diff --git a/.eslintignore b/.eslintignore
index bec05ebf711..40f3001788f 100644
--- a/.eslintignore
+++ b/.eslintignore
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ packages/desktop-client/playwright-report/
 
 packages/desktop-electron/client-build/
 packages/desktop-electron/dist/
+packages/desktop-electron/build/
 
 packages/import-ynab4/**/node_modules/*
 
diff --git a/packages/desktop-client/i18next-parser.config.js b/packages/desktop-client/i18next-parser.config.js
index eaab75dae07..55acd37d9f8 100644
--- a/packages/desktop-client/i18next-parser.config.js
+++ b/packages/desktop-client/i18next-parser.config.js
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 module.exports = {
-  input: ['src/**/*.{js,jsx,ts,tsx}', '../loot-core/src/**/*.{js,jsx,ts,tsx}'],
+  input: [
+    'src/**/*.{js,jsx,ts,tsx}',
+    '../loot-core/src/**/*.{js,jsx,ts,tsx}',
+    '../desktop-electron/*.{js,ts}',
+  ],
   output: 'src/locale/$LOCALE.json',
   locales: ['en'],
   sort: true,
diff --git a/packages/desktop-electron/i18n.ts b/packages/desktop-electron/i18n.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3b591594b58
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/desktop-electron/i18n.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+import i18n from 'i18next';
+import backend from 'i18next-electron-fs-backend';
+
+i18n.use(backend).init({
+  backend: {
+    loadPath: '../desktop-client/locale/{{lng}}.json',
+    addPath: '../desktop-client/locale/{{lng}}.missing.json',
+    contextBridgeApiKey: 'Actual',
+  },
+
+  // While we mark all strings for translations, one can test
+  // it by setting the language in localStorage to their choice.
+  // Set this to 'cimode' to see the exact keys without interpolation.
+  lng: 'en', // FIXME localStorage undefined
+  // lng: localStorage.getItem('language') || 'en',
+
+  // allow keys to be phrases having `:`, `.`
+  nsSeparator: false,
+  keySeparator: false,
+  // do not load a fallback
+  fallbackLng: false,
+  interpolation: {
+    escapeValue: false,
+  },
+});
+
+export default i18n;
diff --git a/packages/desktop-electron/index.ts b/packages/desktop-electron/index.ts
index 3a9d4e86089..1b455fd7068 100644
--- a/packages/desktop-electron/index.ts
+++ b/packages/desktop-electron/index.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import {
 import { copy, exists, remove } from 'fs-extra';
 import promiseRetry from 'promise-retry';
 
+import i18n from './i18n';
 import { getMenu } from './menu';
 import {
   get as getWindowState,
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ import {
 } from './window-state';
 
 import './security';
+const backend = require('i18next-electron-fs-backend');
 
 const isDev = !app.isPackaged; // dev mode if not packaged
 
@@ -154,6 +156,8 @@ async function createWindow() {
 
   win.setBackgroundColor('#E8ECF0');
 
+  backend.mainBindings(ipcMain, win, fs);
+
   if (isDev) {
     win.webContents.openDevTools();
   }
@@ -229,23 +233,25 @@ function isExternalUrl(url: string) {
 function updateMenu(budgetId?: string) {
   const isBudgetOpen = !!budgetId;
   const menu = getMenu(isDev, createWindow, budgetId);
-  const file = menu.items.filter(item => item.label === 'File')[0];
+  const file = menu.items.filter(item => item.label === i18n.t('File'))[0];
   const fileItems = file.submenu?.items || [];
   fileItems
-    .filter(item => item.label === 'Load Backup...')
+    .filter(item => item.label === i18n.t('Load Backup...'))
     .forEach(item => {
       item.enabled = isBudgetOpen;
     });
 
-  const tools = menu.items.filter(item => item.label === 'Tools')[0];
+  const tools = menu.items.filter(item => item.label === i18n.t('Tools'))[0];
   tools.submenu?.items.forEach(item => {
     item.enabled = isBudgetOpen;
   });
 
