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Q&A What's the best way to show a foreign language in a manuscript?

You have two options depending on context: 1) If it's a quick exchange and can be figured out in context, put the foreign language in italics. "As-tu le livre?" "Yes, I have the book here." or...

posted 13y ago by Lauren Ipsum‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

Answer
#4: Attribution notice removed by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-13T11:59:55Z (over 4 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/1743
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T01:17:07Z (over 4 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/1743
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by (deleted user) · 2019-12-08T01:17:07Z (over 4 years ago)
You have two options depending on context:

1) If it's a quick exchange and can be figured out in context, put the foreign language in italics.

_"As-tu le livre?"_

"Yes, I have the book here."

or inline:

"You filthy _p'taQ!"_ B'Elanna snarled.

2) If it's a quick exchange without context, put the translation afterwards and italicize that.

"Pour ma peine, ma punition, je tourne en rond," he sighed. _For my pain, for my punishment, I pace in circles._ Now Picard understood.

inline:

"Qa'pla!" _Success!_ the Klingon shouted.

In any case, I would not have more than one or two exchanges in a foreign language. Either use a tag like "she said in French" so the reader realizes the characters aren't speaking English, or note in narration "they discussed the matter in French for some time, but as Malcolm didn't speak the language, he had to wait for a translation."

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2011-02-24T02:56:09Z (about 13 years ago)
Original score: 31