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Multilingual Support (i18n)

SpecWeave provides LLM-native multilingual support - work in ANY language with zero additional cost!

Why Multilingual Matters​

  • 🌍 Global Teams - Work in your native language
  • 🎯 Better Requirements - Express complex ideas naturally
  • 💰 Zero Cost - Uses current LLM session (no translation APIs)
  • 🤖 AI-Native - Works with Claude, GPT-4, Gemini, etc.

Supported Languages​

SpecWeave's translator skill supports 9 languages:

LanguageCodeExample
🇬🇧 Englishen"Create a real estate broker"
🇷🇺 Russianru"Создай профессионального риелтора"
🇪🇸 Spanishes"Crear un corredor de bienes raíces"
🇨🇳 Chinesezh"创建房地产经纪人"
🇩🇪 Germande"Erstelle einen Immobilienmakler"
🇫🇷 Frenchfr"Créer un courtier immobilier"
🇯🇵 Japaneseja"不動産ブローカーを作成"
🇰🇷 Koreanko"부동산 중개인 만들기"
🇧🇷 Portuguesept"Criar um corretor de imóveis"

How It Works​

Claude Code Running in Russian​

SpecWeave works seamlessly with localized AI interfaces. Here's Claude Code running entirely in Russian:

What you see:

  • Interface in Russian: "Создай профессионального риелтора" (Create a professional realtor)
  • Multi-choice options in Russian
  • Natural language project description
  • Framework terms preserved in English (spec.md, /sw:do)

Translation Workflow​

# 1. Describe your project in ANY language
"Создай профессионального риелтора.
Он помогает клиентам покупать, продавать и арендовать недвижимость."

# 2. SpecWeave creates specs in your language
/sw:inc "риелтор-ассистент"

# Created:
# ✅ spec.md - Requirements in Russian
# ✅ plan.md - Architecture in Russian
# ✅ tasks.md - Tasks in Russian
# ✅ Framework terms stay in English

# 3. Work naturally in your language
"Реализуй функционал поиска недвижимости"

# 4. Translate docs when needed
/sw:translate "spec.md" --to="en"

Translation Rules​

SpecWeave follows smart translation rules:

✅ Always Translated:​

  • User-facing messages
  • Documentation prose
  • Requirements and specifications
  • Instructions and explanations
  • Success/error messages

⏸️ Always in English:​

  • Framework terms: increment, spec.md, plan.md, tasks.md
  • SpecWeave commands: /sw:inc, /sw:do
  • Technical terms: TypeScript, npm, git, API, CLI
  • File paths: .specweave/, src/, CLAUDE.md
  • Code blocks and examples

🔧 Context-Dependent:​

  • Variable names (usually English)
  • Code comments (translate if requested)
  • Technical acronyms (HTTP, JSON, REST - stay English)

Example: Russian Project​

Input (Russian)​

Пользователь: "Создай систему для управления недвижимостью"

SpecWeave Creates​

.specweave/increments/0001-управление-недвижимостью/
├── spec.md              # Спецификация на русском
├── plan.md              # План реализации на русском
├── tasks.md             # Задачи на русском
└── tests.md             # Тесты на русском

spec.md (Example)​

# Спецификация: Система управления недвижимостью

## Цели
- Упростить процесс управления объектами
- Автоматизировать расчет арендной платы
- Обеспечить удобный интерфейс для клиентов

## Функциональные требования

### FR-001: Добавление объектов
Система должна позволять добавлять новые объекты недвижимости...

## Технический стек
- Backend: Node.js + TypeScript
- Frontend: React
- Database: PostgreSQL

Note: Technical terms (Node.js, TypeScript, React, PostgreSQL) stay in English for clarity.

Translating Existing Docs​

Use the built-in translator skill:

# Translate a single file
"Translate spec.md to Spanish"

# Translate entire increment
"Translate increment 0001 to German"

# Translate templates
"Translate CLAUDE.md to Chinese"

Example Translation Session​

User: "Translate this error message to Russian: File not found in increment 0001"

SpecWeave: "Файл не найден в increment 0001"

Note: "increment" stays in English (framework term), rest translated.

