OS X Mountain Lion: Change your computer’s language
This article has been archived and is no longer updated by Apple.
You can change the language shown in menus and messages, and in many apps. However, some apps can’t display their menus and messages in all languages.
- Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Language & Text, and then click Language.
- Drag the language you most want to see in menus and dialogs to the top of the list, and then choose an option for sorted lists.
Option Description Languages list: If an app supports the first language in the list, its menus and messages appear in that language. If it doesn’t support the first language, it uses the second language in the list, and so on. If you don’t see the language you want to use in the list, click Edit List. Order for sorted lists: You can sort the items listed in a Finder window by name, date modified, size, and so on. The language you choose in this menu influences how the Finder sorts items by name.
These language settings may also change the language used in other parts of an app or in the text you see on some websites.
Last Modified: Oct 20, 2015