# Content Translation

Varbase supports multilingual websites, allowing you to translate content, interface elements, and configuration into multiple languages. Multilingual capabilities are provided through the `varbase_i18n_base` recipe, which configures the necessary modules and settings for translation support.

## Overview

When multilingual support is enabled, Varbase provides:

* **Content translation**: Translate individual content items (nodes, media, taxonomy terms, etc.) into any enabled language.
* **Interface translation**: Translate the administrative interface, labels, and system messages.
* **Configuration translation**: Translate site configuration such as views, block titles, and menu items.
* **Language detection**: Automatically detect and serve the appropriate language based on URL, browser preferences, or user settings.

## Enabling Multilingual Support

Multilingual support requires the `varbase_i18n_base` recipe to be applied to your site. This recipe enables the following core modules:

* **Language**: Allows adding and managing site languages.
* **Content Translation**: Provides the ability to translate content entities.
* **Configuration Translation**: Enables translation of site configuration.
* **Interface Translation**: Allows translation of the user interface.

Your development team is responsible for applying this recipe and configuring the initial language setup.

## Adding Languages

Once multilingual support is enabled, additional languages can be added:

1. Navigate to **Configuration > Regional and language > Languages**, or go to `/admin/config/regional/language`.
2. Click **Add language**.
3. Select the desired language from the list of predefined languages, or add a custom language.
4. Click **Add language** to confirm.

The new language will be available for content translation and language switching.

## Translation Tasks

* [Translating Content](https://docs.varbase.vardot.com/11.0.x/content-designers/content-translation/translating-content): How to translate content items into other languages.
* [Language Switcher](https://docs.varbase.vardot.com/11.0.x/content-designers/content-translation/language-switcher): How the language switcher allows visitors to switch between available translations.

## Key Concepts

* **Default language**: The primary language of your site. All content is initially created in the default language.
* **Translation**: A version of a content item in a different language. Each translation is linked to the original content item.
* **Language negotiation**: The mechanism that determines which language to display to a visitor, based on URL prefix, browser settings, or user preferences.