This guide adapts rules and examples from Microsoft’s 61-page Italian Localization Style Guide (originally written for software/UI localization). The underlying linguistic rules apply universally — to legal contracts, medical documents, marketing copy, and any Italian translation work. Restructured and reformatted as a general Italian translator reference by ChatsControl.

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

TL;DR¶

• Modern Italian translation prefers warm, clear, conversational register — formal Italian (essere in grado di, fare riferimento a, desiderare) reads as bureaucratic in consumer-facing content; use everyday verbs (riuscire, vedere, volere) instead.
• Avoid word-for-word translation from English — restructure sentences, split where needed, and recast English noun-clusters around Italian verbs to produce idiomatic prose across marketing, medical patient leaflets, and software UI.
• Apply gender-inclusive strategies: prefer collective and relative nouns (personale, chi utilizza), use both genders for visibility (i lavoratori e le lavoratrici), reserve overextended masculine plural only when alternatives hurt readability.
• Master Italian-specific punctuation: no space before punctuation, single space after, never separate subject from verb with a comma, no em dash (replace with hyphen), lowercase after a colon when on the same line.
• Foreign loan-word articles follow euphony and analogy (il widget, il Web, lo swapping, l’host, la password); apostrophe and elision conventions matter for professional Italian translation across all spheres.

Register and tone for modern Italian translation¶

Register is the level of formality, warmth, and conversational ease the target text projects. Three principles define the modern Italian register for consumer-facing content:

• Warm and relaxed. Natural, less formal, grounded in honest conversation. Occasionally fun where the brand permits.
• Crisp and clear. Written for scanning first, reading second. Simplicity over flourish.
• Ready to help. Anticipates the reader’s needs and offers information at the right moment.

The general style should be clear, friendly, and concise. For consumer content, use language that resembles everyday conversation, as opposed to the formal, technical language often used in technical and commercial content.

Why this matters: Bureaucratic register damages outcomes across spheres. In marketing copy it kills conversion — Italian readers disengage when text sounds like an Agenzia delle Entrate notice. In patient-facing medical materials it reduces comprehension and compliance. In software UI every formal turn of phrase adds friction at the moment of interaction. In consumer-facing legal documents (privacy policies, terms of service) regulators and readers both demand plain Italian. Only sworn legal translation and highly technical specifications retain the older formal register.

Audience targeting: technical vs. consumer vocabulary¶

Although content might be different for different audiences, the principles are the same — keep the audience in mind. Choose the right words for the audience: use technical terms for technical audiences, but for consumers use common words and phrases instead. A clinical drug monograph for prescribers uses precise pharmacological terminology; the patient leaflet for the same drug uses everyday Italian. A software API reference uses developer jargon; the end-user help article uses plain Italian.

This applies in every sphere. Legal translation for corporate counsel uses Latinisms and procedural shorthand; consumer-facing versions need plain-Italian 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 Italian 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 that the result sounds appropriate and natural to Italian readers. Try to understand the whole intention of the sentence, paragraph, or page, and rewrite as if composing it yourself. Sometimes you need to remove unnecessary content.

English example	Italian example
Apps, front and center	App in primo piano
Wall-to-wall web	Web a tutto schermo
The next chapter	Il futuro di Windows

The Italian versions reshape syntax rather than substituting words into the English skeleton.

Why this matters: Source-faithful translation produces translatorese — text that reads as translated. Required in sworn legal translation and certified document translation (birth certificates, court rulings, 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 the core translator judgment that distinguishes professional work from raw machine output.

Words and phrases to avoid in modern Italian¶

Modern Italian translation avoids an unnecessarily formal tone. Use everyday words instead of formal ones, which may sound less natural. The suggestions below are only examples; change suggested translations according to the context, but consider the global audience, which might not be familiar with some slang terms or colloquialisms.

en-US source	Italian word to avoid	Italian preferred word/phrase
reference	fare riferimento a	vedere
want	desiderare	volere
can	essere in grado di	riuscire

The following translations are preferred, but you can safely use the alternatives, especially when using synonyms helps avoid repetition.

en-US source	Italian preferred translation	Italian alternative translation
use	usare	utilizzare
try	provare	tentare
find	trovare	individuare

Why this matters: These formal forms appear in legal templates and corporate communications out of institutional habit but feel alien in consumer-facing products, patient-facing medical materials, brand-led marketing, and user-friendly software. A privacy policy starting “Per essere in grado di…” signals bureaucratic indifference; “Per poter…” or simply “Per…” reads as the product talking to the user. A patient leaflet saying “Si desidera segnalare un effetto collaterale?” lands differently than “Vuoi segnalare un effetto collaterale?” — the second reduces friction in reporting.

Word choice: approved terminology and short forms¶

Approved terminology is the project-specific bank of fixed translations for key terms, product names, technical concepts, and recurring phrases. Use approved terminology from project glossaries where applicable, especially for key terms, technical terms, and product names.

In Italian, the use of short word forms is allowed only for a limited list of terms that are widely known, well-established, and unlikely to be misunderstood. Adhere to approved terminology and don’t use different target terms for already established and approved terms.

en-US source term	Italian word	Italian word usage
PC	personal computer	PC
cellular phone	telefono cellulare	cellulare
email	messaggio di posta elettronica	e-mail or email
email server	server di posta elettronica	server e-mail or server email
info	informazioni	info
app	applicazione	app

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).

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 sounds stiff and unnatural, and the result may even be ridiculous. Split text into different sentences if that helps simplify the translation. Omit descriptors to make the text snappier.

