English speakers of the fedi.

[mattdm@hachyderm.io]

@brad @eltonfc

Oh, that's very true. Or not even verbs. The "File" menu is a collection of commands which relate to file handling (open, close, etc.), not a command _to file_.

(Although it occurs to me that reading Edit as a verb may be how "Preferences" got stuck there in some standards, even though it doesn't have much to do with other Edit operations cut/copy/paste.)

[virtulis@loud.computer]

@mattdm @eltonfc hmm perhaps, but then a follow up question: what about writing a todo list for yourself?

[klara@drupal.community]

@eltonfc Looking at my mail software right now, the "Compose" button is translated as "Opstellen" which would translate back as "to compose".

[jleedev@mastodon.sdf.org]

@mattdm @virtulis @eltonfc That's what the ellipsis is for, "Rename…"

[jonm@hachyderm.io]

@eltonfc Native speaker. I had a hard time answering this as neither seemed to fit quite right. If I am *reading* the menu, then infinitive seems closest if I know what I want to do and am just trying to find the right option to click. “I want to save”. If I am browsing the menu to see what’s available, “I can save” or “I am able to save”. When I click on the menu item, though, it is first person present tense: “I am saving”.

[krusynth@mastodon.publicinterest.town]

@eltonfc Native English speaker here, I consider them imperative because they historically are also called *commands* in this context. Less common examples are more illustrative of them being imperative, e.g. "Paste and go" in a browser, "to paste and to go" would not make sense.