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The translator’s handbook will teach you everything you need to know about the Polyglots team and how we translate WordPress into different languages.
This Handbook is organized according to the different roles that exist in the Polyglots community. For new translators, we recommend starting here before moving on to the Translator’s section. This guide will walk you through the process of contributing to the Polyglots team and help you understand how to become progressively more involved with our community.
The Polyglots team is responsible for translating WordPress into hundreds of languages. It’s a big job, which is why we need help from native speakers to make it possible.
Internationalization and localization (commonly abbreviated as i18n and l10n respectively) are terms used to describe the effort to make WordPress (and other such projects) available in languages other than the source, or original, language for people from different locales, who have different dialects and local preferences.
The process of localizing software has two steps. The first step is when the developers provide a mechanism and method for the eventual translation of the program and its interface to suit local preferences and languages for users worldwide. This process is internationalization (i18n). WordPress developers have done this already, so in theory, WordPress can be used in any language.
The second step is the actual localization (l10n), the process by which the text on the page and other settings are translated and adapted to another language and culture, using the framework prescribed by the developers of the software. WordPress has already been localized into many languages (see our list of teams for more information).
This handbook explains how translators (bi- or multi-lingual WordPress users) can go about localizing WordPress to more languages.
On translate.wordpress.org, you will find a list of every language available for translating WordPress. If you speak one of the languages listed and it hasn’t been completely translated (listed at 100%), you can see the untranslated strings and suggest translations.
To get started with translation right away, visit the First Steps page.
Before your translations become part of WordPress, they will need to be approved by a translation editor – a trusted member of the Polyglots community who can also appoint new translation editors.
To learn about the validation process after you submit your translation suggestions, read After Your Contribution page.
On the official site for translating WordPress –http://wayback.fauppsala.se:80/wayback/20210716195121/https://translate.wordpress.org – the Polyglots team uses a WordPress plugin called GlotPress that turns WordPress into a translation management system. It allows collaborative work by translation contributors and translation editors and is the recommended tool for translating WordPress, plugins, and themes.
Rosetta Sites (localized versions of WordPress.org, like es.wordpress.org or ja.wordpress.org) are gateways to local communities. They are the version of WordPress.org in a specific language. They are also the place where you can download WordPress in that language and find more information on the team of translators.
Many Rosetta Sites also have forums where discussions and support happen for a specific language. Likewise, many locales have their own local Slack installations where community members can connect via chat. You can find either through your relevant Rosetta Site or on our Local Slacks page.
A list of these localized WordPress sites can be found on the Teams page.
Throughout this handbook, we’ll use a few terms with which you might want to familiarize yourself.
Internationalization: as mentioned above, internationalization is the method in which we make WordPress available in different languages and regions.
Localization: Localization is the process of translating software to a different language. This term is often used interchangeably in this handbook with internationalization.
Locale: A locale (as opposed to “local”) is the combination of a language and a regional dialect. Locales often refer to countries. For example, Portuguese (Portugal) and Portuguese (Brazilian). The default locale for WordPress is English (U.S.). To define a locale we either use a language code + a country code or the ISO 639-3 code of a language.
Rosetta site: The local WordPress.org site for a specific locale. For example the Portuguese Rosetta site is pt.wordpress.org and the Bulgarian site is bg.wordpress.org.
String: A string is a translatable part of the software. A translation consists of a multitude of localized strings. In GlotPress, the translation tool we use, each string appears as an individual unit that can be translated, submitted, and approved.
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