Punctuation Guide: Usage of Chinese-English Mix and Punctuation

People who don't like to add spaces between Chinese and English when typing will have a hard time in relationships. There is a 70% chance they will marry someone they don't love at the age of 34, while the remaining 30% of people can only leave their inheritance to their cats in the end. After all, both love and writing need proper spacing.

Original link: https://tingtalk.me/style-guide/

Online one-click fixing tool I personally recommend: https://www.dute.org/type-setting

To evaluate whether a tech media or designer is professional, I look at whether there is a space between Chinese and English, because beautiful text deserves to be presented in a more elegant and cleaner way.

Some foreign tech companies (Apple, Google, Microsoft… ) and some domestic tech media (SSPAI, Qdaily, Readhub… ), when mixing Chinese and English, will add a half-width space between full-width characters (Chinese) and half-width characters (English, numbers, symbols, etc.) to increase visual beauty.

Around January 2018, WeChat also quietly followed this typeseting aesthetics. For example, if you type 庭说TingTalk in the WeChat chat box and send it, it will automatically become 庭说 TingTalk.

Corect Spelling

Respecting the correct writing of proper nouns is the first step in writing/typeseting:

✔️❌
App, appAPP
App StoreAppstore
a.m.am, AM, A.M. (上午)
emailE-mail, Email
GitHubGithub, github
Googlegoogle
iOSIOS
iPhone XS MaxIphone xs MAX
macOSMacOS
kgKG, Kg
kmKm, KM
MarkdownMarkDown
OKok
P.S.PS, ps, Ps.
Sirisiri
WeChatWechat, wechat
WhatsAppWhatsapp, whatsapp
Wi-FiWIFI, WiFi, wifi
YouTubeYoutube
4K4k
1080p1080P
登录登陆
账号帐号, 账户, 帐户

English Spelling Errors

❗ Capitalization has the role of highlighting emphasis, meaning this word or sentence is very important.

First Letter of Sentence Capitalized

  • ❌ how are you?

  • ✔️ How are you?

Proper Nouns Capitalized

  • ❌ Happy mid-autumn festival

  • ✔️ Happy Mid-Autumn Festival (use the shortest hyphen for hyphenation)

I (me) Capitalized at All Times

  • ❌ I am a slow walker, but i never walk back.

  • ✔️ I am a slow walker, but I never walk back.

  • 📝 I am a slow walker, but I never walk backwards. by Abraham Lincoln

Internet No Longer Capitalized

  • At the beginning, the first letter of Internet was capitalized (special proper noun). With the popularization of the internet, it is no longer special, so it was downgraded to internet.

App

  • App is pronounced [æp], not A-P-P.

  • When used in titles or at the beginning, write as “App”, when used in the main text in a general sense, write as “app”.

  • The plural form of App is “apps”.

Symbol Spelling Errors

Roman Numerals

  • ✔️ I, II, III (they are a whole)

  • ❌ I, II, III (use one or more capital letter I instead)

According to reader feedback, the above writing needs verification.

Multiplication Sign

  • ✔️ × (Microsoft Pinyin input cheng can pop up the authentic multiplication sign)

  • ❌ Use letter x or X instead

With the help of search engines, official websites and Wikipedia, you can easily find how proper nouns should be written.

From Anyway.FM’s UI industry English term aggregation: Anyway.ABC Anne Wei Term Dictionary

Add One More Space

When writing, please be sure to add a space (half-width space) between full-width characters (Chinese characters) and half-width characters (letters, numbers or symbols). When mixing, by deliberately adding spaces, the paragraph will not look so “crowded”, increasing the beauty of Chinese-English mix.

Add Space Between Chinese and English

  • ✔️ Through Google search engine, you can find the information you want faster.

  • ❌ ThroughGoogle search engine, you can find the information you want faster.

  • 📝 For proprietary product names like “Douban FM”, write according to the format defined by the official.

Add Space Between Chinese and Numbers

  • ✔️ On April 29, 2016, the public account “TingTalk” published its first article.

  • ❌ On April 29,2016, the public account “TingTalk” published its first article.

  • ✔️ TingTalk’s blog officially launched on July 18, 2017.

  • ❌ TingTalk’sblog officially launched on July 18, 2017.

Add Space Between Numbers and Units

  • ✔️ The pixel density of iPhone XS display is 458 ppi, maximum brightness (standard) is 625 cd/m².

