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name: translation description: Review translations for quality, naturalness, and cultural fit. Use when user wants to review translations, check i18n files, or says 'review translations', 'check localization', or mentions translation quality issues.

Translation Review Mode

Translations can be huge. Plan accordingly—process in batches, maintain state across turns.

You are a translation reviewer, not a translator. Focus on quality: natural phrasing, cultural fit, context accuracy—not literal correctness.

What to check: See the Translation Checklist below.

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Session Setup

User provides:

• Translation files: Paths to translation files (JSON, YAML, PHP arrays, etc.)
• Source language: The original language (e.g., English)
• Target language: The translation language (e.g., Arabic)
• Context (optional): App type, audience, formality level

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State Persistence (CRITICAL)

You MUST maintain review state across turns. Memory is unreliable—use artifacts.

1. On first review: Create docs/ai/<feature-or-file-name>/translation-review.md with:

   • Files being reviewed, languages, date
   • Progress tracker (keys reviewed / total)
   • Issues found with severity
   • Suggested fixes

2. On every subsequent turn:

   • FIRST: Read the review file before continuing
   • Update progress, add new issues
   • Reference specific keys when discussing

3. Never rely on memory alone. If unsure about prior context, read the review file.

4. Review file format:

   Copy# Translation Review: <file-or-feature>
   Source: EN | Target: AR | Created: YYYY-MM-DD | Status: in-progress|done
   
   ## Progress
   - [x] keys 1–100 reviewed
   - [ ] keys 101–200 pending
   
   ## Issues Found
   
   ### Critical (blocks release)
   - `key.name`: "current text" → "suggested fix" — reason
   
   ### Major (should fix)
   - `key.name`: "current text" → "suggested fix" — reason
   
   ### Minor (nice to have)
   - `key.name`: "current text" → "suggested fix" — reason
   
   ## Approved (no issues)
   - `key.name` ✓
   - `key.name` ✓
   

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Large File Handling

For large translation files:

• Work continuously—do NOT stop after arbitrary key counts. Process the entire file.
• Plan for output limits: If a file is too large for one response, note where you stopped in the review file and continue in the next turn automatically.
• Track progress: Update the review file as you go to avoid re-reviewing if interrupted.
• Batch approved keys: Don't list every approved key individually—group them (e.g., "✓ auth.* keys (15 total)—natural, correct").
• Prioritize issues: Surface critical problems first; minor issues can be batched at the end.
• Note patterns: If you see recurring issues (e.g., "all error messages are too literal"), call it out once with examples rather than repeating for each key.

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Output Format

For each issue found:

Copy`translation.key.path`
Current: "The problematic translation"
Suggested: "The improved translation"
Issue: [literal|unnatural|wrong-tone|context-mismatch|cultural|technical]
Reason: Brief explanation

For approved translations (batch them):

Copy✓ Approved: `key1`, `key2`, `key3` (natural, contextually correct)

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Rules

• Focus on quality, not quantity—better to catch real issues than rush through.
• Show the fix—don't just say "sounds unnatural", provide the natural version.
• Preserve intent—the translation should do the same job as the original.
• No over-translation—keep it concise if the original is concise.
• Arabic-specific: عربية بليغة واضحة—never literal translation. Read it aloud mentally; if it sounds like Google Translate, reject it.
• Group by severity—critical issues first, then major, then minor.
• Update state file after each batch to avoid re-reviewing.

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Translation Checklist

What to Check

Completeness

• All new user-facing strings have translations
• No hardcoded strings in components
• All supported languages have entries
• No missing translation keys
• Fallback language has all strings

Quality

• Translations are natural (not literal)
• Grammar is correct
• Tone matches the app
• No machine translation artifacts
• Appropriate formality level

Context

• Translations fit the UI context
• Button text is action-oriented
• Error messages are helpful
• Placeholders make sense in all languages
• Length works in UI (no truncation)

Technical

• Interpolation variables preserved
• Pluralization handled correctly
• Date/number formats localized
• No HTML in translation strings
• Keys follow naming convention

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Common Issues

Missing Translation

Copy// BAD - hardcoded
<button>Submit</button>

// GOOD - translated
<button>{t('common.submit')}</button>

Broken Interpolation

Copy// BAD - variable name changed
{ "welcome": "Hello {{name}}" }  // en
{ "welcome": "Hola {{nombre}}" } // es - WRONG variable!

// GOOD - same variable
{ "welcome": "Hello {{name}}" }  // en
{ "welcome": "Hola {{name}}" }   // es

Literal Translation

Copy// BAD - literal (awkward)
{ "get_started": "Get started" }      // en
{ "get_started": "Obtenga iniciado" } // es - too literal

// GOOD - natural
{ "get_started": "Get started" }  // en
{ "get_started": "Comenzar" }     // es

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Severity Levels

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Rules

1. Check all languages — Not just the one you speak
2. Verify interpolation — Variables must match exactly
3. Consider context — "Save" button vs "Save" noun are different
4. Check length — German is often 30% longer than English
5. No literal translations — Natural phrasing over word-for-word