Change Default Language and Locale in LibreOffice

This guide explains how to configure the default language, user interface language, and locale settings across all LibreOffice applications. Adjusting these settings ensures that spell checking, date formats, measurement units, and currency defaults automatically align with your preferred regional standards for all future documents.

Access the Language Settings Menu

1. Open any LibreOffice application (such as Writer or Calc).
2. Open the options window:
   • Windows / Linux: Click Tools in the top menu bar and select Options.
   • macOS: Click LibreOffice in the application menu bar and select Preferences.
3. In the left-hand navigation pane, double-click Language Settings to expand it, then select Languages.

Configure User Interface and Regional Defaults

In the Languages configuration panel, customize the following fields to your preference:

• User Interface: Select the language used for menus, dialog boxes, and tooltips. (Note: If your preferred language is not listed, you may need to install the corresponding language pack for LibreOffice.)
• Locale Setting: Choose the locale that dictates regional formatting standards, such as number separators (commas vs. periods), date conventions, and default currency symbols.
• Decimal Separator Key: Check the Same as locale setting box to ensure your numeric keypad’s decimal key reflects your selected locale format.
• Default Currency: Choose the default currency symbol used in financial documents and Calc spreadsheets.

Set Default Languages for Documents

Under the Default Languages for Documents section:

1. Western: Select your primary document language for spell-checking, thesaurus, and hyphenation (for example, English (USA), English (UK), or Spanish). Languages with an active spell-check dictionary installed will display an icon with an “ABC” checkmark.
2. Asian / Complex Text Layout (CTL): If applicable, enable and select defaults for Asian languages (such as Chinese, Japanese, or Korean) or CTL languages (such as Arabic or Hebrew).
3. For the current document only: Ensure this checkbox is unmarked so that your selected document language applies globally as the default for all new documents, rather than just the active file.

Apply and Restart

1. Click Apply and then click OK to save your preferences.
2. If you changed the User Interface language, close and restart LibreOffice to apply the interface updates.