Common ISSUES

Using hyphens to isolate words or sentences. 

Incorrect: Avatar - Emissário do Vácuo

Correct: Avatar – Emissário do Vácuo

Capital after a colon. Use lower case after a colon. Only exception if it is a proper noun.

Incorrect:  Visual de Hasan-e: Armada e perigosa!

Correct: Visual de Hasan-e: armada e perigosa!

Comma separating subject from predicate. A basic grammar rule, yet often neglected.

Incorrect:  Pontos de comando para naves básicas, são limitados.

Correct:  Pontos de comando para naves básicas são limitados.

Concordance of laranja. Substantives acting as adjectives do not inflect for number. Another basic grammar rule that is often overlooked.

Incorrect:  Montarias roxas e armas laranjas. (the weapons are fruits)

Correct:  Montarias roxas e armas laranja.

Misuse of serial comma. Serial commas are only used in case of ambiguity. Keep English grammar for English.

Activate rendering of shadows projected by players and in-game objects.
Incorrect:  Neste sistema estelar são produzidos metais, cristais, e deutério.

Correct:  Neste sistema estelar são produzidos metais, cristais e deutério.

Verb tense in descriptions. In descriptions of function and skills, Enlgish may opt for plural inflection of the first verb. This may be ambiguous, as could also sound as imperative tense. Use your best judment to assess if third-person indicativo infleciton is the best option. If in doubt, ask for context.

Incorrect:  Ative a renderização das sombras projetadas por personagens e objetos no jogo. (Instruction to the player.)

Correct:  Ativa a renderização das sombras projetadas por personagens e objetos no jogo. (Description of a feature.)

Multiple exclamation marks. No matter how many the source has, only use one. If it is a title, DO NOT use it.

Incorrect:  Que fofo!!!

Correct:  Que fofo!

Breaking parallelisms in advertisement content. More of a suggestion. Parallelism is a powerful writing technique that improves comprehension and rhythm.

Incorrect:  Compre para ganhar um voucher

Correct:  Compre e ganhe um voucher

DO NOT invent the Portunês. Be attentive to the terms in GOLD when you encounter them on your translations.

Com sucesso. Chinese language uses 成功 (successfully) as we would use pretérito perfeito.  Using both is redundancy.

Source: 赠送成功

Incorrect:  Enviado com sucesso

Incorrect:  Envio bem sucedido

Correct:  Enviado! (Ask yourself: Do enviado sem succeso or comprado sem sucesso even make sense in BRPT?)

Acumular, no total. 累计 a filler word that most times can be omitted. Also, avoids sentences like "acumular 1 item", "1 item no total".

Source: 累计登录{n}天

Incorrect:  Acumule {n} dia(s) de login no total

Correct:  Faça login {n} dia(s)

Use para obter. 使用后 can be shorten into a single verb.

Source: 使用后经验+100

Incorrect:  Use para obter +100 EXP

Correct:  Concede +100 EXP

Não resgatado. DO NOT translate word by word, it can be simplified.

Source: 以下是您通行证未领取奖励，请及时查收

Incorrect: Confira abaixo as recompensas do passe não resgatadas

Correct:  Confira abaixo as recompensas do passe disponíveis

Número de vezes. DO NOT translate word by word, it can be simplified.

Source: 荆棘牢笼使用总次数: {}

Incorrect: Número de vezes em que a Gaiola de Espinhos foi utilizada: {}

Correct:  Usos de Gaiola de Espinhos: {}

Um certo, correspondente. In this context, 对应 usually refers to a condition that is determined by design.

Source: 达到对应等级后解锁

Incorrect:  Alcance o nível correspondente para desbloquear. (Corresponding to what?)

Incorrect:  Alcance um certo nível para desbloquear. (Sounds like not even the game knows what level it is.)

Correct:  Alcance o nível determinado para desbloquear.

Atual. Check if it can be replaced by a pronome demonstrativo, like este, or can be omitted if the objective is to denote present tense.

Source: 当前设备无法运行游戏

Incorrect: O dispositivo atual não pode rodar o jogo.

Correct:  Este dispositivo não pode rodar o jogo.

Source: 当前游戏版本较低

Incorrect: A versão atual do jogo está desatualizada. (A logical pretzel.)