English text	Incorrect Italian translation	Correct Italian translation
Welcome to gaming for Windows 10	Il parco giochi di Windows 10	Benvenuto nei giochi per Windows 10
Spend time playing the game, not looking for it	Passa il tempo a giocare, non a cercare il gioco	I tuoi giochi preferiti… a portata di mano
Have you ever downloaded a new game and then spent more time trying to find it on your PC than you spent looking for the lost treasure or hidden bonus levels? With the Games Explorer in Windows 10, getting started with a game is so easy that even the n00biest of n00bies can do it.	Hai mai scaricato un nuovo gioco e passato più tempo a cercarlo sul tuo PC che a cercare un tesoro nascosto? Con Games Explorer in Windows 10 anche i giocatori più negati possono iniziare a divertirsi in un batter d’occhio!	Ti è mai capitato di scaricare un nuovo gioco e passare più tempo a cercarlo sul PC che non a cercare il tesoro perduto o un livello bonus nascosto? Con Games Explorer in Windows 10, iniziare a giocare con un gioco è così facile che anche il peggiore tra i peggiori giocatori può farcela.

Why this matters: Word-to-word translation is the dominant failure mode of inexperienced translators and unedited machine output. In legal contracts it produces clauses that translate every term but obscure who owes what, creating dispute risk. In medical instructions it separates action from actor in ways that confuse patients — a known source of compliance errors. In marketing copy it produces headlines that read as foreign — technically Italian but emotionally flat. In software UI it produces labels users hesitate over because the phrasing doesn’t match how they’d describe the action.

Sample translations: focusing on user action¶

The following examples illustrate the intent of the modern Italian register.

US English	Italian target	Explanation
The password isn’t correct, so try again. Passwords are case-sensitive.	La password non è corretta. Prova di nuovo ricordando che nelle password devi specificare correttamente maiuscole e minuscole.	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.	Il codice Product Key non funziona. Verifica di averlo inserito correttamente e riprova.	Casually and politely asks the user to check and try again.
All ready to go	Ora tutto è pronto per iniziare	Casual and short — informs the user that setup has completed.
Would you like to continue?	Vuoi continuare?	Use of the second-person pronoun “tu” to politely ask the user.
Give your PC a name—any name you want. If you want to change the background color, turn high contrast off in PC settings.	Dai al tuo PC il nome che preferisci. Se vuoi cambiare il colore dello sfondo, disattiva il contrasto elevato nelle impostazioni del PC.	Addresses the user directly using the second person, to help them take the necessary action.

Explanatory text and providing support¶

US English	Italian target	Explanation
The updates are installed, but Windows 10 Setup needs to restart for them to work. After it restarts, we’ll keep going from where we left off.	Gli aggiornamenti sono stati installati ma per farli funzionare devi riavviare il programma di installazione di Windows 10. Dopo il riavvio, riprenderemo da dove eravamo rimasti.	The language is natural, the way people talk. The voice is reassuring — the use of “we” gives a personal, human tone.
If you restart now, you and any other people using this PC could lose unsaved work.	Se riavvii adesso, tu e tutti gli altri utenti che stanno usando questo PC potreste perdere i dati non salvati.	Clear and natural, informing the user what will happen.
Something bad happened! Unable to locate downloaded files to create your bootable USB flash drive.	C’è un problema. Non trovo i file scaricati per creare l’unità flash USB di avvio.	Short, simple sentences tell the user what happened.

Inclusive language¶

Use plain language: straightforward, concrete, and familiar words. Plain accessible language helps people of all learning levels and abilities. Use everyday words instead of unnecessarily complicated terms or concepts.

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 examples that refer to several regions, use equivalent references — don’t mix countries with states or continents.

In text and images, represent diverse perspectives and circumstances. Don’t generalize or stereotype people by region, culture, age, or gender, even if the stereotype is positive. Don’t use profane or derogatory terms. Don’t use slang 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 and eras.

English use	English avoid	Italian use	Italian avoid
subordinate	slave	subordinato	schiavo
perimeter network	demilitarized zone (DMZ)	rete perimetrale	zona demilitarizzata
electorate	voters	corpo elettorale	votanti
expert	guru	persona esperta	guru
colleagues; everyone; all	guys; ladies and gentlemen	personale; organico; forza lavoro; team	signore e signori; gente
teacher	—	docente	maestra o maestro

Avoid gender bias¶

When using gender-inclusive language in Italian, consider the following:

• Italian nouns can be either masculine or feminine. Overextended masculine plural is by definition gender-biased because it defaults neutrality to masculine gender. Ideally, when possible, it should be avoided when there are other alternatives to convey gender neutrality.
• Binary representations of gender should be avoided when possible: not every person identifies as either female or male. Prefer persone (people) to uomini e donne (men and women).
• Gender-neutral alternatives and strategies are not necessary for expressing generic roles and functions. Examples: il fornitore, l’operatore, il gestore, il rivenditore.
• Certain masculine singular nouns mentioned in UI should be considered as generic roles and gender-neutral alternatives are not necessary. Examples: l’amministratore, l’organizzatore.

Three recommended strategies for gender-inclusive language:

1. Give visibility to feminine gender

• Use both genders when referring to a group of people including both sexes, especially in general or introductory statements. Example: i ragazzi e le ragazze…, uno o una dei nostri esperti, i lavoratori e le lavoratrici della filiera produttiva. Important in contexts traditionally associated with male groups: gli sviluppatori e le sviluppatrici.
• Use the feminine form for professions and roles, as needed. Examples: deputata, avvocata, soldata or soldatessa, sindaca, medica, ministra, ingegnera, notaia, etc.

2. Hide both genders and avoid binary representations

• Use gender-neutral nouns: persona, essere umano.
• Use collective nouns: personale, corpo docente, direzione, dirigenza, etc.
• Use relative and indefinite pronouns: chi insegna, chi studia, chi utilizza, etc.
• Rephrase as needed: Benvenuto → Ti diamo il benvenuto; Sei sempre aggiornato → Hai sempre gli ultimi aggiornamenti.
• Use passive form: Gli studenti possono iscriversi online → L’iscrizione può essere fatta online.
• Use impersonal form: Gli iscritti al webinar possono… → Chi si iscrive al webinar può…

3. Use overextended masculine plural

When the previous two strategies would result in poor readability (too many repetitions of both masculine and feminine variants), excessive length in UI, or ambiguity (from collective nouns or alternative phrasing), overextended masculine plural is recommended.

