This guide adapts rules and examples from Microsoft’s 42-page Arabic Localization Style Guide (Saudi Arabia variant, originally written for software/UI localization). The underlying linguistic rules apply universally — to legal contracts, medical documents, marketing copy, and any Arabic translation work. Restructured and reformatted as a general Arabic translator reference by ChatsControl.

Arabic Translation Style Guide — Voice, Word Choice & Common Pitfalls (Legal, Medical, Marketing, IT)¶

TL;DR¶

• Arabic translation is RTL with strict noun-adjective order (adjective follows noun) and rich genitive constructions (إضافة) — copying English syntax produces ungrammatical output.
• Drop the formal مق + infinitive pattern (مق بفتح) in favor of direct imperatives (افتح); avoid overusing possessive كب صاخلا — prefer the suffix forms (يتافلم not يب ةصاخلا تافلملا).
• Gender-inclusive language: use collective nouns (نوكراشملا), plural forms, gerunds (ردصملا) for tooltips, and rewrite to plural rather than masculine-default singular.
• Use Western Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3) as standard across the Arab world; 0, 1, 2 are typically spelled out (دحاو بلاط not 1 بلاط); 2 takes the dual form (نابلاط).
• Mirrored question mark (؟), Arabic comma (،), and Kashida-style dashes are mandatory; no space before % sign, which appears on the left of the number.

Register and tone for modern Arabic translation¶

Register is the level of formality, warmth, and conversational ease the target text projects. Modern Arabic readers across consumer-facing spheres expect a register that feels natural and direct rather than classically formal — heavy classical Arabic with elaborate conjunction chains signals institutional distance.

Three principles define the modern register:

• Warm and relaxed. Natural language. Less formal, more grounded in honest conversations. Occasionally fun where context permits.
• Crisp and clear. Written for scanning first, reading second. Short sentences parseable on a phone.
• Ready to lend a hand. Anticipates what the reader needs and offers it at the right moment, on the user’s side.

Why this matters: Classical formal register damages outcomes across spheres. In marketing copy it kills conversion — Saudi/UAE/Egyptian consumer readers expect contemporary phrasing, not heritage prose. In patient-facing medical materials classical register reduces comprehension — public-health campaigns in MSA-formal style document lower compliance than modern-register variants. In software UI it creates friction at every interaction. In consumer-facing legal documents (terms of service, privacy notices) Saudi PDPL and UAE consumer-protection regulations push toward plain language. Sworn legal translation, court documents, and government correspondence retain the formal register.

Audience targeting: technical vs consumer vocabulary¶

The same source text requires different vocabulary depending on who reads it. Use technical terms for technical audiences; for consumers use common words. A clinical drug monograph for prescribers uses pharmacological Arabic terminology; the patient leaflet uses everyday Arabic. A software API reference uses developer jargon; the end-user help article uses plain Arabic.

This applies in every sphere. Legal translation for corporate counsel uses procedural Arabic (تقاضي, دعوى, طعن); consumer-facing versions need plain framing. Medical translation for clinicians keeps Greek/Latin nomenclature transliterated; for patients it switches to common terms. IT translation uses developer jargon in engineer-facing docs, natural Arabic in end-user help.

Flexibility: rewriting rather than literal translation¶

Flexibility is the translator’s discretion to depart from literal source structure when the literal rendering produces unnatural Arabic. The rule: understand the whole intention of the sentence, paragraph, or page, then re-write as if composing it yourself for an Arabic reader.

English example	Arabic example
Users can change when new updates get installed.	تاثيدحتلا تيبثت دعوم رييغت نيمدختسملل نكمي ةديدجلا.

Why this matters: Literal translation produces translatorese — text that reads as translated. Required in sworn legal translation and certified document translation (birth certificates, court rulings, disputed contracts). Harmful in marketing translation (lost conversion), patient-facing healthcare materials (lost clarity), and software UX (lost engagement). Knowing where the boundary sits is core translator judgment.

Words and phrases to avoid¶

Microsoft voice avoids unnecessarily formal tone.

English	Arabic to avoid	Preferred Arabic
Also	كلذك	اضيأ
Next	قحاللا	يلاتلا
You can	كل ىنستي	كنكمي

Why this matters: Formal Arabic alternatives (كلذك, قحاللا, ىنستي) appear in legal templates and government forms out of institutional habit but feel alien in modern consumer-facing text. A privacy policy that says “ىنستي كل” signals bureaucratic distance; “كنكمي” reads as the product talking to its user. In patient leaflets, ةديدجلا تايلوقحلا that use classical forms can confuse less-educated readers. Marketing translation with classical forms reduces engagement.

Word choice¶

Terminology¶

Use approved terminology from Microsoft language resources for key terms, technical terms, and product names. Where an approved term doesn’t fit the modern voice, escalate to the project manager rather than improvising.

Short word forms and everyday words¶

Short, everyday words are preferred over formal ones wherever both exist and the audience is non-specialist. Shorter words are friendlier, save screen space, and parse faster.

en-US source	Arabic word	Usage notes
Do	لعفا	Use the imperative form instead of مق + the infinitive whenever possible. Say قيبطتلا حتفا instead of قيبطتلا حتفب مق.
Your	باطخلا فاك (-ك suffix)	Avoid كب صاخلا. Translate “Your” on first occurrence only (preferably as the attached -ك), or skip when context makes possession obvious. Use only when needed to disambiguate among multiple things.
My	ملكتملا ءاي (-ي suffix)	For first-person possession use the ي suffix (يتافلم) instead of يب ةصاخلا (so يب ةصاخلا تافلملا → يتافلم).

Why this matters: Legal translation uses ownership formulas with strict precision — but consumer-facing legal text (privacy notices, T&Cs) benefits from the same suffix-economy. Medical translation of patient instructions (your medication, your dosage) gains directness from -ك. IT/software UI labels with كب صاخلا waste valuable screen real estate.

Word-to-word translation: why direct mapping fails¶

Strict word-to-word translation makes the tone stiff and unnatural. Text may be split into different sentences if needed, or simplified by omitting descriptors.

