localize-zh

Chinese Translation Rules (zh / 中文)

Distilled from the production translation prompts (zh.ts, zh-hant.ts, zh-hant-tw.ts, zh-hant-hk.ts) AND domain knowledge of Chinese localization politics. Follow these rules verbatim — they are model-agnostic and produce consistent native-quality output without political missteps.

⚠️ READ FIRST — Political Red Lines

These rules apply across ALL variants. Violating any of them can cause real customer escalation, public backlash, app store removal, or legal exposure (especially in HK post-2020). They override every other rule in this skill.

1. NEVER mix Simplified and Traditional characters in one output. Mixing 软件設定 or 軟體设置 is the single most damaging error possible — perceived as lazy/AI-slop and sometimes politically careless. Particularly watchful pairs: 设/設, 体/體, 国/國, 个/個, 这/這, 们/們, 时/時, 后/後, 发/發, 会/會, 学/學, 实/實, 应/應, 当/當, 还/還, 关/關, 开/開, 听/聽, 见/見, 业/業, 处/處, 务/務. Validate the entire output is 100% one script.
2. NEVER write 中國台灣 / 中国台湾 in Taiwan-targeted content. Use 台灣 alone.
3. NEVER write 祖國 / 祖国 (motherland) in TW or HK content unless the source explicitly contains it and the user has confirmed the framing.
4. NEVER use 內地 (inner land) in TW content — 內地 is the PRC-framed term implying Taiwan is peripheral. Use 中國大陸 or 大陸 for TW.
5. NEVER use 中華民國 (Republic of China) in CN content unless quoting historical source.
6. NEVER use bare $ for NTD or HKD — always NT$ or HK$ to disambiguate from USD/CNY.
7. NEVER mix 民國 calendar with 公元/西元 dates in the same document.
8. DEFAULT to "Country/Region" labels (國家/地區 Traditional, 国家/地区 Simplified) instead of "Country" — universal safe choice for dropdowns containing Taiwan/HK/Macau.
9. NEVER ship CCP, KMT, DPP, or leader names unsolicited; treat as red-flag terms requiring user confirmation.
10. In HK content (post-2020 NSL), AVOID restricted political phrases (光復香港, 時代革命, 2019 protest slogans) — these have legal implications under the National Security Law.

If the source text contains any of: 祖国/祖國, 光復香港, 時代革命, 中華民國, Taiwan, Province of China, Taiwan, China, 中國台灣, or specific leader/party names — STOP and confirm the user's intent before translating.

Mindset

You are an extremely picky Chinese writer who hates unnatural expressions translated directly from English.

Reject literal English calques. Restructure fully into natural Chinese. Common English terms (API, URL, AI, app) are acceptable when they're standard in the target variant — HK tolerates code-mixing; CN and TW prefer native terms.

Variant Selection (run FIRST)

Chinese has three variants that directly conflict on script, vocabulary, formality, currency, AND political framing. Applying the wrong variant produces output that reads as foreign or — worse — politically tone-deaf.

If the user has not specified the variant, before translating call AskUserQuestion with:

• Question: Which Chinese variant should I target?
• Header: ZH variant
• Options:
  1. Simplified Chinese — Mainland (zh-CN / zh-Hans) — Simplified characters, 您/你 with 您 in B2B, 保存/设置/登录/视频/软件/网络, RMB ¥/元, "..." quotes.
  2. Traditional Chinese — Taiwan (zh-Hant-TW) — Traditional characters (TW forms 嘆/著/裡), defaults to 您, 儲存/設定/登入/影片/軟體/網路, NTD NT$, 「」 quotes, strict native-term preference.
  3. Traditional Chinese — Hong Kong (zh-Hant-HK) — Traditional characters (HK forms 歎/着/裏), defaults to 你, 儲存/設定/登入/影片/軟件/網絡 (hybrid: Traditional script but selectively aligns with CN on hardware/networking terms), HKD HK$, 「」 quotes, English code-mixing acceptable.

If unsure how to label the user request: ask explicitly. The cost of mislabeling is much higher than the cost of one extra question.

After confirmation, apply: Universal Chinese base + the chosen variant's deltas. Do NOT cross-apply variant rules.

Pre-Translation Setup

1. Variant confirmed above. Lock in script (Simplified vs Traditional) and character-form (TW vs HK).
2. Formality (address form) — pick 您 (formal) or 你 (neutral) and use it consistently throughout. Default by variant: CN business → 您; TW → 您; HK → 你.
3. Quotation marks — "..." for CN; 「」 (with 『』 nested) for TW + HK.
4. Currency — ¥/元 (CN), NT$/新台幣 (TW), HK$/港幣 (HK). NEVER bare $.
5. Placeholders — Preserve {variables} and ICU plural syntax exactly.

Register Auto-Detection (run after Variant Selection + Pre-Translation Setup, before translating)

If the user has NOT specified 您 or 你, infer from source text register. Match output to source — formal source → 您; informal source → 你. The default differs by variant (see below).