English use	English avoid	Italian use	Italian avoid	Comment
A user with the appropriate rights can set other users’ passwords.	If the user has the appropriate rights, he can set other users’ passwords.	Se l’utente dispone delle autorizzazioni appropriate, può impostare le password per altre persone.	Se un utente dispone delle autorizzazioni appropriate, egli può impostare le password per altre persone.	L’utente is gender-neutral vs. un utente is masculine.
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.	Gli sviluppatori devono avere accesso al proprio ambiente di sviluppo, ma non ai server in Azure.	Uno sviluppatore deve avere accesso al suo ambiente di sviluppo, ma non ai server in Azure.	Alternatively, gli sviluppatori e le sviluppatrici would work but not in a long document with many repetitions.
When the author opens the document ….	When the author opens her document ….	Quando l’utente che ha creato il documento, lo apre…	Quando un utente apre il suo documento…	Un utente is masculine vs. l’utente is gender-neutral.

Avoid gender-biased phrasing

• Do not use female article before women’s last names: avoid la Meloni.
• Do not use signorina (miss) to address a woman (there is no equivalent for men).

Limit binary gender option with forward slash to forms

• Use of binary gender option with forward slash should be limited to forms. Example: Firma del/della richiedente.
• Do not use forward slash with suffixes because it negatively affects readability. Example: avoid ragazzo/a.

Do not use symbols * or ə

Symbols such as asterisk (benvenut, tutt) or the schwa (benvenutə, tuttə) are not currently used in Microsoft content to represent gender neutrality.

When writing about a real person, use the pronouns the person prefers, whenever applicable. In Italian, in most cases the pronouns refer to the objects and not the people that carry actions.

English	Italian use	Italian avoid
You cannot set %1 as organizer because he/she does not have e-mail address.	Non è possibile impostare %1 come organizzatore perché non ha un indirizzo e-mail.	Non è possibile impostare %1 come organizzatore perché lei/lui non ha un indirizzo e-mail.
Activity cannot be assigned to employee %1 because she is not presented in dispatch board	Non è possibile assegnare l’attività a %1 perché non è presente nel prospetto interventi	Non è possibile assegnare l’attività al dipendente %1 perché quest’ultimo non è incluso nel prospetto interventi

Gender-neutral alternatives for common terms¶

Italian use	Italian avoid	Comments
persona della strada	uomo della strada	A very common Italian expression for the English “common man.”
a misura umana	a misura d’uomo	A very common Italian expression for “on a human/man scale.”
genere umano, umanità, essere umano, essere vivente	uomo	—
popolazioni primitive	uomo primitivo	Primitive populations/primitive man in EN.
fatto a mano	fatto dall’uomo	—
diritti umani	diritti dell’uomo	Human rights/man rights in EN.

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

Accessibility¶

Focus on people, not disabilities. Don’t use words that imply pity, such as colpito/a or affetto/a da or persona con. The preferred option is not to mention a disability unless it’s relevant.

English use	English avoid	Italian use	Italian avoid
person with a disability	handicapped	persona con disabilità, persona disabile, persone con disabilità	handicappato, portatore di handicap, diversamente abile, diversabile, anormale, invalido, i disabili
person without a disability	normal person; healthy person	persona non disabile, persona senza disabilità	normoabile, abile, normodotato

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.

English use	English avoid	Italian use	Italian avoid
Select	Click/Tap	Selezionare	Fare clic/Toccare
Enter	Type	Inserire	Digitare

Avoid phrasing that takes certain abilities for granted. Use neutral phrasing describing what happens (not the ability).

English	Italian use	Italian avoid
A message appears.	Appare un messaggio.	Si vede un messaggio.
The system plays an alert.	Il sistema emette un avviso.	Si sente un avviso.

Spell out words like e, più, and circa. Screen readers can misread text using special characters like the ampersand (&), plus sign (+), and tilde (~).

Language-specific standards¶

Abbreviations¶

You might need to abbreviate some words in the UI (mainly the names of buttons and options) because of lack of space. Use standardized abbreviations that are commonly used in the local culture, the industry, or the market, and that are documented in authoritative references.

General criteria for shortening words:

• Omit at least two letters.
• Truncate a word so that it ends with a consonant and place a period after it.
• When a word contains a double consonant, truncate it at the second one and place a period after it.

Examples: Abbreviazione → Abbreviaz. — Visualizzazione → Visualizz. — Geografia → Geogr.

Avoid abbreviations whenever possible.

Common abbreviations:

Expression	Acceptable abbreviation
articolo	art.
circa	ca.
confronta	cfr.
centimetro	cm
eccetera	ecc.
grammo	g
gigabyte	GB
gigahertz	GHz
ora	h
kilobit	Kb
kilobyte	KB
kilobit	Kbit
chilogrammo	kg
chilometro	km
metro	m
megabyte	MB
megabit	Mb
megabit	Mbit
megahertz	MHz
minute	min
millimetro	mm
numero	n.
Nota	NB
pagina	p.
pagine	pp.
pica	pi
secondo	s
allegato	all.
appendice	app.
capitolo	cap.
paragrafo	par.
sezione	sez.

Acronyms¶

Acronyms are words made up of the initial letters of major parts of a compound term (WYSIWYG, DNS, HTML). Because several acronyms don’t have an official equivalent in Italian, refer to Microsoft Terminology. Request explanation and approval if the meaning isn’t clear or you’re unsure whether an acronym should be left in English, translated, or omitted and replaced with the spelled-out form.

The gender and number of the acronym are determined by the gender and number of the translation for the governing noun of the extended form. Example: API (Application Programming Interface) is used in the feminine in Italian because “interface” → “interfaccia” is feminine.

To choose the appropriate article in front of an acronym, take into account the gender and the euphonic effect. Example: The API → L’API.

For added clarity, when the exact meaning of the governing noun is known, use the translation of the defining noun in front of it: The API → L’interfaccia API.

