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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/tldr-pages/tldr/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

tldr-pages supports 40+ languages. Translating pages makes the project accessible to command-line users around the world who are more comfortable reading instructions in their native language. Every translation contribution is welcome, from a single page to an entire platform directory.

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Translation directory structure

The English pages are the source of truth and live in the pages/ directory. Each language has its own directory alongside it, named with a POSIX locale code: 
tldr/
├── pages/          ← English (source of truth)
├── pages.fr/       ← French
├── pages.zh/       ← Chinese (Simplified)
├── pages.pt_BR/    ← Portuguese (Brazil)
├── pages.zh_TW/    ← Chinese (Taiwan)
├── pages.de/       ← German
└── ...

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Locale naming convention

Language directories follow the POSIX Locale Name pattern: 
pages.<language>[_<country>]
  • <language> — the shortest ISO 639 language code for the chosen language.
  • <country> — an optional two-letter ISO 3166-1 country code, added only when there is a substantial difference between the base language and a regional dialect.
Some examples of valid locale tags:
LocaleDirectory
Frenchpages.fr
Chinese (Simplified)pages.zh
Chinese (Singapore)pages.zh_SG
Chinese (Taiwan)pages.zh_TW
Portuguese (Brazil)pages.pt_BR
Germanpages.de
For example, fr_FR and fr_BE both fall under pages.fr since there is virtually no difference in writing between standard French and Belgian French.

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Platform directories

Inside each language directory, the same platform subdirectories (common/, linux/, osx/, etc.) are used. A translated page mirrors the path of its English counterpart: 
pages/common/tar.md         ← English original
pages.fr/common/tar.md      ← French translation
pages.zh/common/tar.md      ← Chinese translation

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Translation workflow

1

Check the translation progress dashboard

Visit https://lukwebsforge.github.io/tldri18n/ to see a dynamically updated table of all pages and their translation status. This helps you identify which pages are missing translations or are outdated in your target language.
2

Create the language directory if it does not yet exist

If no directory exists for your language yet, create it along with the appropriate platform subdirectory:
mkdir -p pages.de/common
When adding a new language, also add it to the translation templates along with any page additions.
3

Create the translated page, mirroring the English path

Create the translated Markdown file at the same relative path as the English original:
# English original: pages/common/tar.md
touch pages.de/common/tar.md
Translate the description text and example descriptions. Keep the Markdown structure, command lines, and placeholder syntax identical to the English page.
4

Submit a pull request

Commit your translated file(s) using the standard commit message format and open a PR against the main branch. Multiple page translations may be grouped in a single pull request. Use the commit message format:
cp: add Tamil translation
pages.fr/common/*: update pages

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Translation rules

These rules apply to all language translations:
  • Always base translations on the English page in pages/. If the English page does not yet exist for a command, add it first in a separate PR before creating the translation.
  • Only translate languages you can confidently read and proofread. Avoid machine-generated or bulk edits across languages you do not know.
  • Machine translation may be used as a reference only. The output must be thoroughly proofread before submission. PRs suspected of being submitted without human review will be closed.
  • Do not translate example.com. The domain is reserved by IANA for documentation purposes. Replacing it with a translated equivalent could put users at risk.
  • When fixing an existing translation, update the page to match the latest English version at the same time where possible.
  • When you change an English page, it is fine to leave other languages untouched. Native speakers and maintainers will sync them later by referring to the translation dashboards.

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Language-specific rules

Command and example descriptions on pages in French must use the third person singular present indicative tense (présent de l’indicatif à la troisième personne du singulier).
  • ✅ Extrait une archive
  • ❌ Extraire une archive
  • ❌ Extrais une archive
There must also be a single blank space before special characters (:) in descriptions:
  • ✅ Crée une archive à partir de fichiers :
  • ❌ Crée une archive à partir de fichiers:
  • ✅ Plus d'informations : https://example.com.
  • ❌ Plus d'informations: https://example.com.
Example descriptions on pages in Portuguese (both European and Brazilian) must start with verbs in the third person singular present indicative tense. Descriptions should explain what the command does.
  • ✅ Lista os arquivos
  • ❌ Listar os arquivos
  • ❌ Listando os arquivos
Descriptions of commands and examples must be conjugated in the third person singular indicative tense:
> Crea archivos.

- Crea un archivo en un directorio:
Preferably use identificador instead of id in placeholders (e.g. {{identificador_de_usuario}}). Writing prepositions is optional, but if a line exceeds the maximum length, choose one form (identificador or id) and use it consistently across all placeholders in that page.
When Chinese words, Latin words, and Arabic numerals appear in the same sentence, follow these rules:
  1. Place one space before/after English words and numbers: 列出所有 docker 容器 not 列出所有docker容器.
  2. Place one space between numbers and units, except degrees and percentages: 容量 50 MB but 50°C and 50%.
  3. No additional spaces before/after full-width punctuations.
  4. Use full-width punctuations except for long Latin clauses.
  5. Use half-width punctuation to end a sentence when the last character is half-width: 将代码转化为 Python 3. not 将代码转化为 Python 3。.
  6. Use precise form for technical terms; do not use unofficial Chinese abbreviations: use Facebook not fb or 脸书.
Track translation progress at the translation dashboard: https://lukwebsforge.github.io/tldri18n/. You can also find the community in the Matrix chatroom at #tldr-pages:matrix.org for questions, discussion, and coordination with other translators.

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