Version at: 21/12/2019, 16:47 vs. version at: 21/12/2019, 17:00
11#A Quick Start Guide for New Contributors
22
33
44## The Aims of the [Tatoeba Project](http://tatoeba.org/home/)
55* We collect high-quality sentences and their translations into other languages.
66* Sentences we create are used by [various projects](http://a4esl.com/temporary/tatoeba/links.html) under the Creative Commons - Attribution 2.0 license.
77
88
99## The Basic Rules
1010
1111 You can click the links to read **[Translations]** or read the **[Source]** documentation.
1212
1313 * **Write high-quality sentences.**
1414
1515[[Translations]](https://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/8395065)      [[Source]](https://en.wiki.tatoeba.org/articles/show/about-tatoeba#goals-of-the-tatoeba-project)
1616
1717 * **Write complete sentences.**
1818
1919[[Translations]](http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/611372)      [[Source]](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule1)
2020
2121 * **Don't change sentences that are correct. You can, instead, submit natural-sounding alternative translations.**
2222
2323[[Translations]](http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/611373)     [[Source]](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule5)
2424
2525 * **Don't add sentences from copyrighted sources.**
2626
2727[[Translations]](http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/611374)     [[Source]](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule8)
2828
2929Also see [Legally valid content](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2011/01/legally-valid-content.html)
3030
3131 * **Write natural-sounding translations, not word-for-word direct translations.**
3232
3333[[Translations]](http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/611375)     [[Source]](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule4)
3434
3535(Of course, we don't want computer translations.)
3636
3737 * **Write a good translation of the sentence that you are translating. Don't let translations into other languages influence you.**
3838
3939[[Translations]](http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/611376)     [[Source]](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule3)
4040
41 * **Don't include annotations inside sentences.**
41 * **Don't include multiple alternatives inside the same sentence.**
4242
43Don't include things like the following inside your sentences :
43> For instance, don't write:
4444
45 * _He/she_ (as in _He/she said it was hot_.)
46 * Instead, you should submit 2 sentences.
47 * He said it was hot.
48 * She said it was hot.
49 * _(By Mark Twain)_ (as in _Don't let schooling interfere with your education. (By Mark Twain)_)
50 * Instead, put this as a comment and ask for someone to add it as a tag (or if you have tagging rights, then tag it yourself).
45> _He/she said it was hot_.
46
47> Instead, you should submit two sentences.
48
49> _He said it was hot_.
50> _She said it was hot_.
51
52 * **Don't write extra information, such as the name of the author, within the sentence.**
53
54> For instance, don't write:
55
56> _Don't let schooling interfere with your education. (By Mark Twain)_
57
58> Instead, write:
59
60> _Don't let schooling interfere with your education._
61
62> Then, if you can, add "by Mark Twain" as a tag. Otherwise, add it as a comment.
5163
5264For more details, see [Rules and Guidelines](guidelines) and [How to Write Good Sentences](how-to-write-good-sentences).
5365
5466## Contribute in a Language That You Know Well
5567
56681. You can create natural-sounding sentences in your own native language for others to translate into their native languages.
5769
58702. You can translate from a foreign language that you know well into your own native language or strongest language.
5971
60723. If you want to contribute in a language that is not your native or strongest, see [Contributing in a language that is not your strongest](https://en.wiki.tatoeba.org/articles/show/non-native#).
6173
6274
6375<a name="users"></a>
6476## Things a Contributor Can Do
65771. You can **translate a sentence** by clicking on this icon ![](http://tatoeba.org/img/translate.svg =16x16) whenever you see it.
6678Please do not forget **capital letters** and **punctuation.**
6779
68802. You can add **alternate translations**. (![](http://tatoeba.org/img/translate.svg =16x16))
6981If you feel there are several possible translations, you can add them all. Just make sure you are adding the translations to the other language. (In other words, don't add an English translation to an English sentence.)
7082
71833. You can **proofread sentences** and "adopt" (![](http://tatoeba.org/img/unadopted.svg =16x16)) sentences that you think are good.
7284If a sentence is "unowned," you can adopt it.
7385 * Generally speaking, "owned" sentences are more likely to be error free, especially if owned by a native speaker (as requested, "[adopt any 'orphan' sentence you see in your native language, and correct it if necessary.](http://tatoeba.org/eng/activities/adopt_sentences/eng)")
7486 * _We suggest only adopting sentences that seem 100% natural to you. If a sentence seems "less than natural," don't adopt it._
7587
76884. You can **correct mistakes** that you find, if the sentence is not "owned" by another user. To do this…
7789 * Adopt the "orphan" ("unowned") sentence.
7890 * Then click the text to edit it.
7991 * Then, optionally, "unown" (![](http://tatoeba.org/img/adopted.svg =16x16)) the sentence if you want others to be able to easily edit it again.
8092 * Special Note
8193 * Tatoeba.org prefers that you do not change any sentence that could be considered correct. Instead, add an alternate translation.
8294
83955. You can **add comments to sentences**.
8496 * If you find a mistake, but the sentence is "owned" by another user, then leave a comment telling the "owner" how it can be corrected.
8597 * If you see something that seems strange or you don't understand, you can leave a comment, and someone may explain it to you.
8698 * If you find things that are absolute nonsense or that are not sentences, you can leave a comment alerting moderators.
8799
881006. You can **add new sentences**.
89101The best approach is to search first to make sure the sentence is not already in the database.
90102 * Note that the search on Tatoeba differs from familiar search engines (such as Google Search) in some important ways. See [How to Search for Text](text-search) for details.
91103
92104
93105
94106## Not All Contributed Sentences Are Suitable For All Uses
95107* Some sentences **sound unnatural**.
96108* Some sentences contain **grammar and vocabulary errors**.
97109* Some linked sentences **may not be good translations**.
98110
99111Note also that some sentences, while they are correct, use **archaic and/or old-fashioned** language, so they should not be taken as a guide to speaking the current language.
100112
101113If you see a sentence that has issues, leave a comment. If you are able to leave a tag, you can do that as well.
102114
103115## Recommendations
104116
105117* To help maintain the quality of our sentences, it is recommended that you write in your native language and/or translate into your native language. If you write in another language, follow the guidelines under [Contributing in a language that is not your strongest](https://en.wiki.tatoeba.org/articles/show/non-native#).
106118* When you translate, start from sentences owned by native speakers.
107119* If you want to try writing longer contributions in a language that is not your strongest, consider visting a site such as [italki](https://italki.com) or [lang-8](https://lang-8.com).
108120
109121
110122## Link to This Page
111123
112124There is an easy-to-remember, short bit.ly link to this page.
113125
114126http://bit.ly/tatoebaquickstart
127
128
diff view generated by jsdifflib

