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

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

TL;DR¶

• Metropolitan French translation prefers full forms over English-style shortenings — write “application” (not “app”), “synchroniser” (not “sync”), and “informations” (not “infos” in running text).
• Modern French register replaces formal vocabulary with everyday words — pour (not afin de), toujours (not invariablement), baisse (not diminution); applies across marketing, patient instructions, software UI, and consumer legal documents.
• Metropolitan French requires nonbreaking space before ; ! : ? — Canadian French does not. This is the single most visible orthographic difference between the two variants.
• Use gender-inclusive constructions per the HCE (Haut Conseil à l’Égalité) practical guide — collective nouns (le lectorat), epicene wording (élève, membre), articles in place of possessives; feminize job titles for real persons (auteure/autrice).
• Address users with “vous” (masculine singular); switch to second person singular “tu” only in Copilot predefined prompts where users model casual conversation with AI; never use impersonal “on,” “il y a,” “il faut,” or “c’est” in product voice.

Register and tone for modern French translation¶

Register is the level of formality, warmth, and conversational ease the target text projects. Modern French readers across consumer-facing spheres expect a register that feels clear, friendly, and concise — language that resembles everyday conversation rather than the formal, technical language traditional in commercial and technical content.

Three principles define the modern French register for consumer-facing content:

• Warm and relaxed. Natural, less formal, more grounded in honest conversations. Occasionally playful when context permits.
• Crisp and clear. Written for scanning first, reading second. Sentences short enough to parse on a phone screen. Simplicity is the default.
• Ready to help. Anticipates what the reader needs and offers it at the right moment, rather than burying it under qualifications.

Why this matters: Formal French is the default in legacy commercial, administrative, and technical writing, and it carries institutional distance that damages outcomes across spheres. In marketing copy it kills conversion — readers disengage when text sounds like a circulaire. In patient-facing medical materials it reduces comprehension and treatment compliance. In software UI it creates friction at every interaction. In consumer-facing legal documents (CGU, politiques de confidentialité, RGPD notices) plain-language framing is now mandated by both French and EU consumer-protection norms. Only sworn legal translation and pure technical specifications retain the older formal register.

Audience targeting: technical vs. consumer vocabulary¶

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

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

Flexibility: when to translate literally vs. when to rewrite¶

Flexibility is the translator’s discretion to modify or rewrite translated strings so they sound natural to French customers. The rule: understand the whole intention of sentences, paragraphs, and pages, then rewrite as if composing the content yourself. Sometimes you need to remove unnecessary content.

English example	French example
Teams: Full view in Teams	Teams: affichage normal
Microsoft Teams is for everyone	Microsoft Teams convient à tous les profils d’utilisateur

Because conversational style departs from source-faithful translation, literally rendering the English text frequently produces target text that is not relevant or natural to French readers.

Why this matters: Source-faithful translation produces translatorese — text that reads as translated. Required in sworn legal translation and certified document translation (état civil, jugements, disputed contracts) where literal accuracy is mandated. 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.

Word choice: terminology, short forms, and everyday vocabulary¶

Approved terminology¶

Standard and product-specific terminology must always be used. Glossaries help find the right terms — refer to them whenever there are variants (e-mail or email, WiFi or Wi-Fi or WIFI). Terminology isn’t always consistent across all products; some products use non-standard terms.

Why this matters: Terminology consistency is non-negotiable in legal translation (a defined term in a contract must render identically across all pages — variant renderings create ambiguity opposing counsel will exploit), medical translation (drug names, dosage units, anatomical terms must be invariant — a synonym swap can produce a dispensing error), and IT/software translation (UI labels, menu items, error codes must match help documentation word-for-word or users can’t find what they need).

Short word forms¶

In French, full forms are preferred and the use of shortened words is the exception. Where English casually shortens words (“app,” “info,” “sync”), French keeps the full form unless source UI imposes a hard space constraint.

US English word	US English usage	French word usage
App	Use app instead of application or program.	Don’t use “app” in French even if it’s used in the source. Use “application” instead. This is the approved translation. Note: when used in source string and if space is limited, the short form “appli” is acceptable.
Info	Use in most situations unless information better fits the context. Use info when you point the reader elsewhere (“for more info, see “).	Try to avoid using “infos” in running text and use the full form instead (“informations” or “information”). When used in source string and space is limited, the short form is acceptable. Use “infos” in the context of data such as contact information, personal details, and more info.
PC	Use for personal computing devices. Use computer to refer to PCs and the Mac.	Use “PC” as it’s used in the source text. This is the approved translation.
Sync	—	Don’t use “sync” or “synchro,” even if it’s used in the source, and use the full form instead: synchroniser or synchronisation.

Everyday words over formal alternatives¶

For modern French, everyday words convey meaning concisely and directly. The target audience is often reluctant to read and understand long text, especially when it contains obscure words.

French existing term	French Microsoft voice term
invariablement	toujours
il est (fort) probable que	sans doute, probablement
pléthore	trop, beaucoup (excès is less used, and depends on context)
diminution	baisse
afin de, dans le but de	pour
avoir la possibilité de, avoir l’opportunité de	pouvoir
réaliser	faire, effectuer
requérir, exiger	demander, nécessiter
faire une recommandation	recommander, conseiller

Why this matters: Formal vocabulary signals institutional distance. In marketing translation, “afin de bénéficier de” reads as paperwork; “pour profiter de” reads as someone talking to the reader. In medical patient materials, “il est fort probable que vous ressentiez” delays comprehension; “vous ressentirez probablement” lands immediately. In software UI, “réaliser la sauvegarde” is longer and stiffer than “effectuer la sauvegarde.” These substitutions are among the highest-leverage edits a translator can make.

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

To achieve a fluent translation, avoid word-for-word translation. If text is translated literally without an overall understanding of the paragraph or page, the tone will sound stiff and unnatural — sometimes ridiculous. Check the source text in the live pages so you don’t just translate a list of strings without context. Text may be split into different sentences if that helps simplify the translation. Sometimes you can omit descriptors to make the text snappier.

