Feature Request: Granular Language Customization (separate chat vs code language)

Open 💬 1 comment Opened Jan 28, 2026 by genyk1p

Currently, the language setting in Claude Code (/config) only allows setting a single language for all responses.

Problem

Many developers prefer to communicate with Claude in their native language (e.g., Russian, Japanese, Chinese) while keeping code-related content in English:

  • Code comments
  • Docstrings
  • Commit messages
  • Variable/function names (already English by convention)

Currently, users must add explicit instructions to CLAUDE.md files like:

  • "Respond in Russian"
  • "All code comments must be in English"
  • "Commit messages in English"

This works, but consumes context tokens that could be saved with a proper system setting.

Proposed Solution

Extend the language configuration to support granular settings:

{
  "language": {
    "chat": "russian",        // Claude's explanations and discussions
    "code": "english"         // Comments, docstrings, commits
  }
}

Or even more granular:

{
  "language": {
    "chat": "russian",
    "code_comments": "english",
    "documentation": "english",
    "commit_messages": "english"
  }
}

Benefits

  • Saves context tokens (no need for manual instructions)
  • Better UX for non-English speaking developers
  • Maintains code quality standards (English code is industry standard)

Thank you for considering this enhancement!

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