Applying Translation Memory Suggestions

You can automatically apply matching translations from a Translation Memory (TM) database to segments in a project. In other words, the target cell in the Translation Editor will be populated with the translation. This does not mean the translation is completed. You still need to confirm each one. See Translation Memory.

You can apply TM suggestions at the project, file, or segment level.

How to Apply Translation Memory to a Project—When Creating It

  1. Begin the process of creating a project. See Creating Projects.

  2. On the third page of the wizard, select the TM.

  3. From the Pre-translate options drop-down, select Pre-translate with TM. This automatically applies TM suggestions to the segments in the project.

    Example  

    Let’s say you have performed a great deal of translation work for a particular client. Once in a while, the source files from that client contain identical segments to those you have already translated in previous projects, and you have uploaded those translations to TM. One day, this client sends you some source files for a new translation project, and these source files include 73 segments that you have already translated for them in the past. During the process of creating the new Lingo project, you select the TM database containing those translations and you click Pre-translate. When Lingo finishes creating the new project, it automatically applies matching translations to all 73 of those segments.

  4. Finish the steps for creating the project.

How to Apply Translation Memory to a Project—After It is Created

  1. Open the project.

  2. Select Home > Translate project with TM.

    A message lets you know if segments were applied, and how many.

  3. Click OK.

How to Apply Translation Memory to a File

  1. Open the file in the Translation Editor.
  2. In the local toolbar click . A message lets you know if segments were applied, and how many.
  3. Click OK.

How to Apply Translation Memory to a Segment

In the Translation Editor, click in the empty target cell. The matching suggestion is applied immediately to that cell.

What’s Noteworthy?

Note By default, TM suggestions are applied in the current target language, but you can apply them in all target languages. You can change your language settings in the Project Properties dialog. See Project Properties Dialog.

If you choose to pre-translate your project during project creation, TM suggestions are applied to the whole project across all languages, regardless of the setting in the Project Properties dialog.

Note To confirm a segment, click in that Target cell and press ENTER.

Note Lingo will use your existing fuzzy match settings to fill in matches using the TM. In the Options dialog (File > Options or Tools > Options), you can change the percentage for fuzzy matches to be filled in. See Setting Match Options for Suggestions.

Note Be aware that TM rankings take priority over fuzzy match percentages. If you set a minimum match percentage and you ranked your TMs, a segment in the highest-ranked TM will take priority over a segment in the lower-ranked TM, even if the higher-ranked segment has a lower fuzzy match percentage. See Ranking Translation Memories.

Note In the Options dialog, you can select a check box labeled "Accept Exact Matches upon applying TM." This option automatically confirms matching segments that are applied at the project or file level. See Accepting Exact Matches on Applying Translation Memory.

Note If you apply TM to a project with multiple TM databases selected, Lingo applies matching translations from the highest-ranked database. If no databases are ranked, Lingo applies matching translations from the first database selected.

Note If you apply TM and a segment has multiple exact or context matches, Lingo applies the match from the highest-ranked TM database. If no databases are ranked or there are multiple matches in the same database, Lingo applies the first match it finds in the TM database.

Note If you translate a segment in Lingo and then update the source for that segment, the source content may no longer match the translation provided by the TM or machine translation. If this happens, the TM Source column displays "Xliff Alternate," to indicate that a previous translation is stored in the XLIFF file.