English text	Incorrect French translation	Correct French translation
Connected with the Cloud	Connexion au Cloud	Cloud : la vie 100 % connectée
Take files with you	Emmenez les fichiers avec vous	Vos fichiers toujours avec vous
The efficient way to do email	Une façon efficace d’échanger des messages	Outlook, bien plus qu’une adresse de messagerie
We’ll keep stepping up security	Nous continuerons à renforcer la sécurité	Une boîte mail toujours plus sécurisée
A more secure web	Un web plus sécurisé	Un web plus sûr
Connected to your people	Connexion à vos contacts	Restez en contact avec vos proches

Why this matters: Word-for-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 French but emotionally flat. In software UI it produces labels users hesitate over because the phrasing doesn’t match how they’d describe the action.

Words and phrases to avoid in modern French¶

Avoid words and phrases with an unnecessarily formal tone.

French old word/phrase	French new word/phrase
avoir la possibilité de, avoir l’opportunité de	pouvoir
requérir	demander
faire une recommandation	recommander, conseiller
nécessiter	devoir
Impossible de…	When source uses forms such as “We were unable to” or “We could not,” avoid impersonal forms like “impossible de.” Instead, match the source and use forms like “Nous n’avons pas pu.”

In general: avoid words you wouldn’t say to someone when speaking to them in person. Avoid impersonal forms like “on,” or expressions such as “il y a,” “il faut,” or “c’est.”

Why this matters: Impersonal constructions are one of the most common French translation defects. In error messages “impossible de télécharger le fichier” sounds machine-like; “Nous n’avons pas pu télécharger le fichier” tells the user what happened in a more human voice. In legal correspondence the choice between “Nous n’avons pas pu” and “Il n’a pas été possible de” changes who bears responsibility in the text. In medical advice content, “nous vous recommandons” connects more directly than “il est recommandé.”

Sample translations: applying voice principles in context¶

Focusing on the user action¶

US English	French target	Explanation
The password isn’t correct, so try again. Passwords are case-sensitive.	Le mot de passe est incorrect, réessayez. Les mots de passe respectent la casse.	The user has entered an incorrect password, so provide a short and friendly message that lets them know they need to try again.
This product key didn’t work. Check it and try again.	Cette clé de produit ne fonctionne pas. Vérifiez-la et recommencez.	The user has entered an incorrect product key. The message casually and politely asks the user to check it and try again.
All ready to go	Tout est prêt.	A casual and short message informs the user that setup has completed and the system is ready to be used.
Give your PC a name—any name you want. If you want to change the background color, turn high contrast off in PC settings.	Donnez un nom à votre PC (celui que vous voulez). Pour modifier la couleur d’arrière-plan, désactivez le contraste élevé dans les paramètres du PC.	Address the user directly, using the second person, to help the user take the necessary action.

Explanatory text and providing support¶

US English	French 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.	Les mises à jour sont installées, mais le programme d’installation de Windows doit redémarrer pour qu’elles puissent fonctionner. Une fois le redémarrage effectué, l’installation pourra reprendre.	The language is natural, the way people talk. In this case the tone is reassuring, letting the user know that we’re doing the work.
If you restart now, you and any other people using this PC could lose unsaved work.	Si vous redémarrez le PC maintenant, vous et les autres personnes en train d’utiliser ce PC risquez de perdre le travail non enregistré.	The tone is clear and natural, informing the user what will happen if this action is taken.
This document will be automatically moved to the right library and folder after you correct invalid or missing properties.	Ce document sera automatiquement déplacé vers la bibliothèque et le dossier appropriés dès que vous aurez corrigé les propriétés non valides ou manquantes.	The text is informative and clearly and directly tells the user what will happen.
Something bad happened! Unable to locate downloaded files to create your bootable USB flash drive.	Il y a eu un problème : impossible de trouver les fichiers téléchargés pour créer votre lecteur flash USB de démarrage.	Short, simple sentences inform the user what has happened.

Promoting a feature¶

US English	French 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.	Le mot de passe image est une nouvelle méthode de protection de votre PC à écran tactile. Vous choisissez l’image (ainsi que les mouvements nécessaires à sa réalisation) pour créer un mot de passe réellement personnalisé.	Promoting a specific feature. The parenthetical statement clarifies and emphasizes the requirements.
Let apps give you personalized content based on your PC’s location, name, account picture, and other domain info.	Permettre aux applications de vous donner du contenu personnalisé en fonction de l’emplacement, du nom et de l’avatar de compte de votre PC, ainsi que d’autres informations de domaine.	Promoting the use of apps. Depending on context, commonly used abbreviations (like “PC”) can help make the text sound familiar and friendly.

Providing how-to guidelines¶

US English	French target	Explanation
To go back and save your work, click Cancel, and finish what you need to.	Pour revenir en arrière et enregistrer votre travail, cliquez sur Annuler et terminez vos tâches.	The second-person pronoun and short, clear direction help the user understand what to do next.
To confirm your current picture password, just watch the replay, and trace the example gestures shown on your picture.	Pour confirmer votre mot de passe image actuel, regardez simplement la relecture de la séquence enregistrée et tracez les exemples de mouvements indiqués sur votre image.	The tone is simple and natural. The user isn’t overloaded with information.
It’s time to enter the product key. It should be on the box that Windows came in or in an email that shows you bought Windows. When you connect to the internet, we’ll activate Windows for you.	Il est temps d’entrer la clé de produit (Product Key). Elle figure sur le coffret contenant Windows ou dans un courrier électronique prouvant que vous avez acheté Windows. Quand vous vous connecterez à Internet, nous activerons Windows pour vous.	The second-person pronoun “vous” and direct, natural language clearly tell the user about the product key.

