diff --git a/src/lib/util/kformatprivate.cpp b/src/lib/util/kformatprivate.cpp
--- a/src/lib/util/kformatprivate.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/util/kformatprivate.cpp
@@ -108,45 +108,45 @@
         KFormat::UnitPrefix prefix;
         double decimalFactor;
         double binaryFactor;
-        QChar prefixChar;
+        QString prefixCharSI;
+        QString prefixCharIEC;
     };
 
     const PrefixMapEntry map[] = {
-        { KFormat::UnitPrefix::Yocto, 1e-24, bpow(-80), u'y' },
-        { KFormat::UnitPrefix::Zepto, 1e-21, bpow(-70), u'z' },
-        { KFormat::UnitPrefix::Atto,  1e-18, bpow(-60), u'a' },
-        { KFormat::UnitPrefix::Femto, 1e-15, bpow(-50), u'f' },
-        { KFormat::UnitPrefix::Pico,  1e-12, bpow(-40), u'p' },
-        { KFormat::UnitPrefix::Nano,  1e-9,  bpow(-30), u'n' },
-        // Thanks to broken MSVC, we can not use u'µ', but have to use the unicode codepoint
-        { KFormat::UnitPrefix::Micro, 1e-6,  bpow(-20), QChar(0xB5) },
-        { KFormat::UnitPrefix::Milli, 1e-3,  bpow(-10), u'm' },
-        { KFormat::UnitPrefix::Unity, 1.0, 1.0, u'\0' },
-        { KFormat::UnitPrefix::Kilo,  1e3,   bpow(10), u'k' },
-        { KFormat::UnitPrefix::Mega,  1e6,   bpow(20), u'M' },
-        { KFormat::UnitPrefix::Giga,  1e9,   bpow(30), u'G' },
-        { KFormat::UnitPrefix::Tera,  1e12,  bpow(40), u'T' },
-        { KFormat::UnitPrefix::Peta,  1e15,  bpow(50), u'P' },
-        { KFormat::UnitPrefix::Exa,   1e18,  bpow(60), u'E' },
-        { KFormat::UnitPrefix::Zetta, 1e21,  bpow(70), u'Z' },
-        { KFormat::UnitPrefix::Yotta, 1e24,  bpow(80), u'Y' },
+        { KFormat::UnitPrefix::Yocto, 1e-24, bpow(-80), tr("y", "SI prefix for 10^⁻24"), QString() },
+        { KFormat::UnitPrefix::Zepto, 1e-21, bpow(-70), tr("z", "SI prefix for 10^⁻21"), QString() },
+        { KFormat::UnitPrefix::Atto,  1e-18, bpow(-60), tr("a", "SI prefix for 10^⁻18"), QString() },
+        { KFormat::UnitPrefix::Femto, 1e-15, bpow(-50), tr("f", "SI prefix for 10^⁻15"), QString() },
+        { KFormat::UnitPrefix::Pico,  1e-12, bpow(-40), tr("p", "SI prefix for 10^⁻12"), QString() },
+        { KFormat::UnitPrefix::Nano,  1e-9,  bpow(-30), tr("n", "SI prefix for 10^⁻9") , QString() },
+        { KFormat::UnitPrefix::Micro, 1e-6,  bpow(-20), tr("µ", "SI prefix for 10^⁻6") , QString() },
+        { KFormat::UnitPrefix::Milli, 1e-3,  bpow(-10), tr("m", "SI prefix for 10^⁻3") , QString() },
+        { KFormat::UnitPrefix::Unity, 1.0,   1.0      , QString()                      , QString()},
+        { KFormat::UnitPrefix::Kilo,  1e3,   bpow(10) , tr("k", "SI prefix for 10^3")  , tr("Ki", "IEC binary prefix for 2^10")},
+        { KFormat::UnitPrefix::Mega,  1e6,   bpow(20) , tr("M", "SI prefix for 10^6")  , tr("Mi", "IEC binary prefix for 2^20") },
+        { KFormat::UnitPrefix::Giga,  1e9,   bpow(30) , tr("G", "SI prefix for 10^9")  , tr("Gi", "IEC binary prefix for 2^30")  },
+        { KFormat::UnitPrefix::Tera,  1e12,  bpow(40) , tr("T", "SI prefix for 10^12") , tr("Ti", "IEC binary prefix for 2^40") },
+        { KFormat::UnitPrefix::Peta,  1e15,  bpow(50) , tr("P", "SI prefix for 10^15") , tr("Pi", "IEC binary prefix for 2^50") },
+        { KFormat::UnitPrefix::Exa,   1e18,  bpow(60) , tr("E", "SI prefix for 10^18") , tr("Ei", "IEC binary prefix for 2^60") },
+        { KFormat::UnitPrefix::Zetta, 1e21,  bpow(70) , tr("Z", "SI prefix for 10^21") , tr("Zi", "IEC binary prefix for 2^70") },
+        { KFormat::UnitPrefix::Yotta, 1e24,  bpow(80) , tr("Y", "SI prefix for 10^24") , tr("Yi", "IEC binary prefix for 2^80") },
     };
 
     auto entry = std::find_if(std::begin(map), std::end(map),
             [prefix](const PrefixMapEntry& e) { return e.prefix == prefix; });
 
     switch (unit) {
         case KFormat::Unit::Bit:
-            unitString = QStringLiteral("bit");
+            unitString = tr("bit", "Symbol of binary digit");
             break;
         case KFormat::Unit::Byte:
-            unitString = QStringLiteral("B");
+            unitString = tr("B", "Symbol of byte");
             break;
         case KFormat::Unit::Meter:
-            unitString = QStringLiteral("m");
+            unitString = tr("m", "Symbol of meter");
             break;
         case KFormat::Unit::Hertz:
-            unitString = QStringLiteral("Hz");
+            unitString = tr("Hz", "Symbol of hertz");
             break;
         case KFormat::Unit::Other:
             break;
@@ -161,12 +161,13 @@
     QString prefixString;
     if (dialect == KFormat::MetricBinaryDialect) {
         value /= entry->decimalFactor;
-        prefixString = entry->prefixChar;
+        prefixString = entry->prefixCharSI;
     } else {
         value /= entry->binaryFactor;
-        prefixString = QString(entry->prefixChar).toUpper();
         if (dialect == KFormat::IECBinaryDialect) {
-            prefixString += u'i';
+            prefixString = entry->prefixCharIEC;
+        } else {
+            prefixString = entry->prefixCharSI.toUpper();
         }
     }