Formal source signals → output 您 / 您的

• Hedging / polite modals: "please", "kindly", "we recommend", "could you", "would you mind"
• Passive / impersonal: "users are advised", "it is recommended", "applicants must"
• No contractions: "do not", "cannot", "we will"
• Domain vocabulary: legal, financial, healthcare, regulatory, enterprise B2B, government, insurance, banking
• Third-person / distance: "the user must", "customers should"
• Long sentences, formal connectors (然而, 此外, 而且)
• Brand voice: bank, insurance, government, B2B SaaS, healthcare, legal tech
• No exclamations or emojis

Informal source signals → output 你 / 你的

• Contractions: "don't", "you'll", "it's", "we're"
• Casual greetings: "hey", "hi there", "yo", "hi 👋"
• Second-person directness, exclamations, emoji (🎉 😎 🚀 ✨)
• Slang: "cool", "awesome", "no worries", "kinda"
• Consumer-app voice: gaming, social, lifestyle, dating, fitness, kids
• Sentence fragments and conversational filler

Mixed / ambiguous source → defaults differ by variant

• zh-CN: default to 您 for B2B/financial; 你 for general consumer. When ambiguous, prefer 您.
• zh-Hant-TW: default to 您. Reserve 你 for explicitly casual consumer apps.
• zh-Hant-HK: default to 你. Reserve 您 for government/luxury/banking. HK is uniquely informal-default.

Explicit user override

If the user says "use 您" / "use 你" / "formal" / "casual", their instruction wins.

Worked examples (zh-CN; substitute Traditional + variant glyphs as needed)

Source	Detected	Chinese output (zh-CN)
"Please review the terms of service before proceeding."	formal	请在继续之前查看服务条款。 (uses 请 polite + impersonal)
"Hey! Tap here to get started — it's super quick 🚀"	informal	你好！点击这里开始 — 超快 🚀
"Submit your application by the deadline."	formal	请在截止日期前提交您的申请。
"Don't forget to save your work!"	informal	别忘了保存你的工作！

After detection: keep the chosen form consistent. NEVER mix 您/你 across pronouns, possessives, OR imperatives.

HK code-mixing interaction with register

• HK informal: English code-mixing fully acceptable in casual contexts: 按 Save 制儲存, check 你的 email, schedule 一個 meeting.
• HK formal: minimize English mixing — use 儲存 not Save, 電郵 not email, 會議 not meeting.
• pt-CN/TW: do NOT code-mix even in informal contexts — keep Chinese throughout.

Universal Chinese Base (apply to ALL three variants)

1. Full-width punctuation in Chinese text

Use full-width 。，：；！？（）. Half-width allowed ONLY inside URLs, email addresses, code, English text, and currency-with-numbers.

Wrong	Correct
保存成功.	保存成功。
名称,邮箱,密码	名称，邮箱，密码
状态: 完成	状态：完成

Enumeration uses 、 for items: 蘋果、香蕉 (NOT 蘋果,香蕉).

Note: quote-mark convention differs by variant — see variant deltas.

2. Measure words (量詞 / 量词) — required for countable nouns

Wrong	Correct
{count}语言 / {count}語言	{count}**种**语言 / {count}**種**語言
每语言成本 / 每語言成本	每**种**语言成本 / 每**種**語言成本
3文件 / 3檔案	3 **个** 文件 / 3 **個** 檔案

Common counters: 种/種 (kinds, languages), 个/個 (general items), 篇 (articles), 份 (copies), 件 (cases), 名 (people), 张/張 (sheets), 部 (vehicles, films).

3. Word vs character — semantic distinction (CRITICAL)

NEVER confuse — they are different concepts.

Source	Wrong	Correct
word count	字数 / 字數	词数 / 詞數 or 单词数 / 單詞數
character count	词数 / 詞數	字数 / 字數

字 = character. 词/詞 = word.

4. FOR vs PER — total vs rate (CRITICAL)

English	Wrong	Correct
for # languages (total)	每种语言 / 每種語言	{N}种语言共计... / {N}種語言共計...
per language (rate)	共计 / 共計	每种语言 / 每種語言

5. Temporal preposition agreement (CRITICAL, severity 2.5)

Meaning	Use	Don't use
Countdown / future completion	将在...后 / 將在...後 (after)	正在...中 (means "during", wrong tense)
Ongoing state	正在... / ...中	...后/...後
Deadline	...内/...內 (within)	—

Wrong	Correct
正在 {seconds} 秒中删除	将在 {seconds} 秒后删除 (CN) / 將在 {seconds} 秒後刪除 (TW/HK)
{days}日中过期 / {days}日中過期	{days}日后过期 / {days}日後過期

6. Measurement unit words after numeric placeholders (severity 2.0)

English {n}s/m/h/d suffixes MUST become explicit Chinese unit words.

Wrong	Correct
{seconds}中删除 / {seconds}中刪除	{seconds} **秒**后删除 / {seconds} **秒**後刪除
{minutes}后重试 / {minutes}後重試	{minutes} **分钟**后重试 / {minutes} **分鐘**後重試
等待 {hours}	等待 {hours} **小时** / 等待 {hours} **小時**
{days}内完成 / {days}內完成	{days} **天**内完成 / {days} **天**內完成

7. CJK-Latin spacing (severity 1.5)

• Space between Chinese characters and English/numbers: API 密钥 not API密钥; 合计 10 件 not 合计10件.
• No space between Chinese characters: 保存设置 not 保存 设置.

8. Passive + timestamp uses 于/於, not 的/的 (severity 2.0)

Wrong	Correct
创建的 {date}	创建于 {date} (CN)
建立的 {date}	建立於 {date} (TW/HK)
更新的 {date}	更新于 {date} / 更新於 {date}

于/於 = "at/on" (preposition). 的/的 = possessive — different meaning.

9. Avoid 被 passive when not needed

English passive should usually become Chinese active or 已+verb:

Wrong	Correct
文件被保存了	文件已保存 (CN) / 檔案已儲存 (TW/HK)
任务被完成了	任务已完成 / 任務已完成

被 is correct when emphasizing victimization (他被解雇了). Avoid it for routine status reports.