English	Incorrect Arabic	Correct Arabic
You must be delivery focused and genuinely enjoy interacting and interviewing a high volume of candidates on a daily basis.	ىلع ةردقلا :ةيفيظولا تالهؤملا ىلع كزيكرت نوكي نأ بجي تاراهملا ةوقو ،ةسوملم جئاتن قيقحت ءارجإب عتمتست نأو جئاتنلا ريبك ددع عم لعافتلا يف ةيعامتجالا تالباقم ءارجإو ايموي نيحشرملا مهعم.	جئاتن قيقحت ىلع ايصخش اصرح صرحت نأ بجي نم ريبك ددع عم تالباقم ءارجإ يف ةيعامتجالا كتراهمو ايموي مهعم لعافتلاو نيحشرملا.
Explore help and how-to for Windows	تالاقملاو تاميلعتلا فاشكتسا Windows ماظنل ةيداشرإلا	ةيفيكلاو تاميلعتلا فاشكتسا Windows ماظنل

Why this matters: Word-to-word translation is the dominant failure mode of inexperienced translators and unedited machine output. In legal contracts it produces clauses that translate every term but obscure who owes what, creating dispute risk. In medical instructions it separates action from actor in ways that confuse patients. In marketing copy it produces headlines that read as foreign — technically Arabic but emotionally flat. In software UI it produces labels users hesitate over.

Sample voice usage by intent¶

Addressing the user to take action¶

US English	Arabic target	Explanation
The password isn’t correct, so try again. Passwords are case-sensitive.	ةحيحص ريغ رورملا ةملك. ةداعإ ءاجر اذل ةلواحملا. نوكت نأ بجي رورملا ةملكف ةقباطم فرحألا ةلاحل.	Short and friendly message inviting the user to try again.
This product key didn’t work. Check it and try again.	جتنملا حاتفم لمعي ال يذلا هتلخدأ. هنم ققحتلا ىجري مث ةداعإ ةلواحملا.	Casually and politely asks the user to verify.
All ready to go	حبصأو دادعإلا لمتكا ماظنلا مادختسالل ازهاج.	Casual and short message that setup is complete.
Would you like to continue?	؟ةعباتملا ديرت له	Use second-person pronoun “you” to politely ask.
Give your PC a name—any name you want. If you want to change the background color, turn high contrast off in PC settings.	امسا رتويبمكلل رتخا. اذإو رييغت ديرت تنك نول ةيفلخلا فقوأف نيابتلا ليغشت يلاعلا نم تادادعإ رتويبمكلا.	Address the user directly using the second-person pronoun.

Promoting a feature¶

US English	Arabic target	Explanation
Picture password is a new way to help you protect your touchscreen PC. You choose the picture—and the gestures you use with it—to create a password that’s uniquely yours.	“ةروصب رورملا ةملك” يه ةديدج ةقيرط يف ةدعاسملل ةيامح رتويبمكلا دوزملا ةشاشب لمعت سمللاب. ام كيلع ىوس رايتخا ةروصلا تاءاميإلاو يتلا اهمدختست اهعم رورم ةملك ءاشنإل ةديرف كل.	Use of em-dash to emphasize specific requirements.
Let apps give you personalized content based on your PC’s location, name, account picture, and other domain info.	حامسلا تاقيبطتلل ءافضإب عباط يصخش ىوتحملا ىلع ءانب ىلع عقوم رتويبمكلا مسالاو باسحلا ةروصو تامولعمو لاجملا ىرخألا.	Use everyday words like “PC” depending on context.

Providing how-to guidelines¶

US English	Arabic target	Explanation
To go back and save your work, click Cancel and finish what you need to.	ةدوعلل ظفحو ام تنك لمعت هب، رقنا قوف ءاغلإ” “رمألا لمكأو ءارجإلا يذلا هذفنت.	Short and clear action using the second-person pronoun.
To confirm your current picture password, just watch the replay and trace the example gestures shown on your picture.	ديكأتل ةملك رورملا ةروصب ةيلاحلا، ام كيلع ىوس ةدهاشم ةداعإ ضرعلا عبتتو تاءاميإلا يتلا رهظت ىلع ةروصلا ةلثمأك.	Voice is simple and natural; user isn’t overloaded.
It’s time to enter the product key. When you connect to the Internet, we’ll activate Windows for you.	ناح تقو لاخدإ حاتفم جتنملا. دنعو كلاصتا تنرتنإلاب، طشننس Windows كل.	Speak to the user directly and naturally using “you”.

Explanatory text and providing support¶

US English	Arabic target	Explanation
The updates are installed, but Windows Setup needs to restart for them to work. After it restarts, we’ll keep going from where we left off.	مت تيبثت تاثيدحتلا، نكل بجي ةداعإ ليغشت جمانرب “دادعإ Windows” ىتح متي قيبطت هذه تاثيدحتلا. دعبو ةداعإ ليغشتلا، لصاونس تاوطخلا نم ثيح انيهتنا.	Natural, reassuring; “we” provides a more personal feel.
If you restart now, you and any other people using this PC could lose unsaved work.	اذإ تدعأ ليغشتلا نآلا، دقف دقفت تنأ يأو صاخشأ نورخآ نومدختسي رتويبمكلا اذه لامعألا يتلا مل متي اهظفح.	Voice is clear and natural, informing the user what will happen.
This document will be automatically moved to the right library and folder after you correct invalid or missing properties.	لقن متيس دنتسملا اذه ىلإ ةبتكملا دلجملاو نيحيحصلا ايئاقلت دعب حالصإ صئاصخلا ريغ ةحلاصلا وأ ةدوقفملا.	Voice talks to the user informatively and directly.
Something bad happened! Unable to locate downloaded files to create your bootable USB flash drive.	تثدح ةلكشم ببستت يف رذعت ديدحت عقوم تافلملا يتلا مت اهليزنت ءاشنإل كرحم صارقأ USB لومحملا لباقلا ليغشتلل.	Without complexity, using short sentences.

Inclusive language¶

Microsoft technology reaches every part of the globe. All communications must be inclusive and diverse.

General guidelines¶

• Comply with local language laws.
• Use plain language. Use straightforward, concrete, and familiar words to help people of all learning levels and abilities. Use shorter words and several clear words over one complicated term.
• Be mindful when referring to various parts of the world. If you name cities, countries, or regions in examples, ensure they aren’t politically disputed. Use equivalent references — don’t mix countries with states or continents.
• In text and images, represent diverse perspectives and circumstances.
• Don’t generalize or stereotype by region, culture, age, or gender, even with positive stereotypes.
• Don’t use profane or derogatory terms.
• Don’t use slang that could be cultural appropriation.
• Don’t use terms with unconscious racial bias or military/political/historical associations.

Use this	Not this	Use this (Arabic)	Not this (Arabic)
primary/subordinate	master/slave	سيئر/سوؤرم	ديس/دبع/عبات
perimeter network	demilitarized zone (DMZ)	ةبقارم ةيعرف ةكبش	حالسلا ةعوزنم ةقطنم
expert	guru	ريبخ	ميعز
colleagues; everyone; all	guys; ladies and gentlemen	ءالمزلا؛ لكلا؛ عيمجلا	ةعامج؛ بابش
parent	mother or father	نيدلاولا دحأ	بألا وأ مألا

Avoid gender bias¶

Use gender-neutral alternatives for common terms. Avoid compounds containing gender-specific terms.

