Hello @Translators,
Are you ready to elevate your translation skills on Roblox?
The following style guides and glossary offer linguistic guidance for producing accurate and fun translations for Roblox experiences. They’ll help you keep terminology and style consistent with the platform and offer handy tips on dealing with “DNTs” (Do Not Translate) like tags and usernames.
General Translation Guidance
Addressing users
- The tone and voice used in experiences should generally be casual and conversational. No need for formalities.
Usernames (DNT)
- Usernames, just like the IRL, should not be translated. Usernames are often easy to detect, especially when they are prefaced with an @ sign, e.g.
@builderman
.
Tags (DNT)
-
You may come across tags in curly brackets while translating experience strings. Most often, they represent a number, e.g.
{number1}
, or a player, e.g.{player1}
,{Player_Name}
or{Display_Name}
. -
Do not translate the contents of the tags, for example:
EN:You earned {number1} rewards.
DE:Du hast {number1} Belohnungen erhalten.
-
A string may have multiple tags in them. Note that the order may change in your translation, e.g. for dates:
EN using US date format MM/DD/YYYY:
A new reward unlocks in {number1}/{number2}/{number3}.
DE using German date format DD.MM.YYYY:
Eine neue Belohnung gibt’s am {number2}.{number1}.{number3}.
Consistency
- Key terminology, such
avatar
,Robux
, andinventory
should be used consistently to make it easier for the users to follow. Avoid the use of synonyms for essential Roblox terms.
Context
- As you know, one word can have many different meanings. Consider the context before deciding on a translation, e.g. does the term
apply
more likely refer to a job application or UI button? Feel free to ask the developer if you’re unsure.
Language Specific Style Guides
For the time being, we offer language specific guidance for German, Japanese and Thai. More languages to follow.
German
-
Use informal
du
to address the user. Wir sind doch unter uns -
Avoid literal translations. We want to convey concepts, not words. Sometimes, it’s better to take a step back to make a translation sound natural. Which translation would you pick for
the last man standing
–der letzte stehende Mann
order letzte Überlebende
? Or maybe you have an even better idea. Feel free to share in comments. -
Stick to German punctuation and letter case. English title case capitalization does not apply in German, for example:
EN:The Little Prince
DE:Der kleine Prinz
-
Texts that are written in ALL CAPS, on the other hand, should be reflected in the translation, for example:
EN:YOUR AVATAR
DE:DEIN AVATAR
-
Keep it short - German text is usually longer than its English counterpart and takes up more space. This can lead to truncations, i.e. cut-off or overlapping texts in the UI.
-
Look it up! The Duden, for example, is an excellent reference for spelling and grammar.
Japanese
-
Dialogs - Use casual language. Match the style with the character’s personality, age and gender. Pronouns should change based on the character’s personality.
-
Instructions, systems messages, disclaimers should generally be in polite form. Taigendome can be used to match any style.
-
Experience description - Try to use consistent style throughout the description. (Do not mix casual and Teineigo. Use Taigendome as needed.)
-
Try to be concise and write in short phrases for in-experience directions such as
Click here
orback
as these phrases could be buttons and cannot be too long.
Thai
-
Always omit the period (.)
-
Keep “!” and “?” the same as the source.
-
Place one space after a repetition mark (
ๆ
), such as inรายการอื่นๆ อีกมากมาย
-
When handling placeholders
{number1}
that will be replaced with Thai text, you don’t need to include spaces before and after the placeholder. However, if the placeholder’s value might be a number or English text, or if you’re uncertain about its value, it’s advisable to include a space before and after it to avoid grammatical issues.- Example:
EN:You have {number} items
TH:คุณมีไอเท็ม {number} ชิ้น
- Example:
-
For dialogues, use informal language reflecting the character’s personality and context. Match the tone to the character’s role.
- Example: Casual for friends
สวัสดี, สบายดีไหม, ฉัน, เธอ
- Example: Use polite expressions for senior or authoritative figures
สวัสดีค่ะ/ครับ, สบายดีไหมค่ะ/ครับ, ผม/ดิฉัน, คุณ
- Example: Casual for friends
-
For Instruction or system message, use formal, clear and concise language.
- Example:
EN:Please select your items
TH:โปรดเลือกไอเท็มของคุณ
- Example:
-
When handling a question sentence, ensure that the Thai translation is also phrased as a question.
-
If applicable, ensure your sentence shows the appropriate tense or action required for the translation.
-
Please translate (แปลภาษา) or transliterate (ทับศัพท์) as much as possible; avoid leaving text in English unless it’s DNT (Do Not Translate) or a proper name that should remain in English such as
Roblox
,Robux
.- Example: translate or transliterate words like
lobby
(ล็อบบี้
),teleport
(เทเลพอร์ต
),device
(อุปกรณ์
),event
(กิจกรรม
),code
(รหัส
),quest
(ภารกิจ
)
- Example: translate or transliterate words like
-
Please refer to the platform’s translation when available as a spelling guideline to maintain consistency.
Glossary
Follow the glossary to ensure consistency with key Roblox terminology.
English | Description | German | Japanese | Thai |
---|---|---|---|---|
experience | a creation on Roblox that users can visit, game | Erlebnis | バーチャル空間 | ประสบการณ์ |
Robux | the virtual currency of Roblox | Robux | Robux | Robux |
avatar | a visual representation of the user used in games and social features | Avatar | アバター | อวาตาร์ |
inventory | a place that holds avatar items | Inventar | 持ち物 | คลังไอเท็ม |
friend | a designation that allows additional interaction between two users | Freund, Freundin | 友達 | เพื่อน |
creator | a community member that creates on Roblox | Creator, Creatorin | クリエーター | ครีเอเตอร์ |
Obby | obstacle course | Obby | 障害物アスレ | อ็อบบี้ |
item | an individual article (for avatars, on the marketplace…) | Artikel | アイテム | ไอเท็ม |
For information on Roblox localization tools, check out Tips and Tricks for Translators.
Thank you, and happy translating!