10. UI button labels — imperative, no polite prefix

Wrong	Correct
创建一个项目 / 創建一個專案	创建项目 / 建立專案 (drop 一个/一個)
请编辑 / 請編輯	编辑 / 編輯 (drop 请/請)
请保存 / 請儲存	保存 / 儲存

11. Status messages — progressive with 正在 or ~中

Wrong	Correct
翻译 / 翻譯 (as status)	正在翻译 / 翻译中 (CN) / 正在翻譯 / 翻譯中 (TW/HK)
上传文件 / 上傳檔案 (as spinner)	正在上传... / 上傳中...

12. UI label completeness — no bare adjectives (CRITICAL)

Labels must be complete noun phrases.

Wrong	Correct
替代检测 / 替代檢測	替代检测方式 / 替代檢測方式
自动 / 自動 (bare)	自动模式 / 自動模式 or 自动检测 / 自動檢測
高级 / 進階 (bare)	高级设置 / 進階設定

13. Placeholder type markers (severity 2.5)

When a placeholder represents a type/format, add explicit type marker.

Wrong	Correct
支持 {formatList} 文件 / 支援 {formatList} 檔案	支持 {formatList} **格式的**文件 / 支援 {formatList} **格式的**檔案
{languageList} 内容 / {languageList} 內容	{languageList} **种语言的**内容 / {languageList} **種語言的**內容

14. Quantity expressions

Wrong	Correct
25+语言 / 25+語言	25 种以上语言 / 25 種以上語言 or 超过 25 种语言 / 超過 25 種語言
+{count}个更多 / +{count}個更多	还有 {count} 种 / 還有 {count} 種 or 另有 {count} 项 / 另有 {count} 項

15. Cost / estimate ordering — amount-first or scope+共计

• Pattern A (preferred): 预计费用：{credits} 积分（共 {count} 种语言） (CN) / 預計費用：{credits} 點數（共 {count} 種語言） (TW/HK)
• Pattern B: {count} 种语言共计 {credits} 积分 (CN) / {count} 種語言共計 {credits} 點數 (TW/HK)
• Wrong (ambiguous): {count} 种语言 {credits} 积分 — could mean per-language OR total.

16. Temporal simile restructuring (severity 2.0)

English like it's [YEAR] / stuck in [YEAR] implies "outdated". Literal 像 [YEAR] 年一样 sounds unnatural.

Wrong	Correct
像 1995 年一样运营 (CN) / 像 1995 年一樣運營 (TW/HK)	还停留在 1995 年 / 從 1995 年以來就沒變過 (CN) / 還停留在 1995 年 / 自 1995 年以來毫無改變 (TW/HK)

17. Compound descriptive noun adaptation (severity 1.5)

Decompose English compounds and rebuild with Chinese noun-modification syntax.

English	Wrong	Correct
mom creators	母亲创作者 / 母親創作者	妈妈创作者 / 宝妈博主 (CN) / 媽媽創作者 / 育兒創作者 (TW/HK)
niche creators	小众创作者 / 小眾創作者	小众领域创作者 / 垂直领域博主 (CN) / 小眾領域創作者 / 利基創作者 (TW/HK)

18. UI element reference in prose

Use Chinese-style brackets/quotes for UI labels:

Wrong	Correct
名称的字段 / 名稱的欄位	"名称"字段 (CN) / 「名稱」欄位 (TW/HK)
账户的标签页 / 帳戶的分頁	"账户"标签页 (CN) / 「帳戶」分頁 (TW/HK)

19. Spatial metaphor prepositions

English (figurative)	CN	TW / HK
under [category]	在...中 / ...下的	在...中 / ...下的
on top of (in addition)	除了...之外	除了...之外
behind the scenes	幕后	幕後
within [timeframe]	...内 / 在...内	...內 / 在...內

20. Domain terminology — IT meaning for polysemous terms

English	Wrong (literal)	Correct (CN)	Correct (TW)	Correct (HK)
architecture (software)	建筑 / 建築	架构	架構	架構
pipeline (CI/CD)	管道 / 管道 (plumbing)	流水线 / 管线	管線 / Pipeline	管線 / Pipeline
source of truth	真相之源	权威数据源 / 单一可信源	權威資料源 / 單一可信源	權威資料源 / 單一可信源
deploy (software)	部署 (military: deploy troops) is acceptable in IT	部署	部署	部署
bug (software)	虫子 / 蟲子	bug / 缺陷	bug / 錯誤	bug / 錯誤

21. Drag and drop

English	CN	TW	HK
drag	拖动 / 拖拽	拖曳 / 拖動	拖曳 / 拖動
drop	放置	放置	放置
release (let go)	松开	放開 / 鬆開	Release
browse (file picker)	Select file / Browse	Select file / Browse	Select file / Browse

Wrong	Correct
释放以上传 / 釋放以上傳 (CN/TW)	松开即可上传 / 放開即可上傳

22. Calques to avoid (universal)

Wrong (literal)	Natural CN	Natural TW/HK
This makes sense / This makes sense ("makes sense")	This is reasonable / This is logical	This is reasonable / well-founded
At the end of the day / At the end of the day ("at the end of the day")	In the end / Ultimately	Ultimately / When all is said and done
Not really / Not really ("not really")	Actually not / In fact not	Actually not / In fact not
The ball is in your court / The ball is in your court ("ball in your court")	It's up to you / It's your turn	It's up to you / It's your turn

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zh-CN (Mainland Simplified) Deltas

Apply ONLY when user picked Mainland Simplified.

A. Script — Simplified only

100% Simplified characters. Any Traditional character is a defect (see Red Line #1).

B. Quotation marks — Western curly quotes

CN uses "..." (double quotation marks) and '...' (single quotation marks) — NOT 「」. This is the GB standard.

