6

How can one translate "Submit the form" (in a HTML page) into German?

I’ve searched an the dictionary says that "Submit" is something like "Vorlegen" but I’m not sure about it.

Improve this question

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
7

It depends on what that form is doing for the user, but in any case "Absenden" or "Abschicken" (identical meaning) would fit very well.
If its something like an application or a legal request, it might be better to use something like "Antrag einreichen".

A great website for word combinations like that is linguee.de, as you can see here. "Vorlegen" on its own might be translated to "submit", but in that use case of submitting a form on a web page, its never really used.

Improve this answer
0
2

In the forms that I did write, I very often used »ok« for the submit-button. You can use »absenden« or »abschicken« too, but I never have seen any form that used the word »vorlegen«.

My tip #1:

Write onto the button what it does:

»Buch suchen« if it starts a search for a book
»Adresse ändern« if the address will be changed
»Antrag einreichen« if a claim will be submitted
»Daten speichern« If some data will be stored

If it is clear what will be changed, stored or submitted, you can only use the verb too:

suchen
ändern
einreichen
speichern

But be sure to write verbs in all lower case. Only nouns begin with an upper case letter. Verbs don't.

My tip #2:

Do not write forms in a language that you don't speak fluently! Hire a professional translator.

There are so many forms and sites in bad German out there, and nobody uses them, because their language is so bad.

Better invest a little amount of money and let your complete user-interface be translated by people who are professional translators.

DO NOT USE MACHINE-TRANSLATION! Let a translation-machine translate this text here into German, and then back into English, and you will understand why you never should do this for something that is offered to real users.

My tip #3:

Make all buttons big enough, so that the German text fits into it. In German you need more letters to write the same content as in English. Many programmers design their buttons to be big enough for the english text, but when a user uses the German version with buttons that are optimized for english text, then some parts of the texts are invisible.

Improve this answer
1
  • 3
    With all due respect, I think 80% of this answer have little to do with the question and are just a lesson in usability and GUI layout. I don't know what the policy is about this on SE, so I guess it's fine. I just wanted to note it and suggest you somehow mark that so someone only searching ONLY an answer doesn't read all the rest thinking there's still something relevant coming.
    – Emanuel
    Apr 16, 2015 at 18:18
-1

Since it's HTML "Formular absenden" is the best translation. "Abschicken" is for letters.

Improve this answer
4
  • 2
    Wait, what does HTML have to do with "absenden". Do you mean "internet"? Like... would "absenden" also be the button of choice for PHP or JavaScript?
    – Emanuel
    Apr 16, 2015 at 18:20
  • It implies that a web-browser is used and in this IT context "Absenden" is a good translation.
    – Bernd
    Apr 16, 2015 at 20:27
  • 1
    Fully agreed. I'd just suggest you include a reference to the web context rather than just HTML.
    – Emanuel
    Apr 16, 2015 at 20:30
  • "absenden" and "abschicken" both work equally well for letters and for webforms. The only difference is that "absenden" sounds a tad more formal.
    – O. R. Mapper
    Apr 17, 2015 at 9:02

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.