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

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

TL;DR¶

• Hindi translation prefers everyday vocabulary over Sanskrit-heavy formal alternatives — चुनें (not चयन करें) for “select”, साथ ही (not इसके अतिरिक्त) for “furthermore”, इसलिए (not अतः) for “therefore”; applies across all consumer-facing translation.
• Use gender-neutral profession terms — शिक्षक, डॉक्टर, वकील, अध्यक्ष, जज all work for both men and women; never prefix पुरुष/महिला to mark gender unless specifically required.
• Address users with आप (respectful “you” plural) — the default for all consumer-facing translation in marketing, software UI, patient instructions, and legal documents; avoid impersonal third-person “user” (उपयोगकर्ता) when direct address works.
• Modern Hindi voice uses simpler, more Hindustani-influenced vocabulary — कोशिश (not प्रयास), बदलें (not परिवर्तित करें), देखें (not संदर्भ लें); reflects contemporary spoken Hindi rather than literary Sanskritized register.
• Reference shabdkosh.com (general dictionary), the Commission for Scientific & Technical Terminology (Govt of India) for technical vocabulary, Father Camille Bulcke’s English-Hindi Dictionary, RBI Shabdavali for financial terms, and Merriam-Webster for English source word meanings.

Register and tone for modern Hindi translation¶

Register is the level of formality, warmth, and conversational ease the target text projects. Modern Hindi readers across consumer-facing spheres expect a clear, friendly, concise register that resembles everyday conversation rather than the Sanskritized formal/literary register traditional in commercial and government content.

Three principles define the target register:

• Warm and relaxed. Natural, less formal, more grounded in honest conversation.
• Crisp and clear. Written for scanning first, reading second.
• Ready to help. Anticipates user needs.

Why this matters: Sanskritized formal Hindi (शुद्ध हिंदी) damages outcomes across spheres. In marketing translation to Hindi-speaking consumers across India and the diaspora, the audience expects modern conversational voice using Hindustani-influenced vocabulary that mirrors everyday speech. In medical patient materials Sanskritized vocabulary reduces comprehension significantly — patients need plain language. In software UI Sanskrit-heavy translation creates friction. In government translation modern Hindi public-sector communications increasingly favor accessible Hindustani register. Only sworn legal translation and traditional literary contexts retain the older Sanskritized register.

Words and phrases to avoid in modern Hindi¶

Avoid Sanskritized formal vocabulary in favor of everyday Hindustani equivalents.

Why this matters: Formal Sanskritized vocabulary signals institutional distance. In marketing translation “चयन करें” reads as bureaucratic; “चुनें” reads as conversation. In medical patient instructions “पुनः प्रयास करें” reads as clinical; “दुबारा कोशिश करें” reads as direct advice. In software UI these substitutions immediately improve register without changing meaning.

Word choice: terminology and everyday vocabulary¶

Approved terminology¶

Use approved terminology from Microsoft Language Portal where applicable, for key terms, technical terms, and product names.

Note: Multiple translations may be approved for the same term due to different contexts. Always check the context before using the approved translation.

Example:

Short word forms and everyday words¶

Modern Hindi voice uses short, everyday words spoken in daily conversations.

Sample translations: applying voice principles in context¶

Focusing on the user action¶

Explanatory text and providing support¶

Promoting a feature¶

Providing how-to guidelines¶

Inclusive language¶

All communications should be inclusive and diverse.

General guidelines:

• Comply with local language laws.
• Use plain language.
• Be mindful when referring to various parts of the world.
• Represent diverse perspectives.
• Don’t generalize or stereotype people.
• Don’t use profane or derogatory terms.
• Don’t use slang considered cultural appropriation.
• Don’t use terms with unconscious racial bias.

Avoid gender bias¶

Use gender-neutral alternatives. Avoid compounds containing gender-specific terms (पुरुष, महिला).

Profession terms are gender-neutral in modern Hindi:

Use plural noun forms for generalizations: लोग, वे, छात्र, etc.

