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

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

TL;DR¶

• Korean translation across modern consumer-facing spheres uses the ~세요 ending — warm, conversational, and respectful — while ~십시오 is reserved for EULAs and formal legal contracts.
• Avoid hard Hanja-derived vocabulary (수행 ‘perform’, 실행 ‘execute’, 제공 ‘provide’ attached to descriptive nouns) — replace with simple native Korean verbs.
• Placeholders (%s, %d) require double postpositions to handle unknown substitution: 을(를), 이(가), 은(는), 과(와), (으)로.
• Korean has no noun inflection or grammatical plural — 들 marks plural but is optional; gendered pronouns 그/그녀 should be avoided in generic references.
• Default Korean font for UI is 맑은 고딕 (Malgun Gothic) 9pt; italic is replaced with bold or square brackets for UI terms.

Register and tone: ~세요 vs ~십시오¶

Register in Korean is the level of formality and warmth the verb-ending projects. Korean honorifics encode politeness directly in verb morphology, and ~세요 vs ~십시오 is the most important register choice in modern translation.

• ~세요 — polite-warm. Use for software UI, marketing copy, in-product help, patient-facing healthcare content, consumer-facing legal documents, and any text that interacts with users in a conversational tone.
• ~십시오 — formal-distant. Use for EULAs, sworn legal translations, formal contracts, and content where contractually required.

Why this matters: Mixing ~세요 and ~십시오 inside one product looks careless. In marketing copy ~십시오 reads as overly bureaucratic and reduces engagement. In patient communication the same is true — patients respond more openly to ~세요-tone medical instructions. In software UI ~세요 matches the modern app aesthetic. In consumer-facing legal documents (privacy policies, terms of service) regulators increasingly require plain language, which means ~세요. Only sworn legal translation and EULAs require ~십시오.

Three voice principles¶

• Warm and relaxed. Sounds like honest conversation, not a formal notice. Less institutional, more grounded.
• Crisp and clear. Written for scanning first, reading second. Sentences short enough to parse on a phone screen.
• Ready to lend a hand. Anticipates what the reader needs and offers it at the right moment.

Words and phrases to avoid¶

Hanja-derived bureaucratic verbs¶

Avoid Hanja compounds attached as auxiliary verbs to descriptive nouns when a simple native Korean verb does the job. The biggest offenders are 수행 (perform), 실행 (execute), 제공 (provide) used as helper verbs after descriptive nouns (작동, 동작, 설치, 제거, 검색, 감사 등).

Frequent literal-translation errors¶

Word choice¶

Use Microsoft Terminology for approved terms. Product names usually stay in English; feature names are usually translated.

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

Word-to-word translation produces stiff, unnatural Korean — sometimes ridiculous. Korean and English distribute information differently: Korean uses postpositions and verb-final word order; English uses prepositions and SVO. Mapping one onto the other without restructuring produces the recognizable “translated-from-English” feel.

The remedy: read for paragraph-level meaning, then compose Korean sentences that carry the same meaning naturally. Split, simplify, or omit descriptors to make the text snappier.

Why this matters: In legal contracts word-for-word translation produces clauses that translate every term but obscure who owes what. In medical instructions it separates action from actor in ways that confuse patients. In marketing copy it produces headlines that read as foreign — technically Korean but emotionally flat. In software UI it produces labels users hesitate over because the phrasing doesn’t match how they’d describe the action.

Flexibility: rewriting for Korean readers¶

It’s important to modify or rewrite translated strings to feel natural to Korean readers. Understand the whole intention of sentences, paragraphs, and pages, then rewrite as if composing the content yourself. Sometimes you need to remove unnecessary content.

Sample voice scenarios¶

Addressing the user to take action¶

Explanatory text and providing support¶

Promoting a feature¶

How-to guidelines¶

Inclusive language¶

Comply with local language laws. Use plain, accessible language. Don’t generalize or stereotype people by region, culture, age, or gender. Avoid profane or derogatory terms, slang that could be cultural appropriation, and terms with unconscious racial bias.

