This guide adapts rules and examples from Microsoft’s 63-page Catalan Localization Style Guide (originally written for software/UI localization). The underlying linguistic rules apply universally — to legal contracts, medical documents, marketing copy, and any Catalan translation work. Restructured and reformatted as a general Catalan translator reference by ChatsControl.
Catalan Translation Style Guide — Voice, Word Choice & Common Pitfalls (Legal, Medical, Marketing, IT)¶
TL;DR¶
- Two address forms by product: tu (informal) for Windows, gaming, consumer apps; vós (formal plural) for Office, professional products — always double-check per product.
- Avoid barbarismes (Spanish/English-influenced non-normative forms) — use normative Catalan even where colloquial forms are widely heard.
- Replace formal verbosity: utilitzar → fer servir; sol·licitar → demanar; tanmateix/no obstant → però; localitzar → trobar/buscar; requerir → necessitar; tornar a instal·lar → reinstal·lar.
- Use authoritative references: TERMCAT for IT terminology, IEC dictionaries (DIEC, GDLC), Optimot, ésAdir — these are the normative sources.
- Synonyms encouraged in informal/long texts to avoid repetition (utilitzar/fer servir, carregar/penjar/pujar for upload, comprar/adquirir/obtenir for purchase).
- TL;DR
- Register and tone
- Word choice
- Sample voice usage
- Inclusive language
- Language-specific standards
- Localization considerations
- Reference materials
- FAQ
- Which form of address should I use — tu or vós?
- What are barbarismes and why must they be avoided?
- What punctuation rules are Catalan-specific?
- How are key Catalan reference materials organized?
- Which formal Catalan words should be replaced with everyday alternatives?
- How should I handle synonyms across a translation?
- Sources
Register and tone¶
Three principles: warm and relaxed; crisp and clear; ready to lend a hand.
General style: clear, friendly, concise — everyday conversation rather than formal technical Catalan.
Translate intent rather than words literally. Feel free to choose non-standard translations when they better convey source intent.
Words and phrases to avoid¶
| en-US source | ca-ES to avoid | ca-ES preferred |
|---|---|---|
| about | quant a | sobre |
| detect (an error) | detectar (un error) | trobar (un error), ensopegar amb (un error) |
| locate | localitzar | trobar, buscar (depending on context) |
| require | requerir | necessitar |
| request | sol·licitar | demanar |
| however | tanmateix, no obstant, no obstant això | però |
| reinstall | tornar a instal·lar | reinstal·lar |
| use | utilitzar | fer servir |
| have a chance to… | tenir l’oportunitat de… | poder… |
Word choice¶
Terminology¶
Use terminology consistently. Adhere to approved references. Use Microsoft Terminology — Globalization for key terms, technical terms, product names.
Short word forms and everyday words¶
Shortened words less common than US English. Use carefully.
| en-US source | ca-ES word | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| demo | demo | Acceptable instead of demostració in informal contexts |
| megabyte/MB, gigabyte/GB, terabyte/TB | mega, giga, tera | Use instead of full forms: “necessitaràs 2 gigues per…” |
| photo | foto | Use foto instead of fotografia |
| email account | compte de correu | Full term compte de correu electrònic too long |
Synonyms¶
Variety conveys a more natural, conversational tone in longer informal texts.
| en-US source | ca-ES term | ca-ES synonym |
|---|---|---|
| purchase | adquirir | comprar, obtenir |
| warn | avisar | alertar |
| change | canviar | modificar |
| successfully | correctament | ben (e.g., ben instal·lat instead of instal·lat correctament) |
| correu electrònic | correu (don’t use English mail, email, e-mail) | |
| duration | duració | durada |
| functionality | funcionalitat | funcions, característiques |
| enter | introduir | escriure (when referring to typing/writing) |
| select | seleccionar | triar, escollir |
| hint | suggeriment | pista (more informal, e.g., for password hint) |
| call | trucada | telefonada (when referring to phone call) |
| reinstall | tornar a instal·lar | reinstal·lar |
| use | utilitzar | fer servir |
Avoid barbarismes — non-normative language influenced by Spanish or English.