Inclusive language¶

All communications should be inclusive and diverse. French has its own framework for gender-neutral communication: the Haut Conseil à l’Égalité entre les Femmes et les Hommes (HCE) has published the Guide pratique pour une communication publique sans stéréotype de sexe, the canonical reference. The position adopted in modern French content is to rely on language structures that allow “degendering” the text whenever possible and relevant.

General guidelines:

• Comply with local language laws (notably the Loi Toubon and HCE recommendations).
• Use plain language — straightforward, concrete, familiar words. Plain and accessible language helps people of all learning levels and abilities.
• Be mindful when referring to various parts of the world. If you name cities, countries, or regions in examples, make sure they’re not politically disputed.
• In text and images, represent diverse perspectives and circumstances. Depict a variety of people from all walks of life participating fully in activities.
• Don’t generalize or stereotype people by region, culture, age, or gender, not even with positive stereotypes.
• Don’t use profane, derogatory, or slang terms that could be considered cultural appropriation.
• Don’t use terms that may carry unconscious racial bias or terms associated with military actions, politics, or controversial historical events.

Use this (English)	Not this (English)	Use this (French)	Not this (French)
primary/subordinate	master/slave	principal/secondaire	maître/esclave
expert	guru	expert; spécialiste	gourou
colleagues; everyone; all	guys; ladies and gentlemen	collègues, tout le monde	mesdames et messieurs
parent	mother or father	Parent(s), parente(s)	père ou mère (avoid using when possible)

Avoid gender bias¶

Use gender-neutral alternatives for common terms. Avoid compounds containing gender-specific terms (homme, femme, etc.).

Use this	Not this
êtres humains, humanité	Hommes
effectif, personnel, main-d’œuvre	hommes
individu	bonhomme
plongeur	homme-grenouille

Strategies for generalization:

• Use epicene wording and terms (case by case) — élève, membre, fonctionnaire.
• Use inclusive formulations like “la direction” to avoid “les directeurs et les directrices.”
• Feminize job titles such as “auteure/autrice” when referring to a real person.
• Don’t use gendered pronouns (elle, il, etc.) in generic references. Instead:
• Rewrite to use the third person singular or first person plural (nous or on).
• Rewrite to use epicene wording.
• Rewrite to have a plural noun and pronoun.
• Use articles instead of a pronoun (le document instead of son document).
• Refer to a person’s role (personnel, clientèle).
• Use personne or individu.

Use this (English)	Not this (English)	Use this (French)	Not this (French)
A user with the appropriate rights can set other users’ passwords.	If the user has the appropriate rights, he can set other users’ passwords.	Les utilisateurs disposant des droits appropriés peuvent définir les mots de passe des autres utilisateurs.	Si l’utilisateur dispose des droits appropriés, il peut définir les mots de passe des autres utilisateurs.
Developers need access to servers in their development environments, but they don’t need access to the servers in Azure.	A developer needs access to servers in his development environment, but he doesn’t need access to the servers in Azure.	Les développeurs doivent avoir accès aux serveurs dans leurs environnements de développement, mais n’ont pas besoin d’avoir accès aux serveurs dans Azure.	Un développeur doit avoir accès aux serveurs dans son environnement de développement, mais il n’a pas besoin d’avoir accès aux serveurs dans Azure.
When the author opens the document….	When the author opens her document….	Lorsque la personne qui a créé le document ouvre celui-ci …	Lorsque l’auteur ouvre le document…

When writing about a real person, use the pronouns the person prefers — il, elle, iel, or another pronoun. It’s OK to use gendered pronouns when writing about real people who use those pronouns themselves.

When you need to use both feminine and masculine nouns and pronouns to emphasize that both genders are concerned, or when addressing a mixed group, include them in alphabetical order. Example: Bonjour à tous et à toutes.

Note: Gender-neutral language should be used in new products and content going forward, but it’s acceptable not to update all existing or legacy material.

Accessibility¶

Focus on people, not disabilities. Don’t use words that imply pity, such as “touché par” or “souffrant de.” The preferred option is not to mention a disability unless it’s relevant.

Use this (English)	Not this (English)	Use this (French)	Not this (French)
person with a disability	handicapped	personne en situation de handicap / personne handicapée	un handicapé, une handicapée
person without a disability	normal person; healthy person	personne ne présentant pas de handicap, personne valide	personne normale, personne en bonne santé

Use generic verbs that apply to all input methods and devices. In procedures and instructions, avoid verbs that don’t make sense with alternative input methods used for accessibility.

Use this (English)	Not this (English)	Use this (French)	Not this (French)
Select	Click	Sélectionnez	Cliquez

Keep paragraphs short and sentence structure simple — aim for one verb per sentence. Read text aloud and imagine it spoken by a screen reader.

Spell out words like et, plus, and environ. Screen readers can misread text that uses special characters like the ampersand (&), plus sign (+), and tilde (~).

Why this matters: Accessible translation directly affects healthcare equity (screen-reader-friendly patient materials reach visually-impaired patients), corporate compliance (most large clients now require WCAG conformance for translated content), legal accessibility (the French Accessibilité numérique law extends WCAG-style requirements to public services), and government translation (French public-sector procurement increasingly requires accessibility).

Resources¶

The Guide pratique pour une communication publique sans stéréotype de sexe edited by the HCE (Haut Conseil à l’Égalité entre les Femmes et les Hommes) should be used as a key reference for gender-inclusive French.