Correct:  Versão do jogo desatualizada. 

Alvo. It works when the context is trying to hit an enemy, but in many cases it just mean something the user selected.

Source: 目标位置无法到达

Incorrect: O local-alvo é inacessível.

Correct:  O local selecionado é inacessível.

Tilde (~) at the end of a sentence. Chinese uses it to express empathy or soften a blunt remark. Refer to the dialogue section in [Transcreation] for more.

Source: 开学啦~

Incorrect:  Volta às aulas~

Correct:  Volta às aulas!

Other filler terms. Expressions that may be unnecessary in BRPT depending on the context.

• 完成 — Compra efetuada → Comprado

• 立即 — Resgatar agora → Resgatar

• 状态 — Entre em um estado de Frenesi → Entra em Frenesi

• 获得 — Obtenha 10 entradas no jogo → Entre no jogo 10 vezes

• 花费 — Deseja gastar {0} para recuperar o herói? →  Usar {0} para recuperar o herói? (Usar is more flexible and natural in this context.)

• 数量 — Quantidade de gemas: {n} → Gemas: {n} (Plural is enough if the number is going to be displayed right after.)

• 前往 — Ir Configurar → Configurar (The button with a verb already carries the meaning that it will execute an action.)

• 一键 — Compartilhar com um toque → Compartilhar  (Can also denote 'Rápido', as you can finish a battle or equip items with one click.)

• 暂 — Sem classificação por enquanto →  Sem classificação

• 直 — Já entrou no reino diretamente →  Já entrou no reino

• 需要先 — É preciso equipar a arma primeiro →  Equipe a arma primeiro (Use imperative mode for instructions.)

Some sources will require more editing in order to sound natural and straightforward in BRPT.

You are free to restructure or rewrite the whole sentence, as long as the information is preserved. Recurrent challenges:

Asking the grammar class in Q&A sheets. A common mistake for linguists unfamiliar with Chinese language. Chinese grammar is very loose, and definitions of verb and noun are often blurred. Also, is likely the question will be replied considering Chinese grammar, which may not match PT. As for context instead, preferably with examples.

Source: [Report] 

Incorrect:  "Is this a noun or a verb?" = In Chinese, there wouldn't be a distinction. 举报 is both, and none at the same time. Keep in mind the person answering is likely unfamiliar with Portuguese and its conventions (e.g. if is a button, should be a verb in infinitivo), and it's up to you to ask the right questions.

Correct:  Try to be complete on your question, adding possible interpretations, why is this an issue on PTBR, so they can interpret better what the question is about. Below a list of query suggestions that has been proved effective in the past: 

Could you share a full picture of that UI?

Is this a battle report or a button to report player misconduct?
This word has multiple possible interpretations. Can explain to what function/mechanic is it related?

Is this a button or a title? If it is a button, what happens if I click it?

What triggers this message?

What is the player expected to do with with this information?

Commas as conjunctions. In Chinese, commas are often used to link orações coordenadas and subordinadas. DO NOT reproduce that pattern in Portuguese, as sentences can grow long and complicated. Edit and even rewrite the whole sentence if necessary.

Source: 阿尔法紧急后跳，进入悬停状态，悬停状态下可以自由行动，再次释放，可以向前进行冲刺

Incorrect:  Alfa salta para trás e flutua, podendo se mover livremente, e você pode usar a habilidade outra vez para fazer uma investida.

Correct:  Alfa salta para trás, flutua e pode se mover livremente. Use a habilidade outra vez para fazer uma investida.

Logical redundancies. You can use omit obvious logical consequences. If you are not sure if the part can be removed, query the PM.

Source: 温度越适宜孵化速度就越快。在长时间没照料的情况温度会慢慢下降而导致孵化速度变慢。

Incorrect:  Quanto mais quente a temperatura, mais rápida a incubação do pet. A temperatura cairá aos poucos se você não cuidar dele, resultando em uma incubação mais lenta.

Correct:  Quanto mais quente, mais rápida será a incubação do pet. Atenção: a temperatura cai se você não cuidar dele!  (The opposite is a logical consequece.)

