TypeScript

i18next has embedded type definitions. If you want to enhance IDE Experience and prevent errors (such as type coercion), you should follow the instructions below in order to get the t function fully-type safe (keys and return type).
This is an optional feature and may affect the compilation time depending on your project's size. If you opt not to leverage the type enhancements suggested here, you can ignore this section.
Create a declaration file
TypeScript definitions for i18next can be extended by using Type Augmentation and Merging Interfaces. So the first step is creating a declaration file (i18next.d.ts), for example:
// import the original type declarations
import "i18next";
// import all namespaces (for the default language, only)
import ns1 from "locales/en/ns1.json";
import ns2 from "locales/en/ns2.json";
​
declare module "i18next" {
  // Extend CustomTypeOptions
  interface CustomTypeOptions {
    // custom namespace type, if you changed it
    defaultNS: "ns1";
    // custom resources type
    resources: {
      ns1: typeof ns1;
      ns2: typeof ns2;
    };
    // other
  }
}
Or, if you want to include all namespaces at once, you can use our preferred approach:
i18n.ts
export const defaultNS = "ns1";
export const resources = {
  en: {
    ns1,
    ns2,
  },
} as const;
​
i18n.use(initReactI18next).init({
  lng: "en",
  ns: ["ns1", "ns2"],
  defaultNS,
  resources,
});
i18next.d.ts
import { resources, defaultNS } from "./i18n";
​
declare module "i18next" {
  interface CustomTypeOptions {
    defaultNS: typeof defaultNS;
    resources: typeof resources["en"];
  }
}
We recommend creating a @types directory under src or above it and placing all your type declarations there. E.g.: @types/i18next.d.ts
Custom Type Options
We provide a few options that can improve TypeScript for i18next. All options come with default values, and if you want to change them, you just need to add them under CustomTypeOptions interface in your i18next type declaration file (i18next.d.ts).
option
default
description
defaultNS
'translation'
Default namespace. This is more practical in React applications, so when you call useTranslation() hooks without passing the namespace, it will infer the types for the translation namespace.
resources
object
Resources to initialize with. This is the most important option that is used to infer the appropriate keys and return types.
keySeparator
'.'
Char to separate keys.
nsSeparator
':'
Char to split namespace from key.
returnNull
true
Allows null values as valid translation.
returnEmptyString
true
Allows empty string as valid translation.
jsonFormat
'v4'
Json Format Version - V4 allows plural suffixes. See here for more information about Plurals.
allowObjectInHTMLChildren
false
Flag that allows HTML elements to receive objects. This is only useful for React applications where you pass objects to HTML elements so they can be replaced to their respective interpolation values (mostly with Trans component).
Troubleshooting
Slow compilation time
In order to fully type the t function, we recursively map all nested keys from your primary locale files or objects. Depending on the number of keys your project have, the compilation time could be noticeably affected. If this is negatively influencing your productivity, this feature might not be the best choice for you. If needed, you can always open an issue on Github to get some help from us.
Type error - template literal
If you face this issue:
Argument of type 'string' is not assignable to parameter of type ...
When using the following approach (template literal with an expression):
// with i18next
i18next.t(`${expression}.title`);
​
// with react-i18next
const { t } = useTranslation();
t(`${expression}.title`);
Or:
// with react-i18next
const { t } = useTranslation(`${ns}Default`);
TypeScript will lose the literal value, and it will infer the key as string, which will cause to throw the error above. In this case, you will need to assert the template string as const, like this:
// with i18next
i18next.t(`${expression}.title` as const);
​
// with react-i18next
const { t } = useTranslation();
t(`${expression}.title` as const);
For now, this is the only possible workaround. This is a TypeScript limitation that will be address at some point in the future.
Type error - excessively deep and possibly infinite
If you face this issue whenever calling the t function:
TS2589: Type instantiation is excessively deep and possibly infinite.
That probably means you did not set up your type declaration correctly, so review your configuration or check here for some similar cases that may help you. If needed, you can always open an issue on Github to get some help from us.
Tagged Template Literal (react-i18next only)
If you are using the tagged template literal syntax for the t function, like this:
t`key1.key2`;
The keys and return type inference will not work, because TemplateStringsArray does not accept generic types yet. You can use Tagged Template Literal syntax, but it will accept any string as argument.
Argument of type 'DefaultTFuncReturn' is not assignable to parameter of type xyz
t function can return null, this behaviour is set by default, if you want to change it, set returnNull type to false.
// i18next.d.ts
import 'i18next';
​
declare module 'i18next' {
  interface CustomTypeOptions {
    returnNull: false;
    ...
  }
}
I also recommend updating your i18next configuration to behave accordantly:
i18next.init({
  returnNull: false,
  // ...
});

option	default	description
defaultNS	'translation'	Default namespace. This is more practical in React applications, so when you call `useTranslation()` hooks without passing the namespace, it will infer the types for the `translation` namespace.
resources	object	Resources to initialize with. This is the most important option that is used to infer the appropriate keys and return types.
keySeparator	'.'	Char to separate keys.
nsSeparator	':'	Char to split namespace from key.
returnNull	true	Allows null values as valid translation.
returnEmptyString	true	Allows empty string as valid translation.
jsonFormat	'v4'	Json Format Version - V4 allows plural suffixes. See here for more information about Plurals.
allowObjectInHTMLChildren	false	Flag that allows HTML elements to receive objects. This is only useful for React applications where you pass objects to HTML elements so they can be replaced to their respective interpolation values (mostly with Trans component).

Last modified 6mo ago