Version at: 21/12/2019, 16:47

#A Quick Start Guide for New Contributors 


## The Aims of the [Tatoeba Project](http://tatoeba.org/home/)
*   We collect high-quality sentences and their translations into other languages.
*   Sentences we create are used by [various projects](http://a4esl.com/temporary/tatoeba/links.html) under the Creative Commons - Attribution 2.0 license.


## The Basic Rules

 You can click the links to read **[Translations]** or read the **[Source]** documentation.

 *  **Write high-quality sentences.**

[[Translations]](https://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/8395065)      [[Source]](https://en.wiki.tatoeba.org/articles/show/about-tatoeba#goals-of-the-tatoeba-project)

 *  **Write complete sentences.**

[[Translations]](http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/611372)      [[Source]](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule1)

 * **Don't change sentences that are correct. You can, instead, submit natural-sounding alternative translations.**

[[Translations]](http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/611373)     [[Source]](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule5)

 * **Don't add sentences from copyrighted sources.**

[[Translations]](http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/611374)     [[Source]](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule8) 

Also see [Legally valid content](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2011/01/legally-valid-content.html)

 * **Write natural-sounding translations, not word-for-word direct translations.**

[[Translations]](http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/611375)     [[Source]](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule4)

(Of course, we don't want computer translations.)

 * **Write a good translation of the sentence that you are translating. Don't let translations into other languages influence you.**

[[Translations]](http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/611376)     [[Source]](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule3)

 * **Don't include annotations inside sentences.**

Don't include things like the following inside your sentences :

    * _He/she_  (as in _He/she said it was hot_.)
        * Instead, you should submit 2 sentences.
            * He said it was hot.
            * She said it was hot.
    * _(By Mark Twain)_ (as in _Don't let schooling interfere with your education. (By Mark Twain)_)
        * Instead, put this as a comment and ask for someone to add it as a tag (or if you have tagging rights, then tag it yourself).

For more details, see [Rules and Guidelines](guidelines) and [How to Write Good Sentences](how-to-write-good-sentences).

## Contribute in a Language That You Know Well

1.  You can create natural-sounding sentences in your own native language for others to translate into their native languages.

