---
name: "locale"
section: "1"
platform: "macos"
package: "adv_cmds"
version: "237"
release: "macOS 26.5"
platforms: ["linux", "freebsd", "openbsd", "macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/locale"
---

# locale(1)

display locale settings

## NAME

**locale** – display locale settings

## SYNOPSIS

**locale** \[**-a\|m**\]

**locale** \[**-ck**\] *name* \[...\]

## DESCRIPTION

**locale** displays information about the current locale, or a list of all available  locales.

When **locale** is run with no arguments, it will display the current source of each locale category.

When **locale** is given the name of a category, it acts as if it had been given each keyword in that category. For each keyword it is given, the current value is displayed.

## OPTIONS

- **-a**

  Lists all public locales.

- **-c** *name* *...*

  Lists the category name before each keyword, unless it is the same category as the previously displayed keyword.

- **-k** *name* *...*

  Displays the name of each keyword prior to its value.

- **-m**

  Lists all available public charmaps. Darwin locales do not support charmaps, so list all CODESETs instead.

## OPERANDS

The following operand is supported:

*name* is the name of a keyword or category to display.  A list of all keywords and categories can be shown with the following command:

```
locale -ck LC_ALL
```

## ENVIRONMENT

- LANG

  Used as a substitute for any unset  LC\_\* variable.  If LANG is unset, it will act as if set to "C".  If any of LANG or LC\_\* are set to invalid values, **locale** acts as if they are all unset.

- LC\_ALL

  Will override the setting of all other LC\_\* variables.

- LC\_COLLATE

  Sets the locale for the LC\_COLLATE category.

- LC\_CTYPE

  Sets the locale for the LC\_CTYPE category.

- LC\_MESSAGES

  Sets the locale for the LC\_MESSAGES category.

- LC\_MONETARY

  Sets the locale for the LC\_MONETARY category.

- LC\_NUMERIC

  Sets the locale for the LC\_NUMERIC category.

- LC\_TIME

  Sets the locale for the LC\_TIME category.

## SEE ALSO

[localedef(1)](/localedef/1.md), [localeconv(3)](/localeconv/3.md), [nl\_langinfo(3)](/nl_langinfo/3.md), [setlocale(3)](/setlocale/3.md)

## STANDARDS

The **locale** utility conforms to IEEE Std 1003.1-2001 (\`\`POSIX.1'').

## HISTORY

**locale** appeared in Mac OS X 10.4