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i18n(de): Improve translation #1096

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97f049b
Improve German translation (get rid of bureaucratic language)
randomguy-2650 Apr 6, 2026
ab6113a
Update de.json
randomguy-2650 Apr 7, 2026
8e0df50
Fix accidental grammar error
randomguy-2650 Apr 14, 2026
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30 changes: 15 additions & 15 deletions pagefind_ui/translations/de.json
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -3,30 +3,30 @@
"comments": "",
"direction": "ltr",
"strings": {
"placeholder": "Suche",
"placeholder": "Suchen",
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@randomguy-2650 randomguy-2650 Apr 6, 2026

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Infinitive is more natural for a search placeholder than the imperative.

"clear_search": "Löschen",
"load_more": "Mehr Ergebnisse laden",
"search_label": "Suche diese Seite",
"load_more": "Weitere Ergebnisse laden",
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@randomguy-2650 randomguy-2650 Apr 6, 2026

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Kinda like less vs fewer in English, but “weitere” is more natural and is used for quantities in German.

"search_label": "Diese Seite durchsuchen",
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@randomguy-2650 randomguy-2650 Apr 6, 2026

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The previous translation (“Suche diese Seite”) sounds like a command to the user to search the page. This makes it sound more like an action, so like, “This button searches the page”.

"filters_label": "Filter",
"zero_results": "Keine Ergebnisse für [SEARCH_TERM]",
"many_results": "[COUNT] Ergebnisse für [SEARCH_TERM]",
"one_result": "[COUNT] Ergebnis für [SEARCH_TERM]",
"one_result": "Ein Ergebnis für [SEARCH_TERM]",
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@randomguy-2650 randomguy-2650 Apr 6, 2026

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This avoids using cardinal numbers for the number 1 because some screen readers may otherwise read it as “Eins Ergebnis […]” (or the wrong gender, eine), comparable in English as “One result […]” instead of “A result […]” (not a great example because English has simplified its grammar a lot historically).

This uses the indefinite article to ensure it is read correctly. It also just looks more correct to me (might just be me though).

"total_zero_results": "Keine Ergebnisse",
"total_one_result": "[COUNT] Ergebnis",
"total_one_result": "Ein Ergebnis",
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@randomguy-2650 randomguy-2650 Apr 6, 2026

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See comment on line 13.

"total_many_results": "[COUNT] Ergebnisse",
"alt_search": "Keine Ergebnisse für [SEARCH_TERM]. Stattdessen werden Ergebnisse für [DIFFERENT_TERM] angezeigt",
"search_suggestion": "Keine Ergebnisse für [SEARCH_TERM]. Versuchen Sie eine der folgenden Suchen:",
"searching": "Suche nach [SEARCH_TERM] …",
"alt_search": "Keine Ergebnisse für [SEARCH_TERM]. Stattdessen erscheinen Ergebnisse für [DIFFERENT_TERM].",
"search_suggestion": "Keine Ergebnisse für [SEARCH_TERM]. Probier einen der folgenden Vorschläge:",
"searching": "[SEARCH_TERM] wird gesucht …",
Comment on lines +17 to +19
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@randomguy-2650 randomguy-2650 Apr 6, 2026

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This removes the bureaucratic passive translation, like writing:

No results for test. Results were instead shown for other test.

Also, the search suggestion has been slightly rewritten from a formal imperative (“Versuchen Sie”, try, as in attempt) to an informal imperative (“Probier”, try, as in taste, but also attempt). Many German websites have been moving away from the formal “Sie” to the informal “du”, not sure what the reason is but it fits well here in my opinion.

Also, the last one is previously kinda ambiguous. It literally translates as “Search for test…”, which sounds weird for a searching state. So I changed it to “test will be searched…” (sounds weird in English but is good in German), with the passive voice.

"results_label": "Suchergebnisse",
"keyboard_navigate": "navigieren",
"keyboard_select": "auswählen",
"keyboard_clear": "löschen",
"keyboard_close": "schließen",
"keyboard_search": "suchen",
"keyboard_navigate": "Navigieren",
"keyboard_select": "Auswählen",
"keyboard_clear": "Löschen",
"keyboard_close": "Schließen",
"keyboard_search": "Suchen",
Comment on lines +21 to +25
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@randomguy-2650 randomguy-2650 Apr 6, 2026

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This capitalises all the imperatives because lowercase looks weird in German. German capitalises nouns and doesn’t like lowercasing the first letter of stuff in cases like this.

"error_search": "Suche fehlgeschlagen",
"filter_selected_one": "[COUNT] ausgewählt",
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@randomguy-2650 randomguy-2650 Apr 6, 2026

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I didn’t follow what I said in review comment line 13 because it just looks weird to me, I’m not sure if cardinal, nominal (only for number 1) or the indefinite article is appropriate here.

Numbers 1, 11, 101 in cardinal is one, eleven, one hundred one, in nominal, one, one one, one oh/zero one.

"filter_selected_many": "[COUNT] ausgewählt",
"input_hint": "Ergebnisse werden während der Eingabe angezeigt",
"loading": "Wird geladen"
"input_hint": "Ergebnisse erscheinen beim Tippen",
"loading": "Wird geladen …"
Comment on lines +29 to +30
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@randomguy-2650 randomguy-2650 Apr 6, 2026

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For input_hint, the new translation is less bureaucratic.

From something like “Results will be shown during the input” to “Results show while typing”.

The second one just adds the ellipsis to make it look more normal in German.

}
}
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