| name | multi-lang-readme |
| description | Use when creating bilingual or multilingual README files from an existing README while preserving Markdown structure. |
Multi-Lang README
Overview
Create multilingual README files by translating an existing README while preserving Markdown structure, links, code blocks, and language-switch navigation. The workflow supports bilingual and multilingual README sets without rewriting unrelated project documentation.
When to Use
Use this skill when the user asks for:
- Bilingual README creation (for example English + Chinese)
- Multilingual README generation
- Translating an existing README into one or more target languages
- Standardized language-switch links across README files
Do not use
Do not use this skill for:
- Translating arbitrary non-README documents
- Rewriting product requirements or legal documents
- Content generation tasks unrelated to README translation
Instructions
- Locate the source README file to translate (ask user if ambiguous).
- Confirm target language(s) and desired canonical README language.
- Translate content while preserving markdown, links, and code blocks.
- Write translated files using language suffix conventions.
- Add or update language-switch links at the top of each README.
- Verify filenames, link paths, and formatting before final output.
Supported Languages
| Code | Language |
|---|
| en | English |
| de | German |
| ja | Japanese |
| ko | Korean |
| zh-CN | Chinese |
Workflow
Step 1: Detect README
Find the source README:
- Check root directory for
README.md
- If multiple README files exist, ask which file should be translated
Step 2: Read README Content
Read full markdown content, including:
- Title
- Badges
- All sections (Features, Installation, Usage, Contributing, License, etc.)
- Code blocks
- Links
Step 3: Confirm Target Language
Ask user which language(s) to translate to. Default assumptions:
- README.md should always be in English as the canonical version
- If current README is in Chinese (or any non-English), translate it to English first
- After English version is established, add other language versions as requested
If user says "create bilingual README" without specifying:
- Translate existing README to English first (replace or create README.md)
- Then add Chinese version (README.zh-CN.md)
Step 4: Translate with AI
Translate with these rules:
- Preserve markdown formatting
- Keep code blocks unchanged
- Translate section titles to target language
- Keep internal links (relative paths) as-is
- For external links, use target language anchor text if appropriate
Step 5: Create Translated README
Important: keep README.md as canonical English unless the user explicitly asks for another convention.
- English: README.md (create or replace with English version)
- German: README.de.md
- Japanese: README.ja.md
- Korean: README.ko.md
- Chinese: README.zh-CN.md
If the original README is non-English and user agrees, replace it with English README.md.
Step 6: Add Language Switcher
Update original README to include language switcher at the top:
**English** | [中文](README.zh-CN.md) | [Deutsch](README.de.md) | [日本語](README.ja.md) | [한국어](README.ko.md)
Add below the title or badges, before the main content.
Step 7: Update Translated README
Add reciprocal link in the translated README:
**[Original](README.md)** | [中文](README.zh-CN.md)
Language Code Reference
en → no suffix (README.md)
de → README.de.md
ja → README.ja.md
ko → README.ko.md
zh-CN → README.zh-CN.md
Common Triggers
- "create bilingual README"
- "create English and Chinese README"
- "translate README to Japanese"
- "add German version of README"
- "add README.zh-CN.md"
