Changing languages for specific parts

Store Design
,

Topic summary

A user wants to translate specific theme elements (“Search” and “Cart”) from English to Portuguese in the Soul theme demo version, despite already having Brazilian Portuguese set as the default store language.

Key Points:

  • The user is working with a demo version and questions whether purchasing is required to make these changes
  • One response confirms purchase is necessary to edit theme parts
  • Another explains the translation workflow:
    • Edit wording through theme language settings (Online Store > Themes > Edit default theme content)
    • Use Shopify’s official translation documentation and Translate & Adapt app
    • Important limitation: Themes render in one language at a time based on store settings and visitor selection—you cannot mix multiple language locales within a single theme rendering

Technical Note:
Mixing entire locales (putting foreign words into another language’s locale or completely changing a store’s locale to a specific language) requires advanced theme customization or apps.

The discussion provides documentation links for changing theme wording and using Shopify’s translation tools.

Summarized with AI on November 5. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

I want to change some parts from the theme I’m testing to another language (from english to portuguese), but I can’t find the proper place to do that.

I wanted to change the word “Search” and “Cart” on the top right to portuguese.

I’m on the demo version of the theme, haven’t bought it yet, do I have to buy it to change those things?

Also I already have brazilian portuguese as the default published language on shopify.

I’m using this theme https://themes.shopify.com/themes/soul/styles/default

2

Yes, you’ll need to buy it in order to change some parts of the theme

1 Like
3

Hi @Gxbriel to understand this use a free theme to edit wording in the ENGLISH translations to contain foreign words.

Then look at the locale for the other language.

https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/online-store/themes/customizing-themes/language/change-wording

Also see the shopify translation app https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/international/languages/translate-adapt-app

The thing to note here is you cannot mix languages entire locales values inside a theme, rendering pulls in one language at a time based on store settings, and visitors language/currency selection.

So it’s either putting foreign words into another languages locale, or completely changing a stores locale to a specific language.

Getting around that to mix entire locales is advanced theme customization, or apps.

4

You can do that from Online Store > Themes > click ‘…’ > Edit default theme content.