-  const edit = menu.items.filter(item => item.label === 'Edit')[0];
+  const edit = menu.items.filter(item => item.label === i18n.t('Edit'))[0];
   const editItems = edit.submenu?.items || [];
   editItems
-    .filter(item => item.label === 'Undo' || item.label === 'Redo')
+    .filter(
+      item => item.label === i18n.t('Undo') || item.label === i18n.t('Redo'),
+    )
     .map(item => (item.enabled = isBudgetOpen));
 
   if (process.platform === 'win32') {
@@ -325,6 +331,8 @@ app.on('window-all-closed', () => {
   // On macOS, closing all windows shouldn't exit the process
   if (process.platform !== 'darwin') {
     app.quit();
+  } else {
+    backend.clearMainBindings(ipcMain);
   }
 });
 
diff --git a/packages/desktop-electron/menu.ts b/packages/desktop-electron/menu.ts
index 5897cd22d0b..2e6611266d9 100644
--- a/packages/desktop-electron/menu.ts
+++ b/packages/desktop-electron/menu.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 import { MenuItemConstructorOptions, Menu, ipcMain, app } from 'electron';
 
+import i18n from './i18n';
+
 export function getMenu(
   isDev: boolean,
   createWindow: () => Promise<void>,
@@ -7,10 +9,10 @@ export function getMenu(
 ) {
   const template: MenuItemConstructorOptions[] = [
     {
-      label: 'File',
+      label: i18n.t('File'),
       submenu: [
         {
-          label: 'Load Backup...',
+          label: i18n.t('Load Backup...'),
           enabled: false,
           click(_item, focusedWindow) {
             if (focusedWindow && budgetId) {
@@ -26,7 +28,7 @@ export function getMenu(
           type: 'separator',
         },
         {
-          label: 'Manage files...',
+          label: i18n.t('Manage files...'),
           accelerator: 'CmdOrCtrl+O',
           click(_item, focusedWindow) {
             if (focusedWindow) {
@@ -46,10 +48,10 @@ export function getMenu(
       ],
     },
     {
-      label: 'Edit',
+      label: i18n.t('Edit'),
       submenu: [
         {
-          label: 'Undo',
+          label: i18n.t('Undo'),
           enabled: false,
           accelerator: 'CmdOrCtrl+Z',
           click: function (_menuItem, focusedWin) {
@@ -62,7 +64,7 @@ export function getMenu(
           },
         },
         {
-          label: 'Redo',
+          label: i18n.t('Redo'),
           enabled: false,
           accelerator: 'Shift+CmdOrCtrl+Z',
           click: function (_menuItem, focusedWin) {
@@ -98,10 +100,10 @@ export function getMenu(
       ],
     },
     {
-      label: 'View',
+      label: i18n.t('View'),
       submenu: [
         {
-          label: 'Reload',
+          label: i18n.t('Reload'),
           accelerator: 'CmdOrCtrl+R',
           click(_item, focusedWindow) {
             if (focusedWindow) {
@@ -110,7 +112,7 @@ export function getMenu(
           },
         },
         {
-          label: 'Toggle Developer Tools',
+          label: i18n.t('Toggle Developer Tools'),
           accelerator:
             process.platform === 'darwin' ? 'Alt+Command+I' : 'Ctrl+Shift+I',
           click(_item, focusedWindow) {
@@ -140,10 +142,10 @@ export function getMenu(
       ],
     },
     {
-      label: 'Tools',
+      label: i18n.t('Tools'),
       submenu: [
         {
-          label: 'Find schedules',
+          label: i18n.t('Find schedules'),
           enabled: false,
           click: function (_menuItem, focusedWin) {
             if (focusedWin) {
@@ -167,7 +169,7 @@ export function getMenu(
       role: 'help',