Wrong	Correct
「保存」按钮	"保存"按钮
「设置」选项卡	"设置"选项卡

C. Formality — 您 for business, 你 for casual

• defaultLevel: formal → defaults to 您/您的 for B2B SaaS, financial, enterprise.
• Consumer apps targeting younger users may use 你/你的.
• NEVER mix within one document. Possessives must also match (您的设置 or 你的设置).

D. CN-preferred vocabulary

English	CN preferred	Avoid
save	Save	—
settings	Settings	Settings
select	Select	—
upload	Upload	—
download	Download	—
login	Log in	—
logout	Log out	—
cancel	Cancel	—
delete	Delete	—
edit	Edit	—
document	Document	—
video	Video	—
link	Link	—
integration	Integration	—
software	Software	—
network	Network	—
internet	Internet	—
computer	Computer / Computer	—
user	User	—
default	Default	—
endpoint	Endpoint	Interface
header (HTTP)	Request header	Header
credits	Credits	Credits, credit
dashboard	Console	Dashboard

E. Currency, date, time (CN)

• Currency: ¥1,000 or 1,000 元. For international audiences alongside USD, use CN¥ or RMB to disambiguate from JPY.
• Date: 2024年1月15日 or 2024-01-15. NEVER 01/15/2024.
• Time: 14:30 or 下午 2 点 30 分.
• Calendar: Gregorian (公元/公元前). NEVER use 民國 calendar.
• Number format: 1,234,567.89 (Western thousands).

F. CN proper nouns

Wrong	Correct
澳大利亚 (in casual UI)	澳洲 (short form preferred)
美国英语	美式英语
英国英语	英式英语

G. CN UI tone vocabulary

English	Wrong	Correct
casual (tone)	休闲 (= leisure activity)	随意 / 轻松
formal	(literal)	正式
professional	(literal)	专业

H. CN political conventions

• 中国大陆 / 内地 / 大陆 are all acceptable for "Mainland".
• Listing Taiwan in country dropdowns is sensitive. Common PRC framings: 中国台湾, 中国台湾省. For software shipping to Mainland China, omitting these framings can trigger app store removal. Recommend labeling dropdown "国家/地区" (Country/Region) and listing Taiwan as 中国台湾 only if explicitly required by PRC distribution.
• HK: 中国香港 / 香港特别行政区 (official). Bare 香港 is generally fine for commercial software.
• AVOID: 中华民国, Republic of China (unless quoting historical source).
• AVOID: Taiwan-as-country implications.

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zh-Hant-TW (Taiwan Traditional) Deltas

Apply ONLY when user picked Taiwan Traditional.

A. Script — Traditional with Taiwan character forms

100% Traditional. TW-specific glyphs:

TW form (use)	HK form (avoid for TW)
Sigh	Sigh
Makeup	Makeup
著 (particle)	着
衛 (as in 衛生)	衞
裡 (inside)	裏

B. Quotation marks — 「」 primary, 『』 nested

Wrong	Correct
"儲存"按鈕	「儲存」按鈕
'設定'分頁	「設定」分頁

Nested: 他說「她回答『好的』」.

C. Formality — 您 default

• defaultLevel: formal → defaults to 您/您的 in professional/SaaS contexts.
• Reserve 你 for casual consumer apps targeting young users.
• Possessives must match.

D. TW-preferred vocabulary (CRITICAL — Mainland-term avoidance)

The TW prompt explicitly says: "If a word sounds like the wording of a mainland website or tech company, it's wrong" (if a word sounds like Mainland tech company terminology, it's wrong).

English	TW preferred	CN form (AVOID in TW)
save	Save	Save
settings	Settings	Settings
login	Log in	Log in
logout	Log out	Log out
link	Link	Link
video	Video	Video
document	Document	Document
file	File	Document (CN means file generically; TW disambiguates 文件=document, 檔案=file)
integration	Integration	Integration
checkout	Checkout	Checkout
credits	Points	Credits
software	Software	Software / Software
hardware	Hardware	Hardware / Hardware
network	Network	Jaringan / 网络
internet	Internet	Internet / 互联网
mobile (adj)	Mobile	Mobile / 移动
privacy	Privacy	(HK uses 私隱)
tips/hints	Tips	(HK uses 貼士)
program (n)	Program	Program
computer	Computer	Computer / 计算机
digital	Digital	Digital / 数字 / 数码
information	Information	Information
message	Message	Message / Information
server	Server	服务器
database	Database	数据库
data	Data	Data
default	Default	默认
optimization	Optimization	优化
quality	Quality	(HK uses 質素; CN 质量)
AI	Artificial Intelligence	(CN: 人工智能; HK trends 人工智能)
cloud	Cloud	(CN: 云)
user	User	(HK uses 使用者/用戶; CN 用户)
email	Email	(HK: Email/電郵; CN 电子邮件/邮箱)
app	App	(HK: App/應用程式; CN 应用/应用程序)
smartphone	Smartphone	(HK: 智能手機; CN 智能手机)
memory/RAM	Memory	内存
bus	Bus	(HK: 巴士; CN: 公交车)
taxi	Taxi	(HK: 的士; CN: 出租车)

E. TW currency, date, calendar

• Currency: NT\$1,000 or 新台幣 1,000 元. NEVER \$1,000 alone; NEVER HK\$1,000 in TW content.
• Date: 2024年1月15日 or 2024-01-15 (Gregorian). Time: 14:30 or 下午 2 點 30 分.
• Calendar: Default to Gregorian (公元/西元). ROC era (民國) ONLY in formal/government/tax contexts when source explicitly requires it: 民國 113 年 1 月 15 日 = 2024. Use 民國 not 中華民國 (less verbose).
• Number format: 1,234,567.89.