Use this	Not this	Comments
ةعنصملا ةكرشلا / ةعنصملا ةهجلا (manufacturer)	عنصملا (maker)	Generic word avoids masculine form.
نوكراشملا (audience)	روضحلا / تاكراشملا (participants)	Collective noun avoids m/f forms.
لمع قيرف (operates, staffs)	نوفظوم / تافظوم (employees)	Collective noun avoids m/f forms.
تاعيبملا قيرف (sales representative / sales team)	تاعيبم بودنم (salesman)	Plural avoids masculine form.
ةلماعلا ىوقلا (workforce, staff, personnel)	نولماعلا / تالماعلا (workers)	Collective noun avoids m/f forms.
نسلا رابك ةياعر راد (Home for aged people)	نينسملا ةياعر راد (Home for aged men)	Umbrella word reflects both genders.

When presenting generalizations, use plural noun forms (صاخشألا, دارفألا, بالطلا).

Use words indicating both genders when addressing positions.

Use this	Not this	Comments
ةملعمو ملعم (teacher m. + f.)	ملعم (teacher m. only)	Reflects both genders.

Use the gerund form in generic references¶

• Rewrite the sentence to have a plural noun and pronoun.
• Use the form of ىجري / كنكمي / بجي as applicable, since it is followed by a gerund rather than the imperative.
• When writing instructions, avoid the imperative form. Instead, use a gerund preceded by the Arabic equivalent of “following the below steps”.

Use this (Arabic)	Not this (Arabic)	English equivalent
قوقحلا كالتما دنع ةبسانملا، نكمي نييعت رورم تاملك نيمدختسملل نيرخآلا.	اذإ ناك مدختسملا كلمي قوقحلا ةبسانملا، هنكميف نييعت تاملك رورملا نيمدختسملل نيرخآلا.	With the appropriate rights, one can set other users’ passwords. (vs: If the user has the appropriate rights, he can set…)
جاتحي نوروطملا ىلإ لوصولا ىلإ مداوخلا يف تائيب ريوطتلا، مهنكل ال نوجاتحي ىلإ لوصولا ىلإ مداوخلا يف Azure.	جاتحي روطملا ىلإ لوصولا ىلإ مداوخلا يف ةئيب ريوطتلا ةصاخلا هب، ال هنكل جاتحي ىلإ لوصولا ىلإ مداوخلا يف Azure.	Developers need access to servers in their development environments, but they don’t need access to the servers in Azure. (vs: A developer needs access to… his… he doesn’t…)
ءاشنإل دنتسم ديدج، كنكمي عابتا تاوطخلا ةيلاتلا: ديدحت فلم، ديدحت ديدج، رايتخا دنتسم غراف.	ءاشنإل دنتسم ديدج: ددح افلم، ددح اديدج، رتخا ادنتسم اغراف.	To create a new document, you need to: Select File / Select New / Choose Blank Document. (avoid imperative form)
لاصتالل دحأب صاخشألا، ددح مسا اذه صخشلا مث ديدحت ءارجإ ةملاكم ةيفتاه، رايتخاو مقرلا بولطملا لاصتالا هب.	لاصتالل صخشب، ددح همسا مث ددح ءارجإ ةملاكم ةيفتاه ددحو همقر.	To call someone, please select the person’s name, select Make a phone call, and then choose the number you’d like to dial.

Use verbal nouns in tooltips¶

Due to the absence of “it” as a neutral gender in Arabic, when the user points at an icon (feminine in Arabic) or a button (masculine in Arabic), a message “Displays full pages as they will be printed” would force a choice between ضرعت and ضرعي. Use the verbal noun (ردصملا) instead.

English	Arabic
Displays full pages as they will be printed	ضرع تاحفصلا اهلمكأب ءانثأ اهتعابط

Note: Gender-neutral language should be used in new products and content going forward. Existing or legacy material need not be retroactively updated.

Why this matters: Gender bias is a documented friction in medical translation — patient instructions written in masculine-only forms reduce female compliance. Marketing copy with gender bias loses half the market. Legal templates with masculine-default pronouns (“the user, he”) need rewriting for inclusivity. IT/software UI uses gerund form for tooltips as a structural workaround for the absent neuter gender.

Accessibility¶

Microsoft devices and services empower everyone, including people with disabilities, to do the activities they value most.

Focus on people, not disabilities. Don’t use words that imply pity (ـب باصم, يناعي). The preferred option is not to mention a disability unless it’s relevant.

Use this	Not this	Use this (Arabic)	Not this (Arabic)
person with a disability	handicapped	ةقاعإ وذ صخش؛ تاجايتحا ةصاخ	قاعم؛ ةهاع وذ؛ هوعأ؛ فلختم؛ صخش يناعي
person without a disability	normal person; healthy person	صخش نودب ةصاخ تاجايتحا	صخش يداع؛ صخش يوس؛ صخش يعيبط؛ صخش ةحصب ةديج

Use generic verbs that apply to all input methods and devices.

Use this	Not this	Use this (Arabic)	Not this (Arabic)
Select	Click	ددح	قوف رقنا

Keep paragraphs short and sentence structure simple. Read text aloud and imagine it spoken by a screen reader.

Spell out words like ةفاضإلاب ىلإ / ةفاضإ ىلإ and ابيرقت / يلاوح. Screen readers can misread text using special characters like ampersand (&), plus sign (+), and tilde (~).

Why this matters: Accessibility-aware medical translation (large print, screen-reader-friendly patient handouts) is a regulatory requirement in many jurisdictions. Legal translation must use generic action verbs (“select”, not “click”) to work with assistive devices. Marketing translation with inclusive imagery and word choices reaches wider audiences. IT translation must preserve accessibility attributes (aria-labels, alt text).

Language-specific standards¶

Abbreviations¶

Although abbreviation is not generally applicable in Arabic, you may need to abbreviate words in the UI (mainly button or option names) to save space.

Expression	Acceptable abbreviation
تامولعم	م.
تارايخ	خ.
لوخدلا ليجست	ت.د.
ةلواحملا ةداعإ	إ.م.

Common abbreviations for units of measure:

English	Arabic
km	مك
cm	مس
gm	مج

Acronyms¶

Acronyms are words made of initial letters of major parts of a compound term (WYSIWYG, DNS, HTML).

Acronyms should be translated in their full form (e.g., RAM = يئاوشعلا لوصولا ةركاذ). If there’s not enough space, acronyms can be left in English.