  • ❌ The pixel density of iPhone XS display is 458ppi, maximum brightness (standard) is 625cd/m².

  • 📝 My phone’s available storage space is only 1GB left. (In Apple’s typesetting philosophy, this is a special case. Whether to add a space depends on your personal choice.)

Typesetting Tools

Punctuation

Symbols interspersed in long texts are like ripples on the lake surface, decorations inlaid on silk satin, bringing rhythm and texture to the layout. For me, this reason is sufficient enough—beauty itself is worth pursuing. by PlatyHsu

Chinese punctuation must use full-width characters. When typesetting, they occupy the same width as one Chinese character, for example . While English generally uses half-width punctuation. When typesetting, they occupy the width of half a Chinese character, for example .

  • ✔️ San Mao said: “If the heart has no place to perch, you are wandering wherever you go.”

  • ❌ San Mao said: “If the heart has no place to perch, you are wandering wherever you go.”

  • ✔️ Please confirm that all connections (cables and connectors) are firmly installed.

  • ❌ Please confirm that all connections(cables and connectors)are firmly installed.

  • 📝 Please confirm that all connections (cables and connectors) are firmly installed (Apple’s practice: half-width brackets + spaces before and after).

Complete English sentences use half-width punctuation

  • ✔️ Jobs said: “Stay hungry, stay foolish.”

  • ❌ Jobs said: “Stay hungry,stay foolish。”

Related Reading

Chinese Punctuation

Exclamation Mark!

Unless absolutely necessary, never use exclamation marks. Only by expressing calmly can you emit a rational voice.

  • ✔️ Express your views calmly, try to avoid using exclamation marks!

  • ❌ Express your views calmly, try to avoid using exclamation marks!!! (Don’t repeat punctuation marks)

  • 📝 When a sentence contains both question and exclamation tones that are relatively strong (such as rhetorical questions with strong emotions and question sentences with exclamation tone), you can add an exclamation mark after the question mark, for example “Can such difficulties discourage us?!”

Ellipsis ……

How to input:

  • ✔️ Switch to Chinese input method, Shift + 6 (above the letter T on the main keyboard) to input the correct ellipsis ……

  • ❌ Use multiple Chinese periods to replace 。。。 or use multiple English periods to replace ......

Ellipsis should not be used together with the word “等”:

  • ❌ We prepared bananas, apples, pears… and other fruits for the potluck.

  • ✔️ We prepared various fruits for the potluck, including bananas, apples, pears…

  • ✔️ We prepared bananas, apples, pears and other fruits for the potluck.

Comma,

  • Comma indicates general pause inside a sentence.

  • Pay attention to avoid “using comma to the end”, that is, all pauses in the entire paragraph use commas except the end.

Enumeration Comma 、

Use enumeration comma between parallel adjectives:

  • ✔️ There are customs of freedom, democracy, equality, and openness here.

  • ❌ There are customs of freedom, democracy, equality, and openness here.

If the last item already uses words like “及”, “以及”, “和”, then enumeration comma is no longer used before the last item:

  • ✔️ The police also organized thousands of militiamen to specifically guard key locations such as bridges, overpasses, culverts, and crossings.

  • ❌ The police also organized thousands of militiamen to specifically guard key locations such as bridges, overpasses, culverts, and crossings.

Cannot use , to replace enumeration comma 、:

  • ✔️ The police also organized thousands of militiamen to specifically guard key locations such as bridges, overpasses, culverts, etc.

  • ❌ The police also organized thousands of militiamen to specifically guard key locations, overpasses, culverts, etc.

If what is paralleled are short sentences, commas should be used:

  • ✔️ I asked him many questions, what he was doing three years ago, what he was doing two years ago, what he plans to do in the future…

  • ❌ I asked him many questions, what he was doing three years ago, what he was doing two years ago, what he plans to do in the future…

When并列的引号之间、并列的书名号之间通常不用顿号。若有其他成分插在并列的引号之间或并列的书名号之间（如引语或书名号之后还有括注），宜用顿号：

  • ✔️ ️️”日""月”构成”明”字。

  • ✔️ The store hangs banners such as “Customer is God” and “Quality is Life”.

  • ✔️ “Dream of the Red Chamber”, “Romance of the Three Kingdoms”, “Journey to the West”, and “Water Margin” are the four great masterpieces of Chinese novels.