Don’t use gendered pronouns (वह लड़की/महिला, उस लड़की/महिला का, वह लड़का/पुरुष, उस लड़के/पुरुष का) in generic references. Instead:

• Rewrite to use the second or third person (आप or वे).
• Rewrite to have a plural noun and pronoun.
• Use articles instead of a pronoun (e.g., दस्तावेज़ instead of उसका दस्तावेज़).
• Refer to a person’s role (पाठक, कर्मचारी, ग्राहक, क्लाइंट).
• Use व्यक्ति or व्यक्तिगत.

When writing about a real person, use the pronouns the person prefers.

Accessibility¶

Focus on people, not disabilities. Use generic verbs that apply to all input methods. Keep paragraphs short, one verb per sentence.

Why this matters: Accessible Hindi translation supports users with disabilities across healthcare (Indian patient materials), public services (Indian accessibility standards), and education (Hindi-medium curriculum across abilities).

Language-specific standards¶

Abbreviations¶

Common Hindi abbreviations use the abbreviation period after the abbreviated word. Most computing acronyms remain in English (PC, USB, HTML).

Acronyms¶

Computing acronyms typically remain in English (TCP/IP, HTML, DNS, USB, PC). Hindi acronyms are uncommon — when needed, write them in Devanagari with appropriate abbreviation marks.

Adjectives¶

Hindi adjectives agree with their noun in gender, number, and case. Adjectives precede nouns.

Articles¶

Hindi does not have definite/indefinite articles. Use demonstratives (यह, वह, इस, उस) when specificity is needed; use one/किसी for indefinite.

Conjunctions¶

Use natural conjunctions — और (and), या (or), लेकिन (but), इसलिए (therefore). Avoid Sanskritized alternatives (अथवा, परन्तु, अतः) in modern voice.

Gender¶

Hindi has masculine and feminine grammatical gender. Verb endings, adjectives, and pronouns agree with the noun’s gender.

For generic user references, default to masculine, but prefer direct address (आप) to avoid forcing gender on unknown audience.

Genitive¶

Hindi marks genitive with का/के/की depending on the gender and number of the possessed noun.

Localizing colloquialism, idioms, and metaphors¶

Translate intended meaning, not literal colloquialism. Omit if it can be removed.

Nouns¶

Use approved Hindi nouns from termbases. Hindi distinguishes singular and plural through inflection of case markers.

Prepositions¶

Hindi uses postpositions (में, से, पर, के लिए) that follow the noun. Be careful with case-marking before the postposition.

Pronouns¶

Address users with आप (respectful “you” plural). Possessive: आपका/आपकी/आपके.

Don’t use third-person gendered pronouns in generic references. Use plural वे or articles instead.

Punctuation¶

Hindi punctuation generally follows European conventions:

• Period (.) or full stop — अंग्रेज़ी (.) is increasingly common in modern Hindi; traditional डंडा (।) used in literary contexts.
• Comma (,) — same as English.
• Question mark (?) — at end of question.
• Quotation marks — typically ” ” for primary.

Sentence fragments¶

UI strings often use sentence fragments. Don’t artificially expand if source is terse.

Verbs¶

Hindi verb forms:

• Present for general statements (verb stem + ता/ती/ते + है/हैं).
• Past for completed actions (verb stem + ा/ी/े).
• Future for future events (verb stem + ेगा/ेगी/ेंगे).
• Imperative for instructions (verb stem + ें for respectful form).

Use formal imperative form (-ें) for user-facing instructions, matching the आप address.

Symbols¶

Use English/international symbols (%, &, +, etc.) in Hindi text.

Localization considerations¶

Accessibility¶

Generic verbs that work with all input methods. Short paragraphs, one verb per sentence.

Applications, products, and features¶

Microsoft product names are trademarked and not translated. They remain in English embedded in Hindi text.

Trademarks¶

Trademarked names should not be localized.

Software considerations¶

Error messages¶

Apply voice principles — translations should be natural, empathetic. Use consistent terminology. Address user directly when possible.

Arrow keys, keyboard shortcuts, keys, numeric keypad, shortcut keys¶

Standard key names typically remain in English (Alt, Ctrl, Esc, Enter). Keyboard shortcuts use English notation.

English pronunciation¶

For voice/video, English brand names are pronounced as in English. Hindi pronunciation follows standard contemporary Hindi (Hindustani).

