Screen content · Multiple languages

Make multilingual screen messages clear

This guide combines short translations with a factual comparison and a reading test. The hotel example presents the same information in four languages.

SUISSE-VIDEO · 6 October 2026 · 4-minute read

1. Define the audience and key questions

Choose languages based on your guests and recurring questions. Decide which information is needed immediately and which can appear as supporting content. Different locations may need different choices. Not every display needs every language.

2. Write a clear source version

Start with short sentences and unambiguous details. Avoid terms whose meaning changes by country or context. For meal times, precise hours are more useful than only “lunch” or “dinner”. Confirm the facts before translating.

3. Compare meaning and facts in each language

Review natural wording, form of address and completeness. Compare dates, times, prices, locations and contacts separately. Keep proper names consistent. Ask a competent speaker to review uncertain wording; fluency alone does not guarantee the right meaning.

Example: the same breakfast notice in four languages

Language	Short version	Shared facts
German	Frühstück: 07:00–10:00, Restaurant im Erdgeschoss.	Time and location
English	Breakfast: 07:00–10:00, ground-floor restaurant.	Time and location
French	Petit-déjeuner : 07:00–10:00, restaurant au rez-de-chaussée.	Time and location
Italian	Colazione: 07:00–10:00, ristorante al piano terra.	Time and location

Fictional hotel example with invented hours. The table compares language versions; it is not a layout to copy unchanged onto a screen.

4. Test layout and timing on the device

Use readability to decide whether short versions appear together or separately. Check the longest version for line breaks and font size. If you prepare separate displays, test their sequence with the available project settings. Automatic language selection is not assumed. Essential check-in information can also remain available through fixed multilingual signs.

5. Update every version when details change

Keep a list of the language versions in use. If breakfast hours change, check every text and image that mentions them. Record the reviewed version and responsible person. Retest actual playback after the update.

Language version checklist

Languages fit the actual audience.
The source version is short and clear.
Every version gives the same facts.
Proper names match signs on site.
The longest version and language sequence are tested on the device.
Changes are applied to every version.

Use these checkboxes as a checklist. Your selections are not saved.

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Write short screen messages · Information in the hotel lobby