F. TW drag-drop

• release = 放開 / 鬆開 (colloquial, NOT 釋放 which is the HK form)
• Example: 釋放以上傳 → 放開即可上傳.

G. TW cultural / native-term preference

• Avoid excessive English mixing — TW prefers native Traditional Chinese.
• Communication style: more formal, polite, Mandarin-influenced.

H. TW political conventions (CRITICAL)

• Place names:
  • Taiwan: 台灣 (most common). 臺灣 (formal, MOE-preferred). NEVER 中國台灣.
  • Republic of China: 中華民國 — sensitive; use only if user explicitly wants ROC framing (e.g., government contexts).
  • Mainland China: 中國大陸 (preferred formal) or 大陸 (informal). NEVER 內地 — that's the PRC-framed term.
  • Hong Kong: 香港. Macau: 澳門.
  • China (the country): 中國. In TW context, 中國 means PRC (foreign country), distinct from 中華民國/台灣.
• Avoid in TW content:
  • 祖國 (motherland) — politically loaded.
  • 回歸 / 光復 used about Taiwan — implies Taiwan was lost and should return. (Note: 光復節 Oct 25 is a real ROC holiday — contextual exception.)
  • 內地 (used in HK/CN for Mainland) — PRC framing inappropriate for TW.
• 國語 vs 普通話: 國語 is TW-standard (ROC framing for Mandarin); 普通話 is the PRC term. Use 國語 or just 中文 in TW content.
• Country dropdown: Label as 國家/地區 (Country/Region), not just 國家. List Taiwan as 台灣 alone.

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zh-Hant-HK (Hong Kong Traditional) Deltas

Apply ONLY when user picked Hong Kong Traditional.

A. Script — Traditional with Hong Kong character forms

100% Traditional. HK-specific glyphs (different from TW):

HK form (use)	TW form (avoid for HK)
歎	嘆
粧	妝
着 (particle)	著
衞	衛
裏	裡

The 着 / 著 distinction is the most visible — 着 appears very frequently in particle/aspect-marker usage.

B. Quotation marks — 「」 primary, 『』 nested (same as TW)

Wrong	Correct
"儲存"按鈕	「儲存」按鈕

C. Formality — 你 default

• defaultLevel: neutral → defaults to 你/你的 in most business/SaaS contexts.
• Reserve 您 for very formal contexts (government, luxury services).
• HK is more casual and direct than TW.

D. HK-preferred vocabulary (HYBRID — Traditional script but selectively CN-aligned)

HK is a hybrid: Traditional characters but selectively aligns with Mainland on hardware/networking terms, with TW on UI/file terms, plus distinct Cantonese-influenced lexis.

Aligns with TW (Traditional UI/file terms):

English	HK preferred	CN form (avoid)
save	Save	Save
settings	Settings	设置
login	Log in	登錄
logout	Log out	注銷
link	Link	鏈接
video	Video	視頻
document	Document	文檔
file	File	文件 (in CN sense)
integration	Integration	集成
credits	Points	積分
program (n)	Program	Program
computer	Computer	Computer

Aligns with CN (hardware/networking terms — diverges from TW):

English	HK preferred	TW form (avoid in HK)
software	Software	Software
hardware	Hardware	Hardware
network	Network	Network
internet	Internet	Internet
mobile (adj)	Mobile	Mobile

HK-distinct (Cantonese-influenced):

English	HK preferred	TW / CN form
privacy	Privacy	TW/CN: Privacy / Privacy
tips/hints	Tips	TW/CN: Tips
quality	Quality / Quality	TW: Quality; CN: Quality
message	Message / Message	TW: Message; CN: Message/Message
bus	Bus	TW: Bus; CN: Bus
taxi	Taxi	TW: Taxi; CN: Taxi
elevator	Elevator	TW/CN: Elevator/Elevator
residential complex	Estate	TW: Community; CN: Community
AI	Artificial Intelligence / Artificial Intelligence	(CN: Artificial Intelligence; TW: Artificial Intelligence)
smartphone	Smartphone	TW: Smartphone; CN: Smartphone
email	Email / Email (code-mixing OK)	TW: Email; CN: Email
app	App / App (code-mixing OK)	TW: App; CN: App

E. HK code-mixing — ACCEPTABLE (and characteristic)

HK uniquely tolerates Chinese+English code-mixing in informal/business contexts. Do NOT over-translate.

• ✅ Acceptable: 請 check 你的 email (casual)
• ✅ Acceptable: 我們需要 schedule 一個 meeting (business)
• ✅ Acceptable: 按 Save 制儲存 (UI prose)
• Acceptable English words: login, email, file, app, meeting, schedule, deadline, update, download, share, like

But for formal documents and government-facing content, prefer native Traditional Chinese.

F. HK currency, date, calendar

• Currency: HK$500 or 港幣 500 元 / 港元 500. NEVER $500 alone; NEVER NT$500 in HK content.
• Date: 2024年1月15日 or 2024-01-15. Time: 14:30 or 下午 2 點 30 分.
• Calendar: Gregorian (公元/西元). NEVER use 民國 calendar in HK content.
• Number format: 1,234,567.89.

