This guide adapts rules and examples from Microsoft’s 54-page Bosnian Localization Style Guide (Latin script, originally written for software/UI localization). The underlying linguistic rules apply universally — to legal contracts, medical documents, marketing copy, and any Bosnian translation work. Restructured and reformatted as a general Bosnian translator reference by ChatsControl.
Bosnian Translation Style Guide — Voice, Word Choice & Common Pitfalls (Legal, Medical, Marketing, IT)¶
TL;DR¶
- Each Bosnian noun has its own gender — gender-neutral forms are nearly impossible. Use feminization (direktor → direktorica, predsjednik → predsjednica) when person’s gender is known; use male as “inclusive” for generic terms (korisnik).
- Avoid slashed gender pairs (korisnik/ca) — reduces readability. For generalization use plural noun forms (osobe, pojedinci, učenici).
- Address users with second-person formal vi; use direct addressing rather than third-person korisnik (user).
- Drop formal verbosity: Imati priliku → moći; Dati preporuku → preporučiti; Locirati → pronaći; Saopćiti informacije → pomoći; Iziskuje → treba; Naziv → ime.
- Use chevrons or quotation marks per Bosnian convention; avoid copying English title-case capitalization.
Register and tone¶
Three principles: warm and relaxed; crisp and clear; ready to lend a hand.
Write short, easy-to-read sentences. Avoid passive voice. Avoid slang and casual colloquialisms.
Avoid the corporate “we” (Microsoft announces…, We’re proud to introduce…). Keep the focus on “you” — the reader.
Why this matters: Bureaucratic register damages marketing copy conversion, medical patient material compliance, software UI friction, and consumer-facing legal text clarity.
Word choice¶
| en-US source | Bosnian word | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| hard disk | disk | Use generic “disk” for any disk type; specify if necessary. |
| computer | PC | For personal computing devices |
| you | vi | Address user as “vi” directly or indirectly |
Words and phrases to avoid¶
| en-US source | Bosnian to avoid | Preferred Bosnian |
|---|---|---|
| To have an opportunity | Imati priliku | moći |
| To give a recommendation | Dati preporuku | preporučiti |
| To locate | Locirati | pronaći |
| To provide information, to provide support | Saopćiti informacije, pružiti podršku | pomoći |
| To achieve | Ostvariti | uraditi |
| To consult (a source) | Konsultirati (izvor informacija) | pogledati |
| Requires | Iziskuje | treba |
| Name | Naziv | ime |
Sample voice usage¶
Addressing the user¶
| US English | Bosnian |
|---|---|
| The password isn’t correct, so please try again. Passwords are case-sensitive. | Lozinka nije tačna. Pokušajte ponovo kasnije. Obratite pažnju na mala i velika slova. |
| This product key didn’t work. Please check it and try again. | Ključ proizvoda ne funkcionira. Provjerite ga i pokušajte ponovo. |
| All ready to go | Sve je spremno |
| Would you like to continue? | Želite li nastaviti? |
| Give your PC a name — any name you want. If you want to change the background color, turn high contrast off in PC settings. | Nazovite PC kojim god imenom želite. Ako želite promijeniti boju pozadine, isključite visoki kontrast u postavkama PC-ja. |
Promoting a feature¶
| US English | Bosnian |
|---|---|
| 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. | Slikovna lozinka je novi način zaštite dodirnog ekrana računara. Trebate samo odabrati sliku i pokret koji ide uz nju da biste kreirali svoju jedinstvenu lozinku. |
| Let apps give you personalized content based on your PC’s location, name, account picture, and other domain info. | Personalizirajte sadržaj pomoću aplikacija na temelju lokacije PC-ja, imena, slike računa ili drugih informacija o domeni. |
How-to guidelines¶
| US English | Bosnian |
|---|---|
| To go back and save your work, click Cancel and finish what you need to. | Da biste se vratili i sačuvali svoj rad, kliknite na Otkaži i završite započeto. |
| To confirm your current picture password, just watch the replay and trace the example gestures shown on your picture. | Da biste potvrdili slikovnu lozinku, pogledajte ponovljeni snimak i slijedite iste pokrete kao na slici. |
| It’s time to enter the product key. When you connect to the Internet, we’ll activate Windows for you. | Vrijeme je da unesete ključ proizvoda. Kada se spojite na internet, aktivirat ćemo Windows. |
Explanatory text and support¶
| US English | Bosnian |
|---|---|
| The updates are installed, but Windows 11 Setup needs to restart for them to work. After it restarts, we’ll keep going from where we left off. | Ažuriranja su instalirana, ali treba ponovo pokrenuti program za postavljanje sistema Windows 11 da bi djelovala. Nakon ponovnog pokretanja nastavljamo gdje smo stali. |
| If you restart now, you and any other people using this PC could lose unsaved work. | Ako odmah ponovo pokrenete program, vi i sve druge osobe koje rade na ovom računaru možete izgubiti sve podatke koji nisu sačuvani. |
| This document will be automatically moved to the right library and folder after you correct invalid or missing properties. | Ovaj dokument će biti automatski premješten u odgovarajuću biblioteku i fasciklu nakon što ispravite svojstva koja su netačna ili nedostaju. |
| Something bad happened! Unable to locate downloaded files to create your bootable USB flash drive. | Loše vijesti! Nije moguće pronaći preuzete fajlove za stvaranje USB fleš memorijskog pogona. |
Inclusive language¶
General guidelines¶
Comply with local language laws. Use plain language. Be mindful of politically disputed cities/countries. Represent diverse perspectives. Don’t generalize or stereotype. Don’t use profane terms.