Reference materials¶

Normative references¶

1. Shabdkosh — shabdkosh.com. Good online dictionary.
2. Vaigyanik va Tatkanik Shabdavali Aayog — Technical dictionary published by Govt of India, available at Commission for Scientific & Technical Terminology.
3. Apni Hindi Sudharein — Dr. Vijay Agrawal, published by Govt of India Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Publications Division. For Hindi grammar.
4. Father Camille Bulcke’s English to Hindi Dictionary.
5. RBI Shabdavali — shabdavali.rbi.org.in. Financial terminology.
6. Merriam-Webster — merriam-webster.com. Trusted online dictionary for English word definitions, meanings, and pronunciation.

FAQ¶

How do I address users in Hindi translation?¶

Use आप (the respectful “you” plural form). It’s the default for all consumer-facing translation — marketing, software UI, medical patient materials, consumer-facing legal documents. The familiar तू is too informal; the impersonal उपयोगकर्ता is too distant. आप strikes the natural balance for modern Hindi product voice.

Which Hindi vocabulary should I avoid in modern translation?¶

Sanskrit-heavy formal vocabulary: चयन करें (use चुनें), इसके अतिरिक्त (use साथ ही), अतः (use इसलिए), संदर्भ लें (use देखें), परिवर्तित करें (use बदलें), इसका चयन रद्द करें (use अचयनित करें), पुनः प्रयास करें (use दुबारा कोशिश करें). These formal forms have everyday Hindustani equivalents that read more naturally to contemporary readers.

How should I handle gender in Hindi when the audience is mixed or unknown?¶

(1) Use gender-neutral profession terms (शिक्षक, डॉक्टर, वकील, अध्यक्ष, जज work for both genders — never prefix महिला/पुरुष unless specifically required); (2) use plural forms (लोग, वे, छात्र); (3) rewrite to second person (आप); (4) use roles (पाठक, कर्मचारी, ग्राहक, क्लाइंट); (5) use व्यक्ति or व्यक्तिगत. Avoid gendered pronouns वह लड़की/महिला, उस लड़की/महिला का, वह लड़का/पुरुष in generic references.

What’s the rule for English spelling vs. Hindi transliteration of IT terms?¶

Many IT terms are commonly transliterated into Devanagari (पासवर्ड, इंस्टॉल, अपडेट, डाउनलोड). Product names and trademarks remain in English (Microsoft, Windows, Office) embedded in Hindi text. Acronyms usually remain in English (PC, USB, HTML, DNS). Use Microsoft Language Portal terminology for approved choices; consult Commission for Scientific & Technical Terminology for non-Microsoft-specific technical vocabulary.

Which authoritative references should I use for Hindi translation?¶

Normative: Microsoft Language Portal, shabdkosh.com (general dictionary), Commission for Scientific & Technical Terminology (Govt of India) for technical vocabulary, Father Camille Bulcke’s English to Hindi Dictionary, Dr. Vijay Agrawal’s “Apni Hindi Sudharein” (grammar reference, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting publication), RBI Shabdavali (shabdavali.rbi.org.in) for financial terminology, Merriam-Webster (merriam-webster.com) for English source word definitions.

How do I handle Hindi postpositions vs. English prepositions?¶

Hindi uses postpositions (में, से, पर, के लिए) that follow the noun rather than preceding it. English “in the file” → Hindi फ़ाइल में (literally “file-in”). Don’t translate prepositions word-for-word — restructure for natural Hindi postposition placement. Hindi also has compound postpositions (के साथ, के बारे में, के अनुसार) that translate English multi-word prepositions.

Should I translate “please” in Hindi?¶

Yes, generally — कृपया is appropriate in Hindi UI strings to convey politeness, especially in instructions and error messages. It’s not as overused as English “please” but neither is it typically omitted. Use it judiciously where the source has “please.”

Sources¶

• Microsoft Localization Style Guide for Hindi (PDF)
• Microsoft Globalization Style Guides hub
• Shabdkosh online dictionary
• Commission for Scientific & Technical Terminology (CSTT)
• RBI Shabdavali
• Merriam-Webster Dictionary