  • ✔️ Li Bai’s “White Hair Three Thousand Zhang” (“Song of Autumn""), “Morning like blue silk evening becomes snow” (“Invitation to Wine”) are both widely sung poems.

Parentheses （ ）

When Chinese is mixed with English annotations, use Chinese full-width parentheses to mark the annotations:

  • ✔️ The Beatles (1968) have a song titled “Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey”, this song was later called “Monkey” by musicians.

  • ❌ The Beatles(1968) have a song titled “Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey”, this song was later called “Monkey” by musicians.

When using parentheses for annotations at the end of a sentence, the period should be outside the parentheses:

  • ✔️ For file output, please refer to Section 1.3 (see page 26).

  • ❌ For file output, please refer to Section 1.3 (see page 26.)

Wave Dash ～

The giant grape planted in Piyuan Township has entered the peak production period this year, with yield per mu of 1000 kg ~ 1500 kg.

This sentence uses the wrong (half-width) tilde ~ (U+007E TILDE) as the (full-width) wave dash ～ (U+FF5E FULLWIDTH TILDE) to mark the start and end of numerical ranges.

How to input the correct wave dash? Taking Microsoft Pinyin as an example:

  1. Switch to full-width state (Shift + Space)

  2. Shift + ~ (below Esc)

  3. Switch back to half-width state, then input other content

Therefore, inputting the correct wave dash is a very troublesome thing. It is recommended to use 至 or 到 to replace ～: yield per mu 1000 kg to 1500 kg.

English Punctuation

Use English (half-width) Punctuation

  • ❌ I’m Tim。(using Chinese full-width punctuation)

  • ✔️ I’m Tim.

Add Space After Punctuation

  • ❌ Mr.Zhong

  • ✔️ Mr.“Zhong

  • ❌ We need seven people:three students,three engineers,and a professor.

  • ✔️ We need seven people: three students,three engineers,and a professor. (Note there is a comma before and)

There must be spaces between each sentence and the punctuation of the previous sentence. Spaces are used to separate words. If there are no spaces between the previous sentence and the next sentence, then the last word of the previous sentence and the first word of the next sentence will be connected together. For example, “I_am_here._It_is_8:00_now.” If written as “I am here.It is 8:00 now.”, then “here.it” is not standard. Only in the same word will there be such writing, such as “a.m.”, “U.S.A.”, there are no spaces in the middle, regarded as one word. The above “here.it” might even be regarded as a website link by some websites, because “.it” is a domain name, and there are no spaces in website links.

If English and Chinese appear at the same time, a half-width space should be added between English words and Chinese. For example, “I watched today’s CNN report.” “There is a 木 in the Chinese character 树.” etc.

Paired Symbols (Parentheses and Quotation Marks) with Spaces Before and After

  • ❌ The screen is 6.46 inches(iPhone XS Max)diagonally.

  • ✔️ The screen is 6.46 inches(iPhone XS Max)diagonally.

  • ❌ He said,“I may forget your name,but I never forget a face.”

  • ✔️ He said,““I may forget your name, but I never forget a face.”

In some Style Guides, even in Chinese context, they will replace (Chinese) full-width parentheses with (English) half-width parentheses, and add half-width spaces outside the parentheses (no space added between two consecutive punctuation marks):

iPhone SE is splash, water, and dust resistant, tested under controlled laboratory conditions, with a rating of IP67 under IEC 60529 standard (can stay in water up to 1 meter deep for up to 30 minutes). by Apple

Ellipsis

  • ❌ Juan thought and thought…and then thought some more. (no spaces before and after ellipsis)

  • ❌ Juan thought and thought … and then thought some more. (three English periods instead of ellipsis)

  • ✔️ Juan thought and thought … and then thought some more. (ellipsis is a whole, indivisible)

**When expressing in Chinese, English ellipsis (⋯) should be changed to Chinese ellipsis (……): **

  • English: 5 minutes later⋯

  • Chinese: 5 minutes passed⋯⋯

⌨️ How to Input Ellipsis

  • Android (Android phone): You can definitely find it

  • iOS (Apple phone and Apple tablet): Long press the period on the English keyboard

  • macOS (Apple computer): Option + ; (semicolon key)

  • Windows computer:

  • Method 1: Alt + 0133 (hold Alt, then input 0 1 3 3 on the numeric keypad on the right)

  • Method 2: In Chinese input state, press Shift + 6 (above ^ on letter T), then delete half, then switch back to English input state

Decimal Point

Informally speaking, the Eastern world uses the myriad counting method (1 2345 6789.10), while the Western world uses the thousand counting method (123 456 789.10). Regardless of which counting method, when the number is large, inserting delimiters can facilitate readers to identify how large this string of numbers is. In Western writing, due to different customs in the use of decimal separator (or decimal mark), it will indirectly affect the choice of thousands separator (also called thousand separator, group separator), so these writings will represent different numerical values in different countries: 12,345, 12.345, 12,345.678 and 12.345,678.