| English | Not this | Bosnian | Not this (Bosnian) |
|---|---|---|---|
| primary/subordinate | master/slave | naređeni/podređeni | gazda/rob |
| perimeter network | demilitarized zone (DMZ) | sigurna mreža | demilitarizirana zona (DMZ) |
| stop responding | hang | prestati odgovarati | spustiti |
| expert | guru | stručnjak | guru |
| meeting | pow wow | sastanak | okupljanje |
| colleagues; everyone; all | guys; ladies and gentlemen | kolege; svi | momci; dame i gospodo |
| parent | mother or father | roditelj | majka i otac |
Avoid gender bias¶
In Slavic languages each noun has its own gender — gender-neutral forms are nearly impossible. Use feminization: traditionally male-gender words (direktor, predsjednik, gradonačelnik, član odbora) get female versions (direktorica, predsjednica, gradonačelnica, članica odbora).
Traditional grammatical convention: masculine gender (as “inclusive”) is used for generic words (korisnik = user). Avoid combined forms (korisnik/ca) — they reduce readability.
| Use this | Not this | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| kolega (m.) / kolegica (f.) | kolega (m.) only | Don’t use only male gender. If person’s gender is known, use accordingly. “Ona je direktorica firme”, not “Ona je direktor firme”. |
| član (m.) / članica (f.) | član (m.) | |
| doktor (m.) / doktorica (f.) | doktor (m.) | |
| pravnik (m.) / pravnica (f.) | pravnik (m.) | |
| direktor (m.) / direktorica (f.) | direktor (m.) |
For generalizations, use plural noun forms (osobe, pojedinci, učenici).
| English | Bosnian |
|---|---|
| The user should enter the data into the list. | (+) Korisnici trebaju unijeti podatke u spisak. (-) Korisnik ili korisnica trebaju unijeti podatke u spisak. |
When impossible, use impersonal form or passive voice:
- (+) Kontakt neće odgovoriti jer mu je status postavljen na Odsutan.
- (+) Možda nećete primiti odgovor jer je status kontakta postavljen na Odsutan.
- (-) Kontakt neće odgovoriti zato jer je njegov ili njezin status postavljen na Odsutan.
Language-specific standards¶
Articles¶
Bosnian has no articles. Omit a/an/the in translation. Definite reference handled through context and case marking.
Capitalization¶
Avoid title-case capitalization (English style). Capitalize only first word in sentences, proper nouns, and institutional names (first word).
Punctuation¶
Use Bosnian punctuation conventions:
- Period (.) ends sentences
- Comma (,) follows standard usage
- Quotation marks: „…” or “…”
- Question (?) and exclamation (!) follow standard
- Em dash (—) for parenthetical emphasis
- En dash (–) for ranges
Verbs¶
Use imperative mood for user actions. Active voice preferred over passive. Avoid verb constructions with “moći ćete” when imperative works.
Prepositions¶
Use Bosnian prepositions naturally: na (on), u (in), za (for), od (from/of), iz (out of/from), do (until/to), preko (over/across).
Localization considerations¶
Applications, products, and features¶
Product names trademarked, rarely translated.
Trademarks¶
Microsoft Corporation and trademarked names should not be localized.
Geopolitical concerns¶
Maps, flags, country/region names — verify currency and political acceptability.
Software considerations¶
Error messages¶
Use voice principles. Natural, empathetic, not robot-like.
Keys¶
Most key names kept in English.
FAQ¶
How is gender handled in Bosnian translation given Slavic noun gender?¶
Each Bosnian noun has inherent gender. For generic references, the masculine form is conventionally inclusive (korisnik, kolega, direktor). When the person’s gender is known, use feminization (direktorica, predsjednica, gradonačelnica, članica odbora). For generalizations, prefer plural forms (osobe, pojedinci, učenici, korisnici). Avoid slashed pairs (korisnik/ca) — they reduce readability. Use impersonal or passive voice when masculine inclusive feels exclusionary.
What’s the modern register for Bosnian translation?¶
Clear, friendly, conversational. Avoid bureaucratic forms (Imati priliku, Dati preporuku, Locirati, Saopćiti informacije, Iziskuje, Naziv) in favor of modern equivalents (moći, preporučiti, pronaći, pomoći, treba, ime). Replace word-by-word translations with idiomatic Bosnian reflecting how people speak.
How should I address users in Bosnian?¶
Use second-person formal vi (you, polite). Avoid third-person korisnik (user) which sounds institutional. Direct second-person addressing is the modern voice across software, marketing, medical, and consumer-facing legal text.
How are key names rendered in Bosnian?¶
Most key names kept in English (Alt, Ctrl, Shift, Tab, Enter, Esc, Delete, Backspace, Home, End, Insert). Arrow keys, Spacebar, and other named keys may be translated per current Bosnian convention.
Which Bosnian terms should I use for common IT concepts?¶
hard disk → disk (not hard disk); computer → PC (for personal computing); you → vi (always second-person formal). For technical vs consumer audiences: technical Bosnian for engineers, plain Bosnian for end users.