Replacement vocabulary¶

Avoiding gender bias¶

Use gender-neutral alternatives for common terms. Avoid compounds containing gender-specific elements.

Don’t use gendered pronouns (그, 그녀 등) in generic references. Rewrite to use substitutive forms or omit pronouns. Avoid demonstrative pronouns (그/이/저) when possible. Don’t use possessive case (use 문서 not 그의 문서). Refer to a person’s role (회원, 독자, 직원, 고객, 클라이언트, 사용자).

When writing about a real person who has stated their pronoun preference, use the pronouns they prefer.

Accessibility language¶

Focus on people, not disabilities. Don’t use words implying pity (고통을 받는, 아픈). Don’t mention disability unless relevant.

Use generic verbs that work for all input methods:

Keep paragraphs short, one verb per sentence. Spell out special characters (&, +, ~) as 그리고/및, 더하기/플러스, ~에 대한 — screen readers misread them otherwise.

Grammar, syntax, and orthographic conventions¶

Abbreviations¶

Korean does not generally use abbreviations. For English abbreviations, apply these rules:

• Use abbreviations based on English source.
• No space inside abbreviation.
• Use non-breaking space (Ctrl+Shift+Spacebar) to keep abbreviation on one line.
• Company / product names follow their respective notation rules.
• Months in English: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
• Days of week in English: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun
• In Korean, abbreviate ONLY weekdays (not months): 월, 화, 수, 목, 금, 토, 일

Do NOT abbreviate: - Microsoft → MS (when part of product name) - Visual Studio → VS (in product names) - Operating system names

Acronyms¶

Korean doesn’t generally use acronyms. For English acronyms:

• Format: “English acronym (English full spelling or Korean full spelling)”. Does NOT apply to product names.
• In titles, drop the full spelling.
• All-uppercase even when English uses lower: Vpn quarantine → VPN 격리.
• Drop plural “s”: several IFSs → 몇몇 IFS, three OEMs → 세 OEM.

Localized acronyms¶

When the Korean full spelling is commonly used, use format: English acronym (Korean full spelling). English acronym always comes first.

Unlocalized acronyms¶

When Korean full spelling is NOT commonly used, format: English acronym (English full spelling).

Capitalization¶

Korean has no capitalization. Capitalization applies only when English text (product names, abbreviations) is embedded as-is.

Compounds¶

Compounds should be clear. Overly long or complex compounds create intelligibility issues. Space in compound words is significant — wrong spacing changes meaning.

Correct compound forms (NO space):

A space can change meaning entirely: 작은 아버지 means “a father with short height” but 작은아버지 means “younger brother of a father.” This is a frequent source of error.

Why this matters: In legal documents wrong compound spacing can change a defined term. In medical instructions it can change a drug or procedure name. In marketing it signals carelessness. In software UI it produces wrong labels.

Font localization¶

Italic vs. UI conventions¶

Korean characters render poorly in italic. Replace italic with:

• For UI terms in software strings: enclose with square brackets [ ] (or double quotes if source uses double quotes).
• For UI terms in documentation: use bold (italic removed by moving the UI term out of the italic tag).

Example for UI translation: Microsoft Edge를 실행하려면 [시작] 메뉴에서 [Microsoft Edge]를 클릭하십시오.

Examples:

Other bold/italic/quotation styles¶

1. Bold for headings: same as source. StorSimple tiering → StorSimple 계층화
2. Bold/quotation for emphasis: same as source. All assigned users are signed in using this account. → 모든 사용자가 이 계정을 사용하여 로그인합니다.
3. Italic for emphasis: REMOVE italic; use underline or bold instead.
4. Bold for user input: same as source.

Localizing colloquialism, idioms, and metaphors¶

Don’t literally replace source colloquialisms with Korean colloquialisms — direct replacement often sounds rude or impolite. Translate the intended meaning. If colloquialism can be dropped without meaning loss, drop it.

Modifiers¶

Korean often requires translating modifiers as different parts of speech for readability.