Localized acronyms. If an Italian translation for the acronym exists (which implies the spelled-out form is translated as well), use the Italian acronym and add the spelled-out term in parenthesis for the first occurrence.

en-US source	Italian target
EU (European Union)	UE (Unione Europea)

Unlocalized acronyms. If an Italian equivalent doesn’t exist and the spelled-out term is untranslatable, use the English acronym and add the full English term in parenthesis for the first occurrence.

en-US source	Italian target
API	API (Application Programming Interface)

If the spelled-out term is translatable but the acronym isn’t, use the English acronym and add both the full English term and the full Italian term, separated by a comma in parenthesis.

en-US source	Italian target
ANSI	(American National Standards Institute, Istituto americano per gli standard nazionali)

For subsequent occurrences, when the full term is required, use just the Italian translation and not the English term.

Adjectives¶

Qualifying adjectives. The qualifying adjective is the most common type in Italian. It can occur before or after the noun, and placement subtly changes meaning. The rule of thumb: the qualifying adjective follows the noun when distinguishing the object from other objects.

en-US source	Italian target
This product includes innovative features.	Questo prodotto include funzionalità innovative.

The adjective implies that several features exist, but a few distinguish themselves as “innovative.” If the qualifying adjective occurs before the noun, it simply refers to a quality without creating contrast:

en-US source	Italian target
The innovative features of this product can help users to improve productivity.	Le innovative funzionalità di questo prodotto possono aiutare gli utenti ad aumentare la produttività.

Possessive adjectives. Frequent use of possessives is a feature of English. In Italian, possessive adjectives should usually be omitted, except in special marketing-oriented texts or websites where addressing the customer in a direct and colloquial style is required.

en-US source	Italian target
Publisher cannot wrap your text around the image.	Non è possibile adattare il testo attorno all’immagine.

Indefinite adjectives: any. Translating “any” into Italian raises problems. Consider grammar and context:

1. To refer to one specific object in a group sharing certain features: Open any file that you want to edit → Aprire un [qualsiasi] file da [che si desidera] modificare
2. To refer to a whole set of objects to explain a common characteristic: You can drag any items → È possibile trascinare qualsiasi elemento
3. To indicate a choice among alternatives: Perform any of the following steps → Effettuare uno o più dei passaggi seguenti
4. To refer to all objects of a group: Select any files you want to delete → Selezionare [tutti] i file che si desidera eliminare
5. In negative sentences: Cannot find any user → Non è possibile trovare alcun utente / Non è possibile trovare utenti

Articles¶

General considerations. Pay special attention to the determinative article when translating terms that include plural English nouns. Example:

“… a software problem, such as a problem with drivers or files, which is preventing the system from starting.”

CORRECT: …un problema software relativo ad esempio a driver o file (the problem can be due to one or more drivers or files). NOT CORRECT: …un problema software relativo ad esempio ai driver o ai file (the problem is due to all drivers and files).

Unlocalized feature names. Microsoft product and feature names that aren’t translated are used without definite or indefinite articles in Italian, even when English uses them.

en-US source	Italian target
To use this application, you will need to install the .NET Framework.	Per utilizzare questa applicazione, è necessario installare .NET Framework.
This document can be edited using Microsoft Word.	Questo documento può essere modificato con Microsoft Word.

Localized feature names. Translated feature names are used with articles when they refer to a physical object.

en-US source	Italian target
Calculator	La Calcolatrice
Notepad	Il Blocco note

If the translated feature name refers to an abstract concept, the article isn’t used.

en-US source	Italian target
File Explorer	Esplora file
Remote Access	Accesso remoto

Translated wizard names are an exception: they require the article.

en-US source	Italian target
Run the Setup Wizard.	Eseguire l’Installazione guidata.
To create a template, use the Template Wizard.	Per creare un modello, utilizzare la Creazione guidata modello.

Articles for English loan words. Consider motivation (formal features for noun-class integration), analogy (equivalent Italian term), and frequency (other technical documentation usage).

For foreign words, the article that would occur before an Italian word beginning with the same sound should be used:

en-US source	Italian target
The widget	Il widget

In determining which article to use, the leading “h” is usually ignored:

en-US source	Italian target
The host	L’host (the article that would be used before an Italian word beginning with “o”)

The letter “w” is considered a consonant:

en-US source	Italian target
The Web	Il Web
The swapping	Lo swapping

No specific rules establish gender of foreign words. They are often used in the masculine, but words recalling feminine Italian words usually agree in the feminine.

en-US source	Italian target
Password	La password (recalls the Italian “parola”)

The choice of article is often determined by how the word is commonly used by native speakers and authoritative references.

Capitalization¶

In most cases, English capitalization conventions don’t apply to Italian.

• In titles and headings, only the first character of the first word should be capitalized.

en-US source	Italian target
Setting up Printer’s Options	Impostazione delle opzioni della stampante

• Names of days, months, currencies, languages, and nationalities begin with a lowercase letter.

en-US source	Italian target
Monday	lunedì
June	giugno
US Dollar	1 dollaro statunitense
The user speaks Italian	L’utente parla italiano
My mother is Polish	Mia madre è polacca

• UI items begin with a capital letter. In multi-word UI items, only the first character of the first word is capitalized.

en-US source	Italian target
The File menu	Il menu File
Edit Movie	Modifica filmato

• In UI items made up of two alternative commands separated by a slash (/), both commands begin with a capital letter.

en-US source	Italian target
Import/Export Files	Importa/Esporta file
Show/Hide Grid	Mostra/Nascondi griglia

• Keyboard key names are written in all capital letters.

en-US source	Italian target
Enter	INVIO
Shift Lock	BLOC MAIUSC

• Legal documents (agreements, licenses, statements) may include entire paragraphs in uppercase letters or capitalize common nouns. These conventions in the source document may have legal implications and should be retained in the target text.

