diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 17f003e7a4..14950f1488 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -145,6 +145,12 @@ The generated files that most frequently need an update are
 run `flutter pub get && flutter build ios --config-only && flutter build macos --config-only`.
 
 
+### Translations and i18n
+
+When adding new strings in the UI, we set them up to be translated.
+For details on how to do this, see the [translation doc](docs/translation.md).
+
+
 ## License
 
 Copyright (c) 2022 Kandra Labs, Inc., and contributors.
diff --git a/assets/l10n/app_en.arb b/assets/l10n/app_en.arb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f642df803c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/assets/l10n/app_en.arb
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+{
+  "aboutPageTitle": "About Zulip",
+  "@aboutPageTitle": {
+    "description": "Title for About Zulip page"
+  },
+  "aboutPageAppVersion": "App version",
+  "@aboutPageAppVersion": {
+    "description": "Label for Zulip app version in About Zulip page"
+  },
+  "aboutPageOpenSourceLicenses": "Open-source licenses",
+  "@aboutPageOpenSourceLicenses": {
+    "description": "Item title in About Zulip page to navigate to Licenses page"
+  },
+  "aboutPageTapToView": "Tap to view",
+  "@aboutPageTapToView": {
+    "description": "Item subtitle in About Zulip page to navigate to Licenses page"
+  },
+  "chooseAccountPageTitle": "Choose account",
+  "@chooseAccountPageTitle": {
+    "description": "Title for ChooseAccountPage"
+  },
+  "chooseAccountButtonAddAnAccount": "Add an account",
+  "@chooseAccountButtonAddAnAccount": {
+    "description": "Label for ChooseAccountPage button to add an account"
+  },
+  "profileButtonSendDirectMessage": "Send direct message",
+  "@profileButtonSendDirectMessage": {
+    "description": "Label for button in profile screen to navigate to DMs with the shown user."
+  },
+  "cameraAccessDeniedTitle": "Permissions needed",
+  "@cameraAccessDeniedTitle": {
+    "description": "Title for dialog when the user needs to grant permissions for camera access."
+  },
+  "cameraAccessDeniedMessage": "To upload an image, please grant Zulip additional permissions in Settings.",
+  "@cameraAccessDeniedMessage": {
+    "description": "Message for dialog when the user needs to grant permissions for camera access."
+  },
+  "cameraAccessDeniedButtonText": "Open settings",
+  "@cameraAccessDeniedButtonText": {
+    "description": "Message for dialog when the user needs to grant permissions for camera access."
+  },
+  "subscribedToNStreams": "Subscribed to {num, plural, =0{no streams} =1{1 stream} other{{num} streams}}",
+  "@subscribedToNStreams": {
+    "description": "Test page label showing number of streams user is subscribed to.",
+    "placeholders": {
+      "num": {
+        "type": "int",
+        "example": "4"
+      }
+    }
+  },
+  "userRoleOwner": "Owner",
+  "@userRoleOwner": {
+    "description": "Label for UserRole.owner"
+  },
+  "userRoleAdministrator": "Administrator",
+  "@userRoleAdministrator": {
+    "description": "Label for UserRole.administrator"
+  },
+  "userRoleModerator": "Moderator",
+  "@userRoleModerator": {
+    "description": "Label for UserRole.moderator"
+  },
+  "userRoleMember": "Member",
+  "@userRoleMember": {
+    "description": "Label for UserRole.member"
+  },
+  "userRoleGuest": "Guest",
+  "@userRoleGuest": {
+    "description": "Label for UserRole.guest"
+  },
+  "userRoleUnknown": "Unknown",
+  "@userRoleUnknown": {
+    "description": "Label for UserRole.unknown"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/assets/l10n/app_ja.arb b/assets/l10n/app_ja.arb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e547e5ca8b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/assets/l10n/app_ja.arb
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+{
+  "chooseAccountPageTitle": "アカウントを選択",
+  "chooseAccountButtonAddAnAccount": "新しいアカウントを追加",
+  "profileButtonSendDirectMessage": "ダイレクトメッセージを送信",
+  "cameraAccessDeniedTitle": "権限が必要です",
+  "cameraAccessDeniedMessage": "画像をアップロードするには、「設定」で Zulip に追加の権限を許可してください。",
+  "cameraAccessDeniedButtonText": "設定を開く",
+  "subscribedToNStreams": "{num, plural, other{{num}つのストリームをフォローしています}}",
+  "userRoleOwner": "オーナー",
+  "userRoleAdministrator": "管理者",
+  "userRoleModerator": "モデレータ",
+  "userRoleMember": "メンバー",
+  "userRoleGuest": "ゲスト",
+  "userRoleUnknown": "不明"
+}
diff --git a/docs/translation.md b/docs/translation.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fcded2ef10
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/translation.md
@@ -0,0 +1,151 @@
+# Translations
+
+Our goal is for this app to be localized and offered in many
+languages, just like zulip-mobile and Zulip web.
+
+
+## Current state
+
+We have a framework set up that makes it possible for UI strings
+to be translated.  (This was issue #275.)  This means that when
+adding new strings to the UI, instead of using a constant string
+in English we'll add the string to that framework.
+For details, see below.
+
+At present not all of the codebase has been migrated to use the framework,
+so you'll see some existing code that uses constant strings.
+Fixing that is issue #277.
+
+At present we don't have the strings wired up to a platform for
+people to contribute translations.  That's issue #276.