Sample voice usage¶
Focusing on the user action¶
| US English | ca-ES |
|---|---|
| The password isn’t correct, so try again. Passwords are case-sensitive. | La contrasenya no és correcta; torna-ho a provar. Les contrasenyes diferencien entre majúscules i minúscules. |
| This product key didn’t work. Check it and try again. | Aquesta clau del producte no funciona. Comprova-la i torna-ho a provar. |
| All ready to go | Llestos! |
| Would you like to continue? | Vols continuar? (Windows) / Voleu continuar? (Office 365) |
| Give your PC a name — any name you want. If you want to change the background color, turn high contrast off in PC settings. | Dona el nom que vulguis a l’ordinador. Si vols canviar el color de fons, desactiva el contrast alt a Configuració de l’ordinador. |
Explanatory text and support¶
| US English | ca-ES |
|---|---|
| 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. | S’han instal·lat les actualitzacions, però el programa d’instal·lació del Windows 11 ha de reiniciar-se perquè funcionin. Després de reiniciar-se, continuarem des del punt on ens hem quedat. |
| If you restart now, you and any other people using this PC could lose unsaved work. | Si el reinicies ara, tu i les altres persones que feu servir aquest ordinador podríeu perdre la feina que no hàgiu desat. |
| This document will be automatically moved to the right library and folder after you correct invalid or missing properties. | Aquest document es desplaçarà automàticament a la biblioteca i a la carpeta correctes quan en corregeixis les propietats no vàlides o que faltin. |
| Something bad happened! Unable to locate downloaded files to create your bootable USB flash drive. | Tenim un problema: no s’han trobat els fitxers baixats per crear la unitat flaix USB d’arrencada. |
Promoting a feature¶
| US English | ca-ES |
|---|---|
| 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. | La contrasenya d’imatge és una nova manera de protegir els ordinadors amb pantalla tàctil. Per crear la teva contrasenya exclusiva, només has de triar la imatge i els gestos que faràs servir. |
| Let apps give you personalized content based on your PC’s location, name, account picture, and other domain info. | Fes que les aplicacions et proporcionin contingut personalitzat basant-se en la ubicació, en el nom, en la imatge del compte i en altres dades de domini de l’ordinador. |
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. Don’t use profane terms.
Address forms¶
Two address forms by product: - tu (informal singular): Windows, gaming, consumer apps, social media. Possessive: teu/teva. - vós (formal plural): Office, professional products, enterprise content, formal legal/medical content. Possessive: vostre/vostra.
Vostè (formal singular) is rare in Catalan localization — vós is standard.
Language-specific standards¶
Articles¶
Catalan uses definite (el, la, els, les, l’) and indefinite (un, una, uns, unes) articles. Article elision before vowel: l’home, l’amic.
Apostrophe¶
Apostrophe used: - Before vowel-initial words: l’home, d’aquí, n’hi, m’agrada - In contractions: pel (per + el), del (de + el), al (a + el)
L·l (geminated l)¶
Geminated l written l·l with interpunct (punt volat, U+00B7): paral·lel, intel·ligent, col·lecció, instal·lar.
Punctuation¶
Quotation marks¶
«…» chevrons preferred. ” ” or ’ ’ for nested quotes.
Em dash¶
Em dash for parenthetical clauses.
Comma¶
Follows Catalan grammar rules — comma before but/however clauses, separating list items, etc.
Capitalization¶
Use sparingly. First word of sentence, proper nouns, institutional names (first word only).
Localization considerations¶
Applications, products, and features¶
Product/application names trademarked, rarely translated.
Trademarks¶
Microsoft Corporation and trademarked names not localized unless local laws require.
Reference materials¶
Normative references¶
- Institut d’Estudis Catalans. Diccionari de la llengua catalana (IEC). Available at http://dlc.iec.cat/.