2.  You can translate from a foreign language that you know well into your own native language or strongest language.

3.  If you want to contribute in a language that is not your native or strongest, see [Contributing in a language that is not your strongest](https://en.wiki.tatoeba.org/articles/show/non-native#).


<a name="users"></a>
## Things a Contributor Can Do
1.  You can **translate a sentence** by clicking on this icon ![](http://tatoeba.org/img/translate.svg =16x16) whenever you see it.
Please do not forget **capital letters** and **punctuation.**

2.  You can add **alternate translations**. (![](http://tatoeba.org/img/translate.svg =16x16))
If you feel there are several possible translations, you can add them all. Just make sure you are adding the translations to the other language. (In other words, don't add an English translation to an English sentence.)

3.  You can **proofread sentences** and "adopt" (![](http://tatoeba.org/img/unadopted.svg =16x16)) sentences that you think are good.
If a sentence is "unowned," you can adopt it.
    *   Generally speaking, "owned" sentences are more likely to be error free, especially if owned by a native speaker (as requested, "[adopt any 'orphan' sentence you see in your native language, and correct it if necessary.](http://tatoeba.org/eng/activities/adopt_sentences/eng)")
    *   _We suggest only adopting sentences that seem 100% natural to you. If a sentence seems "less than natural," don't adopt it._

4.  You can **correct mistakes** that you find, if the sentence is not "owned" by another user. To do this…
    *   Adopt the "orphan" ("unowned") sentence.
    *   Then click the text to edit it.
    *   Then, optionally, "unown" (![](http://tatoeba.org/img/adopted.svg =16x16)) the sentence if you want others to be able to easily edit it again.
    *   Special Note
        *   Tatoeba.org prefers that you do not change any sentence that could be considered correct. Instead, add an alternate translation.

5.  You can **add comments to sentences**.
    *   If you find a mistake, but the sentence is "owned" by another user, then leave a comment telling the "owner" how it can be corrected.
    *   If you see something that seems strange or you don't understand, you can leave a comment, and someone may explain it to you.
    *   If you find things that are absolute nonsense or that are not sentences, you can leave a comment alerting moderators.

6.  You can **add new sentences**.
The best approach is to search first to make sure the sentence is not already in the database.
    *   Note that the search on Tatoeba differs from familiar search engines (such as Google Search) in some important ways. See [How to Search for Text](text-search) for details.



## Not All Contributed Sentences Are Suitable For All Uses
* Some sentences **sound unnatural**.
* Some sentences contain **grammar and vocabulary errors**.
* Some linked sentences **may not be good translations**.

Note also that some sentences, while they are correct, use **archaic and/or old-fashioned** language, so they should not be taken as a guide to speaking the current language.

If you see a sentence that has issues, leave a comment. If you are able to leave a tag, you can do that as well.

## Recommendations

*   To help maintain the quality of our sentences, it is recommended that you write in your native language and/or translate into your native language. If you write in another language, follow the guidelines under [Contributing in a language that is not your strongest](https://en.wiki.tatoeba.org/articles/show/non-native#).
*   When you translate, start from sentences owned by native speakers.
*   If you want to try writing longer contributions in a language that is not your strongest, consider visting a site such as [italki](https://italki.com) or [lang-8](https://lang-8.com).


## Link to This Page

There is an easy-to-remember, short bit.ly link to this page.

http://bit.ly/tatoebaquickstart

version at: 21/12/2019, 17:00

#A Quick Start Guide for New Contributors 


## The Aims of the [Tatoeba Project](http://tatoeba.org/home/)
*   We collect high-quality sentences and their translations into other languages.
*   Sentences we create are used by [various projects](http://a4esl.com/temporary/tatoeba/links.html) under the Creative Commons - Attribution 2.0 license.


## The Basic Rules

 You can click the links to read **[Translations]** or read the **[Source]** documentation.

 *  **Write high-quality sentences.**

[[Translations]](https://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/8395065) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; [[Source]](https://en.wiki.tatoeba.org/articles/show/about-tatoeba#goals-of-the-tatoeba-project)

 *  **Write complete sentences.**

[[Translations]](http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/611372) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; [[Source]](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule1)

 * **Don't change sentences that are correct. You can, instead, submit natural-sounding alternative translations.**

[[Translations]](http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/611373) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[[Source]](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule5)

 * **Don't add sentences from copyrighted sources.**

[[Translations]](http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/611374) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[[Source]](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule8) 

Also see [Legally valid content](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2011/01/legally-valid-content.html)

 * **Write natural-sounding translations, not word-for-word direct translations.**

[[Translations]](http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/611375) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[[Source]](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule4)

(Of course, we don't want computer translations.)