Why this matters: Legal translation with regulatory acronyms (SEC, FDA, EU) keeps them in English. Medical translation keeps standard medical acronyms (CT, MRI, EKG) untranslated. IT translation keeps technical acronyms (DNS, HTML, TCP/IP) in their English form.

Adjectives¶

In Arabic, adjectives follow nouns, unlike English.

en-US source	Arabic target
Long name	لِيوط مسا

Why this matters: This single word-order rule is broken in nearly every machine-translated Arabic output. Legal translation (“Effective Date”) cannot become “لاعفلا خيراتلا” (English order) — must be “خيراتلا لاعفلا” (Arabic order). Medical translation (“active ingredient”) similarly. IT translation (“active session”) must flip.

Articles¶

Since there are no indefinite articles in Arabic, stand-alone words (فلم) refer to indefinite-article English words, while ا(لا) (فلملا) or genitive construction (رتويبمكلا فلم) refer to definite-article English words.

Unlocalized feature names¶

Microsoft product names and non-translated feature names are used without definite or indefinite articles in Arabic.

Localized feature names¶

Translated feature names in Arabic should be highlighted using double or single quotes, especially when appearing within other text.

en-US source	Arabic target
Configure Virtualization Settings.	بجي نيوكت تادادعإ “ةيرهاظلا”.

Articles for English borrowed terms¶

When faced with an English loan word previously used in Microsoft products:

• Motivation: Does the English word have formally motivated features that allow straightforward integration into the Arabic noun class system?
• Analogy: Is there an equivalent Arabic term whose article could be used?
• Frequency: Is the term used in other technical documentation? If so, what article is used most often?

Always consult Microsoft Terminology — Globalization to confirm the use of a new loan word and its proper article.

Capitalization¶

There is no capitalization in Arabic. English capitalized words can be translated between quotations to highlight them.

en-US source	Incorrect Arabic	Correct Arabic
To update your computer, click Update.	رقنا قوف ،رتويبمكلا ثيدحتل ثيدحت.	رقنا قوف ،رتويبمكلا ثيدحتل “ثيدحت”.

Why this matters: Legal translation of contracts uses ALL-CAPS for defined terms (“the COMPANY”, “the AGENT”); Arabic translation must use quotation marks or bold instead. Brand style guides that require capitalization rules need adapted policies for Arabic. IT translation with case-sensitive command names must use quote-highlighting.

Conjunctions¶

Conjunctions help convey a conversational tone. Modern Arabic prefers short conjunctions (و, مث) used to compose long sentences from short ones, rather than classical heavy connectors (نإ ثيح, نأ عم, مث نم).

en-US source	Classical Arabic conjunctions	Modern Arabic conjunctions
You’ve the administrator privileges. However, you can’t change the file type.	تازايتماب عتمتت لوؤسملا. عمو كلذ، ال كنكمي رييغت عون فلملا.	عم كنأ عتمتت تازايتماب لوؤسملا، الإ هنأ ال كنكمي رييغت عون فلملا.
Create a new file. Copy the file to the computer.	ئشنأ افلم اديدج. خسنا فلملا ىلع رتويبمكلا.	ئشنأ افلم اديدج مث هخسنا ىلع رتويبمكلا.
The folder has just been created in the required location. The folder is now available to use.	مت ءاشنإ دلجملا يف عقوملا بولطملا. دلجملا زهاج نآلا مادختسالل.	مت ءاشنإ دلجملا يف عقوملا بولطملا وهو نآلا زهاج مادختسالل.

Why this matters: Legal translation of contracts retains classical conjunctions because legal genre conventions demand them. Consumer-facing legal text (T&Cs, privacy notices) benefits from modern conjunctions. Medical patient materials with short modern conjunctions read more comprehensibly. Marketing copy with classical conjunctions sounds historical and distant.

Diacritics (vowelization, tashkeel)¶

Arabic vowelization is not required in documentation or online help except when a verb or noun might cause ambiguity (e.g., لَ بقَ vs لَ بقِ) or be confusing without a vowel.

Tanween (ً) should appear at the end of a word in Arabic (ً املق) — on the alef, not before it.

Why this matters: Legal translation in formal documents may require full tashkeel for legal terms. Medical translation of drug names benefits from disambiguating diacritics where pronunciation matters. IT/software typically omits diacritics for screen-space economy.

Genitive constructions (الإضافة)¶

Genitive construction with embedded English¶

When an English word sits between the governed and governing word, place the English after the Arabic ones.

Incorrect	Correct
ةينايبلا Excel لوادج	لوادجلا ةينايبلا جمانربل Excel

Class genitive constructs (إضافة الى التائفات)¶

These differ in structure between English and Arabic. English uses a prepositioned singular form of the class word; Arabic uses a postpositioned plural form. So “Field Area” becomes ةيحان لوقحلا, not ةيحان لقحلا. Singular is used in Arabic genitive construct when the genitive complement (هيلإ فاضملا) is a function word; “Break area” becomes ةيحان لصفلا, and “Add Print Wizard” becomes جلاعم ةفاضإ ةعباط.

Genitive conjunctive constructs (العطف على المضاف اليه)¶

A very common Anglicism in translation. In Arabic, the genitive complement is linked solely to its antecedent regardless of conjunctions. Two Arabic genitive complements (the second a pronoun) are needed for one English expression. “Creating and Sending Reports” → ءاشنإ ريراقتلا اهلاسرإو, not ءاشنإ لاسرإو ريراقتلا.

Why this matters: Legal translation with multi-noun obligations (“preparation and submission of documents”) must use the dual-genitive Arabic construction. Medical translation of compound conditions (“diagnosis and treatment of disease”) similarly. IT translation of features (“creating and editing files”) must follow the same pattern.

Hamza¶

The Hamza is a very sensitive issue in modern Arabic. The concern is writing of the Hamza on the Alef at the beginning of a word or verb — known as ةزمه لصولا و ةزمه عطقلا يف ةيادب ةملكلا.

Weight (وزن)	Verb forms (Hamzat Qat’)	Verb forms (Hamzat Wasl)
Trilateral (ثالثي)	Past أكل / Present آكل (no imperative)	لعفا (no others)
Quadrilateral (رباعي)	Past أَ دَرَج / Present أُ دِرَج / Verbal noun إدراج (no imperative)	(n/a)
Quintilateral (خماسي)	(n/a)	Past انفصَ ل / Verbal noun انفصال / Imperative انفصِ ل
Hexalateral (سداسي)	(n/a)	Past استَخدَم / Verbal noun استخدام / Imperative استخدِم

Why this matters: Hamza errors are visible to native readers and signal unprofessional translation. Legal translation with frequent imperative forms (أقدم, أبدأ) must use Hamzat Qat’ consistently. Medical patient instructions depend on correct verb-form orthography. IT/software UI with imperative menu commands must follow the Hamza rules to feel native.

