Elton CarvalhoMar 11

English speakers of the fedi. In a software with the interface in English, Reading a menu with verbs such as Save, Open, Close, Edit, Format etc., do you read them as imperative (an order: "do this") or as an infinitive (the "base form" of the verb, like "to do this")?

Are you a native speaker or have English as a second language?

#Dev #ux #ui #software #interface #translation #uiux #uxui #gui

Native speaker, imperative
25.7%
Native speaker, infinitve
18.2%
Second Language, imperative
20.9%
Second Language, infinitive
35.2%
Poll ended at .
Show threadElton CarvalhoMar 11
Iff English is your second language, how are these verbs tusually translated to *your* language in software interfaces?
Imperative in English, Imperative in my language
19.3%
Imperative in English, Infinitive in my language
24.6%
Infinitive in English, Imperative in my language
4.2%
Infinitive in English, Infinitive in my language
51.9%
Poll ended at .
Show threadjjj
@eltonfc I don't understand the question. But in Swedish, the "Close" alternative would be "Stäng", which is an imperative. The infinitive would be "Stänga".
Mar 11 at 12:31pmWeb
Show threadElton CarvalhoMar 11
@jjj what motivates de question is that in English, the infinitive and imperative forms are identical. In Portuguese, they are translated in the infinitive: "Fechar" instead of "Feche" or "Fecha"
Show threadjjjMar 11
@eltonfc I understand that. As I wrote it is the same in Swedish. I don't understand what you mean with how they are usually translated. That would depend on the original text, I can't say how often either is used in general.
Show threadElton CarvalhoMar 11
@jjj my point is that the same string "Close" is translated to Swedish in the imperative form and to Portuguese in the infinitive form. I'm curious how it's done in other languages.
Show threadjjjMar 11

@eltonfc Ok, I understand now, I think.

The results of your polls are very interesting and surprising to me. I didn't know of this difference.

Show thread🗦new🗧 FireFlyMar 11

@eltonfc @jjj I'm a bit curious now, what form would you use for labels for push/pull on a door e.g? or if you had a physical switch with labels for open/close, or so

(They'd all be imperative in swedish, and I think the UI commands/tooltips are sort of an extension of the same "kind" of label, so at least to me imperative also feels natural)

Show threadElton CarvalhoMar 11

@firefly In portuguese they are in the imperative: "Empurre/puxe" instead of "Push/pull".

@jjj

Show thread🗦new🗧 FireFlyMar 11
@eltonfc @jjj hmm okay, I'm curious how the UI elements ended up in the infinitive then ^^
Show threadElton CarvalhoMar 11

@firefly well, the push/pull labers are instructions to the person reading them. Computer buttons are instructions that the person reading them is giving to the computer.

I gues a better Analogue would be the label on a physical button that does something, like the ones you press on a bis requesting a stop. Or "Open door"

@jjj

Show threadLouiseMar 11
@eltonfc @jjj “infinitive and imperative forms are identical” apenas nas flexões verbais em que acontece o bare infinitive, não? Que é quando precedido de verbos modais ou alguns verbos específicos. Eu aprendi que exceto esses casos a flexão infinitiva exige preposição “to”