<p>Close the Bitcoin client and add this line:</p>

<pre><code>lang=en
</code></pre>

<p>On a line by itself to the end of the file:</p>

<p>C:\Users\YourUserName\AppData\Roaming\Bitcoin\bitcoin.conf</p>

<p>(Replace "YourUserName" with your windows user name.)</p>

<p>Now restart the Bitcoin client.  Done!</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-07-23T00:29:32.723Z
2012-07-23T00:29:32.723Z
Eyal
<p>EDIT: The correct solution was provided by Matt Corallo but was somewhy deleted. Use the command line argument -lang=en_US.</p>

<p>As far as I know, QT chooses which language to use based on the OS settings. So I think the first thing to try is to configure your OS not to use a Hebrew interface.</p>

<p>If that fails, you should try to figure out how to disable localization in QT circles, since bitcoin-qt's localization inherits completely from QT.</p>

<p>If all else fails, you can recompile without the language in question.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-04T06:27:56.903Z
My OS is not Hebrew, obviously. We need a setting for this.
ripper234
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-04T10:07:50.603Z
@ripper234: Just as clearly, something in your OS is configured for Hebrew/Israel, otherwise bitcoin-qt would not use Hebrew. I don't know if this can be changed without side effects, but the research in Chris Moore's answer could be useful. Anyway, you can force a particular language with bitcoin-qt's -lang parameter.
Meni Rosenfeld
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-04T12:22:53.977Z
I did some more testing. On Windows, the default language is controlled by the dates format. I've been using US format so far (didn't bother to change it), but when I switch to Israel bitcoin-qt defaults to Hebrew. This is consistent with Chris's observations on Linux. I reverted to US, but while I'm at it, I switched just the day/month order to the Israel standard.
Meni Rosenfeld
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-08T17:46:11.043Z
I have no idea why Matt Corallo's answer was deleted. I have undeleted it so that people may give credit to what seems to be the correct answer.
D.H.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-03T14:22:37.603Z
2012-04-04T10:05:24.383Z
2012-04-04T10:05:24.383Z
Meni Rosenfeld
<p>Start bitcoin with the -lang option ie bitcoin-qt -lang=en_US</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-04T05:04:13.057Z
Maybe this should be added to https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Running_Bitcoin ? In any case, can you comment on whether anything in my own answer is correct?
Meni Rosenfeld
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-04T04:06:56.880Z
2012-04-04T04:06:56.880Z
Matt Corallo
<p>I experimented a little in Linux to see what environment variables were affecting the choice of language:</p>

<pre><code>$ env | grep -e LANG -e LC_ALL
LC_ALL=en_CA.UTF-8
LANG=en_CA.UTF-8
LANGUAGE=en_CA:en
$ LANG=de_DE ./bitcoin-qt --help 2&gt;&amp;1 | tail -1
  -?                 This help message
$ unset LC_ALL
$ LANG=de_DE ./bitcoin-qt --help 2&gt;&amp;1 | tail -1
  -?                 Dieser Hilfetext
$ LC_ALL=C LANG=de_DE ./bitcoin-qt --help 2&gt;&amp;1 | tail -1
  -?                 This help message
$ LANG=de_DE.UTF8 ./bitcoin-qt --help 2&gt;&amp;1 | tail -1
  -?                 Dieser Hilfetext
$ LANG=en_US.UTF8 ./bitcoin-qt --help 2&gt;&amp;1 | tail -1
  -?                 This help message
</code></pre>

<p>So it seems that making sure <code>LC_ALL</code> isn't set, and having an environment variable <code>LANG=en_US.UTF8</code> will cause it to use English.</p>

<p>Alternatively, set <code>LC_ALL=en_US.UTF8</code>, but then everything will be USA-ish - you'll see American date formats, dots instead of commas for decimal points, etc.</p>

<p>The last time I used Windows you could set environment variables by going to the Control Panel, opening the <code>System</code> control, going to the <code>Advanced</code> tab, and clicking on <code>Environment Variables</code>.  I don't know if that's changed in recent years though.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-03T18:05:02.290Z
2012-04-03T18:05:02.290Z
Chris Moore
<p>Version 0.6 introduced automatic client localizations. Personally, I hate using programs in Hebrew, and prefer English, but the client didn't ask for my preferences on this matter and just switched to Hebrew.</p>