Localizing colloquialism, idioms, and metaphors¶

The Microsoft voice allows culture-centric colloquialisms, idioms, and metaphors. In Arabic, the intended meaning of the colloquialism in the source is usually translated rather than substituted.

• Substitute Arabic colloquialism only if it’s a perfect and natural fit for the context. Otherwise undesired.
• Translate the intended meaning of the English source rather than literally translating the original colloquialism, when no fluent natural counterpart exists.

en-US source	Arabic target
All ready to go	حبصأو دادعإلا لمتكا ماظنلا مادختسالل ازهاج

Why this matters: Marketing translation with idiomatic English (“hit the ground running”, “the elephant in the room”) needs intent-translation, not literal. Legal translation with idiomatic English (“good faith”, “best efforts”) may need both literal and explanatory rendering. Medical translation of patient-friendly metaphors needs target-culture adaptation.

Nouns¶

Plural formation¶

English plural is the equivalent of both Arabic plural (جمع) and Arabic dual (مثنى). Proper contextualization is needed.

Example: “Spin Arrows” is rather نامهس (dual), not مهسأ (plural).

Why this matters: Legal translation with two-party constructions (“the parties”, “the parties’ obligations”) must use the dual form (نافرطلا). Medical translation of paired anatomy (“the eyes”, “the ears”) uses the dual (نانيعلا, نانذألا). IT translation must respect the dual for paired UI elements.

Numbers¶

Use Western Arabic Numbers (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) — becoming standard almost all over the Arab world.

Number	Arabic handling
0	Removed: “0 students” → بالط دجوي ال
1	Spelled out: 1 student = دحاو بلاط
2	Reflected in the dual form: 2 students = نابلاط
3+	Written in digits same as source

Why this matters: Legal translation of contract amounts, deadlines, and counts must follow this rule — wrong handling of 1 or 2 creates ungrammatical text. Medical translation of patient counts, dosages, frequency (“twice daily”, “two tablets”) must use dual form correctly. Marketing translation of product specifications uses Western digits; testimonials with counts (“over 1000 customers”) use digits 1000+.

Pronouns¶

Possessive pronouns¶

Possessive pronouns are often used in English. Avoid overusing in Arabic. Arabic sounds more natural using the definite article, especially when the possessor is obvious.

English	Arabic
Double-click the Skype Name in your Contact List or the search result	اجودزم ارقن رقنا ىلع مسا Skype يف ةمئاق تاهج لاصتالا وأ ةجيتن ثحبلا

Why this matters: Legal translation uses possessives constantly (“the Buyer’s obligations”, “the Seller’s rights”); over-translating creates clutter. Medical translation (“your medication”, “your symptoms”) uses attached pronouns or definite articles. Marketing copy with “your X, your Y, your Z” pattern needs Arabic restructuring.

Punctuation¶

Punctuation follows similar logic to English but with Arabic-specific marks.

Comma¶

No space before, space after. The Arabic comma (،) is typed with Shift+ن.

Arabic example
ةداعإ ءارجإل ىرخأ ةلواحم، قوف رقنا “ةداعإ ةلواحملا”.

Colon¶

No space before, space after.

Arabic example
يلي ام يف تاوطخلا يتلا يغبني كيلع اهؤارجإ:

Dashes and hyphens¶

Three different dash characters in English. In Arabic, the Kashida character (Shift+J) is preferable over the normal dash because it aligns horizontally with Arabic fonts.

Ellipses (suspension points)¶

Used like source.

Arabic example
متي نآلا ليزنت جمانربلا…

Period¶

No space before, space after.

Arabic example
دنتسملا زهاج نآلا ةعابطلل. رقنا قوف “ةعابط”.

Quotation marks¶

Straight quotation marks highlight UI items like button names.

US English	Arabic target
The File Menu	ةمئاقلا “فلم”

Mirrored question mark¶

A mirrored question mark (؟) should be used in Arabic, not the English ?.

Arabic example
؟ةلواحملا ةداعإ ديرت له

Parentheses¶

• Opening: space before, no space after.
• Closing: no space before, space after.

Why this matters: Punctuation errors are visible at a glance. Legal translation with foreign punctuation marks may be rejected by certified-translation reviewers. Medical translation with mis-placed decimals (period vs comma confusion) is a patient-safety failure. Marketing translation with mismatched quotation marks looks sloppy.

Symbols and non-breaking spaces¶

Use non-breaking spaces (CTRL+SHIFT+SPACEBAR) between words that should not separate onto different lines:

• Between Part, Chapter, or Appendix and its number or letter.
• Between a unit of measurement or currency and its number.
• Between items that should not be divided onto separate lines (product names like “Windows 10 Enterprise” and version numbers like “Word 2019”).

Percentage¶

Do not leave a space between the number and the % sign. The % sign should be on the left side of the number.

English	Incorrect	Correct
50%	% 50	50%

Verbs¶

For US English Microsoft voice, simple tenses help convey clarity. Simple present is easiest. Avoid future tense unless describing something that will really happen in the future. Use simple past for events that already happened.

In Arabic, the verb tense usage:

US English source	Arabic classical use	Arabic modern use
Once completing the registration form, you will need to enter your password.	روفو ءاهتنالا نم ءلم ةرامتسا ليجستلا، فوس نيعتي كيلع لاخدإ ةملك رورملا.	نيعتيو كيلع لاخدإ ةملك رورملا روف ءاهتنالا نم ءلم ةرامتسا ليجستلا.
If this error appears again, you will need to contact the network administrator.	يف ةلاح ثودح اذه أطخلا ةرم ىرخأ، جاتحتس ىلإ لاصتالا لوؤسمب ةكبشلا.	جاتحت ىلإ لاصتالا لوؤسمب ةكبشلا يف ةلاح ثودح اذه أطخلا ةرم ىرخأ.
After being granted the required administrator privileges, you will be able to change the file and folder properties as required.	درجمب كحنم تازايتما لوؤسملا ةبولطملا، كنكميس رييغت صئاصخ عيمج تافلملا تادلجملاو يتلا بغرت يف اهرييغت.	كنكمي درجمب كحنم تازايتما لوؤسملا ةبولطملا رييغت صئاصخ عيمج تافلملا تادلجملاو يتلا بغرت يف اهرييغت.

Passive constructions¶

Passive verbs in Arabic must be designated with a damma (ةمض) over the initial consonant to avoid ambiguity. Arabic verbs that act on objects through prepositions are often used to translate impersonal passives in English.