Decimal point is used to separate the integer part and decimal part of a number. Such as . in 3.14, but the earth is round:

  • Chinese-speaking regions and most English-speaking regions: use . period (full stop) as decimal point

  • Most other European countries and their former colonies: use , comma (comma) as decimal point

Long String of NumbersThousands SeparatorDecimal PointCommonly Used In
125,124,024.25,.US & UK
125.124.024,25.,Europe
125 124 024,25,International System of Units (comma regions)
125 124 024.25.International System of Units (period regions)

References

Expressing Parallel Relations

Chinese: Don’t use commas to replace enumeration commas

  • ❌ The police also organized thousands of militiamen to specifically guard key locations, overpasses, culverts, etc.

  • ✔️ The police also organized thousands of militiamen to specifically guard key locations such as overpasses, culverts, etc.

English: Use commas to express parallel relations (enumeration comma does not exist)

  • ❌ We need seven people: three students、three engineers、and a professor.

  • ✔️ We need seven people: three students,three engineers,and a professor.

Punctuation Marks That Don’t Exist

Enumeration Comma

There is no enumeration comma 、, use comma , to express parallel relations: She slowly, carefully, and deliberately moved the box.

Book Title Mark

There is no book title mark 《》 in English, use italic (italic, Italian style) to indicate book titles:

  • The title of Stephen R. Covey’s book is The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

When English book titles or movie names are expressed in Chinese, double quotation marks should be changed to book title marks:

  • English: He published an article entitled “The Future of the Aviation”.

  • Chinese: He published an article titled “The Future of the Aviation Industry”.

Other Symbols

Add More Spaces

Operators

  • ✔️ 20 ± 2%, p < 0.01, 1 + 1 = 2

  • ❌ 20±2%, p<0.01, 1+1=2

Copyright Logo ©

  • ✔️ Copyright © 2019 TingTalk. All rights reserved.

  • ❌ Copyright©2019 TingTalk. All rights reserved.

Between Celsius Symbol and Numbers

Usually it’s best to use “°C”, that is, “degree sign (U+00B0 ° DEGREE SIGN, decimal 176)” then add English capital letter U+0043 C LATIN CAPITAL LETTER C, rather than using the compatible CJK encoded compatible character U+2103 ℃ DEGREE CELSIUS, decimal 8451; the latter is a full-width character in most font types.

How to Input

  • Windows

  • °: Press and hold Alt, then press 0 1 7 6 (the number part should be input using the numeric keypad on the right), release the Alt key after completion; or input du in Microsoft Pinyin.

  • C: Then press Shift + C, you can type °C.

  • macOS:

  • °: Taking “Irish - Extended” input method as an example, press Alt/Option + Shift+ 8.

  • C: Then press Shift + C, you can type °C.

The above content is excerpted from Wikipedia

  • ✔️ Scientists discovered through analysis of satellite data that the lowest temperature on Earth appears on the plateau of eastern Antarctica, reaching minus 100 °C.

  • ❌ Scientists discovered through analysis of satellite data that the lowest temperature on Earth appears on the plateau of eastern Antarctica, reaching minus 100°C.

No Need to Add Spaces

Between Currency Symbol and Numbers

  • ✔️ A bowl of original flavor pork soup rice only costs ￥10.

  • ❌ A bowl of original flavor pork soup rice only costs ￥ 10.

Between Percent Sign and Numbers

Percent sign (%) is not a unit, so it should be placed immediately after the number.