Best Practices​

1. Choose Your Primary Language​

# Initialize in your language
specweave init .

# Then describe projects naturally
"Créer une application de commerce électronique"

2. Keep Framework Terms Consistent​

✅ Good: "Создай increment для аутентификации пользователей" ❌ Bad: "Создай инкремент для аутентификации пользователей"

Rationale: Framework terms (increment, spec.md) stay English for:

  • Consistency across languages
  • Easy cross-team collaboration
  • Clear technical documentation

3. Translate for Your Audience​

# Internal team (Russian speakers)
"Напиши spec.md на русском"

# External docs (English)
"Translate public docs to English"

4. Use LLM-Native Translation​

# No API keys needed!
"Translate this requirement to German"

# SpecWeave uses current LLM session
# Zero additional cost beyond conversation

Advanced: Multi-Language Teams​

Scenario: Global Distributed Team​

  • PM in Spain - Writes specs in Spanish
  • Developers in Russia - Implement in Russian
  • QA in Germany - Tests in German
  • Docs Team in USA - Publishes in English

Workflow​

# 1. PM creates increment (Spanish)
/sw:inc "autenticación-usuarios"
# spec.md created in Spanish

# 2. Translate for developers (Russian)
/sw:translate "spec.md" --to="ru"
# Creates spec.ru.md

# 3. QA translates tests (German)
/sw:translate "tests.md" --to="de"
# Creates tests.de.md

# 4. Final docs (English)
/sw:translate "increment 0001" --to="en" --output="public/"
# Creates English versions in public/

Comparison: SpecWeave vs Others​

FeatureSpecWeaveGoogle Translate APIDeepLManual
Cost✅ Free (LLM-native)❌ Paid per character❌ Paid per character✅ Free
Context-Aware✅ Understands code/docs❌ Generic🟡 Limited✅ Yes
Framework Terms✅ Auto-preserved❌ Translates everything❌ Translates everything🟡 Manual
Quality✅ High (LLM-powered)🟡 Medium✅ High✅ High
Speed✅ Instant✅ Fast✅ Fast❌ Slow
Setup✅ Zero config❌ API keys❌ API keys✅ Zero

Technical Details​

How LLM-Native Translation Works​

User Request → SpecWeave Translator Skill → Current LLM Session
                                                      ↓
                                              Translation Output
                                                      ↓
                                    Formatted & Structure-Preserved

Benefits:

  • ✅ No external APIs (no latency, no cost)
  • ✅ Context-aware (understands SpecWeave structure)
  • ✅ Consistent (same LLM for generation & translation)
  • ✅ Smart (preserves code, links, formatting)

Supported LLMs​

Works with ANY LLM backend:

  • ✅ Claude (Sonnet, Opus, Haiku)
  • ✅ GPT-4 / GPT-3.5
  • ✅ Google Gemini
  • ✅ Open-source models (LLaMA, Mistral, etc.)

No special configuration needed - just use your preferred LLM!

SpecWeave in Different Languages​

Russian Interface​

SpecWeave increment planning in Russian - note framework terms stay in English

Coming Soon​

  • Spanish interface example
  • Chinese documentation example
  • German project setup
  • Multi-language team workflow

FAQ​

Q: Do I need to configure language settings? A: No! Just start using your preferred language naturally. SpecWeave auto-detects.

Q: Can I mix languages in one project? A: Yes! SpecWeave handles multi-language specs, tasks, and docs.

Q: Are slash commands translated? A: No, commands stay in English (/sw:inc, /sw:do) for consistency across all languages.

Q: What about code comments? A: Code stays in English by default. You can request comment translation explicitly.

Q: Is translation automatic? A: You control when translation happens. Use the translator skill or /sw:translate command.

Resources​

  • Translator Skill: Auto-activates for translation requests
  • Command: /sw:translate <file> --to=<language>
  • Supported Languages: 9 languages (see table above)
  • Documentation: This guide + translator skill docs

Ready to work in your language?

# Just start describing in your preferred language!
"Создай приложение для управления задачами"
"Créer une application de commerce électronique"
"创建任务管理应用程序"

SpecWeave understands and works beautifully in ANY language! 🌍