedding), or RAM (Random
Access Memory).
Localized Acronyms
The compounds below contain either an abbreviation or a numeral followed by a component name. In
Luxembourgish, acronyms, abbreviations and numerals are linked by hyphen to the following compound element.
The Luxembourgish examples below show how such constructions should be translated:

CDROM drive (+) CDROMLafwierk
2D gridlines (+) 2DGitter
24 bit color value (+) 24BitFaarwewerter
3.5 Floppy (+) 3,5ZollDiskett
51/4inch Floppy (+) 51/4ZollDiskett
35mm slides (+) 35mmDiaen
Unlocalized Acronyms
In addition to common measurements such as km, m, cm, mm, and so on, the abbreviations in the following table
are used in the product user interface and in technical documentation.
37
Measurement English abbreviation Luxembourgish Comment/Example
abbreviation
Gigabyte GB (+) GB use B for byte, not O
for octet
Gigabit GBit (+) GBit
Kilobyte KB (+) KB
Kilobit KBit (+) KBit
Megabyte MB (+) MB
Megabit MBit (+) MBit
Terabyte TB (+) TB
Terabit TBit (+) TBit
Bits per second Bit/s (+) Bit/s Use same type for similar
measurements, e.g.
frames per second =>
F/s
Megabits per second MBit/s or Mbps (+) MBit/s
Kilobits per second KBit/s or Kbps (+) KBit/s
Bytes per second B/s (+) B/s
Megabytes per second MB/s (+) MB/s
Kilobytes per second KB/s (+) KB/s
Point Pt. (+) Pt. No plural form
Inch (+) is acceptable in
Packaging and tables,
but not in body text.
Megahertz MHz (+) MHz
Hertz Hz (+) Hz
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
The default translation for the US term "select" is "auswielen". It is rather general in its meaning and should be
used whenever the context does not require another specific translation such as "aktivieren" for check boxes, or
"markieren" when the emphasis is on highlighting.
38
[Choosing the appropriate translation for "select" is a Terminology issue. As long as deviations from these
guidelines are not functionally misleading, this is regarded as a Severity 2 error. Otherwise, the standard severity
for Terminology errors applies (Severity 1).]
The US text mostly uses the verbs "click" and "point" (instead of "choose"). The Luxembourgish equivalents are
"klicken op" and "goen op" (always used with the preposition "op"). "Enter" and "type" should be translated as
"aginn oder antippen" when the user uses the keyboard for input.
Examples for "Select":
Item US Example German Example Comments
Lists In the drop-down list, (+) Wielt an der select = auswielen

