Translating software documentation (English → Vietnamese) is challenging because it mixes technical terminology, UI language, and instructions. Many translators—even experienced ones—make recurring mistakes. Here are the most common ones and how to avoid them.

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1️⃣ Translating technical terms too literally

Many IT terms should not be translated word-for-word.

Example

✔ Best practice:
Keep widely accepted English terms (API, Git, Docker, UI, backend).

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2️⃣ Inconsistent terminology

Using different Vietnamese terms for the same concept confuses readers.

Example

✔ Solution
Create a terminology glossary and translation memory using tools such as:

• SDL Trados Studio

• MemoQ

• Smartcat

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3️⃣ Translating UI text incorrectly

Software documentation often references buttons, menus, and commands.

Incorrect translation happens when translators translate the text instead of matching the actual UI.

Example:

✔ Always check the actual interface language.

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4️⃣ Translating code or commands

Code must never be translated.

Example

Incorrect:

Correct:

Commands, variables, file names, and parameters should remain unchanged.

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5️⃣ Ignoring the target audience

Different audiences require different translation styles.

Example:

Developer doc

Deploy the application to the staging environment.

Translation:

Triển khai ứng dụng lên staging environment.

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6️⃣ Incorrect sentence structure in Vietnamese

English technical writing is often passive and concise, while Vietnamese requires more natural phrasing.

Example:

English

The configuration file is generated automatically.

Bad translation

Tệp cấu hình được tạo tự động.

Better translation

Hệ thống sẽ tự động tạo tệp cấu hình.

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7️⃣ Not understanding the technology

This is the biggest mistake.

If the translator doesn’t understand the concept, they may mistranslate.

Example:

Correct:

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8️⃣ Breaking formatting and structure

Documentation often contains:

• Markdown

• HTML

• JSON

• YAML

• tables

• links

Translators sometimes accidentally break formatting.

Example:

Original

Bad translation:

File names must remain unchanged.

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9️⃣ Not following a translation workflow

Professional translation workflows follow standards like ISO 17100:2015, which require:

1. Translation

2. Revision by another linguist

3. Review

4. Final proofreading

Skipping revision often causes quality issues.

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✅ Quick summary

The most common mistakes are:

1. Literal translation of technical terms

2. Inconsistent terminology

3. Translating code or commands

4. Wrong UI translations

5. Lack of technical understanding

6. Breaking formatting