Convert PHP to ARB online

Upload a PHP array file and download it as Flutter ARB. 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.

Flutter ARB

Application Resource Bundle files are JSON documents with ICU message syntax and optional @metadata entries. Flutter's gen_l10n tool turns them into typed Dart localization classes.

One file per language. Format documentation

Need it the other way round? Convert ARB to PHP.

From: PHP array

A PHP file that returns an associative array of translations. Laravel, CakePHP and many custom PHP apps load language files in this form.

Used by: Laravel, CakePHP, PHP. One language per file. Read the PHP format guide.

<?php return [ "HELLO_WORLD" => "Hello world!", "MY_TRANSLATION_KEY" => "This is my translation message!" ]; ?>
<?php
return [
    "HELLO_WORLD" => "Hello world!",
    "MY_TRANSLATION_KEY" => "This is my translation message!"
];
?>

To: Flutter ARB

Application Resource Bundle files are JSON documents with ICU message syntax and optional @metadata entries. Flutter's gen_l10n tool turns them into typed Dart localization classes.

Used by: Flutter, Dart intl, gen_l10n. One language per file. Read the ARB format guide.

{ "@@locale": "en", "hello.world": "Hello World!", "@hello.world": { "description": "Hello world message" } "my_address": "Address", }
{
  "@@locale": "en",
  "hello.world": "Hello World!",
  "@hello.world": {
    "description": "Hello world message"
  }
  "my_address": "Address",
}

How to convert PHP to ARB

  1. Drop your .php 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 .arb file per language.
  4. Preview the result, copy it or download the files.

What changes between PHP and ARB

  • Keys, texts, plural forms and placeholders are mapped one to one. Comments and descriptions are kept when both formats support them.

Convert and translate in one place

If you need the ARB file in more languages, the fastest route is a free SimpleLocalize project: import the PHP file, add languages, run auto-translation with DeepL, Google Translate, OpenAI, Claude or Gemini, and download the result as ARB. The CLI does the same from CI with upload and download commands, so the conversion becomes part of your build. See also translating PHP 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 ARB. Placeholders are kept, and Apple and Android specific syntax is translated between platforms. Read more in the pluralization guide.

Translate your ARB files

  • Import PHP or ARB 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
Start for free
No credit card required5-minute setup
"The product
and support
are fantastic."
Laars Buur|CTO
"The support is
blazing fast,
thank you Jakub!"
Stefan|Developer
"Interface that
makes any dev
feel at home!"
Dario De Cianni|CTO
"Excellent app,
saves my time
and money"
Dmitry Melnik|Developer