G. HK drag-drop

• release = 釋放 (formal — NOT 放開/鬆開 which is the TW form)
• Example: 放開以上傳 (TW) → 釋放即可上傳 (HK)

H. HK political conventions (CRITICAL — post-2020 NSL sensitivity)

• Place names:
  • Hong Kong: 香港 (default). 香港特別行政區 (formal/government). Mainland-facing distribution may require 中國香港 — confirm with user.
  • Mainland China: 內地 (preferred default, especially in commercial software post-1997) or 大陸 (more historical). Both are common; 內地 is the safer default for post-2020 commercial content.
  • Taiwan: 台灣 (bare). Avoid 中國台灣 unless Mainland-facing distribution requires it (confirm with user).
  • Macau: 澳門.
• Avoid in HK content (post-2020 NSL sensitivity):
  • 光復香港 / 時代革命 — these specific phrases are restricted under the National Security Law; absolutely avoid in any commercial copy.
  • 黑暴 (PRC-official term for 2019 protests) — only if explicitly mirroring PRC framing.
  • Direct 2019 protest references in commercial copy.
  • 祖國 (motherland) — politically charged; avoid unsolicited use even though PRC-aligned media use it.
• Sovereignty framing:
  • 回歸祖國 is the PRC-official framing for 1997 handover.
  • 主權移交 is the more neutral/academic framing.
  • Default to 主權移交 or 1997年 for commercial software — neutral.
• Country dropdown: Label as 國家/地區, not just 國家. List 香港 and 中國 separately for international software; if shipping to Mainland with PRC distribution, may need 中國香港.

I. HK communication style

• More casual and direct than TW.
• Cantonese-influenced grammar/vocabulary acceptable in casual contexts.
• Code-mixing tolerated.
• Use 你 not 您 as default.

HK Spoken Cantonese vs Written Standard Distinction

• Written Standard Chinese uses Mandarin syntax + Traditional characters with HK glyphs. This is what 99% of HK software UI uses. Examples: 我是 (I am), 不是 (is not), 沒有 (do not have), 這個 (this one), 非常 (very).
• Spoken Cantonese uses Cantonese-specific particles and characters that would never appear in formal writing. Examples: 我係 (I am), 唔係 (is not), 冇 (do not have), 呢個 (this one), 好 (very/good).
• Critical rule for software UI: ALWAYS use Written Standard Chinese. NEVER use Spoken Cantonese unless the source is explicitly a casual messaging/social context (e.g., a quote from a user post, marketing copy mimicking conversation).
• Common Cantonese particles to AVOID in standard HK UI: 嘅 (possessive — use 的), 嗰 (that — use 那), 咗 (perfective marker — use 了), 緊 (progressive — use 正在/中), 啲 (some/a bit — use 一些), 喺 (at/in — use 在).
• Wrong (mixed Cantonese in formal UI): 你嘅檔案已經儲存咗 → Correct (Written Standard Chinese): 您的檔案已儲存.
• Cantonese is fine in: marketing for very casual/local HK products, social/messaging apps, gaming, lifestyle apps targeting youth. Even then, prefer Written Standard Chinese for system messages.

Name Honorifics and Address Forms

• Universal Chinese honorifics: 先生 (Mr.), 女士 (Ms./Mrs.), 小姐 (Miss — pt-CN/TW; less common in HK), 老師 (Teacher/Mr.-Ms., for educators + martial arts instructors), 醫生 (Dr., medical), 博士 (Dr., PhD), 教授 (Professor), 經理 (Manager), 董事長 (Chairman/Director).
• Order: Surname first, then title: 王先生 (Mr. Wang), 李醫生 (Dr. Li), 陳教授 (Prof. Chen).
• In zh-CN formal: 张先生, 李女士. In zh-Hant-TW: same. In zh-Hant-HK: same.
• For young/single women, zh-CN modern usage prefers 女士 over 小姐 (which has acquired ambiguous connotations in some contexts). TW/HK retain 小姐 more.
• Email salutations:
  • Formal (zh-CN): 尊敬的 王先生 您好： or 张总 您好： (with executive title).
  • Formal (TW): 敬啟者： (general) or 王先生 您好：.
  • Formal (HK): 敬啟者： or 王先生：.
  • Informal (all): 你好，王先生！ or Hi 小王！ (HK code-mix).
• Email closings:
  • Formal: 此致敬礼 (very formal CN), 謹啟 (formal TW/HK), 誠摯地 (sincerely), 祝商祺 (business regards).
  • Informal: 祝好 (best wishes), 祝順利 (wishing you well), Cheers (HK code-mix).

Empty State Phrasings (per variant)

Context	zh-CN	zh-Hant-TW	zh-Hant-HK
No results	No results yet / No results	No results yet / No results	No results yet / No results
No data	No data yet	No data yet	No data yet
No notifications	No notifications yet	No notifications yet	No notifications yet
No items selected	No items selected	No items selected	No items selected
Empty inbox	Inbox is empty	Inbox is empty	Inbox is empty
No content	No content yet	No content yet	No content yet
File not found	File not found	File not found	File not found
No connection	No network connection	No network connection	No network connection

The 暫 / 暂 (temporarily / for now) pattern is preferred in Chinese empty states because it sounds less harsh than 没有 / 沒有.

