Date: July 24, 2026
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
After completing my first translations in Polyglots, I began to encounter strings that were not made up only of words. Some included variables, symbols, or code fragments that had to remain exactly the same in the translation.
At first, these elements raised questions for me because I was not sure which parts could be modified and which had to be preserved. Even when the sentence in English seemed simple, accidentally changing or removing a variable could affect how the message worked within the system.
For this reason, I decided to pay special attention to this aspect before continuing to submit new suggestions.
The technical aspect I needed to resolve
Some strings included elements such as:
%s%d%1$s- Tags such as
<strong>or<a> - File names, commands, or system-specific terms
These elements are not part of the text that should be translated. They work as placeholders that WordPress later replaces automatically with specific information, such as a name, quantity, date, or link.
For example, a string might include a message similar to:
Welcome, %s
In this case, %s represents information that the system will add later, possibly the user’s name. The translation must preserve that element:
Bienvenido, %s
If it is removed, modified, or written differently, the system may not display the information correctly.
Example taken from the contribution area.
Procedure I followed
To avoid mistakes, I began applying a more detailed review process:
- I first read the complete string to understand its meaning.
- I identified the variables, tags, or symbols included.
- I mentally separated the translatable text from the technical elements.
- I wrote the translation while preserving each variable exactly as it appeared.
- I compared the original string with my suggestion.
- I checked that no symbols, spaces, or tags were missing.
- I read the translation again to make sure it sounded natural in Spanish.
- I submitted the suggestion for review.
Before submitting a translation, I also reviewed the suggestions provided by Translation Memory. This tool displays terms that have been used previously and helped me compare options, maintain consistency, and avoid translating the same word in different ways.
Obstacles encountered
One of the main challenges was keeping the variables in the correct place without making the translation sound unnatural.
The word order in English does not always match the word order in Spanish. In some strings, it was necessary to reorganize the sentence while also ensuring that the variable continued to represent the expected information correctly.
I also had to pay attention to spaces and punctuation marks. A variable may be accompanied by a comma, colon, or parentheses, and those details may change depending on the structure of the translation.
Another obstacle was distinguishing between terms that could be translated and those that had to remain in English. In some cases, they were proper names of features, products, or commands, so translating them could cause confusion.
What I learned
This experience helped me understand that software translation also requires technical care. Understanding the language is not enough; it is also necessary to recognize the elements that are part of the system’s functionality.
I learned that a translation can be well written and still contain an error if a variable is modified or a tag is removed. For this reason, the review must consider both the linguistic aspect and the structure of the string.
I also understood the importance of working carefully. Taking a few seconds to compare the original version with the translation could prevent mistakes that would later require correction.
Personal reflection
At first, strings containing variables seemed more complicated to me, and I preferred working with simpler texts. However, little by little, I began to understand their structure and feel more confident translating them.
Resolving this technical aspect helped me improve the way I review suggestions before submitting them. I no longer focus only on whether the text sounds natural in Spanish, but also on checking that all necessary elements remain unchanged.
This experience showed me that even a short string can require attention, analysis, and accuracy. It also encouraged me to continue learning about other technical features involved in WordPress translations.
Leave a Reply