<p>How can I change the interface language back to English?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-03T14:25:01.953Z
Sorry for that.
Meni Rosenfeld
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-03T14:26:23.837Z
PS localizations existed since at least the introduction of QT as standard in 0.5, but the Hebrew translation didn't yet exist at the time.
Meni Rosenfeld
<bitcoin-core>
How to set the language/localization in the standard client?
ripper234
# How to set the language/localization in the standard client?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-04-03)

Version 0.6 introduced automatic client localizations. Personally, I hate using programs in Hebrew, and prefer English, but the client didn't ask for my preferences on this matter and just switched to Hebrew.

How can I change the interface language back to English?

**Tags:** bitcoin-core

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Sorry for that.  
> **username_1**: PS localizations existed since at least the introduction of QT as standard in 0.5, but the Hebrew translation didn't yet exist at the time.  

---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2012-07-23. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

Close the Bitcoin client and add this line:
lang=en

On a line by itself to the end of the file:
C:\Users\YourUserName\AppData\Roaming\Bitcoin\bitcoin.conf
(Replace "YourUserName" with your windows user name.)
Now restart the Bitcoin client.  Done!


---

### Answer by username_1 on 2012-04-03. Score: 4

EDIT: The correct solution was provided by username_4 but was somewhy deleted. Use the command line argument -lang=en\_US.

As far as I know, QT chooses which language to use based on the OS settings. So I think the first thing to try is to configure your OS not to use a Hebrew interface.

If that fails, you should try to figure out how to disable localization in QT circles, since bitcoin-qt's localization inherits completely from QT.

If all else fails, you can recompile without the language in question.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: My OS is not Hebrew, obviously. We need a setting for this.  
> **username_1**: @username_0: Just as clearly, something in your OS is configured for Hebrew/Israel, otherwise bitcoin-qt would not use Hebrew. I don't know if this can be changed without side effects, but the research in username_5's answer could be useful. Anyway, you can force a particular language with bitcoin-qt's -lang parameter.  
> **username_1**: I did some more testing. On Windows, the default language is controlled by the dates format. I've been using US format so far (didn't bother to change it), but when I switch to Israel bitcoin-qt defaults to Hebrew. This is consistent with Chris's observations on Linux. I reverted to US, but while I'm at it, I switched just the day/month order to the Israel standard.  
> **username_3**: I have no idea why username_4's answer was deleted. I have undeleted it so that people may give credit to what seems to be the correct answer.  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2012-04-04. Score: 2

Start bitcoin with the -lang option ie bitcoin-qt -lang=en\_US

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Maybe this should be added to https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Running_Bitcoin ? In any case, can you comment on whether anything in my own answer is correct?  

---

### Answer by username_5 on 2012-04-03. Score: 1

I experimented a little in Linux to see what environment variables were affecting the choice of language:
$ env | grep -e LANG -e LC_ALL
LC_ALL=en_CA.UTF-8
LANG=en_CA.UTF-8
LANGUAGE=en_CA:en
$ LANG=de_DE ./bitcoin-qt --help 2>&1 | tail -1
  -?                 This help message
$ unset LC_ALL
$ LANG=de_DE ./bitcoin-qt --help 2>&1 | tail -1
  -?                 Dieser Hilfetext
$ LC_ALL=C LANG=de_DE ./bitcoin-qt --help 2>&1 | tail -1
  -?                 This help message
$ LANG=de_DE.UTF8 ./bitcoin-qt --help 2>&1 | tail -1
  -?                 Dieser Hilfetext
$ LANG=en_US.UTF8 ./bitcoin-qt --help 2>&1 | tail -1
  -?                 This help message

So it seems that making sure LC_ALL isn't set, and having an environment variable LANG=en_US.UTF8 will cause it to use English.
Alternatively, set LC_ALL=en_US.UTF8, but then everything will be USA-ish - you'll see American date formats, dots instead of commas for decimal points, etc.
The last time I used Windows you could set environment variables by going to the Control Panel, opening the System control, going to the Advanced tab, and clicking on Environment Variables.  I don't know if that's changed in recent years though.


---