Language-specific standards¶

Abbreviations¶

You might need to abbreviate some words in the UI (mainly buttons or option names) due to lack of space:

• Regular abbreviations shorten a word by three or more letters and end with periods (see exceptions below). Abbreviate only after a consonant or cluster of consonants. Example: supplement > suppl.
• Plural abbreviations don’t take an “s” in French. Example: des URL, 200 Mo

List of common abbreviations:

Expression	Acceptable abbreviation
premier, première	1er, 1re
deuxième, troisième	2e, 3e
article	art.
reportez-vous à	cf.
Chapitre	chap.
Et caetera	etc.
Exemple	ex.
gigaoctet	Go
heure	h
kilohertz	kHz
Madame	Mme
Mademoiselle	Mlle
Monsieur	M.
million	Mio
minute	min
numéro	no
référence numéro	réf. no

Note: If a sentence ends with an abbreviation that has its own period, there is no additional end-of-sentence period.

Acronyms¶

Acronyms are words made up of the initial letters of major parts of a compound term — WYSIWYG, DNS, HTML.

• Write acronyms in capital letters, without periods or spaces.
• Acronyms don’t agree in number.
• In French, don’t capitalize the spelled-out term beyond the first substantive.
• When the acronym can be pronounced and serves as a proper name, it’s all right to write it in lowercase with an initial capital (Unesco, Opep).
• Some acronyms, having become common nouns, are treated as such (ovni, laser).

Localized acronyms — when localized (rare), they take the gender of the first substantive.

US English source	French target
DTP	la PAO (Publication assistée par ordinateur)
DBMS	le SGBD (Système de gestion de base de données)

Unlocalized acronyms — if an acronym must remain in English throughout the text, write its full name in French the first time, followed in parentheses by the acronym and its full English spelling in italics.

Example: Si cette application gère l’échange dynamique de données (DDE, Dynamic Data Exchange) ou la liaison et l’incorporation d’objets (OLE, Object Linking and Embedding), vous pouvez également y coller avec liaison un document graphique.

Why this matters: In technical/IT translation, acronym handling determines whether downstream readers can search for terms — DDE must remain searchable for technical users while still being introduced in French. In medical translation, acronyms like IRM, ECG, IV follow specific French conventions. In legal translation acronyms in contracts are often defined terms with binding meaning — wrong gender or wrong introduction can render a defined-term clause ambiguous.

Adjectives¶

In French, adjectives take masculine/feminine and singular/plural forms depending on the noun. They are commonly placed after the noun. Be careful not to use too many adjectives in a row.

Possessive adjectives — frequent use is a feature of English. In French, possessives should be avoided whenever possible. Definite forms are preferred.

English example	French example
Contact your administrator	Contactez l’administrateur

Articles¶

General: Definite articles are used far more often in French than in English. Avoid indefinite articles whenever possible.

Unlocalized feature names — used without articles in English, treated the same way in French.

US English source	French target
Download Microsoft Office	Télécharger Microsoft Office

Localized feature names — handled like any French name, with the appropriate article.

US English source	French target
What is the difference between a Microsoft Gift Card and an Xbox Gift Card?	Quelle est la différence entre une carte cadeau Microsoft et une carte cadeau Xbox ?

Capitalization¶

English uses capital letters more often than French. As a general rule in French, only proper nouns and the first word of a sentence have to be capitalized. Exceptions exist (e.g., legal terms in a contract).

Compounds¶

Compounds should be understandable and clear. Avoid overly long or complex compounds — they diminish usability.

Plural rules for compounds:

1. When two nouns are in apposition, both nouns must be plural. - des lettres types - des fenêtres parentes / des fenêtres enfants - des applications clientes - des fichiers sources / des fichiers cibles

2. If the two nouns are complements, only the first one is plural. - des serveurs passerelle - des tables système - des imprimantes couleur - des raccourcis clavier - des fichiers système - des fichiers texte - des connexions réseau - des installations réseau

Conjunctions¶

Some specific French conjunctions are better than others at conveying a conversational tone. Some are too formal and should be avoided.

French old use of conjunctions	French new use of conjunctions
de même que	comme
lors de	durant/pendant
auquel cas	avoid using this conjunction
lorsque/une fois que	quand
de sorte que / de (telle) façon que	pour, afin de
sitôt que	dès que
par conséquent / d’où	ainsi
parce que / vu que / à cause de	car
jusqu’au moment où	jusqu’à ce que
en dépit de	malgré
sauf que	sauf si
si jamais	si
après que / maintenant que	une fois…, une fois que
sans ça / sans cela	sinon

Why this matters: Stiff conjunctions are one of the most common indicators of “translated French.” In marketing translation, “lorsque” reads as a manual; “quand” reads as conversation. In medical patient instructions, “par conséquent” reads as legalese; “ainsi” lands naturally. In software UI strings, “sitôt que” is dated; “dès que” matches contemporary usage.

Gender¶

When addressing users, always use the masculine gender.

US English source	French target
You are connected to the internet.	Vous êtes connecté à Internet.

When the subject of a sentence is a product, brand, or company, avoid using a specific gender.

US English source	French source
Benefits for Microsoft?	(+) Quels seraient les avantages pour Microsoft ? (-) Quels avantages Microsoft pourrait-elle en tirer ?

Localizing colloquialism, idioms, and metaphors¶

Choose from the following options to express the intent of the source text appropriately:

• Don’t attempt to replace the source colloquialism with a French colloquialism that means the same thing unless the French one is a perfect and natural fit for that context.
• Translate the intended meaning of the colloquialism, but only if the meaning is integral to the text and can’t be omitted.
• If the colloquialism can be omitted without affecting the meaning, omit it.

US English source	French target
We’ve hit a snag…	Not casual, and no slang: Nous avons rencontré un problème…
Uploads are limited to 100 MB. Got something smaller?	Les téléchargements étant limités à 100 Mo, merci d’utiliser une taille de fichier plus petite.
Bummer…	Delete. Don’t translate.
Working on it… Bear with us.	Cette tâche est presque terminée… / Nous avons bientôt terminé… Merci de patienter.
Warm up your fingers—it’s time to enter the product key.	Entrez maintenant la clé de produit.
Drum roll…	Fin de l’installation
Yay! The wait is over.	Vous pouvez passer à l’étape suivante.

