CSS - :lang
The :lang CSS pseudo-class matches elements based on the language the element is determined to be in. In HTML, the language is determined by a combination of the lang attribute, the <meta> element, and possibly by information from the protocol (such as HTTP headers). For other document types there may be other document methods for determining the language.
Example
In this example, the lang selector is used to match on the parent of a quote element using child selectors. Its not meant to demonstrate the only way to do this, or even the correct way (which would depend on the type of document). Note, Unicode values are used to specify special quote characters.
:lang(en) > q { quotes: '\201C' '\201D' '\2018' '\2019'; } :lang(fr) > q { quotes: '« ' ' »'; } :lang(de) > q { quotes: '»' '«' '\2039' '\203A'; }
...where...
<div lang="en"><q>This English quote has a <q>nested</q> quote.</q></div> <div lang="fr"><q>This French quote has a <q>nested</q> quote.</q></div> <div lang="de"><q>This German quote has a <q>nested</q> quote.</q></div>
... looks like ...
Syntax
:lang( <language-code> ) <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#curly_braces_(.7b_.7d)" title="Curly braces">{</a> <var>style properties</var> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#curly_braces_(.7b_.7d)" title="Curly braces">}</a>
Description
The :lang CSS pseudo-class matches elements based on the language the element is determined to be in. In HTML, the language is determined by a combination of the lang attribute, the <meta> element, and possibly by information from the protocol (such as HTTP headers). For other document types there may be other document methods for determining the language.
Acceptable language-code strings are specified in the HTML 4.0 specification.
Browser Compatibility
| Feature | Chrome | Firefox (Gecko) | Internet Explorer | Opera | Safari |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic support | 1.0 | 1.0 (1.7 or earlier) | 8.0 | 8.0 | 3.1 |
| Feature | Android | Firefox Mobile (Gecko) | IE Mobile | Opera Mobile | Safari Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic support | 1.0 | 1.0 (1) | 8.0 | 8.0 | 3.1 |
See Also
- Language-related pseudo-classes:
:lang,:dir - Language Property
- W3C HTML4: Language codes
- W3C DOM Level 2 HTML: lang
Specifications
| Specification | Status | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Selectors Level 4 The definition of ':lang()' in that specification. |
Working Draft | No change |
| Selectors Level 3 The definition of ':lang()' in that specification. |
Recommendation | No significant change |
| CSS Level 2 (Revision 1) The definition of ':lang()' in that specification. |
Recommendation | Initial definition |
License
© 2016 Mozilla Contributors
Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License v2.5 or later.
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-us/docs/web/css/:lang