English	Arabic
The problem was investigated.	ةلأسملا يف ثحب ُ.

Why this matters: Legal translation uses passive voice extensively in formal English (“was executed”, “was breached”); Arabic translation needs damma marking for clarity. Medical translation of passive clinical descriptions (“was diagnosed”, “was treated”) similarly. IT translation of system messages (“was deleted”, “was saved”) follows the same convention.

Localization considerations¶

Localization means the translated text needs to be adapted to local language, customs, and standards. Arabic Microsoft content should read as originally written in Arabic, with idiomatic syntax and terminology, while maintaining terminological consistency.

Applications, products, and features¶

Application and product names are often trademarked and rarely translated. Occasionally, feature names are trademarked (IntelliSense™).

Version numbers¶

Version numbers always contain a period (Version 4.2). Keep the same format as the source (Arabic numbers with a period). If the context is Arabic, Hindi numerals with a comma should be used.

US English	Arabic target
Version 4.2	4.2 رادصإلا (Western digits) or ٤,٢ رادصإلا (Hindi digits in Arabic context)

Version strings containing copyright information should always be translated.

US English	Arabic target
© 2022 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.	Consult Microsoft Terminology — Globalization for “All rights reserved” and “Microsoft Corporation”.

Copilot predefined prompts¶

Copilot prompts are the instructions or questions used to tell Copilot what to do. Translations must be accurate, consistent, concise, natural, and use the appropriate tone.

Best practices for Copilot predefined prompts:

• Be clear and specific. English prompts are generally questions or requests starting with an action verb. Make target prompts natural questions or requests. Use clear and specific phrases or keywords.
• Keep it conversational. Use simple and natural language. Avoid machine-like tone. Use a formal tone of voice and form of address when translating Copilot predefined prompts.
• Be polite and professional. Use kind and respectful language. Don’t use slang or jargon.
• Use quotation marks. Helps Copilot know what to write, modify, or replace.
• Pay attention to punctuation, grammar, and capitalization.
• Pay attention to entity token placement. An entity token is a placeholder that triggers a UI pop-up menu (file, contact, meeting). The token is not localizable, but the position should make sense in target syntax.
• Entity token localization exception: if the prompt is display text (an example), translate the entity token. Read DevComment carefully.
• Be consistent. Some English prompts are remarkably similar — translate them consistently.

Source prompt	Target prompt
List ideas for a fun remote team building event	ثدحل راكفألا درسا ءاشنإ قيرف عتمم دعب نع
What are the goals and topics from the meeting? Format each section with a bolded heading, a bulleted list, and bolded names	ام يه فادهأ عامتجالا هتاعوضومو؟ قسن لك عطقم مادختساب ناونع قماغ ةمئاقو تاذ دادعت يطقن ءامسأو ةقماغ.
Propose a new introduction to <entity type='file'>file</entity>	حرتقا ةمدقم ةديدج ـل <entity type='file'>فلم</entity>
What were the open issues from <entity type='meeting'>meeting</entity>?	تاعوضوملا يتلا تلاز ةحوتفم دعب <entity type='meeting'>عامتجالا</entity>؟
Give me ideas for icebreaker activities for a new team	ينحنما اراكفأ ةطشنأل رسك دومجلا قيرفل ديدج
Create a list of <placeholder>color names inspired by the ocean</placeholder>	ئشنأ ةمئاق <placeholder>ءامسأب ناولألا ةاحوتسملا نم طيحملا</placeholder>

Why this matters: Copilot-prompt translation directly affects model output quality across legal, medical, marketing, IT spheres. Mistranslation of intent results in wrong content generation. Consistency across similar prompts prevents the model from learning conflicting patterns.

Software considerations¶

Error messages¶

Error messages inform the user of an error that must be corrected. They can prompt action or inform of an error requiring reboot.

Considering the underlying voice principles, ensure target translation is natural, empathetic, and not robot-like.

Correct Arabic	English term
ةحيحص ريغ رورملا ةملك. ةداعإ ءاجر اذل ةلواحملا. نوكت نأ بجي رورملا ةملكف ةقباطم فرحألا ةلاحل.	The password isn’t correct, so try again. Passwords are case-sensitive.
ةركاذ ةحاسم دجوت ال ذيفنتل ةيفاك رمألا اذه.	Not enough memory to process this command.

Arabic style in error messages¶

Use consistent terminology and language style in localized error messages. Don’t just translate as they appear in the US product.

Standard phrases in error messages¶

English	Translation	Example
Cannot … / Could not … / Failed to … / Failure of …	رذعت / لشف	فلملا فذح رذعت / فلملا فذح لشف
Cannot find … / Could not find … / Unable to find … / Unable to locate …	روثعلا رذعت	فلملا ىلع روثعلا رذعت
Not enough memory / Insufficient memory / There is not enough memory / There is not enough memory available	ةركاذلا ةيفاك ريغ	ةركاذلا ةيفاك ريغ
… is not available / … is unavailable	رفوتم ريغ	رفوتم ريغ …

Error messages containing placeholders¶

When localizing error messages with placeholders, find out what will replace the placeholder for grammatical correctness.

Placeholder	Meaning
%d, %ld, %u, %lu	number
%c	letter
%s	string

Examples:

• “Checking Web %1!d! of %2!d!” means “Checking Web <number> of <number>”.
• “INI file “%1!-.200s!” section” means “INI file “<string>” section”.

Keys¶

References to key names (arrow keys, function keys, numeric keys) appear in normal text, not small caps. The keyboard is the primary input device used for text input in Microsoft Windows.

Due to the absence of keyboards and stickers with all function keys in Arabic:

• Keep all keys in English when listed as an action to do or instruction to follow, when directly concerning the UI.
• Translate them when they occur in narrative or explanatory text.

English key name	Arabic key name
Alt	Alt
Backspace	فلخلل ةفاسم
Break	Break
Caps Lock	Caps Lock
Ctrl	Control
Delete	Delete
Down Arrow	لفسأل مهس
End	End
Enter	Enter
Esc	Esc
Home	Home
Insert	Insert
Left Arrow	راسيلل مهس
Num Lock	Num Lock
Page Down	Page Down
Page Up	Page Up
Pause	Pause
Right Arrow	نيميلل مهس
Scroll Lock	Scroll Lock
Shift	Shift
Spacebar	ةفاسم
Tab	Tab
Up Arrow	ىلعأل مهس
Windows key	Windows key
Print Screen	Print Screen
Menu Key	Menu Key

Keyboard shortcuts¶

The ampersand (&) designates keyboard shortcuts (underlined character on a menu or inside a dialog box).