select an option. Oprulllscht eng The user chooses a pre-existing
Optioun aus entry, e.g. in a list.
Check Boxes Select the check box. (+) Aktiviert select = aktivieren
dKontrollfeld. Correspondingly, "to clear" a check
box = "desaktivieren".
Highlighting Text, Select the text and then (+) Markiert den Text, select = m
Graphics, Cells, etc. drag it to the new an zitt en op di nei The user "highlights" text (or
location. Plaz. numbers, cells or graphics).
Examples for "Click":
Item US Wording US Example German Example
Menus On the ____ menu, On the File menu, click (+) Klickt am Menu Fichier op
click _____. Open. Opmaachen.
Cascading Menus On the ___ menu, click On the View menu, (+) Klickt op Schrftarten am Menu
___, and then click ___. click Fonts, and then Usiicht an dann op kleng.
click Small.
Shortcut Menus On the shortcut menu, On the shortcut menu, (+) Klickt um Ofkierzungsmenu op
click _____. click Set Home Page. Haaptsit festleen.
Buttons Click _____. Click Forms. Click OK. (+) Klickt op Formulairen. Klickt op
OK.
Tab Dialog Boxes Click the ____ tab. Click the View tab. (+) Klickt op d^Regschterkaart
Usiicht
List Boxes In the _____ box, click In the Color box, click (+) Am Feld Faarf, klickt op
____. Red.
39
The Note: Hiwis vs. Notiz
"Hiwis" is used for notes to the user, e.g. in software or documentation. "Notiz" is used for notes the user is
taking.
"Remarque" should not be used except in cases where "note" is used in the same text or section as "remark".
Glossaries
You can find the translations of terms and UI elements of Microsoft products at Microsoft Language Portal
(http://www.microsoft.com/Language/en-US/Default.aspx).
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.
Please contact your product team representative for further information on how to deal with fictitious companies,
names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, etc. in your product. For technical products, you may also
check with the product team representative whether localized fictitious content is required or not (e.g. Visual
Studio).
Recurring Patterns
For recurring patterns, please refer to the Links provided in the following section Standardized Translations
below.
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.
Country/Region Standards : currency, numbers, dates, etc.
Prepositions : use of prepositions
Abbreviations : list of common abbreviations
Messages : list of standard messages
Unlocalized Items
Trademarked names and the name Microsoft Corporation shouldnt 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.
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.
40
The following translations must be used:
English text Luxembourgish translation
Copyright (+) Copyright
All rights reserved (+) All Rechter virbehalen
Microsoft Corporation (+) Microsoft Corporation
Word Comment
ALT
ALT GR
BACKSPACE
BREAK
CAPS LOCK
CLEAR
DEL
DELETE (Macintosh)
DOWN ARROW
END
ENTER
ESC
F1-F12
HOME
INS
LEFT ARROW
NUMPAD ENTER
NUM LOCK
NUMPAD+
NUMPAD-
NUMPAD *
NUMPAD/
41
Word Comment
NUMPAD 0-9
OPTION (Macintosh)
PAGE DOWN
PAGE UP
PAUSE
PRINT SCREEN
RETURN
RIGHT ARROW
SCROLL LOCK
SHIFT
SPACEBAR
SYS RQ
TAB
UP ARROW
Using the Word Microsoft

In English, it is prohibited to use MS as an abbreviation for Microsoft.
If a product or component name is not localized and contains the word Microsoft, the word Microsoft remains at
the beginning of the product/component name.
Example: (+) Microsoft Office
English example Translation example
Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. (+) Microsoft Corporation. All Rechter virbehalen
Microsoft Windows Live (+) Microsoft Windows Live
For more information, search the Microsoft (+) Fir mi Informatiounen duerchsicht dMicrosoft
Knowledge Base online. Online Wssensdatebank
Software Considerations
This section refers to all menus, menu items, commands, buttons, check boxes, etc., which should be consistently
translated in the localized product.
42
Refer to http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/aa511258.aspx for a detailed explanation of the Windows user interface
guidelines (English).
User Interface
Translating UI items can be a challenge at times, in part because you do not always know the context or the exact
function of a particular UI item. This topic is intended to give some general guidelines about UI references.
Main menus are the menus that appear at the top of the user interface. Main menus typically include File, Edit,
View, Insert, Format, Tools, Table, Window, Help.
Typically, main menus should be Nouns or Gerunds in French.
Example: (+) Fichier, Edition, Outils
Typically, commands and menu items should be nouns in Luxembourgish.
Always use all available resources to establish the context for UI items. When working with LocStudio EDBs,
these resources are the following columns: Instructions, Resource ID, String ID, and sometimes Previous Source
and Term Note. If you need more context for a string, contact your Engineering Partner.
Messages
Different types of messages can appear on screen and should be handled according to their function.
Status Messages
What is a Status Bar Message?
A status bar message is an informational message about the active document or a selected command as well as
about any active or selected interface item. Messages are shown in the status bar at the bottom of the window
when the user has chosen a menu, a command or any other item, or has started a function. The status bar
messages refer to actions being performed or already complete (for example in Outlook below).
43
Luxembourgish Style in Status bar Messages
In English, the status bar messages have different forms dependent on the information they must convey. In
Luxembourgish, menu and commands status bar messages should follow the format below.
Luxembourgish English Status Bar Luxembourgish Status

Name Category
Name message Bar message
(+) Beaarbechten (+) Enthlt

Edit menu Contains editing commands
Beaarbechtungsuerderen
(+) An den Dossier (+) Kopiert di