       submenu: [
         {
-          label: 'Documentation',
+          label: i18n.t('Documentation'),
           click(_menuItem, focusedWin) {
             focusedWin?.webContents.executeJavaScript(
               'window.__actionsForMenu && window.__actionsForMenu.openDocsForCurrentPage()',
@@ -175,7 +177,7 @@ export function getMenu(
           },
         },
         {
-          label: 'Keyboard Shortcuts',
+          label: i18n.t('Keyboard Shortcuts'),
           accelerator: '?',
           enabled: !!budgetId,
           click: function (_menuItem, focusedWin) {
@@ -197,7 +199,7 @@ export function getMenu(
       submenu: [
         isDev
           ? {
-              label: 'Screenshot',
+              label: i18n.t('Screenshot'),
               click() {
                 ipcMain.emit('screenshot');
               },
@@ -231,13 +233,13 @@ export function getMenu(
       ],
     });
     // Edit menu.
-    const editIdx = template.findIndex(t => t.label === 'Edit');
+    const editIdx = template.findIndex(t => t.label === i18n.t('Edit'));
     (template[editIdx].submenu as MenuItemConstructorOptions[]).push(
       {
         type: 'separator',
       },
       {
-        label: 'Speech',
+        label: i18n.t('Speech'),
         submenu: [
           {
             role: 'startSpeaking',
@@ -252,24 +254,24 @@ export function getMenu(
     const windowIdx = template.findIndex(t => t.role === 'window');
     template[windowIdx].submenu = [
       {
-        label: 'Close',
+        label: i18n.t('Close'),
         accelerator: 'CmdOrCtrl+W',
         role: 'close',
       },
       {
-        label: 'Minimize',
+        label: i18n.t('Minimize'),
         accelerator: 'CmdOrCtrl+M',
         role: 'minimize',
       },
       {
-        label: 'Zoom',
+        label: i18n.t('Zoom'),
         role: 'zoom',
       },
       {
         type: 'separator',
       },
       {
-        label: 'Bring All to Front',
+        label: i18n.t('Bring All to Front'),
         role: 'front',
       },
     ];
diff --git a/packages/desktop-electron/package.json b/packages/desktop-electron/package.json
index ced422a10fc..bd1b3e7d37c 100644
--- a/packages/desktop-electron/package.json
+++ b/packages/desktop-electron/package.json
@@ -86,6 +86,12 @@
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "better-sqlite3": "^9.6.0",
+    "electron-is-dev": "2.0.0",
+    "electron-log": "4.4.8",
+    "i18next": "^23.12.6",
+    "i18next-electron-fs-backend": "^3.0.2",
+    "lodash": "^4.17.21",
+    "loot-core": "*",
     "fs-extra": "^11.2.0",
     "promise-retry": "^2.0.1"
   },
@@ -93,6 +99,7 @@
     "@electron/notarize": "2.4.0",
     "@electron/rebuild": "3.6.0",
     "@types/copyfiles": "^2",
+    "@types/lodash": "^4",
     "@types/fs-extra": "^11",
     "copyfiles": "^2.4.1",
     "cross-env": "^7.0.3",
diff --git a/packages/desktop-electron/preload.ts b/packages/desktop-electron/preload.ts
index 1f98a39096a..fe60b317fa6 100644
--- a/packages/desktop-electron/preload.ts
+++ b/packages/desktop-electron/preload.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ import {
   SaveFileDialogPayload,
 } from './index';
 
+const backend = require('i18next-electron-fs-backend');
+
 const { version: VERSION, isDev: IS_DEV }: GetBootstrapDataPayload =
   ipcRenderer.sendSync('get-bootstrap-data');
 
@@ -14,6 +16,8 @@ contextBridge.exposeInMainWorld('Actual', {
   ACTUAL_VERSION: VERSION,
   logToTerminal: console.log,
 