+Until then, we have only a handful of strings actually translated,
+just to make it possible to demonstrate the framework
+is working correctly.
+
+
+## Adding new UI strings
+
+### Adding a string to the translation database
+
+To add a new string in the UI, start by
+adding an entry in the ARB file `assets/l10n/app_en.arb`.
+This includes a name that you choose for the string,
+its value in English,
+and a "resource attribute" describing the string in context.
+The name will become an identifier in our Dart code.
+The description will provide context for people contributing translations.
+
+For example, this entry describes a UI string
+named `profileButtonSendDirectMessage`
+which appears in English as "Send direct message":
+```
+  "profileButtonSendDirectMessage": "Send direct message",
+  "@profileButtonSendDirectMessage": {
+    "description": "Label for button in profile screen to navigate to DMs with the shown user."
+  },
+```
+
+Then run the app (with `flutter run` or in your IDE),
+or perform a hot reload,
+to cause the Dart bindings to be updated based on your
+changes to the ARB file.
+(You can also trigger an update directly, with `flutter gen-l10n`.)
+
+
+### Using a translated string in the code
+
+To use in our widgets, you need to import the generated bindings:
+```
+import 'package:flutter_gen/gen_l10n/zulip_localizations.dart';
+```
+
+Then in your widget code, pull the localizations object
+off of the Flutter build context:
+```
+Widget build(BuildContext context) {
+  final zulipLocalizations = ZulipLocalizations.of(context);
+```
+
+Finally, on the localizations object use the getter
+that was generated for the new string:
+`Text(zulipLocalizations.profileButtonSendDirectMessage)`.
+
+
+### Strings with placeholders
+
+When a UI string is a constant per language, with no placeholders,
+the generated Dart code provides a simple getter, as seen above.
+
+When the string takes a placeholder,
+the generated Dart binding for it will instead be a function,
+taking arguments corresponding to the placeholders.
+
+For example:
+`zulipLocalizations.subscribedToNStreams(store.subscriptions.length)`.
+
+
+## Hack to enforce locale (for testing, etc.)
+
+For testing the app's behavior in different locales,
+you can use your device's system settings to
+change the preferred language.
+
+Alternatively, you may find it helpful to
+pass a `localeResolutionCallback` to the `MaterialApp` in `app.dart`
+to enforce a particular locale:
+
+```
+return GlobalStoreWidget(
+  child: MaterialApp(
+    title: 'Zulip',
+    localizationsDelegates: ZulipLocalizations.localizationsDelegates,
+    supportedLocales: ZulipLocalizations.supportedLocales,
+    localeResolutionCallback: (locale, supportedLocales) {
+      return const Locale("ja");
+    },
+    theme: theme,
+    home: const ChooseAccountPage()));
+```
+
+(When using this hack, returning a locale not in `supportedLocales` will
+cause a crash.
+The default behavior without `localeResolutionCallback` ensures
+a fallback is always selected.)
+
+
+## Tests
+
+Widgets that access localizations will fail if
+the ambient `MaterialApp` isn't set up for localizations.
+For the `MaterialApp` used in the app, we do this in `app.dart`.
+In tests, this typically requires a test's setup code to provide
+arguments `localizationDelegates` and `supportedLocales`.
+For example:
+
+```
+  await tester.pumpWidget(
+    GlobalStoreWidget(
+      child: MaterialApp(
+        navigatorObservers: navigatorObserver != null ? [navigatorObserver] : [],
+        localizationsDelegates: ZulipLocalizations.localizationsDelegates,
+        supportedLocales: ZulipLocalizations.supportedLocales,
+        home: PerAccountStoreWidget(
+```
+
+
+## Other notes
+
+Our approach uses the `flutter_localizations` package.
+We use the `gen_l10n` way, where we write ARB files
+and the tool generates the Dart bindings.
+
+As discussed in issue #275, the other way around was
+also an option.  But this way seems most straightforward
+when connecting with a translation management system,
+as they output ARB files that we consume.
+This also parallels how zulip-mobile works with `.json` files
+(and Zulip web, and the Zulip server with `.po` files?)
+
+A file `build/untranslated_messages.json` is emitted
+whenever the Dart bindings are generated from the ARB files.
+This output awaits #276.
diff --git a/l10n.yaml b/l10n.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e9bf7ee62d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/l10n.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+# Docs on this config file:
+#   https://docs.flutter.dev/ui/accessibility-and-localization/internationalization#configuring-the-l10nyaml-file
+
+arb-dir: assets/l10n
+template-arb-file: app_en.arb
+required-resource-attributes: true
+output-localization-file: zulip_localizations.dart
+untranslated-messages-file: build/untranslated_messages.json
+output-class: ZulipLocalizations
+preferred-supported-locales: [ en ]
+nullable-getter: false
diff --git a/lib/widgets/about_zulip.dart b/lib/widgets/about_zulip.dart
index 57afa6737a..3cd55eacaf 100644
--- a/lib/widgets/about_zulip.dart
+++ b/lib/widgets/about_zulip.dart
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
+import 'package:flutter_gen/gen_l10n/zulip_localizations.dart';
 import 'package:package_info_plus/package_info_plus.dart';
 