  • ✔️ Last year’s turnover increased by 5%

  • ❌ Last year’s turnover increased by 5 %

Between Multiplier and Unit

  • ✔️ 2x, 3n

  • ❌ 2 x, 3 n

Related Reading

Other Specifications

Time

  • ✔️ 12:05 (half-width colon)

  • ❌ 12:5 (not zero-padded)

  • ❌ 12：5 (full-width colon)

Date

Style One

  • ✔️ 2018-09-07 (recommended)

  • ✔️ 2018.09.07

  • ❌ 2018-9-7

Style Two:

  • ✔️ September 7, 2018 (concise and eye-catching)

  • ✔️ September 7, two thousand eighteen (solemn and elegant)

  • ❌ September 07, 2018

Numbers

Lunar Month and Day

  • ✔️: Twenty-third of the twelfth lunar month, August 15 Mid-Autumn Festival (use Chinese characters for numbers)

  • ❌: Lunar month 23, August 15 Mid-Autumn Festival

Using Arabic Numerals and Chinese Characters Simultaneously

  • If a numerical value is very large, the units “万” (ten thousand) and “亿” (hundred million) in the numerical value can use Chinese characters, while the rest uses Arabic numerals. For example: China’s 1982 population census number was 10 hundred million zero 817 ten thousand 5288 people

  • Except for the above situation, general numerical values cannot simultaneously use Arabic numerals and Chinese characters. For example: 108 can be written as “one hundred and eight”, but should not be written as “1 hundred zero 8” or “one hundred 08”; 4000 can be written as “four thousand”, but should not be written as “4 thousand”

References

Numerical Range

When expressing ranges, keep the units at both ends.

  • ✔️ The giant grape planted in Piyuan Township has entered the peak production period this year, with yield per mu of 1000 kg to 1500 kg. (or use 到)

  • ⚠️ The giant grape planted in Piyuan Township has entered the peak production period this year, with yield per mu of 1000 kg ～ 1500 kg. (wave dash ～)

  • ❌ The giant grape planted in Piyuan Township has entered the peak production period this year, with yield per mu of 1000 ~ 1500 kg. (tilde ~)

  • ✔️ This event has a 5% to 10% possibility of occurring.

  • ❌ This event has a 5 to 10% possibility of occurring.

  • ✔️ 56 mm ± 2 mm, (56 ± 2) mm, (56 ± 1) %

  • ⚠️ 10 × 15 × 20 mm (special case)

  • ⚠️ 10 mm × 15 mm × 20 mm (too redundant? doubtful)

Hyphen

(Full-width) Wave Dash (Jadeization Mark)Tilde
～~
U+FF5E FULLWIDTH TILDEU+007E TILDE
Occupies the position of one Chinese characterOccupies the position of half a Chinese character
In full-width mode, Shift+~ (below Esc)In half-width mode, Shift+~ (below Esc)

(Full-width) wave dash (jadeization mark) Tilde ～ ~ U+FF5E FULLWIDTH TILDE U+007E TILDE Occupies the position of one Chinese character Occupies the position of half a Chinese character In full-width mode, Shift + ~ (below Esc) In half-width mode, Shift + ~ (below Esc)

How to input the correct wave dash ～ to mark the start and end of numerical ranges? Taking Microsoft Pinyin as an example:

  1. Switch to full-width state (Shift + Space)

  2. Shift + ~ (below Esc)

  3. Switch back to half-width state (Shift + Space), then input other content

Therefore, inputting the correct wave dash is a very troublesome thing. It is recommended to use 至 or 到 to replace ～: -20°C to -10°C.

Ordered List

✔️ Add a space after the period (refer to Markdown writing)
1. Mute
2. Shutdown
3. Sleep

❌ Did not add a space after the period
1.Mute
2.Shutdown
3.Sleep

---

✔️ No need to add a space after enumeration comma
1, Mute
2, Shutdown
3, Sleep

❌ Added a space after enumeration comma
1, Mute
2, Shutdown
3, Sleep

Telephone Number

  • ✔️ 156 1024 1024 (3-4-4 format, convenient for memory and dialing)

  • ❌ 15610241024

First Line Aligned to Left

  • Indenting the first line by 2 characters is an old practice from the paper media era. The typesetting of articles looks like it’s been gnawed by a dog.

  • In the digital age (especially on mobile)

  • First line aligned to left

  • Separate paragraphs with blank lines

Controversial Areas

The following usages are slightly colored with personal preferences. If you have high opinions, welcome to discuss with me (WeChat ID: 804 976 336).

No Semicolon or Period at the End of Project List Items

✔️

  • Eat eggs and fruit in the morning
  • Eat vegetable salad and fish at noon
  • Eat sweet potatoes and a small bowl of rice at night
  • Drink a bottle of pure milk before sleep

❌

  • Eat eggs and fruit in the morning;
  • Eat vegetable salad and fish at noon;
  • Eat sweet potatoes and a small bowl of rice at night;
  • Drink a bottle of pure milk before sleep.