Missing information. Information like prepositions, gender and number be unspecified in the source. The issue is recurrent in lootboxes names, especially concerning inflection of adjectives. If you need more information, query our PMs. 

Source: 活动随机礼盒 

Correct:  Caixa de Evento Aleatório (Player gets a lootbox randomly chosen from a pool of game event lootboxes.)

Correct:  Caixa de Evento Aleatória (Player gets a lootbox from the event, and contents are random.)

Circumlocution. No need to Rolando Lero the output to make it match the source word-by-word. If a one-word translation is available, use it.

Source: 烧焦使用总次数

Incorrect:  Número total de vezes em que habilidade Chamuscar foi utilizada: {n}

Correct:  Usos da habilidade Chamuscar: {n}

Excessive descriptiveness. You can ellipsis words that are implied by context.

Source: 赛季通行证豪华版礼包

Incorrect:  Pacote do Passe de Temporada versão Luxo 

Correct:  Pacote do Passe de Temporada Luxo (the adjective at the end already denotes it is the 'deluxe version')

Source: SS级战宠自选礼包

Incorrect:  Pacote de Pet nível SS 

Correct:  Pacote de Pet SS  (The letters already are the indicator or quality level)

Uncountable nouns. Be attentive some nouns, specially items and production resources, can change meaning when written in plural form.

Source: 派遣英雄挖矿可获得矿石

Incorrect:  Envie heróis para produzirem minérios na mina (there are several types of minério the played need to mine)

Correct:  Envie heróis para produzirem minério na mina (minério is a single resource)

Transsexualizing characters. Use the appropriate inflection for articles and adjectives. When in doubt about a character's gender, query the PM. 

Incorrect: visual de Hasan-e: armado e perigoso!

Correct: visual de Hasan-e: armada e perigosa!

City names. Both Brazilian Portuguese and international names are acceptable but DO NOT mix both formats in the same name (e.g., Nova York). For Chinese cities, the Chinese pinyin name is preferred.

• New York: Nova Iorque ou New York

• Seoul: Seul ou Seoul

• Beijing: Beijing ou Pequim

• Shanghai: Shanghai ou Xangai

• Guangzhou: Guangzhou ou Cantão

Excessive repetition is a sign of poor vocabulary and bad writing. Avoid it as much as possible, use synonyms and ellipsis.

Incorrect: Compre itens do evento Natal Nevado na loja do evento Natal Nevado.

Correct: Compre itens do Natal Nevado na loja do evento.

Excessive use of preposition de. Avoid the echo of the preposition de. Portuguese has different prepositions, USE THEM!

Incorrect:  Chip de Fluxo de Dados de Combate

Correct:  Chip para Fluxo de Dados de Combate

Preposition de + Adjective. Names of events and loot boxes often use too many prepositions. Prefer using adjectives when possible.

Incorrect:  Baú de Tesouro do Evento de Férias de Verão na Praia.

Correct:  Baú das Férias de Verão Praianas.

Ambiguity. Chinese source may be unclear given to its lack of prepositions and inflections. Query the PM for details and revise the output.

Incorrect: Aumenta a esquiva dos mísseis. (Increases the mísseis evasion of something? Or my ability to evade the mísseis?)

Correct:   Aumenta esquivar de mísseis.

Parece estar. A frequent redundancy. Parecer and estar are both verbos de ligação, using both is a waste of space.

Incorrect:  Você parece estar assustado.

Correct:  Você parece assustado.

Confusing order. A word by word translation that ignores clarity. Change the order or add punctuation marks if needed.

Incorrect: Visual Boneca Gótica do Bis da Temporada

Correct: Bis da Temporada – visual Boneca Gótica

Avoid advérbios de modo. They are long and can hurt the streamlining. Find a synonym or change the sentence order.

Incorrect: Aumenta o dano consideravelmente

Correct: Aumenta muito o dano

Excessive capitalization. If you highlight everything, you've highlighted nothing.

Incorrect: Baú do Evento Natal Nevado. Contém a Arma Laranja Balinhas Natalinas e a Montaria Lendária Rena Esportiva.

Correct: Baú do evento Natal Nevado. Contém a arma laranja Balinhas Natalinas e a montaria lendária Rena Esportiva.