Nouns¶

French tends to use noun forms more often than English.

US English source	French target
How to use Microsoft Office	Utilisation de Microsoft Office

Plural forms:

• Unlike English, adjectives in French take plural forms according to the noun.
• Compounds have no strict rule about plural — check your dictionary.
• The plural form of acronyms and brand names doesn’t end in –s (des PC, des iPad).
• Avoid plural forms within parentheses. Use “le ou les périphériques” instead of “le(s) périphérique(s).” Exception: in UI, plural forms in parentheses are acceptable when space is limited.

Number¶

The general rule for French is to spell out cardinal numbers from zero to nine unless you’re expressing numbers as numbers.

Examples: - “La mise à niveau vers la version 10.1 prendra cinq à dix minutes.” (no other numerals → spell out) - “Le temps de chargement est estimé à 11 secondes.” (numeral context → use numeral)

Prepositions¶

Be careful to use prepositions correctly. Many translators, influenced by the English source, omit them or change the word order. Starting or ending a sentence with a preposition is acceptable in modern voice.

Source text expression	French expression	Comment
Due to…	En raison de…	Using “Dû à” at the beginning of a sentence is incorrect.
Specific to	Propre à / Spécifique de	“Spécifique à” is incorrect.
Log in / Log out	Se connecter / Se déconnecter	Pay special attention to prepositions like “in” and “out” and “to” and “from.” A misreading can lead to the opposite meaning.

Pronouns¶

When addressing users, avoid using “on” and always use the masculine singular form of “vous.”

US English source	French target
Do you want to delete this file?	Voulez-vous supprimer ce fichier ?

Punctuation¶

Punctuation plays a supportive role; it isn’t a substitute for good word choice.

Basic rules:

• Don’t use semicolons. Two short sentences are easier to read.
• When the source has exclamation points, don’t automatically carry them over. Use stronger words instead.
• Question marks — use judiciously. They work well when a link is phrased as a customer question.
• Parentheses are good for text you want to deliver in “a noticeable whisper.”
• An en dash (not em dash) adds fluid emphasis — and it’s more casual than a colon.

An em dash is used to demarcate an isolated element or to introduce an item not essential to the meaning. In French, replace the em dash with a period, comma, or parentheses.

Apostrophe¶

• Check the type of apostrophes by viewing translation files in a large font size.
• Use curly apostrophes [0146] ’ in general.
• Use straight apostrophes when instructed by the developer or SPM.

Bulleted lists¶

If the bulleted items are complete sentences, each begins with a capital letter and ends with a period.

Example 1:

Vous pouvez obtenir plus d’informations dans les chapitres suivants de cette deuxième partie. - Le chapitre 6 traite des lettres types. - Le chapitre 7 traite des étiquettes et autres documents à fusionner.

If the bulleted items continue an introductory clause, each begins with a capital letter and ends with no final punctuation.

Example 2:

Vous avez le choix entre les options suivantes : - Alignement contre la marge gauche - Alignement contre la marge droite - Centrage entre les deux marges

Example 3:

Avant d’ouvrir un autre fichier, vous pouvez : - Enregistrer le premier fichier et le fermer - Fermer le premier fichier sans l’enregistrer - Ne pas fermer le premier fichier

Bulleted items should have a consistent structure (nouns, infinitives, or sentences — pick one) regardless of source consistency.

Comma¶

In a series of three or more elements with similar grammatical function, separate them with commas. When et, ou, or ni joins the last two elements, don’t use a comma before the conjunction.

Example: (+) Le chapitre 5 traite des fichiers, dossiers et répertoires.

If the elements don’t have the same grammatical function, a comma precedes et, ou, or ni.

Example: (+) J’ai acheté un ordinateur, et un système d’exploitation y était déjà installé.

Use commas to set off explanatory clauses and appositives.

Example: (+) Vous devez ouvrir le fichier principal, c’est-à-dire le premier de la liste.

Colon¶

Use colons to introduce lists and explanations. You can use a colon at the end of an introductory phrase even if it isn’t a complete sentence.

Don’t capitalize the word following a colon unless (1) the colon is at the end of a heading or (2) the text following is a complete quotation.

Examples: - (+) Vous avez ouvert deux fichiers : le fichier source et le fichier cible. - (+) Microsoft déclare : « Le succès est au rendez-vous ! ».

Don’t use colons to introduce only one idea.

US English	French target
Click on: File	(+) Cliquez sur Fichier. / (-) Cliquez sur : Fichier.

Dashes and hyphens¶

Hyphen (trait d’union) divides words between syllables, links parts of a compound word, and connects inverted or imperative verb forms.

Example: des fonctionnalités-clés, voulez-vous…

When a hyphenated compound shouldn’t be divided between lines, use a nonbreaking hyphen (CTRL+SHIFT+HYPHEN).

En dash (tiret demi-cadratin, ANSI 0150) — used as a minus sign, usually with spaces.

Example: Salaire – 1 000 = 2 000

Also used in number ranges (page numbers) without spaces.

Em dash (tiret cadratin, ANSI 0151) — should only be used to set off an isolated element or non-essential element. In most cases where English uses dashes, French can use commas, colons, or parentheses.

US English	French target
Each table in your database should store facts about a single subject—about customers, for example, or products.	Chacune des tables de votre base de données devrait se limiter à un seul sujet, tel que clients ou produits, par exemple.
Bold—Applies bold formatting.	Gras : met le texte en gras.

In very long sentences, em dash can be used for better look and feel: Le mot de passe image est une nouvelle méthode de protection de votre PC à écran tactile. Vous choisissez l’image — ainsi que les mouvements nécessaires à sa réalisation — pour créer un mot de passe réellement personnalisé.

Ellipsis (suspension points)¶

Don’t use three periods for an ellipsis. Use the ellipsis character … (ANSI 0133).

