Introduction
Imagine starting your day and finding your system's language has abruptly changed to German! If your teammates are experiencing the same issue and none of you is familiar with German, you might struggle during your work. Not only does it affect your system interface, but also applications and IDEs that you daily use. This article will discuss the necessary steps to solve the issue and change the language back to English.
Understanding System Language Parameters
The language of a system is identified with the OS language. Changing the OS language results in adopting all applications' languages on that particular system. OS languages can be modified based on preferences and requirements within system settings.
Changing Language via System Preferences
For most operating systems, changing the language can be executed using the system preferences. Let us look at different OSs and the approaches.
Windows OS
For systems using Windows OS, here's how you can change the language:
1. Open Settings > Time & Language.
2. Select the Language dropdown list in the Windows Display Language.
3. Choose English and click on the corresponding option.
macOS
On macOS systems, adhere to these steps:
1. Open System Preferences > Language & Text.
2. Select the General tab.
3. Discover the Preferred Languages list.
4. Choose English from the list, and organize the order by dragging it atop the list.
Linux OS
In Linux, we can change the locale using command-line tools:
1. Open a terminal window.
2. In the terminal, type the command: sudo update-locale LANG=en\_US.UTF-8
3. Restart the system to reflect the change.
Using IDEs and Editors in Distinct Locale
Some cases may require maintaining certain applications or IDEs in German while the OS language is set to English. Usually, they follow the OS' language. However, you can modify the IDE's language individually. For example, in IntelliJ IDEA:
1. Start the IDE.
2. Navigate to File > Settings.
3. Under the IDE Settings, select Appearance.
4. In the right pane, find the UI Language dropdown.
5. Change the language to English and restart the IDE to apply the changes.
- The system language is determined based on the OS language and applies to all applications.
- Modifying the system language involves altering the OS language settings.
- Some Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) and editors can be configured
independently of the OS' language.
References
- Type: Articles | Name: “Change the display language in Windows” | Link
- Type: Articles | Name: “How to change the language on your Mac” |