The general rule: keyboard shortcuts should be clearly visible. Avoid — whenever possible — using the ampersand on ligatures (e.g., alef with hamza). Where keyboard shortcuts have already been established for commonly used commands (File menu and all its commands), shortcuts must always remain the same across Microsoft products.

• Avoid using & on English abbreviations unless necessary (&TCP/IP), where there is no Arabic alternative.
• Avoid assigning a keyboard shortcut to the letter أ since shift is required to write it.
• Avoid assigning keyboard shortcuts to following characters: ج, ب, ي, و, ر, ز, ؤ.
• Avoid using & with Alef with Hamza under (e.g., &جاردإ).
• When English uses && to represent the meaning of And, replace with “و”.

Terminology distinction¶

Term	Usage
access key	A subtype of keyboard shortcut. A letter or number the user types to access UI controls with text labels. Assigned to top-level controls. Example: F in Alt+F. Example in UI localization: H&ome. Most access keys are used with the Alt key.
key tip	The letter or number that appears in the ribbon when the Alt key is pressed. In UI localization, the key tip is the last character present in the strings after the “" character. Example: Home\H.
shortcut key	A subtype of keyboard shortcut. A key the user types to perform a common action without going through the UI. Not available for every command. Example: Ctrl+N, Ctrl+V. Most shortcut keys are used with the Ctrl key. Ctrl+letter combinations and function keys (F1-F12) are usually best for shortcut keys.

Arrow keys¶

Arrow keys move input focus among controls within a group. Right arrow moves to next control in tab order, left arrow to previous. Home, End, Up, and Down have expected behavior within a group. Users cannot navigate out of a control group using arrow keys.

Numeric keypad¶

Recommended to avoid distinguishing numeric keypad keys from other keys unless required by an application. Provide explanations if which keys to press is not obvious.

Shortcut keys¶

Shortcut keys are keystrokes or combinations used to perform defined functions. They replace menu commands and are sometimes given next to the command they represent. Unlike access keys, shortcut keys work even when not visible on screen.

Standard shortcut keys¶

General Windows shortcut keys:

US command	US shortcut key	Arabic command	Arabic shortcut key
Help window	F1	تاميلعتلا ةذفان	F1
Context-sensitive Help	Shift+F1	تاميلعتلا يتلا رهظت بسح قايسلا	Shift+F1
Display pop-up menu	Shift+F10	ضرع ةمئاقلا ةقثبنملا	Shift+F10
Cancel	Esc	ءاغلإ رمألا	Esc
Activate/deactivate menu bar mode	F10	طيشنت/ءاغلإ طيشنت عضو طيرش مئاوقلا	F10
Switch to the next primary application	Alt+Tab	ليدبتلا ىلإ قيبطتلا يساسألا يلاتلا	Alt+Tab
Display next window	Alt+Esc	ضرع ةذفانلا ةيلاتلا	Alt+Esc
Display pop-up menu for the window	Alt+Spacebar	ضرع ةمئاقلا ةقثبنملا ةذفانلل	Alt+Spacebar
Display pop-up menu for the active child window	Alt+-	ضرع ةمئاقلا ةقثبنملا ةذفانلل ةيعرفلا ةطشنلا	Alt+-
Display property sheet for current selection	Alt+Enter	ضرع ةقرو صئاصخلا ديدحتلل يلاتلا	Alt+Enter
Close active application window	Alt+F4	قالغإ ةذفان قيبطتلا طشنلا	Alt+F4
Switch to next window within (modeless-compliant) application	Alt+F6	ليدبتلا ىلإ راطإلا يلاتلا نمض قيبطتلا	Alt+F6
Capture active window image to the Clipboard	Alt+Prnt Scrn	طاقتلا ةروص ةذفانلل ةطشنلا يف ةظفاحلا	Alt+Prnt Scrn
Capture desktop image to the Clipboard	Prnt Scrn	طاقتلا ةروص بتكملا حطسل يف ةظفاحلا	Prnt Scrn
Access Start button in taskbar	Ctrl+Esc	لوصولا ىلإ رزلا “أدبا” يف طيرش ماهملا	Ctrl+Esc
Display next child window	Ctrl+F6	ضرع ةذفانلا ةيعرفلا ةيلاتلا	Ctrl+F6
Display next tabbed pane	Ctrl+Tab	ضرع ءزجلا بوبملا يلاتلا	Ctrl+Tab
Launch Task Manager and system initialization	Ctrl+Shift+Esc	ليغشت “ةرادإ ماهملا” ةئيهتو ماظنلا	Ctrl+Shift+Esc

File menu:

US command	US shortcut	Arabic command	Arabic shortcut
File New	Ctrl+N	فلم ديدج	Ctrl+N
File Open	Ctrl+O	حتف فلم	Ctrl+O
File Close	Ctrl+F4	قالغإ فلم	Ctrl+F4
File Save	Ctrl+S	ظفح	Ctrl+S
File Save as	F12	ظفح مساب	F12
File Print Preview	Ctrl+F2	ةنياعم ةعابطلا	Ctrl+F2
File Print	Ctrl+P	ةعابط	Ctrl+P
File Exit	Alt+F4	ءاهنإ	Alt+F4

Edit menu:

US command	US shortcut	Arabic command	Arabic shortcut
Edit Undo	Ctrl+Z	عجارت	Ctrl+Z
Edit Repeat	Ctrl+Y	راركت	Ctrl+Y
Edit Cut	Ctrl+X	صق	Ctrl+X
Edit Copy	Ctrl+C	خسن	Ctrl+C
Edit Paste	Ctrl+V	قصل	Ctrl+V
Edit Delete	Ctrl+Backspace	فذح	Ctrl+Backspace
Edit Select All	Ctrl+A	ديدحت لكلا	Ctrl+A
Edit Find	Ctrl+F	ثحب	Ctrl+F
Edit Replace	Ctrl+H	لادبتسا	Ctrl+H
Edit Go To	Ctrl+G	لاقتنا ىلإ	Ctrl+G

Help menu:

US command	US shortcut	Arabic command	Arabic shortcut
Help	F1	تاميلعت	F1

Font format:

US command	US shortcut	Arabic command	Arabic shortcut
Italic	Ctrl+I	لئام	Ctrl+I
Bold	Ctrl+B	قماغ	Ctrl+B
Underlined/Word underline	Ctrl+U	ريطست	Ctrl+U
Large caps	Ctrl+Shift+A	فرح ريبك	Ctrl+Shift+A
Small caps	Ctrl+Shift+K	فرح ريغص	Ctrl+Shift+K

Paragraph format:

US command	US shortcut	Arabic command	Arabic shortcut
Centered	Ctrl+E	طيسوت	Ctrl+E
Left aligned	Ctrl+L	ةاذاحم راسيلل	Ctrl+L
Right aligned	Ctrl+R	ةاذاحم نيميلل	Ctrl+R
Justified	Ctrl+J	طبض	Ctrl+J

Trademarks¶

Trademarked names and the name Microsoft Corporation should not be localized unless local laws require translation and an approved translated form of the trademark is available. The Microsoft trademarks list is at https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/legal/intellectualproperty/Trademarks/.

