SpeakThat Translation Instructions for Weblate

Overview

This document provides comprehensive instructions for translating the SpeakThat app using Weblate. SpeakThat is an Android notification reader app that reads notifications aloud using text-to-speech.

Project Structure

• Source language: English (en)
• Target languages: Multiple (see supported languages below)
• File location: app/src/main/res/values-{language_code}/strings.xml
• Source file: app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml

Supported Languages

The app currently supports these languages (in addition to English):

• Arabic (ar)
• Chinese Simplified (zh-rCN)
• Chinese Traditional (zh-rTW)
• Dutch (nl)
• French (fr)
• German (de)
• Hindi (hi)
• Indonesian (id)
• Italian (it)
• Japanese (ja)
• Korean (ko)
• Polish (pl)
• Portuguese (pt)
• Punjabi (pa-rIN)
• Russian (ru)
• Spanish (es)
• Swedish (sv)
• Thai (th)
• Turkish (tr)
• Vietnamese (vi)

Translation Guidelines

1. General Principles

• Preserve meaning: Ensure the translated text conveys the same meaning as the English original
• Maintain functionality: Don't change any technical terms, placeholders, or formatting
• Keep it simple: Use clear, straightforward language that users will understand immediately
• Be consistent: Use consistent terminology throughout the app for similar concepts

2. Technical Requirements

Placeholders

• NEVER translate or modify these placeholders: {app}, {title}, {text}, {package}, {count}, {time}, {device}, {network}
• Examples:
  • "Reading notification from {app}" → "Leyendo notificación de {app}" (Spanish)
  • "Connected to {device}" → "Conectado a {device}" (Spanish)

HTML Tags

• Preserve all HTML formatting tags exactly as they appear:
  • <b>text</b> for bold text
  • <i>text</i> for italic text
  • <br> for line breaks
• Examples:
  • "<b>Interrupt</b> - Stops current notification" → "<b>Interrumpir</b> - Detiene la notificación actual"

Special Characters

• Preserve apostrophes and quotes: Use appropriate typographic quotes for your language
• Maintain spacing: Don't add or remove spaces around punctuation unless required by your language

3. Content-Specific Guidelines

App Names and Technical Terms

• App names: Translate common app names (e.g., "Twitter" → "X" if appropriate for your region)
• Technical terms: Use standard translations for Android/tech terms in your language
• Brand names: Generally keep brand names as-is unless there's a widely accepted translation

UI Elements

• Buttons: Keep translations short and action-oriented
• Settings: Use clear, descriptive language
• Error messages: Be helpful and specific
• Success messages: Be encouraging but not overly verbose

Notification Content

• Context matters: Consider that these strings are read aloud
• Natural speech: Use language that sounds natural when spoken
• Clarity: Avoid ambiguous language that could confuse users

4. Language-Specific Considerations

Right-to-Left Languages (Arabic, Hebrew)

• Layout: The app automatically handles RTL layout
• Text direction: Ensure proper text flow in your translations

Asian Languages (Chinese, Japanese, Korean)

• Formality: Use appropriate formality level for your target audience
• Technical terms: Use established technical terminology in your language
• Character spacing: Ensure proper spacing and readability

European Languages

• Formal vs Informal: Use appropriate formality level (formal is generally safer)
• Technical terms: Use standard technical translations
• Regional variations: Consider regional differences (e.g., Spanish from Spain vs Latin America)

5. Quality Checklist

Before submitting a translation, verify:

• [ ] All placeholders are preserved exactly
• [ ] HTML tags are intact
• [ ] No extra spaces or characters were added
• [ ] The meaning matches the English original
• [ ] The text sounds natural in your language
• [ ] Technical terms are correctly translated
• [ ] No placeholder text was accidentally translated

6. Common Translation Patterns

Settings and Options

• English: "Enable feature"
• Spanish: "Activar función"
• German: "Funktion aktivieren"
• French: "Activer la fonction"

Status Messages

• English: "Service enabled"
• Spanish: "Servicio activado"
• German: "Dienst aktiviert"
• French: "Service activé"

Error Messages

• English: "Permission required"
• Spanish: "Permiso requerido"
• German: "Berechtigung erforderlich"
• French: "Permission requise"

7. Weblate-Specific Instructions

Component Setup

• Component name: SpeakThat Android App
• File mask: app/src/main/res/values-*/strings.xml
• Source language: English
• Source file: app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml

Translation Workflow

1. Review: Check the English source text carefully
2. Translate: Provide accurate translation in your language
3. Review: Double-check your translation against guidelines
4. Submit: Submit your translation for review
5. Update: Update translations when source text changes

Quality Assurance

• Peer review: Have other native speakers review your translations
• Context testing: Test translations in the actual app if possible
• Consistency: Use the same terms for similar concepts throughout

8. Contact and Support

For questions about translations:

• Technical issues: Report through Weblate issue tracker
• Translation questions: Ask in the project discussion area
• Language-specific help: Consult with other translators for your language

9. Updates and Maintenance

• Regular updates: Check for new strings to translate
• Source changes: Update translations when English text changes
• Quality improvements: Continuously improve existing translations
• Community feedback: Incorporate user feedback on translations

Example Translations

Good Translation Example

English: "Enable notification reading" Spanish: "Activar lectura de notificaciones" German: "Benachrichtigungslesung aktivieren"

Bad Translation Example (What to Avoid)

English: "Enable notification reading" Spanish: "Enable notification reading" (not translated) German: "Enable notification reading" (not translated)

Placeholder Preservation Example

English: "Reading from {app}" Spanish: "Leyendo desde {app}" ✅ Spanish: "Leyendo desde aplicación" ❌ (placeholder removed)

Remember: The goal is to make SpeakThat accessible and user-friendly for speakers of your language while maintaining the app's functionality and technical integrity.