- Fabra, P. Gramàtica catalana. Barcelona: Teide, various editions.
- Jané, A. Gramàtica catalana. Barcelona: Salvat, 1977.
Dictionaries¶
- Alcover, A. M.; Moll, F. Diccionari català-valencià-balear. Available at http://dcvb.iecat.net/.
- Bruguera, J. Diccionari ortogràfic i de pronúncia.
- Gran diccionari de la llengua catalana. Available at http://www.diccionari.cat.
- Diccionari de la llengua catalana (IEC). Available at http://dlc.iec.cat/.
- TERMCAT. Diccionari d’Internet.
- TERMCAT. Societat de la informació: Noves tecnologies i Internet.
Online resources¶
- Optimot (Generalitat de Catalunya): http://gencat.cat/optimot/
- ésAdir (CCMA): http://esadir.cat/
- Enciclopèdia Catalana: http://www.enciclopedia.cat
- TERMCAT: https://www.termcat.cat/
Informative references¶
- Manual d’estil (Mestres et al.)
- Tractat de puntuació (Pujol & Solà)
- Els signes de puntuació (UAB)
- AVUI. Llibre d’estil
- Llibre d’estil de l’Ajuntament de Barcelona
FAQ¶
Which form of address should I use — tu or vós?¶
Depends on product. tu (informal singular) for Windows, gaming, consumer marketing, social apps. vós (formal plural) for Office, professional/enterprise products, formal legal/medical content. Vostè (formal singular) is rarely used in Catalan localization — vós is the standard formal. Always check the product’s target audience and tone guidelines before deciding. Mixing forms within one product is a defect.
What are barbarismes and why must they be avoided?¶
Barbarismes are Spanish-influenced or English-influenced non-normative Catalan forms widely heard in everyday speech but linguistically incorrect. Examples: tenir que (Spanish ‘tener que’) → haver de; tarda (Spanish ‘tarde’) → tarda (correct) but careful with similar false friends; donar-se compte → adonar-se; degut a → a causa de / per culpa de. Even widely used, barbarismes are unacceptable in professional translation.
What punctuation rules are Catalan-specific?¶
Quotation marks: «…» (chevrons) preferred; “…” or ‘…’ for nested. Em dash for parenthetical clauses. L·l (with interpunct/punt volat) for geminated l: paral·lel, intel·ligent. Apostrophe (l’home, d’aquí) used before vowel-initial words. Comma usage follows Catalan grammar.
How are key Catalan reference materials organized?¶
Normative: Diccionari de la llengua catalana (IEC), Gran diccionari de la llengua catalana (Enciclopèdia Catalana), Diccionari ortogràfic i de pronúncia (Bruguera). Style: Manual d’estil (Mestres et al.), Tractat de puntuació (Pujol & Solà), Els signes de puntuació (UAB). IT/tech: TERMCAT’s Diccionari d’Internet and Societat de la informació. Online: Optimot (Generalitat), DIEC2 (dlc.iec.cat), GDLC (diccionari.cat), ésAdir (CCMA), Enciclopèdia Catalana.
Which formal Catalan words should be replaced with everyday alternatives?¶
utilitzar → fer servir; sol·licitar → demanar; tanmateix / no obstant / no obstant això → però; localitzar → trobar / buscar; requerir → necessitar; tornar a instal·lar → reinstal·lar; detectar (un error) → trobar / ensopegar amb; tenir l’oportunitat de → poder; about → sobre (not quant a).
How should I handle synonyms across a translation?¶
Variety conveys a more natural, conversational tone in longer informal texts. Deviate from established terminology for general terms when repetition is awkward. use → utilitzar/fer servir; purchase → comprar/adquirir/obtenir; upload → carregar/penjar/pujar; warn → avisar/alertar; change → canviar/modificar; successfully → correctament/ben (ben instal·lat); select → seleccionar/triar/escollir; hint → suggeriment/pista; call → trucada/telefonada.