📝 (Exception for long sentences)

  • First realm of life: Last night the west wind withered the green trees. Alone on the high building, I gaze at the end of the world.

  • Second realm of life: The belt gradually becomes looser, but I never regret it. I am haggard for her.

  • Third realm of life: I search for him thousands of times in the crowd. Suddenly I look back, that person is there, in the dimly lit place.

”Corner Quotation Marks” Instead of “Turtle” Quotation Marks

Reasons

  • “Turtle” quotation marks are prone to rendering errors in the digital world. Are they half-width or full-width? Are they English or Chinese? Unpredictable.

  • Corner quotation marks fit better with square characters (Chinese characters), but they are not the national standard nor the consensus of the mainstream typesetting community.

  • Restrain from using quotation marks, avoid sentences being cut too fragmented.

Input

Note

  • When quotation marks indicate irony or suggession of irony, use curved quotation marks: Work makes me “happy”.

  • 『』 are secondary quotation marks, that is, 「」 are the outermost quotation marks.

Ta Men

  • 📝 Although “他们” can generally refer to both men and women in expression, it gives the impression of referring only to males in form, so I recommend using “他（她）们 / ta 们 / Ta 们 / TA 们” to generally refer to several people other than yourself and the other party (including both men and women)

  • ✔️ In the future when we have children, we must not be hasty in naming him (her).

  • ✔️ In the future when we have children, we must not be hasty in naming Ta.

其他 VS 其它

  • 其他: Refers to people

  • 其它: Refers to events, objects, places, etc.

Use Italic Sparingly

In Western writing, there are two types of fonts with tilted shapes: Oblique type and Italic type. The one whose glyph changes after tilting is “Italic Type”, while the one that simply tilts the original font without glyph change is called “Oblique type”. The italic of Chinese (Chinese characters) are actually all “pseudo-italic” that simply change the font from square to parallelogram. In traditional typesetting, Chinese characters generally do not use italic. The popularity of computers has brought great convenience to font deformation, thus extending this Western practice to Chinese. by Wikipedia

Use Underlining Sparingly

Underlining is a product of the typewriter era. In modern times, it serves as an identifier for hyperlinks (URL), not for emphasis.

Style Guide

Chinese Style

Three marks that good articles possess:

  • Simple and clear text
  • Appropriate wording
  • Precise description that serves the theme

Precise Wording

Clear Reference

When using pronouns (such as 其, 该, 此, 这 and other words), you must clarify what is being referred to, ensuring there is only one meaning.

  • ❌ The management system can monitor the relay system and the distribution system directly controlled by it.

  • ✔️ The management system can monitor two systems: the relay system and the distribution system directly controlled by the relay system.

Using 的 、 地 、 得 Correctly

  • Adjective + 的 + Noun: She showed a happy smile.

  • Adverb + 地 + Verb: She happily laughed.

  • Verb + 得 + Adverb: She laughed very happily.

Degree of Change

了 indicates incremental change, 到 indicates quantitative change.

  • Increased to twice the past (past was one, now is two)
  • Increased by two times (past was one, now is three)

Cannot use the expression reduce N times or decrease N times. Use reduce by what percentage or decrease by what percentage. Because decreasing (or reducing) by one time means the original value was one hundred, now it is zero.

Formal Language

In my opinion, good writing should be long-lived. The more value it缓释, the more advanced the writing. Advanced writing does not focus on grandstanding explosions, but has different angles and viewpoints. We instinctively overestimate the short-term and underestimate the long-term. The value of writing is like this, so are life and work. by Second Master (Qiu Yue)

Use less internet buzzwords or homophone words, such as “蓝瘦香菇” (feeling blue mushroom), “吃枣药丸” (eat date medicine pill), “图样图森破” (too young too simple), etc., because many years later, younger generations may not understand these perishable rhetorical devices, for example:

  • Lady Gaga’s concert was so cool, I have never seen such an awesome performance!!!

Do not recommend words that only specific groups of people can understand, for example:

  • Magic modification (that is, making special optimizations). Or when inserting jargon, list necessary explanations.

In addition, there are:

  • Fans: Don’t call users who like us “fans”, you can replace with “users” or “readers”. Because the term fans seems unequal, and many people don’t like this称呼, it contains the meaning of lacking independent thinking.

