Languages and translation
A restaurant that serves visitors needs its menu in more than one language. Fenómenus publishes translated menus from one source, keeps the facts identical across languages, and produces per-language QR codes and PDFs.
What is translated, and what is shared
This division is the most important thing in the chapter.
| Translated per language | Shared across languages |
|---|---|
| Item titles | Prices |
| Subtitles | Allergens |
| Descriptions and long descriptions | Category assignments |
| Recommended-wine descriptions | Images |
| Tasting and set menu block titles and contents | The menu order |
| Footer notes | Publication status |
| Category names |
Prices and allergens are facts about the dish, not copy. Keeping them shared means a guest reading the English menu and a guest reading the Spanish menu are quoted the same price and told the same allergens — which is the only defensible behavior.
In this chapter
| Task | Article |
|---|---|
| Enable languages through POM Translate | Translate with POM Translate |
| Work with a Polylang-based site | Translate with Polylang |
| Translate dishes and their sections | Translate items and categories |
| Translate menus built from blocks | Translate structured fields |
| Use the AI translation action | AI-assisted translation |
| Let guests switch language | The language selector |
| Produce codes per language | Translated QR codes |
| Decide which languages to publish | Translation options |
| Check a translation before publishing | Translation review |
Two behaviors to know before you start
Publishing carries the translations with it. Changing an item between Published and Draft applies to that item and all of its translations. You cannot publish a dish in one language only, and the confirmation says so.
The admin lists work in the main language. All items and All categories show the source records, so the menu is maintained once, in one place. Translations are edited from inside the item, not as extra rows.
The order that works
- Finish the source menu completely — items, prices, categories, order.
- Enable the languages you will actually maintain.
- Translate the categories.
- Translate the items, section by section.
- Review each language as a guest.
- Then generate per-language QR codes and PDFs.
Translating a menu that is still changing means translating it twice. Start with Translation options to decide what to publish.