en-US source	Italian target
YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS OF THIS EULA BY INSTALLING, COPYING, OR USING THE SOFTWARE. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE, DO NOT INSTALL, COPY, OR USE THE SOFTWARE; YOU MAY RETURN IT TO YOUR PLACE OF PURCHASE FOR A FULL REFUND, IF APPLICABLE.	INSTALLANDO, DUPLICANDO O ALTRIMENTI UTILIZZANDO IL SOFTWARE, L’UTENTE ACCETTA DI ESSERE VINCOLATO DALLE CONDIZIONI DEL PRESENTE CONTRATTO. QUALORA L’UTENTE NON ACCETTI LE CONDIZIONI DEL PRESENTE CONTRATTO, ALLORA NON POTRÀ INSTALLARE, DUPLICARE O UTILIZZARE IL SOFTWARE E DOVRÀ RESTITUIRLO PRONTAMENTE AL RIVENDITORE. IN TALE IPOTESI, QUALORA AL MOMENTO DELL’ACQUISTO IL RIVENDITORE ABBIA EMESSO FATTURA, L’UTENTE POTRÀ OTTENERE IL RIMBORSO DEL PREZZO.
1.1 Installation and use. You may: (a) install and use a copy of the Software on one personal computer or other device;	1.1 Installazione e Utilizzo. L’utente potrà: (a) installare e utilizzare una copia del Software su di un singolo computer o altro dispositivo;

Conjunctions¶

Beginning a sentence with a conjunction isn’t common in Italian, especially in written language, but the technique can be used for emphasis. Some conjunctions are more formal than others.

Italian old use of conjunctions	Italian new use of conjunctions
Windows include queste nuove funzionalità e molto altro ancora.	Windows include queste nuove funzionalità. E non è tutto.
affinché	per
allorquando	quando
benché	nonostante
ogniqualvolta	ogni volta che

Gender¶

Variable parts of speech in Italian are articles, nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and verbs. Each noun has a gender, masculine or feminine — neuter doesn’t exist. All variable parts of speech should agree in gender (and number) with the noun they refer to. When one adjective, verb, or other part of speech refers to multiple nouns with different genders, the masculine is used.

en-US source	Italian target
New documents and dimensions	Nuovi documenti e dimensioni

Exception: a few words deriving from neuter Latin words require masculine agreement even though grammatical gender appears feminine.

en-US source	Italian target
Something went wrong	Qualcosa è andato storto

Sometimes changing the gender (and number) of a noun changes its meaning (see Nouns).

Localizing colloquialisms, idioms, and metaphors¶

When the source uses colloquialism, choose from:

• Don’t attempt to replace the source colloquialism with an Italian colloquialism unless it’s a perfect and natural fit for that context.
• Translate the intended meaning (not the literal colloquialism), only if the meaning is integral and can’t be omitted.
• If the colloquialism can be omitted without affecting the meaning, omit it.

Nouns¶

Inflection. Italian nouns inflect for gender and number. Gender isn’t determined by meaning, except for proper nouns. Proper nouns don’t inflect for number.

en-US source	Italian target
A beautiful home	Una bella casa
Francis	Francesco (masculine) / Francesca (feminine)

Sometimes the feminine plural denotes literal meaning, the masculine a figurative one:

• Le braccia = the arms
• I bracci = the inlets

Italian nouns can be “altered” to express shades of meaning. Examples: Libro → Libretto (small book) → Libraccio (bad book); Tavolo → tavolino (small table).

Alterations are reserved for informal speech and should be strictly avoided in documents and software. Use adjectives or paraphrase instead.

en-US source	Italian target
A big book	Un grande libro / Un libro di grandi dimensioni (avoid “un librone”)

Plural formation.

Gender	Singular	Plural
Masculine	-o	-i
Feminine	-a	-e
Masculine/Feminine	-e	-i
Masculine	-a	-i

The plural of nouns ending with an accented vowel is the same as the singular.

en-US source	Italian target
The city	La città
The cities	Le città

The plural of foreign words is the same as the singular:

en-US source	Italian target
Files have been deleted.	I file sono stati eliminati.

When the plural is the same as the singular, articles, adjectives, verbs, and other modifiers agree in the plural, denoting the actual number.

Sometimes the masculine plural acts as a count noun, the feminine plural as a mass noun:

• Due cervelli = two brains
• Le cervella = the cerebral matter

Prepositions¶

Be careful to use prepositions correctly. Many translators, influenced by English, omit them or change word order. Even though most English prepositions translate literally, some contexts require a different preposition.

English expression	Italian expression	Comment
Save on the disk	Salvare su disco	Literal translation of “on” is correct.
Select the Open command on the File menu	Scegliere il comando Apri dal menu File	“On” should be translated as “da.”
Click the button	Fare clic sul pulsante	English doesn’t use a preposition after “to click.” Italian requires one.
Insert the image into the document	Inserire l’immagine nel documento	Literal translation of “into” is correct.
He is from Milan	È di Milano	When “from” denotes belonging, translate as “di.”
Review data from the database	Verificare i dati del database	—
This query retrieves specific data from the database	Questa query recupera dati specifici dal/del database	Both “del” and “dal” acceptable, given the verb “recuperare” and “specific” data.

Pronouns¶

Pronoun use in English, especially in technical content, is far more redundant than in Italian. When translating from English, fewer pronouns should be used in the target. This shouldn’t affect accuracy. In very technical and complex strings, make sure it’s clear which noun each pronoun refers to.

en-US source	Italian target
To delete a file from your computer, select the file from the right pane and click Delete.	Per eliminare un file dal computer, selezionarlo nel riquadro a destra e fare clic su Elimina.

Punctuation¶

General punctuation rules in Italian may be substantially different from English. Never insert a space before punctuation. Always use a single space after punctuation.

US English	Italian target
This folder contains music files, video clips, and Word documents. Select a file.	Questa cartella contiene file musicali, clip video e documenti di Word. Selezionare un file.

Comma. Use of commas in Italian is somewhat subjective, but there are general guidelines.

Never use a comma to separate the subject from the verb.

US English	Italian target	Comment
The file has been removed	Il file è stato rimosso	Don’t use “Il file, è stato rimosso”

Avoid commas before “e,” “o,” and “oppure” unless introducing an aside.

US English	Italian target
Assign permissions to users, or groups	Assegna autorizzazioni a utenti o gruppi

Avoid commas after introductory phrases that orient the user.