 import 'page.dart';
@@ -30,8 +31,9 @@ class _AboutZulipPageState extends State<AboutZulipPage> {
 
   @override
   Widget build(BuildContext context) {
+    final zulipLocalizations = ZulipLocalizations.of(context);
     return Scaffold(
-      appBar: AppBar(title: const Text("About Zulip")),
+      appBar: AppBar(title: Text(zulipLocalizations.aboutPageTitle)),
       body: SingleChildScrollView(
         child: SafeArea(
           minimum: const EdgeInsets.all(8), // ListView pads vertical
@@ -40,11 +42,11 @@ class _AboutZulipPageState extends State<AboutZulipPage> {
               constraints: const BoxConstraints(maxWidth: 400),
               child: Column(mainAxisAlignment: MainAxisAlignment.center, children: [
                 ListTile(
-                  title: const Text('App version'),
+                  title: Text(zulipLocalizations.aboutPageAppVersion),
                   subtitle: Text(_packageInfo?.version ?? '(…)')),
                 ListTile(
-                  title: const Text('Open-source licenses'),
-                  subtitle: const Text('Tap to view'),
+                  title: Text(zulipLocalizations.aboutPageOpenSourceLicenses),
+                  subtitle: Text(zulipLocalizations.aboutPageTapToView),
                   onTap: () {
                     // TODO(upstream?): This route and its child routes (pushed
                     //   when you tap a package to view its licenses) can't be
diff --git a/lib/widgets/app.dart b/lib/widgets/app.dart
index af9051ad4e..17f2e2e457 100644
--- a/lib/widgets/app.dart
+++ b/lib/widgets/app.dart
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
+import 'package:flutter_gen/gen_l10n/zulip_localizations.dart';
 
 import '../model/narrow.dart';
 import 'about_zulip.dart';
@@ -45,6 +46,8 @@ class ZulipApp extends StatelessWidget {
     return GlobalStoreWidget(
       child: MaterialApp(
         title: 'Zulip',
+        localizationsDelegates: ZulipLocalizations.localizationsDelegates,
+        supportedLocales: ZulipLocalizations.supportedLocales,
         theme: theme,
         home: const ChooseAccountPage()));
   }
@@ -76,11 +79,12 @@ class ChooseAccountPage extends StatelessWidget {
 
