Convert iOS .stringsdict to PO online

Upload a iOS .stringsdict file and download it as gettext PO/POT. Translation keys, plurals and placeholders are preserved. Free, no account needed.

Pick the source format or let the converter detect it from the file.

Used when the source format holds one language per file. Also used as the source language for XLIFF output.

Choose the format you want to download.

gettext PO/POT

gettext PO files pair every msgid with a msgstr and support plural forms, contexts and translator comments. They are the standard in Python, PHP, WordPress, Django and desktop Linux software.

One file per language. Format documentation

Need it the other way round? Convert PO to iOS .stringsdict.

From: iOS .stringsdict

A property list that holds plural rules for Apple platforms. Each key defines variants such as one, few, many and other, matching the CLDR plural categories of the language.

Used by: iOS, macOS. One language per file. Read the iOS .stringsdict format guide.

<plist version="1.0"> <dict> <key>users-found-plural</key> <dict> <key>NSStringLocalizedFormatKey</key> <string>%#@value@</string> <key>value</key> <dict> <key>NSStringFormatSpecTypeKey</key> <string>NSStringPluralRuleType</string> <key>NSStringFormatValueTypeKey</key> <string>d</string> <key>zero</key> <string>No users found</string> <key>one</key> <string>One user found</string> <key>other</key> <string>%d users found</string> </dict> </dict> </dict> </plist>
<plist version="1.0">
  <dict>
    <key>users-found-plural</key>
    <dict>
      <key>NSStringLocalizedFormatKey</key>
      <string>%#@value@</string>
      <key>value</key>
      <dict>
        <key>NSStringFormatSpecTypeKey</key>
        <string>NSStringPluralRuleType</string>
        <key>NSStringFormatValueTypeKey</key>
        <string>d</string>
        <key>zero</key>
        <string>No users found</string>
        <key>one</key>
        <string>One user found</string>
        <key>other</key>
        <string>%d users found</string>
      </dict>
    </dict>
  </dict>
</plist>

To: gettext PO/POT

gettext PO files pair every msgid with a msgstr and support plural forms, contexts and translator comments. They are the standard in Python, PHP, WordPress, Django and desktop Linux software.

Used by: Django, WordPress, PHP, Python, GNU tools. One language per file. Read the PO format guide.

# Single line msgctxt "My translation context" msgid "My translation key" msgstr "My translation message" # Multiple lines msgid "" "The input text " "split to several " "lines" msgstr "" "Translation " "can also be splitted."
# Single line
msgctxt "My translation context"
msgid "My translation key"
msgstr "My translation message"

# Multiple lines
msgid ""
"The input text "
"split to several "
"lines"
msgstr ""
"Translation "
"can also be splitted."

How to convert iOS .stringsdict to PO

  1. Drop your .stringsdict file into the converter above, or paste its content.
  2. Confirm the language of the file. It is guessed from the file name, for example de.json or messages_pt-BR.properties.
  3. Click Convert. You get one .po file per language.
  4. Preview the result, copy it or download the files.

What changes between iOS .stringsdict and PO

  • Translation keys become msgid entries; ICU plural messages are written as msgid_plural with one msgstr per plural form.

Convert and translate in one place

If you need the PO file in more languages, the fastest route is a free SimpleLocalize project: import the iOS .stringsdict file, add languages, run auto-translation with DeepL, Google Translate, OpenAI, Claude or Gemini, and download the result as PO. The CLI does the same from CI with upload and download commands, so the conversion becomes part of your build. See also translating iOS .stringsdict files.

Frequently asked questions

Is the converter free?

Yes. There is no signup and no limit on the number of conversions beyond a few requests per second.

Are my files stored?

No. The file is parsed in memory, converted and returned in the same request. Nothing is written to disk or a database.

What about plurals and placeholders?

Plural forms are normalized to ICU message syntax and written back in the native form of PO. Placeholders are kept, and Apple and Android specific syntax is translated between platforms. Read more in the pluralization guide.

Translate your PO files

  • Import iOS .stringsdict or PO files into a free project
  • Auto-translate with DeepL, Google, OpenAI, Claude or Gemini
  • Download in any of the supported formats or publish to the CDN
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