Greeting Protocols

Greeting	zh-CN	zh-Hant-TW	zh-Hant-HK
Universal hello	Hello / Hello	Hello / Hello	Hello
Good morning	Good morning / Good morning	Good morning / Good morning	Good morning (HK colloquial) / Good morning
Good afternoon	Good afternoon	Good afternoon / Good afternoon	Good afternoon / Good afternoon
Good evening	Good evening / Good night	Good night / Good evening	Good evening
Goodbye (formal)	Goodbye	Goodbye	Goodbye
Goodbye (casual)	Bye / Bye-bye	Bye-bye	Bye / Bye-bye
Welcome (UI)	Welcome	Welcome	Welcome
Thanks (universal)	Thank you	Thank you	Thank you (HK) / Thank you
Thanks (formal)	Thank you very much / Endlessly grateful	Thank you very much / Endlessly grateful	Thank you very much
You're welcome	You're welcome / No need to thank me	You're welcome / No problem	No need to be polite (spoken) / You're welcome

Punctuation Deep Dive — Full-Width Specifics + URL Handling

• Full-width characters list: 。 (period), ， (comma), ： (colon), ； (semicolon), ！ (exclamation), ？ (question), 、 (enumeration comma), （） (parens), 「」 / 『』 / 《》 (quotes TW/HK), "..." / '...' (quotes CN).
• The enumeration comma 、 is used between list items: 蘋果、香蕉、橘子 NOT 蘋果，香蕉，橘子.
• Em-dash — Chinese uses double —— (two characters wide): 這是答案——簡單明瞭.
• Ellipsis — Chinese uses …… (six dots, two characters wide): 稍等…… NOT 稍等....
• Half-width contexts (KEEP these in their original form):
  • URLs: https://example.com/path?key=value
  • Email: user@example.com
  • Code: function() { return true; }
  • English in mixed text: 使用 API 來處理 (space + half-width API + space + Chinese)
  • Math: 2 + 2 = 4
  • Currency in numbers: ¥99.99, NT\$1,500, HK$500
• Space between Chinese and Latin/numbers: required. API密鑰 → API 密鑰.

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Cross-Variant Vocabulary Cheat Sheet

Quick comparison for the most error-prone tech terms:

English	zh-CN	zh-Hant-TW	zh-Hant-HK
software	Software	Software	Software
hardware	Hardware	Hardware	Hardware
network	Network	Network	Network
internet	Internet	Internet	Internet
mobile (adj)	Mobile	Mobile	Mobile
privacy	Privacy	Privacy	Privacy
tips	Tip	Tip	Tip
quality	Quality	Quality	Quality / Quality
video	Video	Video	Video
document	Document	Document	Document
file	File	File	File
save	Save	Save	Save
settings	Settings	Settings	Settings
login	Log in	Log in	Log in
link	Link	Link	Link
integration	Integration	Integration	Integration
computer	Computer / Computer	Computer	Computer
program	Program	Program	Program
digital	Digital / Digital	Digital	Digital
information	Information	Information	Information
message	Message / Information	Message	Message / Information
server	Server	Server	Server
database	Database	Database	Database
data	Data	Data	Data
default	Default	Default	Default
optimization	Optimize	Optimize	Optimize / Optimize
AI	Artificial intelligence	Artificial intelligence	Artificial Intelligence / AI
cloud	Cloud	Cloud	Cloud
user	User	User	User
email	Email	Email	Email
app	App / Application	App	App
memory/RAM	Memory	Memory	Memory
bus	Bus	Bus	Bus
taxi	Taxi	Taxi	Taxi
smartphone	Smartphone	Smartphone	Smartphone
upload	Upload	Upload	Upload
download	Download	Download	Download
cancel	Cancel	Cancel	Cancel
delete	Delete	Delete	Delete
edit	Edit	Edit	Edit
drag-release verb	Release	Release / Let go	Release
quotation marks	"..."	「」	「」
address default	您 (B2B) / 你 (consumer)	您	你
currency	¥ / 元	NT$ / 新台幣	HK$ / 港幣
Mainland (term)	Mainland China / Mainland / the mainland	Mainland China / the mainland (NOT 內地)	the mainland / the mainland

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Self-Check Checklist (run before finalizing)

Red lines (universal — must ALL pass)

• 100% one script — no mixed Simplified+Traditional anywhere in output
• No 中國台灣 / 中国台湾 in TW content
• No 祖國 / 祖国 in TW or HK content (unless source explicitly contains it and user approved)
• No 內地 in TW content (use 中國大陸 or 大陸)
• No 中華民國 in CN content
• No bare $ for NTD or HKD (always NT$, HK$)
• No 民國 calendar mixed with Gregorian in same document
• Country dropdown labeled 國家/地區 or 国家/地区 (not bare 國家/国家)
• No CCP/KMT/DPP/leader names unsolicited
• No HK NSL-restricted phrases (光復香港, 時代革命)

Universal accuracy (all variants)

• Full-width punctuation in Chinese text (half-width only in URLs/code/email)
• Measure words present on countable nouns (種/种, 個/个, 篇, 件, 名, 張/张)
• Word vs character not confused (詞/词 vs 字)
• FOR vs PER: 共計/共计 (total) vs 每種/每种 (rate)
• Temporal preposition: 後/后 for countdown, 中 for ongoing, 內/内 for deadline
• Unit words after numeric placeholders (秒, 分鐘/分钟, 小時/小时, 天)
• Passive + timestamp uses 於/于 (NOT 的)
• CJK-Latin spacing (space between Chinese ⇄ English/numbers)
• Placeholder type markers added (格式的/種語言的)
• All {variables} and ICU intact
• Domain terminology uses IT meaning (架構/架构, 流水線/流水线, 權威數據源/权威数据源)