 * **Write a good translation of the sentence that you are translating. Don't let translations into other languages influence you.**

[[Translations]](http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/611376) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[[Source]](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule3)

 * **Don't include multiple alternatives inside the same sentence.**

> For instance, don't write:

> _He/she said it was hot_.

> Instead, you should submit two sentences.

>  _He said it was hot_.
>  _She said it was hot_.

 * **Don't write extra information, such as the name of the author, within the sentence.** 

> For instance, don't write:
 
>  _Don't let schooling interfere with your education. (By Mark Twain)_

> Instead, write:

>  _Don't let schooling interfere with your education._ 

> Then, if you can, add "by Mark Twain" as a tag. Otherwise, add it as a comment.

For more details, see [Rules and Guidelines](guidelines) and [How to Write Good Sentences](how-to-write-good-sentences).

## Contribute in a Language That You Know Well

1.  You can create natural-sounding sentences in your own native language for others to translate into their native languages.

2.  You can translate from a foreign language that you know well into your own native language or strongest language.

3.  If you want to contribute in a language that is not your native or strongest, see [Contributing in a language that is not your strongest](https://en.wiki.tatoeba.org/articles/show/non-native#).


<a name="users"></a>
## Things a Contributor Can Do
1.  You can **translate a sentence** by clicking on this icon ![](http://tatoeba.org/img/translate.svg =16x16) whenever you see it.
Please do not forget **capital letters** and **punctuation.**

2.  You can add **alternate translations**. (![](http://tatoeba.org/img/translate.svg =16x16))
If you feel there are several possible translations, you can add them all. Just make sure you are adding the translations to the other language. (In other words, don't add an English translation to an English sentence.)

3.  You can **proofread sentences** and "adopt" (![](http://tatoeba.org/img/unadopted.svg =16x16)) sentences that you think are good.
If a sentence is "unowned," you can adopt it.
    *   Generally speaking, "owned" sentences are more likely to be error free, especially if owned by a native speaker (as requested, "[adopt any 'orphan' sentence you see in your native language, and correct it if necessary.](http://tatoeba.org/eng/activities/adopt_sentences/eng)")
    *   _We suggest only adopting sentences that seem 100% natural to you. If a sentence seems "less than natural," don't adopt it._

4.  You can **correct mistakes** that you find, if the sentence is not "owned" by another user. To do this…
    *   Adopt the "orphan" ("unowned") sentence.
    *   Then click the text to edit it.
    *   Then, optionally, "unown" (![](http://tatoeba.org/img/adopted.svg =16x16)) the sentence if you want others to be able to easily edit it again.
    *   Special Note
        *   Tatoeba.org prefers that you do not change any sentence that could be considered correct. Instead, add an alternate translation.

5.  You can **add comments to sentences**.
    *   If you find a mistake, but the sentence is "owned" by another user, then leave a comment telling the "owner" how it can be corrected.
    *   If you see something that seems strange or you don't understand, you can leave a comment, and someone may explain it to you.
    *   If you find things that are absolute nonsense or that are not sentences, you can leave a comment alerting moderators.

6.  You can **add new sentences**.
The best approach is to search first to make sure the sentence is not already in the database.
    *   Note that the search on Tatoeba differs from familiar search engines (such as Google Search) in some important ways. See [How to Search for Text](text-search) for details.



## Not All Contributed Sentences Are Suitable For All Uses
* Some sentences **sound unnatural**.
* Some sentences contain **grammar and vocabulary errors**.
* Some linked sentences **may not be good translations**.

Note also that some sentences, while they are correct, use **archaic and/or old-fashioned** language, so they should not be taken as a guide to speaking the current language.

If you see a sentence that has issues, leave a comment. If you are able to leave a tag, you can do that as well.

## Recommendations

*   To help maintain the quality of our sentences, it is recommended that you write in your native language and/or translate into your native language. If you write in another language, follow the guidelines under [Contributing in a language that is not your strongest](https://en.wiki.tatoeba.org/articles/show/non-native#).
*   When you translate, start from sentences owned by native speakers.
*   If you want to try writing longer contributions in a language that is not your strongest, consider visting a site such as [italki](https://italki.com) or [lang-8](https://lang-8.com).


## Link to This Page

There is an easy-to-remember, short bit.ly link to this page.

http://bit.ly/tatoebaquickstart

Note

The lines in green are the lines that have been added in the new version. The lines in red are those that have been removed.

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