• Omitted word — spaces before and after. Example: Je vous présente Monsieur … qui est agent secret.
• Omitted string of words — enclose ellipsis in square brackets. Example: Il n’est pas nécessaire de lire tous les chapitres, […] pour comprendre le système.
• Beginning of sentence — one space before the first word. Example: … PowerPoint aura tout fait pour vous.
• End of word within sentence — no space before, one space after. Example: Cliquez maintenant sur Suivant… … pour voir la suite de l’exercice.
• End of sentence or paragraph — also serves as final period.
• Don’t use suspension points after “etc.”

Period¶

Insert only one space after a period.

Use a period in all complete sentences with a conjugated verb. Don’t use a period in a software string without a conjugated verb.

US English	French target
Deleting files.	Suppression de fichiers

When a complete sentence is between parentheses, quotation marks, or brackets, the period goes inside. If only part of the sentence is between them, the period goes outside.

Examples: - Le document s’imprime à l’envers. (Ne le sauvegardez pas.) - Le fichier est sauvegardé dans le format ASCII (ou le format par défaut).

Quotation marks¶

Use French quotation marks « », guillemets ouvrants and fermants, in both software and documentation. Don’t use French quotation marks in developer software (e.g. Visual Studio), but they can be used in other products (e.g. Azure).

Nonbreaking spaces should be used between the chevrons and the quoted text. Punctuation that doesn’t belong to the quoted text is placed outside the quotation marks.

Examples: - (+) Pour plus d’informations sur les états, voir le chapitre 7, « États, bilans et rapports », dans lequel vous trouverez tous les détails nécessaires. - (+) Pour plus d’informations, voir le chapitre 2, « Notions de base de l’application ».

English quotation marks are used only:

1. When needed to match software functionality (code).
2. In developer documentation and software (Visual Studio) per SPM request.
3. For nested quotations — double English quotation marks (‘’…’‘).

In US source strings, references to product UI may be surrounded by English quotation marks. Don’t copy this — in French, just remove the quotation marks.

US English	French target
Click the “Delete” button to delete the selected item.	Cliquez sur le bouton Supprimer pour supprimer l’élément sélectionné.

Parentheses¶

In both English and French, no space between parentheses and the text inside them.

Nonbreaking space¶

In French, a nonbreaking space is required before the following punctuation: ; ! : ?

Also use nonbreaking spaces:

• Between chapitre or annexe and its number/letter.
• As a thousand separator.
• Between a unit of measure or currency and the number.
• Between any items that should not be divided onto separate lines.
• Before the “%” sign.

Examples: - (+) Chapitre 1 : Installation (nbsp before “1” and before “:”) - (+) 5 000 € (nbsp after “5” and before “€”)

Note: Nonbreaking spaces sometimes cause problems in final document generation — shouldn’t be in online help and documentation live content.

Why this matters: The leading nonbreaking space before ; ! : ? is the single most identity-marking feature of Metropolitan French typography. Its absence flags translations as foreign-produced (often confused with Canadian French, which doesn’t use it). In publishing-quality translation (books, brochures), missing nonbreaking spaces are immediately visible to proofreaders. In legal documents distributed in France, typographic standards are expected.

Semicolon¶

English tends to use semicolons more often than French. Most of the time, a comma will suffice. Use semicolons only for long enumerations and to separate two independent propositions.

Symbols¶

Whenever there is a symbol in English, keep it in French, particularly in statements.

Example: Tapez un signe moins (–) après la parenthèse.

Split infinitive¶

Don’t translate split infinitives literally. Use periphrases or explicit verbs.

US English	French target
We expect our output to more than double this year.	Cette année, nos résultats devraient doubler, au minimum.

Subjunctive¶

Subjunctive constructions in French are complicated. Avoid them when possible. Use active voice and indicative or imperative.

US English	French target
Click here so that you can view this page.	Cliquez ici pour visualiser cette page.

Syntax¶

Anacoluthon — when sentence structure is broken such that the sentence begins with one subject and unexpectedly ends with another. In standard French this is a grammar mistake; in English it’s more common. The translator must adjust.

US English source phrase	French phrase
Install the latest Skype version on your computer. Once installed, the user will have access to the newly added features.	Veuillez installer la dernière version de Skype sur votre ordinateur. Une fois cette dernière installée, l’utilisateur peut accéder aux nouvelles fonctions. (Note: a subject must be introduced in the second sentence to show the past participle is not related to the second subject “l’utilisateur.”)

According to / Depending on — a common mistake is translating « according to / depending on » as « selon » at the beginning of a sentence and keeping the same structure. In French, when a sentence is introduced by « selon », the reader expects at least two choices.

US English source phrase	Incorrect French phrase	Correct French phrase
According to/depending on your user rights, you might be able to access those files	Selon vos droits d’accès, vous pouvez accéder à ces fichiers	Si vous disposez des droits d’accès adéquats, vous pourrez accéder à ces fichiers

If keeping « selon »: « Selon vos droits d’accès, vous pouvez accéder ou non à ces fichiers » — but the first solution flows better.

Verbs¶

Use simple verb tenses to support clarity. The easiest to understand is the simple present. Avoid future tense unless describing something that really will happen and simple present isn’t accurate.

Use simple past tense (passé composé) for events that already happened. Use complex tenses (plus-que-parfait, futur antérieur) only when required by basic grammar.

Avoid tenses that sound formal — passé simple, past subjunctive. Use verb tenses you would use in normal conversation while applying basic rules of concordance des temps.

Localization considerations¶

Accessibility programs¶

Accessibility options make the computer usable by people with cognitive, hearing, physical, or visual disabilities. Some accessible products may not be available in French-speaking markets — confirm with appropriate resources. General accessibility info: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility/.

Applications, products, and features¶

Application/product names are often trademarked and rarely translated. Some feature names are trademarked (e.g. IntelliSense). Before translating any name, verify it can be translated and isn’t protected.