Voice video considerations¶

A good voice video addresses only one intent, is not too long, has high audio quality, has visuals that add to information, and uses the right language variant/dialect/accent in voiceover.

Successful techniques¶

• Focus on the intent. Show the best way to achieve the most common task.
• Show empathy.
• Use SEO. Include search phrases in title, description, headers.
• Talk to the customer as if they are next to you.
• Record a scratch audio file. Check for length, pace, clarity.

English pronunciation¶

Generally, English terms and product names left unlocalized should be pronounced the English way. However, if your language has an established pronunciation for a common term (“server”), use the local pronunciation.

Example	Arabic pronunciation
SecurID	ِسرويك يآ يد
.NET	تود تن

Acronyms and abbreviations¶

Acronyms are pronounced like real words, adapted to local pronunciation. English words and acronyms are pronounced in Arabic the same way they are in English.

Example	Arabic pronunciation
RADIUS	سويدِ ر
RAS	راس
SQL	لاوكس
LAN	نال
WAN	ناو
WAP	ب او
MAPI	ي بام
POP	ب وب
OWA	اوأ

Other abbreviations are pronounced letter by letter.

Example	Arabic pronunciation
ICMP	ي ب مإ يس يآ
IP	ي ب يآ
TCP/IP	ي ب يآ/يب يس يت
XML	ل إ مإ سكإ
HTML	ل إ مإ يت شتإ
URL	لإ رآ وي
ISA	ه يز يآ

URLs¶

• “http://” should be left out; rest of URL should be read entirely.
• “www” should be pronounced as WWW.
• The “dot” should be omitted, but can also be read out. If read out, pronounced the English way.

Punctuation marks¶

Most punctuation marks are naturally implied by voice sound (? ! : ; ,). En Dash (–) emphasizes an isolated element — pronounced as a short pause.

Special characters¶

Pronounce special characters (/ \ ˘ < > + -) using English translations approved in Microsoft Terminology.

Treatment of code and variables¶

Jobs sent for translation in HTML or XLS often include code and variables — include without modification.

Example	Comment
Zone %s1	“%s1” will be replaced with different pricing zones by Skype engineers.
Your fax to {fax_recipient} was successfully sent!	“{fax recipient}” should not be translated and placed in the right spot.
I agree with B3G’s {LINK_START}Terms of Service{LINK_END}.	“Terms of Service” should be translated; tags placed correctly; no space between starting link tag and translated text.

Tone for voiceover¶

Use a tone matching the target audience — more informal, playful, and inspiring for most Microsoft products and games; formal, informative, and factual for technical texts.

Video voice checklist¶

Topic and script:

• Apply Microsoft voice principles: single intent, clarity, everyday language, friendliness, relatable context.

Title:

• Includes the intent
• Includes keywords for search

Intro (10 seconds to set up the issue):

• Put the problem into a relatable context

Action and sound:

• Keep something happening, visually and audibly
• Maintain appropriate pace
• Synchronize visuals with voice-over
• Alternate between first and second person is fine
• Repetition of big points is fine

Visuals:

• Eye guided through the procedure
• Smooth, easily trackable pointer motions
• Judicious callout use
• Appropriate use of motion graphics and/or branding-approved visuals

Ending:

• Recaps unnecessary

FAQ¶

What’s the right register for modern Arabic translation across spheres?¶

Clear, friendly, conversational — closer to everyday speech than to classical formal Arabic. This applies to software UI, marketing copy, consumer-facing legal text, and patient-facing medical materials. Formal Modern Standard Arabic with classical conjunction patterns (نإ ثيح, نأ عم) is still appropriate for sworn legal documents, government forms, and technical specifications, but for most consumer content modern usage with short conjunctions (و, مث) reads as natural.

How should I handle gender in Arabic translation?¶

Use collective nouns and plurals to avoid gender-specific terms: نوكراشملا (participants), لمع قيرف (work team), ةلماعلا ىوقلا (workforce). Avoid masculine-default singulars like بودنم تاعيبم — use تاعيبملا قيرف instead. For tooltips and impersonal third-person references, use the verbal noun (ردصملا): “Displays full pages” becomes ضرع تاحفصلا اهلمكأب rather than gendered ضرعت/ضرعي.

How do I render English possessives like “your” in Arabic?¶

Avoid the literal كب صاخلا. Use the second-person attached pronoun (باطخلا فاك) — typically attached once on first occurrence or skipped when context makes possession obvious. For first-person “my”, use ملكتملا ءاي (يتافلم not يب ةصاخلا تافلملا). Definite article suffices in most cases.

What’s the rule for numerals in Arabic translation?¶

Western Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) are standard across the Arab world for almost all contexts. Three exceptions: 0 is removed (0 students = بالط دجوي ال); 1 is spelled out (دحاو بلاط); 2 uses the dual form (نابلاط). All other numbers in digits, matching the English source. For version numbers in Arabic context, switch to Hindi numerals with comma (٤,٢ رادصإلا).

How should keyboard shortcuts and key names be handled?¶

Function keys, Alt, Ctrl, Shift, Tab — keep all in English when they appear in action instructions or directly reference the UI. Translate them when they appear in narrative or explanatory text. Arrow keys and Spacebar are translated (ىلعأل مهس, ةفاسم).

How are diacritics (tashkeel) handled in Microsoft Arabic?¶

Diacritics are generally not required in documentation or online help, except when a verb or noun would be ambiguous without them (لَ بقَ vs لَ بقِ). Tanween should appear at the end of the word, placed on the alef (ً املق), not before it. Passive verbs must be marked with the damma over the initial consonant.

What punctuation marks must be used in Arabic — not English equivalents?¶

Arabic comma (،, Shift+ن) replaces English comma; mirrored question mark (؟) replaces English ?; Kashida character (Shift+J) is preferred over standard dash because it aligns horizontally with Arabic fonts. Straight quotation marks highlight UI items. No space before punctuation; one space after.

Sources¶

• Microsoft Localization Style Guides hub
• Microsoft Terminology — Globalization
• Microsoft Trademarks list
• Microsoft Accessibility