While it might seem straightforward to code singular and plural forms with a simple if/else statement in English, this approach quickly falls apart when dealing with other languages. Different languages have drastically different rules for plurals - English only differentiates between one and many, but languages like Czech and Polish require different forms for 1, 2-4, and 5+ items, while Arabic has six different plural forms depending on the count.
Even seemingly simple cases get complex quickly. Russian changes forms based on the last digit of the number, except when the second-to-last digit is 1. These complexities mean that hardcoding plural logic creates a maintenance nightmare with nested conditions that break easily when adding new languages.
Building and maintaining these linguistic rules yourself essentially requires becoming an expert in dozens of language grammars rather than focusing on your core product. When expanding to new markets, you’d need to rewrite parts of your app for each language’s plural system, potentially delaying your international launches. Using a proper localization system that handles these rules automatically is both faster and more reliable.
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