Nouns¶

Korean has no noun inflection and no grammatical plural marker. The suffix 들 marks plural but is optional and frequently omitted without affecting meaning.

Pronouns¶

Pronouns are rarely used in Korean — they decrease readability. Drop pronouns when context makes the referent clear. Translate them only when needed for clarity.

Punctuation¶

In English, sentences may end with colon or semicolon. In Korean, when a sentence ends with ~하세요 or ~합니다 verb form, end with a period regardless of source punctuation.

Note: Using different punctuation from English can cause functional problems in software localization — preserve source punctuation when in placeholders, format strings, or technical contexts.

Sentence fragments¶

For conversational tone, fragments are short and to the point. Replace English possessive-centered phrases with Korean existence-centered phrases.

Verbs¶

Be consistent in error-message verbs. Be concise without changing meaning.

Continuous operations (gerunds) in English become “~하고 있습니다” or “~하는 중” in Korean. Distinguish title-sentence gerunds (different translation):

Apply tenses per source, but default to simple present unless context requires otherwise.

Error messages¶

Korean error messages should be fully developed sentences, not the abbreviated phrases common in English. Translate into ~니다 style and add a period even if English ends with a colon. If English is not a full sentence (a phrase) or ends with a colon + placeholder, you may translate accordingly.

Standard phrases in error messages¶

Error messages with placeholders¶

Letters carry meaning: - %d, %ld, %u, %lu → number - %c → letter - %s → string

Order of placeholders¶

If placeholders contain NUMBERS (%1, %2), the order may be changed in Korean. If placeholders are unnumbered (%s … %s), the order must stay the same.

Measurement units after placeholders¶

After %d, attach the unit directly (no space):

Postpositions after placeholders¶

Always use double postpositions because you don’t know the final sound of the substitution: 은(는), 이(가), 을(를), 과(와), (으)로.

Keyboard shortcuts and key names¶

Special character usage for shortcuts¶

Shortcut format conventions¶

• English uses & embedded within strings or words.
• Korean uses “& + UPPERCASE keyboard shortcut” appended at the END of words/strings.

If English consists only of numbers, no shortcut is added:

Key names¶

• After translated key names, add “키” with a space between.
• For key combinations, do NOT add “키”.
• In software strings (EDB files etc.), surround key names with angle brackets < >.
• In documentation/online help, do NOT use angle brackets.
• Only initial letter of key names is uppercased: Shift 키, Ctrl 키, Alt 키, Esc 키.

Arrow keys¶

Standard shortcut translations¶

Copilot predefined prompts¶

Copilot prompts are functional. Translations must be accurate, consistent, concise, natural, and use the appropriate tone. The quality of these translations significantly affects Copilot responses.

Best practices:

• Be clear and specific. English prompts are questions or requests starting with an action verb. Make Korean prompts natural questions or requests.
• Keep it conversational. Use friendly tone (“해 줘”, “해줄래?”) and 여러분 as address.
• Be polite and professional. No slang or jargon.
• Use quotation marks to mark what Copilot should write/modify/replace.
• Pay attention to punctuation, grammar, capitalization.
• Entity tokens are placeholders triggering UI menus. They are NOT localizable; their POSITION should make sense in target syntax. EXCEPTION: when the prompt is a display example, the entity-token text inside MAY be translated (read Dev comment).
• Be consistent across similar prompts.

English pronunciation (for voice / video)¶

English terms and product names left untranslated should be pronounced the English way. If Korean has an established pronunciation (e.g. “server”), use the local one. Pronunciation may be adapted to Korean phonetic system when the original sounds awkward. Reference: Korean Alphabetization of Foreign Words at korean.go.kr.

Acronyms¶

Letter-by-letter:

URLs¶

Omit “http://” in speech. Pronounce the rest.

Punctuation in speech¶

? ! : ; , are naturally implied by voice. En dash (–) for isolated element emphasis → pronounced as comma / short pause. Special characters (/ \ < > + −) use approved Korean translations.

