TMX (Translation Memory eXchange)
TMX (Translation Memory eXchange) is an open XML standard for exchanging translation memory data between different software tools. It allows translators and project managers to move accumulated translation pairs from one system to another without lock-in.
A TMX file contains translation units — paired source and target segments, optionally with metadata like creation date, tool used, and confidence score. CAT tools like SDL Trados, memoQ, and Memsource can import and export TMX files, making it the lingua franca for TM portability.
TMX version 1.4 is the most widely supported version. Each translation unit (TU) contains translation unit variants (TUV) for each language, with the actual text stored in segment (seg) elements.
Key concepts
- XML-based open standard managed by the Localization Industry Standards Association (LISA)
- Contains source + target segment pairs with optional metadata per unit
- Supported by virtually all professional CAT tools and TMS platforms
How Vernacia uses this
Vernacia's translation memory stores segment pairs internally per project. Enterprise customers can export their TM in TMX format for use with external CAT tools or to archive translation history.
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