Czech Translation Notes

Czech (cs) Translation Notes

Core Terminology

Secret: tajemství (neuter) - Appropriate for professional contexts

Password vs Passphrase:

• Password: heslo - for account authentication
• Passphrase: přístupová fráze - for secret protection

Burn: trvale smazat (permanently delete)

Key Points

• 7 grammatical cases requiring careful attention
• Plural forms: 1/2-4/5+ (den/dny/dnů)
• Diacritics essential: á, č, ď, é, ě, í, ň, ó, ř, š, ť, ú, ů, ý, ž
• Informal “ty” for modern UX
• Verb aspects: perfective for completed actions

Translation Guidelines

Consistency

• Use the same translation for a term throughout the application
• Maintain standardized terminology from the glossary
• Key distinctions to preserve:
  • heslo for account passwords
  • přístupová fráze for secret protection
  • tajemství as the core concept

Context Awareness

• Consider how the term is used in the application
• Account for surrounding UI elements and user flow
• Ensure translations make sense in their specific context

Technical Accuracy

• Security-related terms must be translated accurately
• Prioritize precision over localization for technical terminology
• Use established Czech technical vocabulary

Voice and Tone

• Use informal “ty” form for modern UX experience
• Maintain professional but approachable language
• Ensure consistency in formality level across all interfaces

Czech Language Specifics

Grammatical Cases

• Czech has 7 cases (nominativ, genitiv, dativ, akuzativ, vokativ, lokál, instrumentál)
• Apply correct case declension based on context
• Examples of important gender assignments:
  • tajemství (neuter)
  • heslo (neuter)
  • fráze (feminine)
  • odkaz (masculine)

Plural Forms

Czech requires three plural forms based on quantity:

• 1: singular (den, hodina, minuta, sekunda)
• 2-4: first plural form (dny, hodiny, minuty, sekundy)
• 5+: second plural form (dnů, hodin, minut, sekund)

Diacritics

• Essential and change meaning completely
• Must be used correctly: á, č, ď, é, ě, í, ň, ó, ř, š, ť, ú, ů, ý, ž
• Never omit or substitute
• Examples where diacritics matter:
  • být (to be) vs byt (apartment)

Contractions (Spřežky)

• Use for smoother reading: “ve věci”, “ke dni”, “ze souboru”
• Common in natural Czech text

Verb Aspects

• Use perfective aspect for completed actions
• Use imperfective aspect for ongoing or repeated actions
• Choose appropriate aspect based on context

Common Translation Patterns

User Instructions

Use imperative forms with appropriate verb aspects

Status Descriptions

Use passive voice or past participles with correct gender agreement

Help Text and Descriptions

Use declarative sentences with informal second person (ty)

Error Messages

Use clear, direct language with friendly tone

Special Considerations

The Term “Secret”

• Fundamental to the application - translate consistently as tajemství
• Neuter gender
• Appropriate for professional contexts
• Emphasizes the confidential nature of the shared item

Password vs. Passphrase

Critical distinction:

• heslo - for user account login credentials
• přístupová fráze - for protecting individual secrets

This distinction must be maintained throughout the application to avoid confusion.

The Term “Burn”

• Translated as trvale smazat (permanently delete)
• More natural in digital Czech context than literal translation
• Clearly conveys permanent deletion concept

Diacritics are Essential

• Never omit Czech diacritical marks
• They are not optional decorations but essential characters
• Incorrect diacritics completely change meaning

Gender Agreement

• Ensure adjectives, past participles, and pronouns agree with noun gender
• Important genders to remember:
  • tajemství (neuter)
  • heslo (neuter)
  • přístupová fráze (feminine - “fráze” is feminine)
  • odkaz (masculine)

UI Element Conventions

• Follow platform conventions for Czech interfaces
• Use standard Czech terminology for common UI elements
• Maintain consistency with other Czech applications

Technical Security Terms

• Prioritize accuracy over casual localization
• Use established Czech technical vocabulary
• Examples:
  • šifrovat (to encrypt)
  • šifrovaný (encrypted)
  • ověření (verification)
  • autentizace (authentication)