Copy to Copies the selected items to
kopieren menu ausgewielten Elementer
Folder... a new location
op en neit Emplacement
New (+) Nei command Creates a new document (+) Schaaft en Dokument
(+) Wllt Dir den Objet

Make object visible?
gesinn?
Word is converting the (+) Word convertiert

document. Press Esc to dDokument. Drckt Esc
stop. fir opzehalen.
Datasheet View (+) Dateblat Usiicht
Done (+) Ferdeg
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 Luxembourgish version. Use one standard translation as in the
examples below:
English term Correct Luxembourgish translation
Press F1 to get Help
If you want Help press F1 (+) Drckt F1 fir Hllef
To get Help press F1
44
English term Correct Luxembourgish translation
Not enough memory
Insufficient memory (+) Net genuch Memoire
There is not enough memory
Save changes to %1?

(+) Sollen dnnerungen am %1 gespichert ginn?
Do you want to save changes to %1?
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.
Luxembourgish 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.
New localizers frequently ask for help with error messages. The main principles for translation are clarity,
comprehensibility, and consistency.
Standard Phrases in Error Messages

When translating standard phrases, standardize. Note that sometimes the US uses different forms to express the
same thing.
As you localize the software into Luxembourgish, you should ensure that you use a standard phrase for error
messages that have the same meaning and purpose in the USEnglish version.
The following table provides USEnglish examples of inconsistent error messages and their corresponding,
standardized Luxembourgish:
45
Examples:
English Translation Example Comment
Avoid : Mir
Cannot File could not be found
(+) De Fichier gouf net fonnt konnten de Fichier
Could not File cannot be found
net fannen
Avoid : Et ass
Failed to Failed to connect
(+) Keng Verbindung keng Verbindung
Failure of Failure to connect
miglech
Cannot find driver software Avoid :
Cannot find
Could not find driver software Onmiglech den
Could not find (+) DDreiwer-Software gouf
Unable to find driver software dDreiwer-
Unable to find net fonnt
Unable to locate driver Software ze
Unable to locate software fannen
Not enough memory

Insufficient memory Avoid : Keng
There is not enough memory (+) Net genuch Memoire genuch Memoire
There is not enough memory disponibel
available
... is not available (+) De Fichier ass net The file is not available Avoid : De Fichier
... is unavailable disponibel The file is unavailable ass net do
Error Messages Containing Placeholders

When localizing error messages containing placeholders, try to find out what will replace the placeholder. This is
necessary for the sentence to be grammatically correct when the placeholder is replaced with a word or phrase.
Note that the letters used in placeholders convey a specific meaning, see examples below:
%d, %ld, %u, and %lu means <number>
%c means <letter>
%s means <string>
Examples of error messages containing placeholders:

"Checking Web %1!d! of %2!d!" means "Checking Web <number> of <number>".
"INI file "%1!-.200s!" section" means "INI file "<string>" section".
English example Message User will see Luxembourgish example
Replace invalid %s? Replace invalid data? (+) %s net glteg. Ersetzen?
Replace invalid file?
%s already exists File already exists (+) %s existiert schonns
46
Name already exists
%s is now set as your personal Regina is now set as your personal (+) %s ass elo r nei
contact. contact Kontaktpersoun
Mr. Kim is now set as your personal
contact
%s stopped working and was The application stopped working and (+) %s leeft net mi a gouf
closed was closed zougemaach.
The program stopped working and was
closed
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).
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.
Hot Key Special Options Usage: Is It Allowed? Notes
"Slim characters", such as I, l, t, r, f yes

can be used as hot key
Characters with downstrokes, such yes

as g, j, y, p and q can be used as
hotkeys
47
Hot Key Special Options Usage: Is It Allowed? Notes
Extended characters can be used as yes Use only if all other possible letters
hotkeys are used already
An additional letter, appearing yes Some Hotkeys are the same as