   @override
   Widget build(BuildContext context) {
+    final zulipLocalizations = ZulipLocalizations.of(context);
     assert(!PerAccountStoreWidget.debugExistsOf(context));
     final globalStore = GlobalStoreWidget.of(context);
     return Scaffold(
       appBar: AppBar(
-        title: const Text('Choose account'),
+        title: Text(zulipLocalizations.chooseAccountPageTitle),
         actions: const [ChooseAccountPageOverflowButton()]),
       body: SafeArea(
         minimum: const EdgeInsets.all(8),
@@ -97,7 +101,7 @@ class ChooseAccountPage extends StatelessWidget {
               ElevatedButton(
                 onPressed: () => Navigator.push(context,
                   AddAccountPage.buildRoute()),
-                child: const Text('Add an account')),
+                child: Text(zulipLocalizations.chooseAccountButtonAddAnAccount)),
             ]))),
       ));
   }
@@ -137,6 +141,7 @@ class HomePage extends StatelessWidget {
   @override
   Widget build(BuildContext context) {
     final store = PerAccountStoreWidget.of(context);
+    final zulipLocalizations = ZulipLocalizations.of(context);
 
     InlineSpan bold(String text) => TextSpan(
       text: text, style: const TextStyle(fontWeight: FontWeight.bold));
@@ -161,10 +166,7 @@ class HomePage extends StatelessWidget {
               Text.rich(TextSpan(
                 text: 'Zulip server version: ',
                 children: [bold(store.zulipVersion)])),
-              Text.rich(TextSpan(text: 'Subscribed to ', children: [
-                bold(store.subscriptions.length.toString()),
-                const TextSpan(text: ' streams'),
-              ])),
+              Text(zulipLocalizations.subscribedToNStreams(store.subscriptions.length)),
             ])),
           const SizedBox(height: 16),
           ElevatedButton(
diff --git a/lib/widgets/compose_box.dart b/lib/widgets/compose_box.dart
index e91f8d1f2f..dbcca82903 100644
--- a/lib/widgets/compose_box.dart
+++ b/lib/widgets/compose_box.dart
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import 'package:app_settings/app_settings.dart';
 import 'package:file_picker/file_picker.dart';
 import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
 import 'package:flutter/services.dart';
+import 'package:flutter_gen/gen_l10n/zulip_localizations.dart';
 import 'package:image_picker/image_picker.dart';
 
 import '../api/model/model.dart';
@@ -603,6 +604,7 @@ class _AttachFromCameraButton extends _AttachUploadsButton {
 
   @override
   Future<Iterable<_File>> getFiles(BuildContext context) async {
+    final zulipLocalizations = ZulipLocalizations.of(context);
     final picker = ImagePicker();
     final XFile? result;
     try {
@@ -619,10 +621,10 @@ class _AttachFromCameraButton extends _AttachUploadsButton {
         // permission-request alert once, the first time the app wants to
         // use a protected resource. After that, the only way the user can
         // grant it is in Settings.
-        showSuggestedActionDialog(context: context, // TODO(i18n)
-          title: 'Permissions needed',
-          message: 'To upload an image, please grant Zulip additional permissions in Settings.',
-          actionButtonText: 'Open settings',
+        showSuggestedActionDialog(context: context,
+          title: zulipLocalizations.cameraAccessDeniedTitle,
+          message: zulipLocalizations.cameraAccessDeniedMessage,
+          actionButtonText: zulipLocalizations.cameraAccessDeniedButtonText,
           onActionButtonPress: () {
             AppSettings.openAppSettings();
           });
diff --git a/lib/widgets/profile.dart b/lib/widgets/profile.dart
index bca6a0922d..6d125fbff0 100644
--- a/lib/widgets/profile.dart
+++ b/lib/widgets/profile.dart
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import 'dart:convert';
 
 import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
+import 'package:flutter_gen/gen_l10n/zulip_localizations.dart';
 
 import '../api/model/model.dart';
 import '../model/content.dart';
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ class ProfilePage extends StatelessWidget {
 