US English	Italian target
In the Find dialog, click Options	Nella finestra di dialogo Trova fare clic su Opzioni

Colon. Colons can introduce a list, procedure, note, and similar types of text. The word following a colon on the same line should begin lowercase. Exceptions: some document titles and headings.

US English	Italian target
NOTE: To open a file, click Open	NOTA: per aprire un file, fare clic su Apri
Step 1: Creating a template	Passaggio 1: Creazione di un modello

When a term follows a colon on another line, it starts with a capital letter.

US English	Italian target
NOTE: To open a file, click Open	NOTA: Per aprire un file, fare clic su Apri

Don’t overuse colons within sentences. Use commas or semicolons where possible.

US English	Italian target
Databases are made up of several objects: tables, queries, reports, and so on.	I database sono costituiti da diversi oggetti: tabelle, query, report e così via. / I database sono costituiti da diversi oggetti, ad esempio tabelle, query, report e così via. (preferred)

Dashes and hyphens. Three different dash characters in English: hyphens, en dashes, em dashes.

Hyphen divides words between syllables, links parts of a compound word, and separates two concepts in a title. Don’t use it to enclose asides (use commas) or introduce a list (use a colon, comma, or semicolon).

US English	Italian target
Databases—Essential Concepts	Database - Concetti essenziali
This function is used for pre-processing.	Questa funzione viene utilizzata per la pre-elaborazione.
The current account—the account used by the current user to log in—belongs to the local Administrators group.	L’account corrente, ovvero quello utilizzato dall’utente corrente per l’accesso, appartiene al gruppo Administrators locale.

En dash is used as a minus sign, usually with no spaces after.

US English	Italian target
The temperature is - 20°	La temperatura è di -20°

The en dash is also used in number ranges, such as page numbers.

US English	Italian target
Tab value out of range (0-1)	Valore di tabulazione fuori misura (0-1)

Em dash. Don’t use the em dash in Italian. Replace it with a hyphen.

US English	Italian target
Word Templates—Folder	Modelli di Word - Cartella

Ellipsis (suspension points). Ellipses can indicate that an operation is in progress (adding “in corso”). When they appear in a UI command, they indicate that clicking presents further options. In progress messages and UI options, ellipses in the source should be retained. But they should be removed in documentation referring to a message or an option that includes an ellipsis.

US English	Italian target
Wait. Removing files from your computer…	Attendere. Rimozione dei file dal computer in corso…
Save as…	Salva con nome…
If you want to save a copy of your file, click Save as… from the File menu…	Se si desidera salvare una copia del file, scegliere Salva con nome dal menu File.

Period. Used to end paragraphs/sentences and for abbreviated words. In an abbreviation, the last letter before the period should be a consonant and the first letter of the subsequent word should be lowercase.

US English	Italian target
E-mail Settings	Impostaz. e-mail

Quotation mark. Used when quoting exactly or surrounding titles of documents and publications. They shouldn’t emphasize a word or phrase — use italic formatting instead. Avoid single quotation marks. Punctuation should always be placed outside quotes.

US English	Italian target
Microsoft Word gives you the best word processing features available, plus the mouse support and “shortcuts” that get you to those features quickly and easily.	Microsoft Word offre le più sofisticate ed avanzate caratteristiche di elaborazione testi. Il mouse e i tasti di scelta rapida consentono di eseguire ogni operazione in modo semplice e veloce.

Parentheses. In English and Italian, there is no space between parentheses and the text inside. In Italian, parentheses should be used only when absolutely required. Avoid parentheses to enclose asides in sentences.

US English	Italian target
The current file (owned by the administrator) cannot be moved.	Il file corrente, di proprietà dell’amministratore, non può essere spostato.

Never use parentheses to enclose a standalone sentence after a period.

US English	Italian target	Comment
You can open several file formats. (The application supports more than 100 file extensions)	È possibile aprire diversi formati di file (l’applicazione supporta più di 100 estensioni di file) OR È possibile aprire diversi formati di file. L’applicazione supporta più di 100 estensioni di file.	Don’t use “È possibile aprire diversi formati di file. (L’applicazione supporta più di 100 estensioni di file)”

Punctuation should always be placed outside parentheses.

Sentence fragments¶

Modern Italian allows sentence fragments, especially in newspapers or newscasts (for example, “Buono anche l’andamento delle vendite”). Avoid fragments in contexts where they could confuse. On rare occasions, fragments can emphasize a message or improve readability instead of full sentences — make sure the fragment fits the context and no relevant information gets lost.

Italian long form	Italian sentence fragment
È inoltre possibile creare più account. A tale scopo, eseguire i passaggi seguenti.	Puoi anche creare più account. Ecco come.
Di seguito sono disponibili alcuni dettagli.	Di seguito, alcuni dettagli.
Di seguito sono disponibili alcuni esempi.	Di seguito, alcuni esempi.

Subjunctive¶

No special guidelines: standard grammar rules apply. In oral, informal speech, the subjunctive tends to be replaced with the indicative — a grammar error which should be avoided in written language.

US English	Italian target	Comment
I would be happy if you came to my party.	Sarei contento se venissi alla mia festa.	Do not use “Sarei contento se vieni alla mia festa”

Symbols and nonbreaking spaces¶

Don’t include a space between a symbol (copyright, trademark) and the noun it refers to.

US English	Italian target	Comment
Microsoft® is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation	Microsoft® è un marchio registrato di Microsoft Corporation	Don’t use “Microsoft ® è un marchio registrato…”

Nonbreaking spaces are used to keep strings on a single line. In Italian this requirement is less critical than in English, but it’s advisable to use nonbreaking spaces the way they’re used in the source text.

Verbs¶

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

In Italian, use verbs and verb tenses as in the source. Use different tenses only to avoid ungrammatical or illogical text.

Messages using forms like “to be –ing” or “to be about to do something” (frequently used to warn users) can be translated with the active form.

Italian classic use of verb tense	Italian modern use of verb tense
Il documento verrà rimosso. Continuare?	Stai per rimuovere il documento. Vuoi continuare?

Localization considerations¶

Error messages¶

Error messages inform the user of an error that must be corrected. When translating error messages, apply modern voice principles to ensure the target is natural-sounding, empathetic, and not robot-like.