French Language Law (Loi Toubon): In the names of apps that ship to France, any part of the name that is “informational” in nature must be translated into French, based on legal guidance to ensure compliance. For example, designations like “Camera” in titles such as “Windows Camera” must be translated. In no instance should something claimed as a trademark be localized.

Why this matters: The Loi Toubon (Law No. 94-665) is enforced by the DGCCRF and is a real compliance issue for any product or service distributed in France. Marketing materials, product packaging, terms of service, and technical documentation must be in French. Translations of informational parts of product names are a known compliance gap — translators working on France-shipped content need to check the trademark status of every product-name component.

Version numbers always contain a period (e.g. Version 4.2). Version strings often include version numbers but are technically distinct.

Translation of version strings — strings containing copyright information should always be translated.

US English	French target
© 2021 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.	Refer to authoritative terminology to check the correct translations of “All rights reserved” and “Microsoft Corporation.”

Copilot predefined prompts¶

Copilot prompts are the instructions or questions used to tell Copilot what to do. Across products, predefined prompts guide users in creating, learning, and using Copilot.

Best practices for the localization of Copilot predefined prompts:

Copilot prompts are functional — translations must be accurate, consistent, concise, natural, and use the appropriate tone of voice. Translation quality significantly influences Copilot responses.

• Be clear and specific. English prompts are generally questions or requests starting with an action verb. Make sure target prompts are natural questions or requests. Avoid vague language.
• Keep it conversational. Be consistent with voice principles. Use simple, natural language. Avoid machine-like tone. Always use the second person singular when the user is addressing the AI (“tu” in French).
• Be polite and professional. Use kind, respectful language. Don’t use slang and jargon.
• Use quotation marks. Use chevrons (« »), with non-breaking spaces between chevrons and the word.
• Pay attention to punctuation, grammar, and capitalization.
• Pay attention to placement of entity tokens. An entity token (e.g., <entity type='file'>file</entity>, or text in ( ) or [ ]) is a placeholder. Translate the word inside the token, not the entity type attribute. Read Dev comments carefully.
• Place ghost texts at the end of the sentence. Copilot provides real-time hints (“ghost texts”) within placeholder tags at the end of English sentences. Place ghost text at the end of translated prompts so users don’t move the cursor mid-prompt.
• Be consistent. Some English prompts are remarkably similar — translate them consistently.

Source prompt	Target prompt	Comments
List ideas for a fun remote team building event	Donne-moi des idées pour un événement de team building à distance amusant
What are the goals and topics from the meeting? Format each section with a bolded heading, a bulleted list, and bolded names	Quels sont les objectifs et les sujets de la réunion ? Mets en forme chaque section avec un titre en gras, une liste à puces et des noms en gras.
Propose a new introduction to <entity type='file'>file</entity>	Propose une nouvelle introduction pour le <entity type='file'>fichier</entity>	This placeholder is an entity token. The text between the entity type tags should be translated, but not the entity type attribute value (“file” in ““).
What were the open issues from <entity type='meeting'>meeting</entity>?	Quels étaient les problèmes en suspens dans la <entity type='meeting'>réunion</entity> ?	Same as above — entity type attribute not translated.
List key points from [file]	Énumère les points clés dans [fichier]	[file] is an entity token. The text within the brackets should be translated.
Give me ideas for icebreaker activities for a new team	Donne-moi des idées d’activités pour briser la glace pour une nouvelle équipe
Create a list of <placeholder>color names inspired by the ocean</placeholder>	Crée une liste de <placeholder>noms de couleurs inspirés de l'océan</placeholder>	The text within the placeholder is a ghost text and should be placed at the end of the sentence.
Create a brochure for <placeholder>a new theme park that is entirely underwater</placeholder>	Crée une brochure pour <placeholder>un nouveau parc d'attractions entièrement sous-marin</placeholder>	Same — ghost text at end of sentence.

Why this matters: Copilot prompt translation is a new and growing translation specialty. Unlike standard UI strings, prompts are functional — they shape downstream LLM behavior. A poorly-translated prompt produces poorer Copilot output for that locale. This affects enterprise productivity (Copilot is embedded in Office, Teams, Windows), healthcare AI deployments (clinical documentation copilots use predefined prompts), and legal AI tools (drafting assistants use prompt scaffolding).

Trademarks¶

Trademarked names and Microsoft Corporation should not be localized unless local laws require translation and an approved translated form is available.

Software considerations¶

Error messages¶

Error messages inform the user of an error that must be corrected. Apply voice principles to make translations natural, empathetic, and not robot-like.

English term	Correct French translation
The password isn’t correct, so try again. Passwords are case-sensitive.	Le mot de passe est incorrect, réessayez. Les mots de passe respectent la casse.
Not enough memory to process this command.	Mémoire insuffisante pour traiter cette commande.

Style rules for error messages:

• Use consistent terminology and language style — don’t just translate as they appear in US product.
• Always use a period after an error message regardless of whether it has a conjugated verb. Exception: strings ending with a placeholder follow US punctuation if you don’t know what will replace the placeholder at runtime.
• Avoid parentheses as much as possible.

Standard phrases:

English	Translation	Example	Comment
Cannot … / Could not …	Impossible de	Impossible de télécharger le fichier.	Avoid « Le fichier ne peut pas être téléchargé. »
Failed to … / Failure of …	Échec du / Échec de	Échec du téléchargement du fichier.	Avoid « Le téléchargement du fichier a échoué. »
Cannot find … / Could not find … / Unable to find … / Unable to locate …	…introuvable	Fichier introuvable.	Avoid « Impossible de trouver le fichier. »
Not enough memory / Insufficient memory / There is not enough memory / There is not enough memory available	Mémoire insuffisante	Mémoire insuffisante.	Avoid « Pas assez de mémoire disponible. »
… is not available / … is unavailable	n’est pas disponible	Le fichier n’est pas disponible.	Avoid « Le fichier est indisponible. »

Placeholders:

• %d, %ld, %u, %lu =
• %c =
• %s =

Examples: - “Checking Web %1!d! of %2!d!” = “Checking Web of .” - “INI file “%1!-.200s!” section” = “INI file “” section.”

