Version at: 19/01/2020, 09:08 vs. version at: 29/01/2020, 21:49
11#A Quick Start Guide for New Contributors
22
33
44## The Aims of the [Tatoeba Project](http://tatoeba.org/home/)
55* We collect sentences and their translations into other languages.
66* We continuously improve them to provide a high-quality corpus.
77* Sentences we create are used by [various projects](http://a4esl.com/temporary/tatoeba/links.html) under various Creative Commons licenses.
8
9## The 2 Ways You Can Be the Most Helpful
10* You can translate from a foreign language you know into your own native language or strongest language.
11* You can create natural-sounding sentences in your own native language for others to translate into their native languages.
812
913
1014## The Basic Rules
1115
1216 * **Write complete sentences.**
1317
1418[[Translations]](http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/611372)      [[Source]](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule1)
1519
1620 * **Write natural-sounding translations, not word-for-word direct translations.**
1721
1822[[Translations]](http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/611375)     [[Source]](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule4)
1923
2024(Of course, we don't want computer translations.)
2125
2226 * **Write a good translation of the sentence that you are translating. Don't let translations into other languages influence you.**
2327
2428[[Translations]](http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/611376)     [[Source]](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule3)
2529
2630 * **Don't change sentences that are correct. You can, instead, submit natural-sounding alternative translations.**
2731
2832[[Translations]](http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/611373)     [[Source]](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule5)
2933
3034 * **Don't add sentences from copyrighted sources.**
3135
3236[[Translations]](http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/611374)     [[Source]](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule8)
3337
3438Also see [Legally valid content](http://blog.tatoeba.org/2011/01/legally-valid-content.html).
3539
3640 * **Don't include multiple alternative words inside the same sentence.**
3741
3842[[Translations]](https://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/8395097)    [[Source]](https://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule9)
3943> For instance, don't write:
4044
4145> _He/she said it was hot_.
4246
4347> Instead, you should submit two sentences.
4448
4549> _He said it was hot_.
4650
4751> _She said it was hot_.
4852
4953 * **Don't write extra information, such as the name of the author, within the sentence.**
5054
5155[[Translations]](https://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/8395099)    [[Source]](https://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule9)
5256
5357> For instance, don't write:
5458
5559> _Don't let schooling interfere with your education. (By Mark Twain)_
5660
5761> Instead, write:
5862
5963> _Don't let schooling interfere with your education._
6064
6165> Then, if you can, add "by Mark Twain" as a tag. Otherwise, add it as a comment.
6266
6367 * **Write high-quality sentences.**
6468
6569The best way you can help us is by contributing sentences in your own native language or strongest language and adding translations to sentences by other native speakers. A language learner submitting sentences on Tatoeba is not only likely to encounter difficulty in finding someone to correct the sentences, but also likely to cause conflict with the overall goal of providing a high-quality reference for others.
6670
6771[[Translations]](https://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/8395065)      [[Source]](https://en.wiki.tatoeba.org/articles/show/about-tatoeba#goals-of-the-tatoeba-project)
6872
6973
7074For more details, see [Rules and Guidelines](guidelines) and [How to Write Good Sentences](how-to-write-good-sentences).
7175
7276
7377
7478## Contribute in a Language That You Know Well
7579
7680* You can create natural-sounding sentences in your own native language for others to translate into their native languages.
7781
7882* You can translate from a foreign language that you know well into your own native language or strongest language.
7983
8084* 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#).
8185
8286
8387<a name="users"></a>
8488## Things a Contributor Can Do
85891. You can **translate a sentence** by clicking on this icon ![](http://tatoeba.org/img/translate.svg =16x16) whenever you see it.
8690Please do not forget **capital letters** and **punctuation.**
8791
88922. You can add **alternate translations**. (![](http://tatoeba.org/img/translate.svg =16x16))
8993If 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.)
9094
91953. You can **proofread sentences** and "adopt" (![](http://tatoeba.org/img/unadopted.svg =16x16)) sentences that you think are good.
9296If a sentence is "unowned," you can adopt it.
9397 * 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)")
9498 * _We suggest only adopting sentences that seem 100% natural to you. If a sentence seems "less than natural," don't adopt it._
9599
961004. You can **correct mistakes** that you find, if the sentence is not "owned" by another user. To do this…
97101 * Adopt the "orphan" ("unowned") sentence.
98102 * Then click the text to edit it.
99103 * Then, optionally, "unown" (![](http://tatoeba.org/img/adopted.svg =16x16)) the sentence if you want others to be able to easily edit it again.
100104 * Special Note
101105 * Tatoeba.org prefers that you do not change any sentence that could be considered correct. Instead, add an alternate translation.
102106
1031075. You can **add comments to sentences**.
104108 * 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.
105109 * If you see something that seems strange or you don't understand, you can leave a comment, and someone may explain it to you.
106110 * If you find things that are absolute nonsense or that are not sentences, you can leave a comment alerting moderators.
107111
1081126. You can **add new sentences**.
109113The best approach is to search first to make sure the sentence is not already in the database.
110114 * 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.
111115
112116
113117
114118## Not All Contributed Sentences Are Suitable For All Uses
115119* Some sentences **sound unnatural**.
116120* Some sentences contain **grammar and vocabulary errors**.
117121* Some linked sentences **may not be good translations**.
118122
119123Note 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.
120124
121125If you see a sentence that has issues, leave a comment. If you are able to leave a tag, you can do that as well.
122126
123127## Recommendations
124128
125129* When you translate, start from sentences owned by native speakers.
126130* If you want to try writing longer contributions in a language that is not your strongest, consider visiting a site such as [italki](https://italki.com) or [Lang-8](https://lang-8.com) (although new accounts can no longer be opened at Lang-8).
127131
128132
129133## Link to This Page
130134
131135There is an easy-to-remember, short bit.ly link to this page.
132136
133137http://bit.ly/tatoebaquickstart
134138
135139
diff view generated by jsdifflib

