<p>If you're running Craft Pro, you can go to your account's profile page where you can set your user's preferred language to English and the CP will display in English.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-17T21:20:44.283Z
Is this pro only? Not seeing that setting in the client edition.
erwinheiser
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-17T21:32:38.853Z
Right... you'd need Pro for that.  Will update the answer.
Brad Bell
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-17T21:35:20.217Z
The same reason why adding a define locale statement to index.php isn't working either I guess?
erwinheiser
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-17T21:55:18.420Z
Most likely... yeah.
Brad Bell
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-11T11:29:18.547Z
Is it possible to have the CP in English without actually installing the en_us content locale? I'm running a site w/ content in Norwegian and I also prefer having the CP in English. However even if I specifically set my sections to target Norwegian only, Craft renders the language select dropdown above all index tables. When there's no actual content in English, that can be confusing. I tried setting the the 'defaultCpLanguage' to 'en' without actually having the English locale installed, which – oddly enough – does render the CP in English, but then my Norwegian content is invisible :)
Mats Mikkel Rummelhoff
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-11T16:06:38.410Z
@mmikkel haven't had coffee yet, so that could explain it, but I'm not following.  Can you hit up support@buildwithcraft.com explaining what you're looking for?
Brad Bell
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-11T19:30:16.707Z
Cheers @BradBell – just sent you an email. In short, I'm looking to render the CP in a locale that isn't installed as a _content locale_. The email explains further. Also, turning on your computer before coffee? Reckless :)
Mats Mikkel Rummelhoff
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-17T14:18:15.173Z
I too would like to see this as an option - simply stated: I prefer my CP in English _without_ having to install an english locale.
erwinheiser
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-17T21:12:29.397Z
2015-05-17T21:33:07.603Z
2015-05-17T21:33:07.603Z
Brad Bell
<p>This solutions works for any locale, even if you don't have it installed as a front-end locale.
It also works for Personal or Client Craft installs.</p>

<p>Add a translations file into craft/translations/xx.php named after the currently selected user locale or system locale for
Craft Personal installs and use this code to include any locale's translations you want. You can also customize it
further by overwriting select translations:</p>

<pre><code>&lt;?php
namespace Craft;

if (craft()-&gt;request-&gt;isCpRequest())
{
    $en = (include '../craft/app/translations/en.php');
    $custom = array(
        'Globals' =&gt; 'I freak out!',
    );

    return array_merge($en, $custom);
}

return [];
</code></pre>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-02T21:52:54.633Z
One downside of this approach: it doesn't override plugin translations (if you don not include them aswell).
carlcs
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-02T13:33:01.157Z
2017-07-17T20:09:24.863Z
2017-07-17T20:09:24.863Z
carlcs
<p>I've modified the snippet a bit. For me as Admin and Developer it's urgent to have it in English. But we figured out that clients want rather the native language. I think it's fine in this way.</p>

<pre><code>&lt;?php
namespace Craft;

if (craft()-&gt;request-&gt;isCpRequest())
{
    if (craft()-&gt;userSession-&gt;isAdmin())
    {
        return (include '../craft/app/translations/en_gb.php');
    }
    else
    {
        $de = (include '../craft/app/translations/de.php');
        $custom = array(
            //'Globals' =&gt; 'I freak out!',
        );

        return array_merge($de, $custom);
    }
}

return [];
</code></pre>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-17T07:26:51.607Z
2017-07-17T16:53:26.173Z
2017-07-17T16:53:26.173Z
davidhellmann
<p>I prefer my cp in English but I've noticed that it also sets the locale to "en_us" for the entire site. I need that locale to be "nl" since the site is in Dutch. Any idea how to achieve this?</p>

<localization>
How do I have my control panel in English but my site locale to Dutch?
# How do I have my control panel in English but my site locale to Dutch?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-05-17)

I prefer my cp in English but I've noticed that it also sets the locale to "en\_us" for the entire site. I need that locale to be "nl" since the site is in Dutch. Any idea how to achieve this?

**Tags:** localization


---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2015-05-17. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

If you're running Craft Pro, you can go to your account's profile page where you can set your user's preferred language to English and the CP will display in English.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Is this pro only? Not seeing that setting in the client edition.  
> **username_1**: Right... you'd need Pro for that.  Will update the answer.  
> **username_0**: The same reason why adding a define locale statement to index.php isn't working either I guess?  
> **username_1**: Most likely... yeah.  
> **username_2**: Is it possible to have the CP in English without actually installing the en_us content locale? I'm running a site w/ content in Norwegian and I also prefer having the CP in English. However even if I specifically set my sections to target Norwegian only, Craft renders the language select dropdown above all index tables. When there's no actual content in English, that can be confusing. I tried setting the the 'defaultCpLanguage' to 'en' without actually having the English locale installed, which – oddly enough – does render the CP in English, but then my Norwegian content is invisible :)  
> **username_1**: @mmikkel haven't had coffee yet, so that could explain it, but I'm not following.  Can you hit up support@buildwithcraft.com explaining what you're looking for?  
> **username_2**: Cheers @BradBell – just sent you an email. In short, I'm looking to render the CP in a locale that isn't installed as a _content locale_. The email explains further. Also, turning on your computer before coffee? Reckless :)  
> **username_0**: I too would like to see this as an option - simply stated: I prefer my CP in English _without_ having to install an english locale.  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2015-12-02. Score: 4

This solutions works for any locale, even if you don't have it installed as a front-end locale.
It also works for Personal or Client Craft installs.
Add a translations file into craft/translations/xx.php named after the currently selected user locale or system locale for
Craft Personal installs and use this code to include any locale's translations you want. You can also customize it
further by overwriting select translations:
request->isCpRequest())
{
    $en = (include '../craft/app/translations/en.php');
    $custom = array(
        'Globals' => 'I freak out!',
    );

    return array_merge($en, $custom);
}

return [];

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: One downside of this approach: it doesn't override plugin translations (if you don not include them aswell).  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2017-07-17. Score: 1

I've modified the snippet a bit. For me as Admin and Developer it's urgent to have it in English. But we figured out that clients want rather the native language. I think it's fine in this way.
request->isCpRequest())
{
    if (craft()->userSession->isAdmin())
    {
        return (include '../craft/app/translations/en_gb.php');
    }
    else
    {
        $de = (include '../craft/app/translations/de.php');
        $custom = array(
            //'Globals' => 'I freak out!',
        );

        return array_merge($de, $custom);
    }
}

return [];


---

