Handy/CONTRIBUTING_TRANSLATIONS.md

Contributing Translations to Handy

Thank you for helping translate Handy! This guide explains how to add or improve translations.

Quick Start

1. Fork the repository
2. Check the currently supported languages. For an existing language, edit its translation file; for a new language, copy the English translation file to a new language folder
3. Translate the values (not the keys!)
4. Submit a pull request

File Structure

Translation files are located in:

src/i18n/locales/
├── en/
│   └── translation.json    # English (source)
├── vi/
│   └── translation.json    # Vietnamese
├── fr/
│   └── translation.json    # French
└── [your-language]/
    └── translation.json    # Your contribution!

Adding a New Language

Step 1: Create the Language Folder

Create a new folder using the ISO 639-1 language code:

mkdir src/i18n/locales/[language-code]

Examples:

• de for German
• es for Spanish
• ja for Japanese
• zh for Chinese
• ko for Korean
• pt for Portuguese

Step 2: Copy the English File

cp src/i18n/locales/en/translation.json src/i18n/locales/[language-code]/translation.json

Step 3: Translate the Values

Open the file and translate only the values (right side), not the keys (left side):

{
  "sidebar": {
    "general": "General",      // ← Translate this value
    "advanced": "Advanced",    // ← Translate this value
    ...
  }
}

Important:

• Keep all keys exactly the same
• Preserve any {{variables}} in the text (e.g., {{error}}, {{model}})
• Keep the JSON structure and formatting intact

Step 4: Register Your Language

Edit src/i18n/languages.ts and add your language metadata:

export const LANGUAGE_METADATA: Record<
  string,
  { name: string; nativeName: string }
> = {
  en: { name: "English", nativeName: "English" },
  es: { name: "Spanish", nativeName: "Español" },
  fr: { name: "French", nativeName: "Français" },
  vi: { name: "Vietnamese", nativeName: "Tiếng Việt" },
  de: { name: "German", nativeName: "Deutsch" }, // ← Add your language
};

Step 5: Test Your Translation

1. Run the app: bun run tauri dev
2. Go to Settings → General → App Language
3. Select your language
4. Verify all text displays correctly

Step 6: Submit a Pull Request

1. Commit your changes
2. Push to your fork
3. Open a pull request with:
   • Language name in the title (e.g., "Add German translation")
   • Any notes about the translation

Improving Existing Translations

Found a typo or better translation?

1. Edit the relevant translation.json file
2. Submit a PR with a brief description of the change

Translation Guidelines

Do:

• Use natural, native-sounding language
• Keep translations concise (UI space is limited)
• Match the tone of the English text (friendly, clear)
• Preserve technical terms when appropriate (e.g., "API", "GPU")

Don't:

• Translate brand names (Handy, transcribe.cpp, ggml, OpenAI)
• Change or remove {{variables}}
• Modify JSON keys
• Add extra spaces or formatting

Handling Variables

Some strings contain variables like {{error}} or {{model}}. Keep these exactly as-is:

// English
"downloadModel": "Failed to download model: {{error}}"

// French (correct)
"downloadModel": "Échec du téléchargement du modèle : {{error}}"

// French (incorrect - don't translate the variable!)
"downloadModel": "Échec du téléchargement du modèle : {{erreur}}"

Handling Plurals

Some languages have complex plural rules. For now, use a general form that works for all cases. We may add proper plural support in the future.

Questions?

• Open an issue on GitHub
• Join the discussion in existing translation PRs

Currently Supported Languages

See language metadata for the current language names and codes, and locale folders for their translation files. The app discovers supported languages from these folders.

English is the source language. Existing translations may still need corrections or updates.

Requested Languages

We welcome additional languages that are not yet in the locale folders, as well as improvements to existing translations.

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Thank you for making Handy accessible to more people around the world!