+  i18nextElectronBackend: backend.preloadBindings(ipcRenderer, process),
+
   ipcConnect: (
     func: (payload: {
       on: IpcRenderer['on'];
diff --git a/upcoming-release-notes/3267.md b/upcoming-release-notes/3267.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e221cb634f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/upcoming-release-notes/3267.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+category: Enhancements
+authors: [psybers]
+---
+
+Support translations in desktop-electron.
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index e39f9406bc8..1409ad90212 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -8689,12 +8689,19 @@ __metadata:
     "@electron/notarize": "npm:2.4.0"
     "@electron/rebuild": "npm:3.6.0"
     "@types/copyfiles": "npm:^2"
+    "@types/lodash": "npm:^4"
     "@types/fs-extra": "npm:^11"
     better-sqlite3: "npm:^9.6.0"
     copyfiles: "npm:^2.4.1"
     cross-env: "npm:^7.0.3"
     electron: "npm:30.0.6"
     electron-builder: "npm:24.13.3"
+    electron-is-dev: "npm:2.0.0"
+    electron-log: "npm:4.4.8"
+    i18next: "npm:^23.12.6"
+    i18next-electron-fs-backend: "npm:^3.0.2"
+    lodash: "npm:^4.17.21"
+    loot-core: "npm:*"
     fs-extra: "npm:^11.2.0"
     promise-retry: "npm:^2.0.1"
     typescript: "npm:^5.5.4"
@@ -11298,6 +11305,23 @@ __metadata:
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
+"hyphenate-style-name@npm:^1.0.2":
+  version: 1.0.4
+  resolution: "hyphenate-style-name@npm:1.0.4"
+  checksum: 10/d37883e6b7e1be62e1ddae29cac83fa59fb93c068bc8eb1561585439adbad91dcf7e264ee2a82c4378fc58049f7bd853544a4a81bf00d4aff717f641052323e7
+  languageName: node
+  linkType: hard
+
+"i18next-electron-fs-backend@npm:^3.0.2":
+  version: 3.0.2
+  resolution: "i18next-electron-fs-backend@npm:3.0.2"
+  dependencies:
+    lodash.clonedeep: "npm:^4.5.0"
+    lodash.merge: "npm:^4.6.2"
+  checksum: 10/43227421724382ba3cea544e03d0ca3d159c73dad57abc85ba216fd6ae425b7f5cd1937205123e75d405b4db2488f654fbf6214145d2970316cd43572f789cbd
+  languageName: node
+  linkType: hard
+
 "i18next-parser@npm:^9.0.0":
   version: 9.0.1
   resolution: "i18next-parser@npm:9.0.1"
@@ -11343,6 +11367,15 @@ __metadata:
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
+"i18next@npm:^23.12.6":
+  version: 23.12.6
+  resolution: "i18next@npm:23.12.6"
+  dependencies:
+    "@babel/runtime": "npm:^7.23.2"
+  checksum: 10/6bb7faa2f1645dd7fc8d04c485707221edcf14911756d94faa8f5b7ffb5507995e00dca01f3c516ced9e986effb0073b06e9c55c2d762d400841cc557002abb1
+  languageName: node
+  linkType: hard
+
 "iconv-corefoundation@npm:^1.1.7":
   version: 1.1.7
   resolution: "iconv-corefoundation@npm:1.1.7"
@@ -13284,6 +13317,13 @@ __metadata:
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
+"lodash.clonedeep@npm:^4.5.0":
+  version: 4.5.0
+  resolution: "lodash.clonedeep@npm:4.5.0"
+  checksum: 10/957ed243f84ba6791d4992d5c222ffffca339a3b79dbe81d2eaf0c90504160b500641c5a0f56e27630030b18b8e971ea10b44f928a977d5ced3c8948841b555f
+  languageName: node
+  linkType: hard
+
 "lodash.debounce@npm:^4.0.8":
   version: 4.0.8
   resolution: "lodash.debounce@npm:4.0.8"