Keyboard shortcuts¶

Some menu options, commands, or dialog boxes have underlined/highlighted letters — keyboard shortcuts for quick task performance.

Terminology:

• Access key — a letter or number the user types to access UI controls with text labels. Assigned to top-level controls. Most access keys use the Alt key. Example: F in Alt+F.
• Key tip — the letter or number that appears in the ribbon when Alt is pressed. In UI localization, the key tip is the last character after the “`” character.
• Shortcut key — a key the user types to perform a common action without going through the UI. Most use the Ctrl key. Ctrl+letter combinations and function keys (F1-F12) are usually best.

Duplicate keyboard shortcuts are acceptable to avoid accessibility issues, but may need double-check with the subsidiary.

Keys¶

In English, references to key names appear in normal text.

Key names (English → French):

English key name	French key name
Alt	Alt
Backspace	Retour arrière
Caps Lock	Verr maj
Ctrl	Ctrl
Delete	Suppr
End	Fin
Enter	Entrée
Esc	Échap
Home	Origine
Insert	Inser
Num Lock	Verr Num

Voice video considerations¶

For voice work, follow standard French pronunciation. Match tone to context — instructional content uses a clear, helpful register; promotional content can be warmer.

Considerations for the video voice checklist:

• Pronunciation of English brand names — generally keep English pronunciation for product names (Microsoft, Windows, Office), but follow French phonotactics for naturalized terms.
• Pace — measured, not rushed; allow listeners to process technical terms.
• Tone — should match content. Tutorials are friendly and patient; error/recovery content is reassuring; promotional content is energetic.

Reference materials¶

Use these references for orthography, grammar, and terminology when this guide doesn’t specify.

Normative references — adhere to these. When more than one solution is possible, consult approved terminology and other topics in this guide.

1. Le Trésor de la Langue Française Informatisé — atilf.atilf.fr. Comprehensive online French dictionary.
2. Le Petit Robert — ROBERT, Paul, Paris: Dictionnaire Le Robert (lerobert.com). Standard contemporary French dictionary.
3. Le Petit Larousse — Éditions Larousse (larousse.fr). Standard contemporary French dictionary.
4. Le bon usage — GREVISSE, Maurice, Paris-Gembloux: Duculot. Standard French grammar reference.
5. Dictionnaire de l’Académie française (9e édition) — dictionnaire-academie.fr. Official French dictionary.

Informative references — supplementary information, background, comparison.

1. Termium Plus — btb.termiumplus.gc.ca. Government of Canada terminology bank.
2. Le Grand Dictionnaire Terminologique — granddictionnaire.com. OQLF terminology bank.
3. Le Dictionnaire de l’Informatique — Microsoft Press, Paris.

FAQ¶

Should I use ‘app’ or ‘application’ in French?¶

Always use “application” in running text. “App” is not approved in French even when present in the source — the short form “appli” is acceptable only when source space is limited. The same rule applies to “info” (use “information” or “informations”) and “sync” (use “synchroniser” or “synchronisation” regardless of source).

What’s the difference between Metropolitan and Canadian French punctuation?¶

Metropolitan French requires a nonbreaking space before semicolons, exclamation marks, colons, and question marks (; ! : ?). Canadian French does not — only the colon takes a leading space. Both variants use « » with nonbreaking spaces between chevrons and quoted text, and both prefer commas/parentheses over em dashes.

Which French law affects naming of products in France?¶

The French Language Law (Loi Toubon) requires that informational parts of product names shipped in France be translated. For example, in “Windows Camera” the word “Camera” must be translated, but the trademarked “Windows” is not. This affects software releases, marketing materials, and legal/regulatory documentation distributed in France.

How do I handle gender-inclusive language in French translation?¶

Per HCE guidelines (the reference for French gender-neutral communication): use epicene terms (élève, membre, fonctionnaire), collective nouns (la direction instead of les directeurs et directrices), articles instead of possessives (le document instead of son document), and rewrite to plural or first-person when possible. Feminize job titles when referring to a real person (auteure/autrice). Avoid il/elle in generic references. New content should be gender-neutral; legacy content may remain unchanged.

Which authoritative references should I use for French translation?¶

Normative: Le Trésor de la Langue Française Informatisé (atilf.atilf.fr), Le Petit Robert, Le Petit Larousse, Le bon usage by Grevisse, and Dictionnaire de l’Académie française (9e édition). Informative supplements: Termium Plus, Le Grand Dictionnaire Terminologique (OQLF), and Le Dictionnaire de l’Informatique by Microsoft Press.

How should I translate English colloquialisms in French?¶

Don’t replace with a French colloquialism unless it’s a perfect natural fit. Translate the intended meaning (“Nous avons rencontré un problème” for “We’ve hit a snag”). If the colloquialism can be omitted without affecting meaning, omit it (“Bummer” is typically deleted). Avoid forced informality — overly casual French translations of English slang usually read as awkward.

How do I handle Copilot prompts differently from standard UI?¶

Copilot prompts use “tu” (second person singular), not “vous” — they model the casual register users adopt when speaking to AI. They also use chevrons « » with nonbreaking spaces for quoted text, place ghost-text placeholders at the end of the sentence, and preserve the structure of entity tokens while translating the displayable text inside them. Read the Dev comments carefully — some prompts have specific translation rules.

Sources¶

• Microsoft Localization Style Guide for French (France) (PDF)
• Microsoft Globalization Style Guides hub
• Le Trésor de la Langue Française Informatisé
• Dictionnaire de l’Académie française
• Le Petit Robert
• Le Petit Larousse
• Termium Plus
• Le Grand Dictionnaire Terminologique (OQLF)