Version at: 19/01/2020, 09:08

#A Quick Start Guide for New Contributors 


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


## The Basic Rules

 *  **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)

 * **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 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).

 * **Don't include multiple alternative words inside the same sentence.**

[[Translations]](https://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/8395097)    [[Source]](https://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule9)
> 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.** 

[[Translations]](https://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/8395099)    [[Source]](https://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule9)

> 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.

 *  **Write high-quality sentences.**

The best way you can help us is by contributing sentences in your own native language or strongest language and adding translations to sentences by other native speakers. A language learner submitting sentences on Tatoeba is not only likely to encounter difficulty in finding someone to correct the sentences, but also likely to cause conflict with the overall goal of providing a high-quality reference for others.

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


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

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

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

*  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

*   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 visiting a site such as [italki](https://italki.com) or [Lang-8](https://lang-8.com) (although new accounts can no longer be opened at Lang-8).


## Link to This Page

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

http://bit.ly/tatoebaquickstart

version at: 29/01/2020, 21:49

#A Quick Start Guide for New Contributors 


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

## The 2 Ways You Can Be the Most Helpful
*  You can translate from a foreign language you know into your own native language or strongest language.
* You can create natural-sounding sentences in your own native language for others to translate into their native languages.


## The Basic Rules

 *  **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)

 * **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 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).

 * **Don't include multiple alternative words inside the same sentence.**

[[Translations]](https://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/8395097)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[[Source]](https://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule9)
> 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.** 

[[Translations]](https://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/8395099)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[[Source]](https://blog.tatoeba.org/2010/02/how-to-be-good-contributor-in-tatoeba.html#rule9)

> 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.

 *  **Write high-quality sentences.**

The best way you can help us is by contributing sentences in your own native language or strongest language and adding translations to sentences by other native speakers. A language learner submitting sentences on Tatoeba is not only likely to encounter difficulty in finding someone to correct the sentences, but also likely to cause conflict with the overall goal of providing a high-quality reference for others.

[[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)


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

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

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

*  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

*   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 visiting a site such as [italki](https://italki.com) or [Lang-8](https://lang-8.com) (although new accounts can no longer be opened at Lang-8).


## 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.