diff --git a/src/kirigamiplugin.h b/src/kirigamiplugin.h
--- a/src/kirigamiplugin.h
+++ b/src/kirigamiplugin.h
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
     Q_PLUGIN_METADATA(IID "org.qt-project.Qt.QQmlExtensionInterface")
 
 public:
+    void initializeEngine(QQmlEngine *engine, const char *uri) override;
     void registerTypes(const char *uri) override;
 
 #ifdef KIRIGAMI_BUILD_TYPE_STATIC
diff --git a/src/kirigamiplugin.cpp b/src/kirigamiplugin.cpp
--- a/src/kirigamiplugin.cpp
+++ b/src/kirigamiplugin.cpp
@@ -31,12 +31,17 @@
 #include "scenepositionattached.h"
 #include "wheelhandler.h"
 
+#include <QCoreApplication>
+#include <QDir>
+#include <QLocale>
 #include <QQmlEngine>
 #include <QQmlContext>
 #include <QQuickItem>
 #include <QQuickStyle>
 #include <QGuiApplication>
 #include <QClipboard>
+#include <QStandardPaths>
+#include <QTranslator>
 
 #include "libkirigami/platformtheme.h"
 
@@ -77,6 +82,64 @@
 #endif
 }
 
+bool loadTranslation(const QString &localeDirName)
+{
+    QString subPath = QStringLiteral("locale/") + localeDirName + QStringLiteral("/LC_MESSAGES/libkirigami2plugin_qt.qm");
+
+#if defined(Q_OS_ANDROID)
+    const QString fullPath = QDir::homePath() + QStringLiteral("/../qt-reserved-files/share/") + subPath;
+    if (!QFile::exists(fullPath)) {
+        return false;
+    }
+#else
+    const QString fullPath = QStandardPaths::locate(QStandardPaths::GenericDataLocation, subPath);
+    if (fullPath.isEmpty()) {
+        return false;
+    }
+#endif
+    QTranslator *translator = new QTranslator(QCoreApplication::instance());
+    if (!translator->load(fullPath)) {
+        delete translator;
+        return false;
+    }
+    QCoreApplication::instance()->installTranslator(translator);
+    return true;
+}
+
+void loadTranslations()
+{
+    // The way Qt translation system handles plural forms makes it necessary to
+    // have a translation file which contains only plural forms for `en`. That's
+    // why we load the `en` translation unconditionally, then load the
+    // translation for the current locale to overload it.
+    loadTranslation(QStringLiteral("en"));
+
+    QLocale locale = QLocale::system();
+    if (locale.name() != QStringLiteral("en")) {
+        if (!loadTranslation(locale.name())) {
+            if (!loadTranslation(locale.bcp47Name())) {
+                const int i = locale.name().indexOf(QLatin1Char('_'));
+                if (i > 0) {
+                    loadTranslation(locale.name().left(i));
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+void KirigamiPlugin::initializeEngine(QQmlEngine *engine, const char *uri)
+{
+    Q_UNUSED(engine)
+    Q_ASSERT(QLatin1String(uri) == QLatin1String("org.kde.kirigami"));
+
+    static bool translationsLoaded = false;
+    if (!translationsLoaded) {
+        translationsLoaded = true;
+
+        loadTranslations();
+    }
+}
+
 void KirigamiPlugin::registerTypes(const char *uri)
 {
     Q_ASSERT(QLatin1String(uri) == QLatin1String("org.kde.kirigami"));