Geopolitical concerns, accessibility, applications, products¶

Localization considerations¶

Translated text should have the “look and feel” of a product originally written in Korean — idiomatic syntax, idiomatic terminology, high terminological consistency.

Accessibility¶

Accessibility options are designed to make computers usable by people with cognitive, hearing, physical, or visual disabilities. Hardware/software engage flexible UI, alternative I/O, and exposure of screen elements. Some accessible products may not be available in all markets — verify before commitment.

Applications, products, features¶

Product names usually remain in English, untranslated.

• Don’t abbreviate Microsoft as MS in product names.
• Don’t abbreviate Visual Studio as VS in product names.
• When OS and product names are combined, don’t abbreviate the OS name.

Service vs. instance distinction¶

Azure IoT Hub and Azure SQL Database are SERVICE names (stay in English). However, “IoT hub (IoT 허브)” and “SQL database (SQL 데이터베이스)” referring to generic instances created by users ARE translated. Distinguish by whether “Azure” precedes the term, or by context.

Applets / built-in components¶

“Microsoft Notepad (Microsoft 메모장)” is a built-in component, not a product — it IS localized. “MSMQ Information Store” → “MSMQ 정보 저장소”.

Version strings¶

Version strings with copyright info should always be translated. Refer to Microsoft Terminology for “All rights reserved” and “Microsoft Corporation.”

Trademarks¶

Trademarked names and “Microsoft Corporation” should NOT be localized unless local laws require translation and an approved translated form exists.

Reference materials¶

Normative reference:

1. The Standard Dictionary of Korean Language (표준국어대사전), published by The National Institute of Korean Language. The authoritative reference for orthography, grammar, and definitions.

Informative references:

1. https://docs.microsoft.com/ko-kr/
2. NAVER Korean Dictionary
3. National Institute of Korean Language — Korean Alphabetization of Foreign Words (korean.go.kr) for transliterating foreign terms

FAQ¶

When should I use ~세요 vs ~십시오 in Korean translation?¶

Use ~세요 for modern consumer-facing content — software UI, marketing, patient communication, in-product help. It’s polite-warm and reads as natural conversation. Use ~십시오 for EULAs, formal legal contracts, sworn translations, and other content where formal-distant tone is contractually required. Mixing them inconsistently within one product looks careless.

Why do Korean translations of English error messages often sound robotic?¶

Three common causes: literal word-for-word mapping that preserves English syntax; over-use of Hanja compounds like 수행/실행 attached to descriptive nouns where a simple verb would do; not localizing pronouns. Fix by rewriting for paragraph-level meaning, replacing 수행/실행/제공 with native verb forms, and dropping pronouns where context makes them clear.

How should placeholders (%s, %d, %1, %2) be handled in Korean translations?¶

Use DOUBLE postpositions after placeholders — 을(를), 이(가), 은(는), 과(와), (으)로 — because you don’t know if the substituted word ends in a vowel or consonant. For %d (number), add the proper measurement unit attached directly without space: %d자, %d개, %d일. Order of numbered placeholders (%1, %2) may be changed in Korean; order of unnumbered repeating placeholders (%s … %s) must stay the same.

Which Korean punctuation conventions differ from English?¶

End sentences with a period (.) when the verb form is ~세요 or ~합니다, regardless of source punctuation. Use square brackets [ ] for UI terms in software strings (instead of bold or italic). Spell out & / + / ~ as 그리고/및, 더하기/플러스, ~에 대한 — screen readers misread the special characters. Italic is typically removed from Korean because Korean characters render poorly in italic.

What authoritative Korean language references should I use?¶

The Standard Dictionary of Korean Language (표준국어대사전) by the National Institute of Korean Language is the normative reference. For supplementary lookups use the NAVER Korean Dictionary and the National Institute’s Korean Alphabetization of Foreign Words guide at korean.go.kr for transliteration of foreign terms.

Sources¶

• Microsoft Localization Style Guide for Korean (PDF)
• 표준국어대사전 — Standard Korean Dictionary
• National Institute of Korean Language
• NAVER Korean Dictionary