English term	Correct Italian translation
The password isn’t correct, so try again. Passwords are case-sensitive.	La password non è corretta. Prova di nuovo ricordando che nelle password devi specificare correttamente maiuscole e minuscole.
Not enough memory to process this command.	Memoria insufficiente per elaborare il comando.

Italian style in error messages. Use consistent terminology and language style. Don’t just translate as in the US English product. In US-English, product/feature/device names are often the subject. In Italian, avoid this personalization. If the context makes it obvious which product the message refers to, the product name can be omitted. In complex products where several components could cause an error, use:

[ProductName]: [message translated in the impersonal form]

English	Translation
Word cannot open this document	Non è possibile aprire il documento
Data Protection Manager could not copy the files to the selected location	Data Protection Manager: non è possibile copiare i file nel percorso selezionato

Sometimes personalization is necessary to convey important information:

English	Translation
The driver cannot recognize the specified command	Il driver non riconosce il comando specificato
RASMXS.DLL cannot load RASSER.DLL	RASMXS.DLL non riesce a caricare RASSER.DLL

You can also use the simple present of the governing verb, omitting “potere” (can):

English	Translation
The device you are trying to record from cannot recognize the current file format.	Il dispositivo da cui stai tentando di registrare non riconosce il formato di file corrente.

Whenever possible, the verb “to be” is omitted in error messages.

English	Translation
The function is not supported	Funzione non supportata
An error number was specified that is not defined in the system	Numero di errore specificato non definito nel sistema
An invalid parameter was passed to a system function	Parametro non valido passato a una funzione di sistema

Standard phrases in error messages.

English	Translation	Example	Comment
Cannot … / Could not …	Non è possibile	Files cannot be saved → Non è possibile salvare i file	The translation “impossibile” should be avoided
Failed to … / Failure of …	Non è possibile	Failed to save the files → Non è possibile salvare i file	The translation “impossibile” should be avoided
Cannot find … / Could not find … / Unable to find … / Unable to locate …	Non è possibile trovare	Cannot find the requested document → Non è possibile trovare il documento richiesto	—
Not enough memory / Insufficient memory / There is not enough memory / There is not enough memory available	Memoria insufficiente / Memoria non sufficiente	Not enough memory to load the program → Memoria insufficiente per caricare il programma	—
… is not available / … is unavailable	non disponibile	Document is not available → Documento non disponibile	—

Placeholders. When localizing error messages with placeholders, find out what will replace the placeholder. Letters convey specific meaning: %d, %ld, %u, %lu → number; %c → letter; %s → string. Examples: “Checking Web %1!d! of %2!d!” → “Checking Web of .” “INI file “%1!-.200s!” section” → “INI file “” section.”

Items replacing placeholders must agree in gender and number with surrounding words. Translation must sometimes be kept generic to limit grammar errors.

English	Translation
%s is not granted access	Accesso non consentito a %s
%s cannot be used	Non è possibile utilizzare %s
%s has not been installed due to an internal error	Installazione di %s non riuscita a causa di un errore interno

Copilot predefined prompts (best practices applicable to any AI prompt localization)¶

• 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.
• Keep it conversational. Use simple, natural language. Avoid a tone that resembles a machine.
• Be polite and professional. Use kind, respectful language. Don’t use slang and jargon.
• Use quotation marks. This helps the AI know what to write, modify, or replace.
• Pay attention to punctuation, grammar, and capitalization. Clear communication helps collaboration.
• Pay attention to entity token placement. An entity token is a placeholder triggering a UI pop-up menu — not localizable; the position should make sense in the target syntax.
• Be consistent. Translate remarkably similar English prompts consistently.

Source prompt	Target prompt
List ideas for a fun remote team building event	Crea un elenco di idee per un divertente evento di team building a distanza
What are the goals and topics from the meeting? Format each section with a bolded heading, a bulleted list, and bolded names	Quali sono gli obiettivi e gli argomenti della riunione? Formatta ogni sezione con un titolo in grassetto, un elenco puntato e nomi in grassetto
Propose a new introduction to \file\	Proponi una nuova introduzione per \file\
What were the open issues from \meeting\?	Quali sono state le questioni non risolte nella \riunione\?
Give me ideas for icebreaker activities for a new team	Suggerisci idee per alcune attività interattive per far conoscere i membri di un nuovo team
Create a list of \color names inspired by the ocean\	Crea un elenco di \nomi di colori ispirati al mare\

Keyboard keys¶

Italian key names. In Italian translation of arrow key names, the word denoting the direction should be capitalized and follow “freccia.”

English key name	Italian key name
Up arrow	freccia SU
Down arrow	freccia GIÙ
Right arrow	freccia DESTRA
Left arrow	freccia SINISTRA

English key name	Italian key name
Alt	ALT
Backspace	BACKSPACE
Break	BREAK
Caps lock	BLOC MAIUSC
Ctrl	CTRL
Delete	CANC
Down arrow	FRECCIA GIÙ
End	FINE
Enter	INVIO
Esc	ESC
Home	HOME
Insert	INSERT
Left arrow	FRECCIA SINISTRA
Num lock	BLOC NUM
Page down	PGGIÙ
Page up	PGSU
Pause	PAUSA
Right arrow	FRECCIA DESTRA
Scroll lock	BLOC SCORR
Shift	MAIUSC
Spacebar	BARRA SPAZIATRICE
Tab	TAB
Up arrow	FRECCIA SU
Windows key	TASTO WINDOWS
Print screen	STAMP
Menu key	TASTO DI MENU

