Translate PHP
Array Files

Upload your PHP language files, translate the values, and export valid PHP your application can require directly.

Translate PHP file
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messages_pl.php
<?php return [ "HELLO_WORLD" => "Witaj świecie!", "SUBMIT_BUTTON" => "Wyślij", "auth" => [ "login" => "Zaloguj się", "failed" => "Nieprawidłowe dane logowania.", ], "validation" => [ "required" => "Pole :attribute jest wymagane.", "email" => "Pole :attribute musi być prawidłowym adresem e-mail.", ], ];
<?php

return [
    "HELLO_WORLD" => "Witaj świecie!",
    "SUBMIT_BUTTON" => "Wyślij",

    "auth" => [
        "login" => "Zaloguj się",
        "failed" => "Nieprawidłowe dane logowania.",
    ],

    "validation" => [
        "required" => "Pole :attribute jest wymagane.",
        "email" => "Pole :attribute musi być prawidłowym adresem e-mail.",
    ],
];

A translation file that's also code

Unlike JSON or YAML, a PHP array translation file is an executable script: it opens with <?php and ends with a plain return statement. Frameworks that use this format load it the same way they load any other PHP file, with no parsing step at runtime. One file holds translations for one language, commonly named like messages_de_DE.php.

Nested arrays are recognized on import too: a key like LEVEL_1.HELLO_WORLD becomes a real nested PHP array in the file, matching how frameworks like Laravel group related translations together.

Nested keys (imported)
LEVEL_1.HELLO_WORLD LEVEL_1.LEVEL_2.HELLO_WORLD MY_TRANSLATION_KEY
LEVEL_1.HELLO_WORLD
LEVEL_1.LEVEL_2.HELLO_WORLD
MY_TRANSLATION_KEY

Both directions

Nested or flat, your call on export

Nested arrays recognized

Grouped keys are read as real nested PHP arrays on import, not flattened data.

Flat or nested export

Choose flat dot-notation keys or nested arrays when downloading, to match your project's style.

One file per language

Files follow the language-per-file convention frameworks like Laravel already expect.

End-to-end workflow

Translate a PHP array file end to end

Upload a neutral messages_en.php file, translate values while keeping the original structure, and export one file per language, ready to drop into your PHP project.

Terminal
simplelocalize upload \ --apiKey PROJECT_API_KEY \ --uploadFormat php-array \ --uploadLanguageKey en \ --uploadPath ./lang/en/messages.php
simplelocalize upload \
  --apiKey PROJECT_API_KEY \
  --uploadFormat php-array \
  --uploadLanguageKey en \
  --uploadPath ./lang/en/messages.php

Upload your source language file

1
Push messages_en.php (or Laravel's lang/en/messages.php) to SimpleLocalize. Nested arrays are read and turned into dot-notation keys automatically.
Translation editor
auth.login Zaloguj się auth.failed Nieprawidłowe dane logowania. validation.required validation.email
auth.login    Zaloguj się
auth.failed   Nieprawidłowe dane logowania.
validation.required
validation.email

Grouped keys stay grouped

2
auth.login and auth.failed show up next to each other in the editor, matching the nested structure of the original file.
messages_de.php (auto-translated)
"auth" => [ "login" => "Anmelden", "failed" => "Ungültige Anmeldedaten.", ],
"auth" => [
    "login" => "Anmelden",
    "failed" => "Ungültige Anmeldedaten.",
],

Auto-translate and review

3
Fill in every target language with DeepL, Google Translate, OpenAI, Claude or Gemini, then review before marking keys ready.
Terminal
simplelocalize download \ --apiKey PROJECT_API_KEY \ --downloadFormat php-array \ --downloadPath ./lang/{lang}/messages.php \ --downloadOptions WRITE_NESTED
simplelocalize download \
  --apiKey PROJECT_API_KEY \
  --downloadFormat php-array \
  --downloadPath ./lang/{lang}/messages.php \
  --downloadOptions WRITE_NESTED

Download as nested PHP arrays

4
Add WRITE_NESTED so the export matches your framework's structure exactly, ready to drop into lang/{locale}/.

For developers

A localization platform,
not just an array writer

SimpleLocalize reads and writes PHP array files the way your framework already expects them, and gives your team a place to manage the translations behind them.

Directly runnable output

Export is a clean, valid PHP file your app can require without any post-processing.

Nested keys, both ways

Dot-notation keys are recognized as nested arrays on import, and can be exported nested again to match your framework's structure.

AI auto-translation

Translate new and changed keys with DeepL, Google Translate, OpenAI, Claude or Gemini.

CLI and REST API

Upload and download PHP language files from the CLI, or automate the same logic through the REST API.

SimpleLocalize connects your code to professional translations

More conversions

Convert PHP array to other formats

Free online converter, no account required. Upload a PHP language file and download it in the format you need.

PHP array to JSON

Move a Laravel language file into a JSON file.

PHP array to YAML

Move PHP translations into a YAML locale file.

PHP array to CSV

Hand a PHP language file to a translator as a spreadsheet.

PHP array to PO

Move a Laravel language file into a gettext PO file.

CTA FeaturesGo to Editor

Start translating PHP language files

  • Exports valid, directly runnable PHP
  • One file per language, matching your framework's convention
  • Nested arrays recognized on import and export
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Frequently asked questions about PHP array files

Which PHP frameworks use this format?

Laravel and CakePHP both load translations from PHP files that return an associative array, and plenty of custom PHP applications follow the same pattern.

Does SimpleLocalize produce valid PHP syntax?

Yes. The exported file is a complete, directly runnable PHP script that your application can require without any post-processing.

Can I use nested or dot-notation keys?

Yes. Nested arrays are imported as dot-notation keys automatically, and the WRITE_NESTED download option exports them back as real nested PHP arrays.