   @override
   Widget build(BuildContext context) {
+    final zulipLocalizations = ZulipLocalizations.of(context);
     final store = PerAccountStoreWidget.of(context);
     final user = store.users[userId];
     if (user == null) {
@@ -42,7 +44,7 @@ class ProfilePage extends StatelessWidget {
         textAlign: TextAlign.center,
         style: _TextStyles.primaryFieldText.merge(const TextStyle(fontWeight: FontWeight.bold))),
       // TODO(#291) render email field
-      Text(roleToLabel(user.role),
+      Text(roleToLabel(user.role, zulipLocalizations),
         textAlign: TextAlign.center,
         style: _TextStyles.primaryFieldText),
       // TODO(#197) render user status
@@ -56,7 +58,7 @@ class ProfilePage extends StatelessWidget {
           MessageListPage.buildRoute(context: context,
             narrow: DmNarrow.withUser(userId, selfUserId: store.account.userId))),
         icon: const Icon(Icons.email),
-        label: const Text('Send direct message')),
+        label: Text(zulipLocalizations.profileButtonSendDirectMessage)),
     ];
 
     return Scaffold(
@@ -93,14 +95,14 @@ class _ProfileErrorPage extends StatelessWidget {
   }
 }
 
-String roleToLabel(UserRole role) {
+String roleToLabel(UserRole role, ZulipLocalizations zulipLocalizations) {
   return switch (role) {
-    UserRole.owner => 'Owner',
-    UserRole.administrator => 'Administrator',
-    UserRole.moderator => 'Moderator',
-    UserRole.member => 'Member',
-    UserRole.guest => 'Guest',
-    UserRole.unknown => 'Unknown',
+    UserRole.owner => zulipLocalizations.userRoleOwner,
+    UserRole.administrator => zulipLocalizations.userRoleAdministrator,
+    UserRole.moderator => zulipLocalizations.userRoleModerator,
+    UserRole.member => zulipLocalizations.userRoleMember,
+    UserRole.guest => zulipLocalizations.userRoleGuest,
+    UserRole.unknown => zulipLocalizations.userRoleUnknown,
   };
 }
 
diff --git a/pubspec.lock b/pubspec.lock
index 320c58b783..67fd3f522b 100644
--- a/pubspec.lock
+++ b/pubspec.lock
@@ -358,6 +358,11 @@ packages:
       url: "https://pub.dev"
     source: hosted
     version: "2.0.2"
+  flutter_localizations:
+    dependency: "direct main"
+    description: flutter
+    source: sdk
+    version: "0.0.0"
   flutter_plugin_android_lifecycle:
     dependency: transitive
     description:
diff --git a/pubspec.yaml b/pubspec.yaml
index c1812524a7..efdadb7223 100644
--- a/pubspec.yaml
+++ b/pubspec.yaml
@@ -57,6 +57,8 @@ dependencies:
   package_info_plus: ^4.0.1
   collection: ^1.17.2
   url_launcher: ^6.1.11
+  flutter_localizations:
+    sdk: flutter
 
 dev_dependencies:
   flutter_test:
@@ -82,6 +84,11 @@ dev_dependencies:
 # The following section is specific to Flutter packages.
 flutter:
 
+  # Generate localization bindings from ARB files in lib/l10n/.
+  # This happens automatically with `flutter run`
+  # but can be manually run with `flutter gen-l10n`
+  generate: true
+
   # The following line ensures that the Material Icons font is
   # included with your application, so that you can use the icons in
   # the material Icons class.
diff --git a/test/widgets/profile_test.dart b/test/widgets/profile_test.dart
index 37e029047c..1d7f72d0fe 100644
--- a/test/widgets/profile_test.dart
+++ b/test/widgets/profile_test.dart
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import 'package:checks/checks.dart';
 import 'package:flutter/foundation.dart';
 import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
+import 'package:flutter_gen/gen_l10n/zulip_localizations.dart';
 import 'package:flutter_test/flutter_test.dart';
 import 'package:url_launcher/url_launcher.dart';
 import 'package:zulip/api/model/initial_snapshot.dart';
@@ -44,6 +45,8 @@ Future<void> setupPage(WidgetTester tester, {
     GlobalStoreWidget(
       child: MaterialApp(
         navigatorObservers: navigatorObserver != null ? [navigatorObserver] : [],
+        localizationsDelegates: ZulipLocalizations.localizationsDelegates,
+        supportedLocales: ZulipLocalizations.supportedLocales,
         home: PerAccountStoreWidget(
           accountId: eg.selfAccount.id,
           child: ProfilePage(userId: pageUserId)))));