Translation Memory Basics
Translation Memory (TM) helps you reuse previous translations.
What is Translation Memory?
A Translation Memory stores pairs of source and target text:
| Source | Target | Match % |
|---|---|---|
| “Save the file" | "Sla het bestand op” | 100% |
| “Save the document" | "Sla het document op” | 85% |
When you translate new text, the TM finds similar segments.
How TM Works
- You translate a segment
- TM stores the source + target pair
- Later, when similar text appears:
- TM finds matches
- Shows them in the Translation Results panel
- You can insert or adapt them
Match Types
| Type | Match % | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Exact | 100% | Identical source text |
| High Fuzzy | 90-99% | Minor differences (numbers, capitalization) |
| Medium Fuzzy | 75-89% | Some words different |
| Low Fuzzy | 50-74% | Significant differences |
Benefits
Save Time
Don’t translate the same sentence twice. TM automatically suggests previous translations.
Consistency
Same source = same translation. Important for technical documentation, UI strings, and legal text.
Cost Savings
Clients often pay less for TM matches:
- 100% match: Lowest rate
- Fuzzy match: Reduced rate
- New text: Full rate
TM in Supervertaler
Translation Results Panel
When you select a segment:
- TM searches for matches
- Results appear in the panel on the right
- Shows match percentage, source, and target
- Double-click to insert
Using Matches
| Action | How |
|---|---|
| Insert match | Double-click, or select it and press Ctrl+Space |
| Copy match | Right-click → Copy |
| View in context | Right-click → View in TM |
Building TM
Your TM grows as you translate:
- Translate a segment
- Confirm with
Ctrl+Enter - The pair is saved to active TM
Multiple TMs
You can have multiple TMs:
- Project TM: For the current project
- Client TMs: One per client
- Master TM: All your translations
TM Priority
When multiple TMs match:
- Higher priority TMs shown first
- Can reorder in the TMs tab
Sending segments to several TMs at once
To push your confirmed translations into more than one TM in a single run, use Bulk Operations ▸ Update active TMs. Under Target Translation Memories, tick every TM you want to update – the segments are written to all of them in one pass, with a per-TM summary of how many were sent to each.