Internationalization Patterns
Text Direction
- LTR: English, French, German, Hindi, Chinese, Japanese
- RTL: Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, Urdu
- Use
dir="auto" for user-generated content
- Test with mirrored layout for RTL
Currency & Numbers
| Region |
Number |
Currency |
| US/UK |
1,234.56 |
$1,234.56 |
| EU |
1.234,56 |
1.234,56 EUR |
| India |
1,23,456.78 |
₹1,23,456.78 |
| Japan |
1234 |
¥1,234 |
Date & Time
| Region |
Date |
Time |
| US |
04/11/2026 |
3:45 PM |
| EU |
11/04/2026 |
15:45 |
| ISO |
2026-04-11 |
15:45:00 |
When ambiguous, use named months: 11 Apr 2026
Cultural Considerations
- Names: don't assume first/last name structure
- Addresses: format varies wildly by country
- Phone numbers: different lengths and formats
- Colors: meaning varies by culture (white = mourning in some Asian cultures)
- Imagery: gestures, symbols, and scenarios that are universal vs. local
Design System Impact
- Build components that handle text expansion (German is 30% longer)
- Test with long words (German compound nouns)
- Font stacks with CJK fallbacks
- Icon metaphors that work globally (not US-centric)