between brackets after item name, those in the English interface,
although the translations do not
can be used as hotkeys
include the particular letter from the
combination. Example from
Microsoft Word:
Bold = CTRL+B
The Lux. menu says: Fett, but the
hotkey is Ctrl + B
This would allow for the menu item:
Fett (B)
A number, appearing between no

brackets after item name, can be
used as hotkey
A punctuation sign, appearing no

between brackets after item name,
can be used as hotkey
Duplicate hotkeys are allowed when no

no other character is available
No hotkey is assigned when no more yes

characters are available (minor
options only)
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.
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.
48
Shortcut Keys
Shortcut keys are keystrokes or combinations of keystrokes used to perform defined functions in a software
application. Shortcut keys replace menu commands and they are sometimes given next to the command they
represent. In opposition to the access keys, which can be used only when available on the screen, shortcut keys
can be used even when they are not accessible on the screen.
Standard Shortcut Keys
US US English Luxembourgish Luxembourgish

Command Shortcut Key Command Shortcut key
General Windows Shortcut keys
Help window F1 Hllefsfnster F1
Context-sensitive Help Shift+F1 Kontext-bezunn Hllef Maj+F1
Display pop-up menu Shift+F10 Pop-Up Menu affichieren Maj+F10
Cancel Esc Ofbriechen chap
Activate\Deactivate F10 Menulischte Modus Alt

menu bar mode aktivieren/desaktivieren
Switch to the next Alt+Tab Op di nchst primr Alt+Tab

primary application Applikatioun wiesselen
Display next window Alt+Esc Nchst Fnster affichieren Alt+chap
Display pop-up menu Alt+Spacebar Pop-Up Menu fir dFnster Alt+Espace

for the window affichieren
Display pop-up menu Alt+- Pop-Up Menu fir di aktiv Alt+-

for the active child Kannerfnster affichieren
window
Display property sheet Alt+Enter Proprietitsblat fir di aktuell Alt+Entre

for current selection Auswiel affichieren
Close active Alt+F4 Di aktiv Applicatiounsfnster Alt+F4

application window zoumaachen
Switch to next window Alt+F6 Bei di nchst Fnster innerhalb Alt+F6

within (modeless- vun der Applicatioun (ouni
compliant) application Modus-kompatibel ) wiesselen
Capture active window Alt+Prnt Scrn Dat aktiivt Fnsterbild op de Alt+Impr.cran

image to the Clipboard Clipboard setzen
Capture desktop Prnt Scrn DDesktopbild op de Clipboard Impr.cran
49
image to the Clipboard setzen
Access Start button in Ctrl+Esc Op de Startknppchen an der Ctrl+chap

taskbar Aarbechtslischt zougrifen
Display next child Ctrl+F6 Nchst Kannerfnster Ctrl+F6

window affichieren
Display next tabbed Ctrl+Tab Nchsten tabulierte Berich Ctrl+Tab

pane affichieren
Launch Task Manager Ctrl+Shift+Esc Den Aufgabemanager an den Ctrl+Maj+Suppr

and system Initialisatiounssystem starten
initialization
File Menu
File New Ctrl+N Neie Fichier Ctrl+N
File Open Ctrl+O Fichier opmaachen Ctrl+O
File Close Ctrl+F4 Fichier zoumaachen Ctrl+F4
File Save Ctrl+S Fichier spicheren Ctrl+S
File Save as F12 Fichier spicheren nner F12
File Print Preview Ctrl+F2 Fichier Drock-Virusiicht Ctrl+F2
File Print Ctrl+P Fichier drcken Ctrl+P
File Exit Alt+F4 Fichier Erausgoen Alt+F4
Edit Menu
Edit Undo Ctrl+Z Rckgngeg maache Ctrl+Z

