Directory macros/latex/required/babel/base
Babel 25.10
2025-06-10
Babel is the multilingual framework to localize documents. It fully supports pdfLaTeX and the Unicode engines LuaLaTeX and XeLaTeX. A few languages even work with Plain formats.
Its aim is to provide a localization framework for different languages, scripts, and cultures based on the latest advances in Unicode (including the CLDR, Common Language Repository Data), the W3C (where applicable) and other technologies, as well as on international standards.
Babel supports approximately from 170 to 300 languages, depending on the engine (with various levels of coverage), across about 45 scripts, including complex and RTL ones. Its high-level interface with fontscpec allows for seamless integration with OpenType technologies in LuaLaTeX and XeLaTeX, enabling the use of advanced typographic features.
The latest stable version is available on https://ctan.org/pkg/babel.
Changes in version 25.10 are described in:
https://latex3.github.io/babel/news/whats-new-in-babel-25.10.html
Apart from the manual, you can find information and examples in:
https://latex3.github.io/babel/
The best way to install and/or update it is with the help of package managers.
Reporting bugs
If you wish to report a problem or bug in any of these packages please use the Issue Tracker for LaTeX2ε on GitHub and follow the guidelines that pop up if you press the New issue button.
In particular, to check that you are really seeing a bug, please write a short, self-contained document that shows the problem. This should include the latexbug package, which will warn if your test file is not suitable for one or the other reason. See the CONTRIBUTING guide for further details, or if you need to obtain the latexbug package.
If the bug turns out to be with third-party software then please contact the developer, and not us!
You may also report them to the current maintainer more informally on:
https://latex3.github.io/babel/contact.html
Bugs related to specific languages are best reported to their respective authors.
Summary of latest changes
25.10 (2025-06-10)
- A locale in
\DocumentMetadanot recognized bybabelraised a cryptic error (see issue #343). - Fixed error with
\ShowLocalePropertieswith some locales with Unicode engines. - With
\DocumentMetadata\foreignlanguage enters in horizontalmode. - New transform, for Russian:
transliteration.gost779b.
#### 25.9 (2025-05-14)
- Option
prependin transforms. - Options
parsandnoparsinlayout. BabelFootnotealways available (which also fixes #324).
Previous changes
Download the contents of this package in one zip archive (2.4M).
babel – Multilingual support for LaTeX, LuaLaTeX, XeLaTeX, and Plain TeX
This package manages culturally-determined typographical (and other) rules for a wide range of languages. A document may select a single language to be supported, or it may select several, in which case the document may switch from one language to another in a variety of ways.
Babel uses contributed configuration files that provide the detail of what has to be done for each language, as well as .ini files for about 300 languages from around the World, including many written in non-Latin and RTL scripts. Many of them work with pdfLaTeX, as well as with XeLaTeX and LuaLaTeX, out of the box. A few even work with plain formats.
| Package | babel |
| Home page | https://latex3.github.io/babel/ |
| Bug tracker | https://github.com/latex3/babel/issues |
| Repository | https://github.com/latex3/babel |
| Version | 25.10 2025-06-10 |
| Licenses | The LaTeX Project Public License 1.3 |
| Copyright | 1989–2012 Johannes Braams et al. 2012–2025 Javier Bezos and Johannes L. Braams |
| Maintainer | Javier Bezos López Johannes L. Braams (inactive) |
| TDS archive | babel-base.tds.zip |
| Contained in | TeX Live as babel MiKTeX as babel |
| Topics | Experimental LaTeX3 Multi-lingual |
| See also | polyglossia |
