# Translation Strings

> Translation Strings is an Agent Skill for development published in the thedaviddias/Front-End-Checklist repository on GitHub: a SKILL.md instruction file an AI agent can load to do this task.

Use when reviewing a codebase for internationalisation readiness, setting up an i18n library, or preparing strings for a new locale.

- Skill name: `translation-strings`
- Category: [Development](https://www.openparable.com/skill/development/1)
- Source: https://github.com/thedaviddias/Front-End-Checklist/blob/HEAD/skills/translation-strings/SKILL.md
- Repository: thedaviddias/Front-End-Checklist (73,218 GitHub stars when collected)

## SKILL.md

# Write internationalisation-friendly translation strings

Naive string concatenation produces untranslatable sentences because word order varies dramatically across languages. A pattern like "Found " + count + " results" cannot be translated correctly into languages where the number appears in a different position or where the noun form changes depending on the count. Bad i18n strings force translators to work around developer mistakes — or simply leave content untranslated.

## Quick Reference

- Never concatenate translated strings with variables — use named placeholders
- Use ICU MessageFormat for pluralisation, gender, and select patterns
- Keep translation keys descriptive and scoped to their feature context
- Extract all user-visible strings — do not hardcode any copy in components

## Check

Check whether translation strings use proper message formatting with placeholders rather than string concatenation.

## Fix

Replace concatenated translation strings with ICU message format patterns and ensure pluralisation is handled via the library, not conditionals.

## Explain

Explain why string concatenation breaks translations and how ICU MessageFormat handles variable word order, pluralisation, and gender.

## Code Review

Review components and utility functions for hardcoded user-visible strings, string concatenation involving translated text, and missing plural forms.

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For full implementation details, code examples, and framework-specific guidance,
see `references/rule.md`.

Rule page: https://frontendchecklist.io/en/rules/javascript/translation-strings

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Source: https://www.openparable.com/skill/development/translation-strings (OpenParable). Cite the canonical URL above.