Language and tone standards for all written content across 3 languages — English (British, East African), French (Francophone African), and Kiswahili (East African standard). Enforces authentic, culturally appropriate, professional communication in each language. Apply throughout all content generation steps.
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Language and tone standards for all written content across 3 languages — English (British, East African), French (Francophone African), and Kiswahili (East African standard). Enforces authentic, culturally appropriate, professional communication in each language. Apply throughout all content generation steps.
Language Standards — Multi-Language Tone & Grammar
All website copy, headings, calls to action, descriptions, and microcopy must follow this style guide for their respective language. This is a cross-cutting standard applied throughout every content-writing step.
Core Principles (All Languages)
Clear and direct. Sentences are straightforward, grammatically careful, logically structured.
Formal and respectful. Politeness is essential. Communication shows courtesy and humility.
No excessive marketing language. Avoid drama, exaggeration, slang.
Professionally indirect. Soften directives with courteous phrasing.
Use terms understood across francophone Africa (not Canada-specific, not France-specific):
Budget (not "subvention")
Entreprise (company, not "compagnie")
Personnel (staff, not "employés" alone)
Client (customer/client, standard everywhere)
Formation (training, widely used)
French CTAs and Button Text
English
French (Formal)
Sign Up
S'inscrire
Register
Créer un compte
Contact Us
Nous contacter
Learn More
En savoir plus
Submit
Soumettre
Download
Télécharger
Place Your Order
Passer votre commande
Get Started
Commencer maintenant
French-Specific Considerations
In-Country Reviewer Required
All French content must be reviewed by a native francophone speaker from the target market (Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Senegal, DRC, Gabon). Send for review before publishing.
Text Expansion
French is typically 20–40% longer than English. Design for 1.3x expansion:
Buttons must accommodate longer labels
Navigation items must wrap gracefully
Form labels must not overlap fields
Regional Variations
Avoid country-specific terms unless relevant:
Use neutral francophone African vocabulary
Avoid France-centric references
Avoid Canadian (Québécois) terminology
KISWAHILI (sw) — East African Standard
Core Characteristics
Standard East African Kiswahili — not regional dialects (Mombasa, Zanzibar variants).
Formal/respectful register throughout professional communication.
Humble and relationship-focused — Swahili culture emphasizes harmony.
Use formal register in all professional communication:
Avoid slang (sheng, Nairobi street language)
Use full words (hakuna = do not have, not "hakuna matata")
Respectful pronouns and address forms
Tense Selection
Present habitual: -na- (Anataka = He/she wants)
Near future: -ta- (Atakuja = He/she will come)
Past completed: -li- (Alifika = He/she arrived)
Conditional: -ki-, -ngali (Akija = if he/she comes)
Kiswahili Dates and Numbers
Date format: Februari 17, 2026 (or 17 Februari 2026)
Month names: English borrowed (Januari, Februari) — no Kiswahili equivalents universally understood
Day of week: Jumapili (Sunday), Jumatatu (Monday), Jumanne (Tuesday), etc.
Numbers: Use spaces for thousands: 1 000 (not 1,000)
Currency: Shilingi (Sh, KES for Kenya), or specified in design-tokens.md
Kiswahili Courtesy and Formality
Standard Openings (Business)
Habari yako? (How are you? — formal)
Tunataka kuwashukuru… (We want to thank you…)
Tunakuomba… (We kindly request…)
Respectful Phrases (Kiswahili)
Tafadhali (please — polite request)
Asante sana (thank you very much)
Karibu sana (welcome, you're welcome)
Pole pole (take it easy, go slowly — suggests respect/patience)
Haba na haba hujaza kibaba (little by little fills the measure — patience/humility)
Tunataka kuwajua (We want to know / We would like to learn)
Tutakurejea (We will respond to you)
Tukikubali (If we may, with your permission)
Closings
Kwa heshima (with respect)
Wakati mwingine (another time / we hope to hear from you)
Tunatumaini kuongea nayo upya (We hope to speak with you again)
Kiswahili Vocabulary Standards
Preferred Professional Terms
Kusimamia (to manage, oversee)
Kutekeleza (to implement, execute)
Kushiriki (to participate, engage)
Kusaada (to help, support)
Kuboresha (to improve, enhance)
Kupatiana (to agree, coordinate)
Kuhakiki (to verify, confirm)
Kuarifu (to inform, notify)
Kujifunza (to learn)
Muhimu (important, significant)
Faida (benefit, advantage)
Lengo (goal, objective)
Words to Avoid (Too Colloquial)
Slang/sheng — use formal Kiswahili
Hyperbolic marketing words
English insertions without Kiswahili alternative available
Kiswahili CTAs and Button Text
English
Kiswahili (Formal)
Sign Up
Jisajili
Register
Andika Jina
Contact Us
Wasiliana Nasi
Learn More
Jua Zaidi
Submit
Tuma
Download
Pakua
Place Your Order
Agiza Bidhaa
Get Started
Anza Sasa
Kiswahili-Specific Considerations
In-Country Reviewer Required
All Kiswahili content must be reviewed by a native Kiswahili speaker from East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, or Uganda). Regional variants exist; ensure reviewer is from target market.
Text Expansion
Kiswahili is typically 10–30% longer than English. Design for 1.2x expansion:
Buttons must flex for longer labels
Navigation items must wrap gracefully
Form labels must have clear spacing
No Dialects
Use standard East African Kiswahili
Avoid Mombasa Swahili (maChinwali features)
Avoid Zanzibari Swahili (historical variants)
Avoid regional slang or sheng (Nairobi street language)
Relationships and Harmony
Kiswahili communication culture emphasizes relationships:
Lead with greetings and acknowledgment
Use plural forms to show respect (sisi = we, kuambia mtu = speak to a person)
Avoid direct criticism or bluntness
Always acknowledge the relationship before asking for action
When This Skill Applies
This skill is cross-cutting — it applies throughout all content generation:
All visible website text: headings, body copy, service descriptions, about pages, CTAs
Meta descriptions and SEO text
Alt text for images: clear, descriptive, respectful, in target language
Error messages and form labels: polite, never terse
Email templates and contact responses
Microcopy: tooltips, helper text, notifications
Integration with Other Skills
i18n: Determines which language versions are built
page-builder: Applies language standards when creating content
seo: Uses language standards for meta tags, titles, descriptions
sector-strategies: Industry-specific tone within language standards
design-system: Visualizes language standards in typography and layout
Enforcement Checkpoints
Before publishing any page, verify:
English pages: British spelling, East African tone, no marketing hype
French pages: Formal French, vous throughout, francophone African vocabulary, reviewed by francophone
Kiswahili pages: Standard Kiswahili, formal register, no slang, reviewed by East African native speaker
All pages: No truncation or text overflow in any language
All pages: Grammatically correct, properly punctuated, culturally appropriate
All pages: CTAs use respectful, inviting language (not aggressive)
Language-Specific Reviewers
Before publishing in any language, assign review:
English: East African professional (optional native review; standards in this guide)
French: Native francophone speaker from Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Senegal, DRC, or Gabon
Kiswahili: Native Kiswahili speaker from Kenya, Tanzania, or Uganda
All translations reviewed by in-country professionals before publishing.
