diff --git a/src/internal/locale.ts b/src/internal/locale.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2ea99cdad0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/internal/locale.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+import { AsyncDirective, directive } from 'lit/async-directive.js';
+import { noChange } from 'lit';
+import { PartInfo } from 'lit/directive';
+
+interface Language {
+  translations: Translations;
+  code: string;
+  default: boolean;
+}
+
+interface Translations {
+  [key: string]: string;
+}
+
+class Locale {
+  public static dateTimeFormat: Intl.DateTimeFormatOptions;
+  public static numberFormat: Intl.NumberFormatOptions;
+
+  private static languages = new Map<string, Language>();
+  private static registeredDirectives = new Set<TranslateDirective>();
+  private static code: string = 'en-US';
+
+  public static addLanguage(lang: Language, use: boolean = false) {
+    Locale.languages.set(lang.code, lang);
+    if (use || lang.default) Locale.setLanguage(lang.code);
+  }
+
+  public static setLanguage(code: string) {
+    Locale.code = code;
+    Locale.registeredDirectives.forEach(dir => dir.evaluate());
+  }
+
+  public static clean() {
+    Locale.languages = new Map<string, Language>();
+  }
+
+  public static connectDirective(dir: TranslateDirective) {
+    Locale.registeredDirectives.add(dir);
+  }
+
+  public static disconnectDirective(dir: TranslateDirective) {
+    Locale.registeredDirectives.delete(dir);
+  }
+
+  public static translate(keys: TemplateStringsArray, ...values: unknown[]): string {
+    let translations: string | undefined;
+    let key = Locale.buildKey(keys);
+    let lang = Locale.languages.get(Locale.code);
+    let empty = keys.join('').length === 0;
+
+    if (lang) translations = lang.translations[key];
+    else console.log(`missing locale: ${Locale.code}`);
+
+    if (!translations && !empty) console.log(`missing key: ${key}`);
+
+    let localizedValues = values.map(Locale.localize);
+
+    return Locale.buildMessage(translations || key, ...localizedValues);
+  }
+
+  private static localize(value: string | Date | Number) {
+    if (value instanceof Date) return value.toLocaleString(Locale.code, Locale?.dateTimeFormat);
+    if (value instanceof Number) return value.toLocaleString(Locale.code, Locale?.numberFormat);
+    return value;
+  }
+
+  private static buildKey(keys: TemplateStringsArray) {
+    let lastPartialKey = keys[keys.length - 1];
+    let prependPartialKey = (prev: string, curr: string, i: number) => `${curr}{${i}}${prev}`;
+
+    return keys.slice(0, -1).reduceRight(prependPartialKey, lastPartialKey);
+  }
+
+  private static buildMessage(content: string, ...values: unknown[]) {
+    return content.replace(/{(\d)}/g, (_, i: number) => values[Number(i)] as string);
+  }
+}
+
+class TranslateDirective extends AsyncDirective {
+  protected keys: TemplateStringsArray;
+  protected values: unknown[];
+
+  constructor(part: PartInfo) {
+    super(part);
+    Locale.connectDirective(this);
+  }
+
+  render(keys: TemplateStringsArray, ...values: unknown[]) {
+    if (this.keys && keys.length === this.keys.length && keys.every(element => this.keys.indexOf(element) !== -1)) {
+      // don't render
+      return noChange;
+    }
+
+    this.keys = keys;
+    this.values = values;
+
+    return Locale.translate(this.keys, ...this.values);
+  }
+
+  disconnected = () => Locale.disconnectDirective(this);
+
+  reconnected = () => Locale.connectDirective(this);
+
+  evaluate = () => this.setValue(Locale.translate(this.keys, ...this.values));
+}
+
+export { Locale };
+export const t = directive(TranslateDirective);