beaarbechten
Edit Repeat Ctrl+Y Widderhuele beaarbechten Ctrl+Y
Edit Cut Ctrl+X Ausschneide beaarbechten Ctrl+X
Edit Copy Ctrl+C Kopiere beaarbechten Ctrl+C
Edit Paste Ctrl+V Apeche beaarbechten Ctrl+V
Edit Delete Ctrl+Backspace Lsche beaarbechten Suppr
Edit Select All Ctrl+A Alles markiere beaarbechten Ctrl+A
Edit Find Ctrl+F Siche beaarbechten Ctrl+F
50
Edit Replace Ctrl+H Ersetze beaarbechten Ctrl+H
Edit Go To Ctrl+B Gitt bei beaarbechten Ctrl+B
Help Menu
Help F1 Hllef F1
Font Format
Italic Ctrl+I kursiv Ctrl+I
Bold Ctrl+G fett Ctrl+G
Underlined\Word Ctrl+U nnerstrach/Wuert Ctrl+U

underline nnerstrichen
Large caps Ctrl+Shift+A Grouss Groussbuschtawen Ctrl+Maj+A
Small caps Ctrl+Shift+K Kleng Groussbuschtawen Ctrl+Maj+K
Paragraph Format
Centered Ctrl+E zentriert Ctrl+E
Left aligned Ctrl+L Lnks aligniert Ctrl+Maj+G
Right aligned Ctrl+R Riets aligniert Ctrl+Maj+D
Justified Ctrl+J Blocksaz Ctrl+J
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 ". In the Luxembourgish version of Microsoft documentation:
Example:
How to (+) Wi een
Working with (+) Schaffe mat/mam
Using (+) Schaffe mat/mam
51
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.
52

LTZ Lux Styleguide

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Informasi Dokumen

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Format Tersedia

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Bagikan atau Tanam Dokumen

Opsi Berbagi

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Format Tersedia

LTZ Lux Styleguide

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Hak Cipta:

Format Tersedia

Luxembourgish Style Guide

Language Specific Conventions ...................................................................................................... 8

Localization Guidelines .................................................................................................................. 36

About This Style Guide

Scope of This Document

Style Guide Conventions

Recommended Reference Material

Lower-case characters a,,,b,c,d,e,,,,,f,g,h,i,j,k,l,m,n,o,,,p,q,r,s,t,u,,,v,w,x,y,z

Upper-case characters A,,B,C,D,E,,,F,G,H,I,K,L,M,N,O,,P,Q,R,S,T,U,,V,W,X,Y,Z

Extended Latin characters ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Total number of characters 64

Character Name of character Character Name of character Character Name of character

First Day of the Week Monday

Default Short Date

Default Long Date Format dddd. MMMM yyyy

Example 17. Merz 2011

Additional Short Date

Additional Short Date

Additional Long Date

Example Mindeg, de 17. Merz 2011

Additional Long Date

Leading Zero in Day Field

Leading Zero in Month

No. of digits for year for

Leading Zero in Day Field

Leading Zero in Month

Number of digits for year

Date Format for

Example Mindeg, de 17. Merz 2011

24 hour format Yes

Standard time format H:mm; H:mm:ss

Standard time format

Time separator Doppelpunkt (colon) :

Time separator examples 03:24:12

Hours leading zero No

Hours leading zero example 3:24:12

String for AM designator n/a

Notes AM / PM is not used for time format, 24 hour format only.

Day Normal Form Abbreviation

Month Full Form Abbreviated Form Long Date Form

January Januar Jan Januar

February Februar Feb Februar

March Merz Me Merz

April Abrll Abr Abrll

May Mee Mee Mee

June Juni Jun Juni

July Juli Jul Juli

August August Aug August

September September Sep September

October Oktober Okt Oktober

November November Nov November

December Dezember Dez Dezember

Is first letter capitalized?: Yes

Luxembourg +352 No n/a Space 6,8,9 (###) ## ## ## ##

Country/ Number of Digit Number of Digit Number of Digit Groupings

Luxembourg 6,8,9 ######; ### 9 ### ### (00###) ## +352 ######;

Currency Name Euro

Currency Symbol Position Symbol is positioned behind the amount

Positive Currency Format 145,71

Negative Sign Symbol -145,71

Negative Currency Format -

Decimal Symbol Comma (,)

Number of Digits after Decimal 2