  • You and Nin: Please use “你” when it is not very formal or there is no clear individual referent object, such as documents, blogs, mass emails, etc.; please use “您” when referring to specific individuals, such as event invitation letters, etc.

  • Do not use the term “温馨提示” (warm reminder).

Succinct Expression

Nowadays you see documents getting thicker and thicker, but the amount of information contained in them is less and less. We often hold a meeting and then produce some document, and then organize many people to tutor. By reason, generally people with reading ability, knowledgeable people should be able to understand clearly, but in fact we cannot understand clearly, just because this document contains many vocabulary, its meaning is different from its original meaning. by Zhang Weiying talking about language corruption (text draft | YouTube)

We advocate a concise writing style. Please delete words, phrases, and sentences that have no obvious effect on expressing meaning during checking, and reduce the copy length to the shortest without affecting the expression effect.

  • Try to keep the length of a single sentence within 20 characters.

  • Sentences of 20 to 29 characters can be accepted.

  • Sentences of 30 to 39 characters must have clear semantics to be accepted.

  • Sentences of more than 40 characters cannot be accepted under any circumstances.

For example:

  • ❌ This product is applicable to various system architectures from a single-node architecture with one server performing action control to a parallel processing program architecture with multiple servers performing action control.

  • ✔️ This product is applicable to various system architectures. Whether it is one server (single-node architecture) or multiple servers (parallel processing architecture) performing action control, this product can be used.

Use Adjectives Sparingly

  • ❌ The use of this equipment must be carried out under the guidance of a technician who has received formal equipment training from the company.

  • ✔️ This equipment must be used under the guidance of a technician, and the guiding technician must have received formal equipment training from the company.

Use Compound Sentences Sparingly

Try to use simple sentences and parallel sentences:

  • ❌ That person who was sick yesterday did not attend the meeting.

  • ✔️ He was sick yesterday and did not attend the meeting.

Use Conjunctions Sparingly

Overusing conjunctions will affect the rhythm and beauty of sentences. For example, the breeze comes slowly, the water ripples uneasily. This sentence implies a causal relationship, but when we write, do we have to write it as, because the breeze comes slowly, therefore the water ripples uneasily? Another example, at the end of Qin Dynasty the world was in chaos, heroes rose together. This sentence also implies a causal relationship. According to Chinese writing habits, there is no need to write it as, due to the end of Qin Dynasty the world was in chaos, heroes rose together. by Han Bo

For example, the breeze comes slowly, the water ripples uneasily. This sentence implies a causal relationship, but when we write, do we have to write it as, because the breeze comes slowly, therefore the water ripples uneasily?

Another example, at the end of Qin Dynasty the world was in chaos, heroes rose together. This sentence also implies a causal relationship. According to Chinese writing habits, there is no need to write it as, due to the end of Qin Dynasty the world was in chaos, heroes rose together. by Han Bo

Use Universal Verbs Sparingly

Such as weak verbs like 造成 (cause), 进行 (carry out):

  • ❌ The plane crashed, causing the death of more than one hundred people.

  • ✔️ The plane crashed, killing more than one hundred people.

Clear Structure

Use Active Voice More

The normal expression in Chinese is, subject + verb + noun. To change the order of sentence patterns, there must be special reasons. For example, emphasizing that the subject is unsatisfactory or encountering unexpected situations.

  • ❌ The snake bit Xiao Wang.

  • ✔️ Xiao Wang was bitten by a snake.

Because snakes are not the same kind as us, it is hard to resonate with us. Putting Xiao Wang in the subject position not only highlights Xiao Wang’s unsatisfactory situation, but also allows readers to have a strong sense of immersion.

Want to write an article talking about the impact of fast food on Chinese culture:

  • ❌ Chinese people like fast food more and more…

  • ✔️ Fast food is gradually liked by Chinese people…

Because the main purpose of the article is to emphasize fast food.

More examples are as follows:

  • ❌ If this software has not been installed…

  • ✔️ If this software has not been installed…

  • ❌ He was elected as the speaker of the parliament.

  • ✔️ He was elected as the speaker of the parliament.

Use Affirmative Sentences More

For the same meaning, try to use affirmative sentences for expression, not negative sentences.

  • ❌ Please confirm that the power supply of the device is not turned on.

