# Better translation to English in Style/Language/Italian **URL:** \ **Category:** Style\ **Tags:** italian, style\ **Created:** [January 26, 2026, 12:58am UTC](https://community.metabrainz.org/t/better-translation-to-english-in-style-language-italian/814103 "2026-01-26T00:58:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jim\_DeLaHunt](https://community.metabrainz.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/53a042/32.png) [@Jim\_DeLaHunt](https://community.metabrainz.org/u/Jim_DeLaHunt)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 12:58am UTC](https://community.metabrainz.org/t/better-translation-to-english-in-style-language-italian/814103/1 "2026-01-26T00:58:23Z")
I propose a minor improvement to the English translation of a term “le virgolette basse” in item 4 of [section “Accents, apostrophes and punctuation” in **Style/Language/Italian**](https://musicbrainz.org/doc/Style/Language/Italian#Accents,_apostrophes_and_punctuation). The previous text translated “le virgolette basse” as “straight quotation marks”. I understand Italian “basse” to mean English “low” rather than “straight”. Also, “straight quotation marks” is not idiomatic English for the punctuation «». Rather it means the quotation mark which is a vertical line (`"`), instead of a shape like a comma or 6 or 9 (`“”`). I believe the English term for «» borrows the French word “guillemet”. My improved translation is in [revision 79001](https://wiki.musicbrainz.org/index.php?title=Style%2FLanguage%2FItalian&diff=79001&oldid=78776) . The paragraph now reads, > …low quotation marks, or [guillemets](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/guillemet), (‘‘Don Giovanni: «Là ci darem la mano»’’) are mainly used in direct speech or for quotations. If it helps with reviewing this proposal, I can also make a Style ticket. Please let me know, @reosarevok . ---
**Author:** ![reosarevok](https://community.metabrainz.org/user_avatar/community.metabrainz.org/reosarevok/32/69228_2.png) [@reosarevok](https://community.metabrainz.org/u/reosarevok)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 10:59am UTC](https://community.metabrainz.org/t/better-translation-to-english-in-style-language-italian/814103/2 "2026-01-26T10:59:45Z")
@salo.rock, you should take a look at this 🙂 You’re more qualified to have an opinion than I am. ---
**Author:** ![salo.rock](https://community.metabrainz.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/8e8cbc/32.png) [@salo.rock](https://community.metabrainz.org/u/salo.rock)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 7:16pm UTC](https://community.metabrainz.org/t/better-translation-to-english-in-style-language-italian/814103/3 "2026-01-26T19:16:51Z")
Yes, this seems to be an oversight of mine, well spotted @Jim_DeLaHunt! I made a further suggestion for simplification in [revision 79005](https://wiki.musicbrainz.org/index.php?title=Style/Language/Italian&oldid=79005): as we have an example immediately after the term, to keep things simple I would use directly the correct term and not include links about it. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_DeLaHunt](https://community.metabrainz.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/53a042/32.png) [@Jim\_DeLaHunt](https://community.metabrainz.org/u/Jim_DeLaHunt)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2026, 7:06am UTC](https://community.metabrainz.org/t/better-translation-to-english-in-style-language-italian/814103/4 "2026-01-27T07:06:50Z")
I agree, the simplified mention of guillemets in the English version looks fine to me. ---
**Author:** ![reosarevok](https://community.metabrainz.org/user_avatar/community.metabrainz.org/reosarevok/32/69228_2.png) [@reosarevok](https://community.metabrainz.org/u/reosarevok)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2026, 10:10am UTC](https://community.metabrainz.org/t/better-translation-to-english-in-style-language-italian/814103/5 "2026-01-27T10:10:44Z")
Thanks to you both! Transcluded.