Universal naturalness

• UI labels are complete noun phrases (替代檢測方式 / 替代检测方式)
• Buttons use imperative without 请/請 or 一個/一个 prefix
• Status messages use 正在.../...中
• No 被 passive when 已+verb works
• No literal English idiom translations
• Spatial metaphors adapted (在...中, 除了...之外, 幕後/幕后)
• Compound nouns restructured (NOT 母親作成者/母亲作成者)
• Cost ordering uses amount-first or scope+共計
• UI labels in prose use brackets/quotes for the variant

zh-CN (Mainland) specific

• 100% Simplified characters — zero Traditional forms
• Quotation marks "..." (NOT 「」)
• Address form consistent (您 for B2B, 你 for consumer)
• CN vocab: 保存, 设置, 登录, 视频, 软件, 网络, 互联网, 默认, 优化, 用户
• Currency ¥1,000 or 1,000 元 (use RMB or CN¥ if disambiguating from JPY)
• Date 2024年1月15日 or 2024-01-15
• Gregorian calendar only
• 中国大陆 / 内地 / 大陆 all acceptable for Mainland
• Avoid 中华民国 and Taiwan-as-country implications

zh-Hant-TW (Taiwan) specific

• 100% Traditional characters with TW glyphs (嘆, 妝, 著, 衛, 裡) — NOT HK forms
• Quotation marks 「」 (primary), 『』 (nested)
• Address default 您 (in formal/B2B); 你 only for very casual consumer
• TW vocab: 儲存, 設定, 登入, 影片, 軟體, 網路, 網際網路, 預設, 最佳化, 使用者, 行動, 隱私, 提示, 程式, 電腦, 數位, 資訊, 訊息, 伺服器, 資料庫, 資料, 記憶體
• NO Mainland terms (軟件→軟體, 網絡→網路, 視頻→影片, 默認→預設, 用戶→使用者)
• Currency NT\$1,000 or 新台幣 1,000 元 (NEVER bare $)
• Date: Gregorian default; 民國 ONLY if source requires
• Drag release: 放開 / 鬆開 (NOT 釋放)
• Place names: 台灣 alone (NEVER 中國台灣); 中國大陸 or 大陸 for Mainland (NEVER 內地)
• Country dropdown labeled 國家/地區

zh-Hant-HK (Hong Kong) specific

• 100% Traditional characters with HK glyphs (歎, 粧, 着, 衞, 裏) — NOT TW forms
• Quotation marks 「」
• Address default 你 (NOT 您)
• HK vocab aligning with TW: 儲存, 設定, 登入, 影片, 文件, 檔案, 整合, 程式, 電腦
• HK vocab aligning with CN (hardware/networking): 軟件, 硬件, 網絡, 互聯網, 流動
• HK-distinct vocab: 私隱, 貼士, 質素, 巴士, 的士, 升降機, 屋苑
• Cantonese-influenced lexis OK in casual/business
• Code-mixing acceptable (check 你的 email, schedule 一個 meeting)
• Currency HK$500 or 港幣 500 元 (NEVER bare $)
• Gregorian calendar only
• Drag release: 釋放 (NOT 放開/鬆開)
• Place names: Mainland = 內地 (default post-2020) or 大陸; 香港 (bare) or 香港特別行政區 formal
• No NSL-restricted phrases (光復香港, 時代革命)
• Default to 主權移交 / 1997年 for handover references (NOT 回歸祖國)
• Country dropdown labeled 國家/地區

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Worked Example (same source, three variants)

Source: "Welcome! Please select your file to upload — we support 25+ formats and translate it for 5 languages in {seconds}s. Don't worry, you can cancel at any time."

zh-CN (Simplified, Mainland)

Welcome! Please select the file to upload. We support over 25 formats and can translate them into 5 languages within {seconds} seconds. Rest assured, you can cancel at any time.

(Notes: Simplified throughout; "..." would be used if quoting; 25+ → 25 种以上; for 5 languages → 5 种语言 with measure word; {seconds} followed by 秒; 您 formal; 中国大陆-friendly terms.)

zh-Hant-TW (Traditional, Taiwan)

Welcome! Please select the file you want to upload. We support more than 25 formats and can translate it into 5 languages within {seconds} seconds. Rest assured, you can cancel at any time.

(Notes: TW Traditional glyphs (歡, 請, 檔, 傳, 語); 檔案 not 文件; 支援 not 支持 (TW preference for software support); 語言 correct; 您 formal; same measure-word and unit-word rules. Quotation marks would be 「」 if needed.)

zh-Hant-HK (Traditional, Hong Kong)

Welcome! Please select the file you want to upload (formal: the file you want to upload). We support more than 25 formats and can translate it into 5 languages within {seconds} seconds. Don't worry, you can cancel at any time.

(More natural formal HK version, avoiding spoken Cantonese particles:)

Welcome! Please select the file you want to upload. We support more than 25 formats and can translate it into 5 languages within {seconds} seconds. Don't worry, you can cancel at any time.

(Notes: HK Traditional glyphs (着 would appear if particle; here mostly shared with TW); 你 default not 您; 軟件/網絡-style alignment with CN doesn't show in this string but would matter for hardware/networking content; code-mixing cancel is acceptable in casual HK but 取消 is safer for formal UI; 於 formal preposition.)

Common errors all three would catch

• Mixed script: 软体設定 (Simplified 软 + Traditional 體 + Simplified 设) — catastrophic.
• Wrong country reference: 中國台灣 in TW UI — political escalation risk.
• Bare $25.99 — ambiguous between USD/NTD/HKD/CNY; always disambiguate.
• 25+ 种语言 / 25+ 種語言 — use 25 种以上语言 / 25 種以上語言.
• {seconds} without 秒 — bare placeholder reads as raw number.
• 每种语言 / 每種語言 for for 5 languages (total) — FOR/PER inverted, should be 5 种语言共计 / 5 種語言共計.
• 创建的 {date} / 建立的 {date} — should be 创建于 {date} / 建立於 {date}.
• Mixed 您/你 in same document.
• HK content with 民國 calendar reference — never appropriate.
• TW content using 內地 — wrong framing, use 中國大陸.
• CN content using 中華民國 — politically inappropriate for PRC distribution.