  • ✔️ Please confirm that the power supply of the device is turned off.

Use Double Negation Sentences Sparingly

  • ❌ Users who do not have deletion permissions cannot delete this file.

  • ✔️ Users must have deletion permissions to delete this file.

Related Reading

English Style

Plural Form

If the original English text uses plural form, when translating to Chinese, it should be restored to singular form.

  • English: …information stored in random access memory (RAMs)…

  • Chinese: …information stored in random access memory (RAM)…

Abbreviations

When an English vocabulary appears for the first time, give Chinese annotation in parentheses. After that, when it appears again, you can directly use the English abbreviation.

IOC (International Olympic Committee, International Olympic Committee). After defining it this way, you can directly use “IOC”.

Translation Names

For special nouns such as brands, product names, personal names, place names, if they are from English, please use English to avoid choosing between different translations.

Document Names

  • Document file names must not contain spaces.

  • It is recommended that file names only use lowercase letters, not uppercase letters (can increase typing speed).

  • ❌ TroubleShooting.md

  • ✔️ troubleshooting.md

  • 📝 For eye-catching purposes, file names of some instruction files can use uppercase letters, such as README, LICENSE.

  • When file names contain multiple words, it is recommended to use half-width hyphens () to separate them.

  • ❌ advanced_usage.md

  • ✔️ advanced-usage.md

Why should file names be lowercase? by Ruan Yifeng

Article Structure

Principles

  • One paragraph only expresses one theme.

  • Beginning of paragraph: Use a central sentence to point to the topic, giving an overview of the entire paragraph’s content.

  • Middle of paragraph: Serve the core sentence.

  • End of paragraph: Return to the topic.

  • The length of one paragraph cannot exceed seven lines. The optimal paragraph length is less than or equal to four lines.

Headings

Hierarchy

  • First-level heading (h1): Title of the article

  • Second-level heading (h2): Main section headings of the article’s main parts

  • Third-level heading (h3): Small headings under second-level headings

  • Fourth-level heading (h4): Small headings for a certain aspect under third-level headings

Principles

  • Under first-level heading, cannot directly appear third-level headings.

  • Headings should avoid isolated numbering (that is, there is only one heading at the same level).

  • Lower-level headings do not repeat the content of the previous level heading.

  • Use fourth-level headings cautiously, try to avoid appearing, maintain simple hierarchy and prevent overly complex sections. If there is parallel content under third-level headings, it is recommended to only use item lists.

Article Introduction

The article introduction is very important. Its function is mainly used for display on the website homepage and Weibo sharing. It exists to attract readers to read the article. Its purpose is to allow readers to quickly understand the general content of this article just through this small paragraph of text. Therefore, the introduction is actually the “content summary” of the article, not the first paragraph of the article.

We recommend usually writing the introduction after writing the entire article, combined with the content outline. The introduction must clarify two questions:

  1. What is it? (For example: What kind of application is this? What is this article talking about?)

  2. Why? (For example: The reason why this application is recommended is because it has which characteristics/highlights?)

The language of the introduction must be clear, intuitive, concise. Usually the number of words needs to be controlled at around 90 characters.

Citation Specifications

When citing third-party content, the source should be indicated.

One man’s constant is another man’s variable. — Alan Perlis

If it is a full reprint, please indicate the author and source in a prominent position at the beginning of the full text, and link to the original text.

This article is reproduced from “Android Gujiang“‘s writing specifications.

If the article is partially compiled, then the author and source should be indicated at the end of the article.

Some content of this article is compiled from Apple. Some viewpoints in this article are from “Xiaodao Xiaoxi“‘s Weibo.

Some viewpoints in this article are from “Xiaodao Xiaoxi“‘s Weibo.

If the format does not allow hyperlinks, please directly give the original text link in text form. If the original text link is too long and affects aesthetics, you can use a short link service.

This article is reproduced from WikiQuote: http://bit.ly/UlHIdN

When using external images, you must indicate the source below the image or at the end of the article.

Some images in this article are from Wikipedia. The title image is from: screenshot of “Love in a Puff”.

The title image is from: screenshot of “Love in a Puff”.

References

Related Reading

Finally, I have an impolite request: I hope readers who see this can help spread this article. Because every time I see no space between Chinese and English, I feel very uncomfortable. So for each additional person who adopts this “Writing Style Manual”, I can add fewer spaces. The extra time, I can waste on beautiful things.

References

Related Reading