Standard shortcut keys (selected)¶

US English command	US English shortcut key	Italian command	Italian shortcut key
Help window	F1	Finestra della Guida	F1
Context-sensitive Help	Shift+F1	Guida sensibile al contesto	MAIUSC+F1
Display pop-up menu	Shift+F10	Visualizza menu a comparsa	MAIUSC+F10
Cancel	Esc	Annulla	ESC
Switch to the next primary application	Alt+Tab	Passa alla successiva applicazione principale	ALT+TAB
Close active application window	Alt+F4	Chiudi la finestra dell’applicazione attiva	ALT+F4
Capture active window image to the clipboard	Alt+Prnt Scrn	Acquisisci l’immagine della finestra attiva negli Appunti	ALT+STAMP
Access Start button in taskbar	Ctrl+Esc	Accedi al pulsante Start sulla barra delle applicazioni	CTRL+ESC
Launch Task Manager and system initialization	Ctrl+Shift+Esc	Avvia Gestione attività e l’inizializzazione del sistema	CTRL+MAIUSC+ESC
File New	Ctrl+N	Nuovo	CTRL+N
File Open	Ctrl+O	Apri	CTRL+F12
File Close	Ctrl+F4	Chiudi	CTRL+F4
File Save	Ctrl+S	Salva	CTRL+S
File Save as	F12	Salva con nome	F12
File Print	Ctrl+P	Stampa	CTRL+P
File Exit	Alt+F4	Esci	ALT+F4
Edit Undo	Ctrl+Z	Annulla	CTRL+Z
Edit Repeat	Ctrl+Y	Ripeti	CTRL+Y
Edit Cut	Ctrl+X	Taglia	CTRL+X
Edit Copy	Ctrl+C	Copia	CTRL+C
Edit Paste	Ctrl+V	Incolla	CTRL+V
Edit Select All	Ctrl+A	Seleziona tutto	CTRL+A
Edit Find	Ctrl+F	Trova	CTRL+T
Edit Replace	Ctrl+H	Sostituisci	CTRL+H
Edit Go To	Ctrl+G	Vai a	CTRL+B
Italic	Ctrl+I	Corsivo	CTRL+I
Bold	Ctrl+B	Grassetto	CTRL+G
Underlined	Ctrl+U	Sottolineato	CTRL+S
Centered	Ctrl+E	Allineato al centro	CTRL+A
Left aligned	Ctrl+L	Allineato a sinistra	CTRL+T
Right aligned	Ctrl+R	Allineato a destra	CTRL+R
Justified	Ctrl+J	Giustificato	CTRL+F

Voice/video pronunciation¶

English terms left unlocalized in the target should be pronounced as English words (Microsoft pronounced the English way). If the language has an established pronunciation for a common term (such as “server”), the local pronunciation should be used. Pronunciation can be adapted to the Italian phonetic system if the original sounds awkward.

Example	Phonetics	Comment
SecurID	[sı’kjuər aı di:]	—
.NET	[dot net]	—
Skype	[skaip]	Read as English word but with a more Italian pronunciation

Acronyms are pronounced like real words, adapted to local pronunciation: RADIUS, RAS, ISA, LAN, WAN, WAP, MAPI, POP, URL.

Other abbreviations are pronounced letter by letter: ICMP → I-CI-EMME-PI; IP → I-PI; TCP/IP → TI-CI-PI/I-PI; XML → ICS-EMME-ELLE; HTML → ACCA-TI-EMME-ELLE; OWA → O-DOPPIA VU-A; SQL → ESSE-Q-ELLE.

URLs. “http://” should be left out; the rest read in entirety. “www” pronounced VU-VU-VU. The “dot” can be omitted or read aloud as Italian “punto.”

Example	Italian pronunciation
http://www.microsoft.com	VU-VU-VU PUNTO MICROSOFT PUNTO COM

Special characters such as / \ < > + - should use Italian translations from Microsoft Terminology.

FAQ¶

What’s the right register for modern Italian translation across professional contexts?¶

Clear, friendly, concise — close to spoken Italian for consumer-facing content (marketing, patient leaflets, software UI). Formal technical and commercial language is appropriate only for highly technical specs, sworn legal translation, and similar contexts where precision and source-fidelity outweigh tone.

How should I handle gender bias in Italian translation?¶

Use collective nouns (personale, corpo docente), relative pronouns (chi utilizza, chi studia), feminine forms for professions (avvocata, ministra, ingegnera), and rephrasing (Ti diamo il benvenuto instead of Benvenuto). Use overextended masculine plural only when other strategies hurt readability — for example in long UI strings with many repetitions.

Which Italian words should I avoid in modern translation?¶

Replace fare riferimento a → vedere; desiderare → volere; essere in grado di → riuscire. Prefer everyday alternatives over their more formal synonyms in consumer-facing text. Use is preferred over utilizzare; provare over tentare; trovare over individuare — though all are acceptable.

When do I keep English loan words in Italian (PC, app, e-mail, web)?¶

When the short form is widely established and unambiguous: PC, app, e-mail/email, info, cellulare. Choose the article by euphony and analogy with similar Italian words: il widget, il Web, lo swapping, l’host, la password (recalls la parola).

What are the most important Italian punctuation differences from English?¶

Never insert a space before punctuation; always a single space after. Never separate subject from verb with a comma. Don’t use em dashes in Italian — replace with hyphens. Lowercase after a colon when on the same line (NOTA: per aprire un file…). Quotation marks surround titles and direct quotes only; use italics for emphasis instead.

How should I handle sentence fragments in Italian translation?¶

Modern Italian allows fragments (especially in newspapers and newscasts), but use them sparingly. They work well as concise UI labels (Ecco come.) and headers, but in body text full sentences usually read better. Make sure the fragment fits the context and no relevant information is lost.

What’s the correct way to use Italian articles with English loan words?¶

Choose by euphony and analogy: il widget, il Web, lo swapping (treats w as consonant), l’host (h is ignored), la password (recalls parola). For Microsoft products and feature names left in English, omit the article (.NET Framework, Microsoft Word). For translated feature names referring to physical objects, use articles (La Calcolatrice, Il Blocco note); for abstract concepts, omit them (Esplora file, Accesso remoto). Wizard names are an exception — they require the article (l’Installazione guidata).

Sources¶

• Microsoft Localization Style Guide for Italian (PDF)
• Microsoft Globalization Style Guides hub
• Microsoft Terminology Search
• Linee guida per l’uso del genere nel linguaggio amministrativo