diff --git a/src/domain/LoginViewModel.js b/src/domain/LoginViewModel.js
index 11d43dc9..544bb980 100644
--- a/src/domain/LoginViewModel.js
+++ b/src/domain/LoginViewModel.js
@@ -10,9 +10,20 @@ export class LoginViewModel extends EventEmitter {
         this._loadViewModel = null;
     }
 
-    get usernamePlaceholder() { return "Username"; }
-    get passwordPlaceholder() { return "Password"; }
-    get hsPlaceholder() { return "Your matrix homeserver"; }
+    // TODO: this will need to support binding
+    // if any of the expr is a function, assume the function is a binding, and return a binding function ourselves
+    i18n(parts, ...expr) {
+        // just concat for now
+        let result = "";
+        for (let i = 0; i < parts.length; ++i) {
+            result = result + parts[i];
+            if (i < expr.length) {
+                result = result + expr[i];
+            }
+        }
+        return result;
+    }
+
     get defaultHomeServer() { return this._defaultHomeServer; }
 
     get loadViewModel() {return this._loadViewModel; }
diff --git a/src/ui/web/login/LoginView.js b/src/ui/web/login/LoginView.js
index 6ba6459c..7baf707d 100644
--- a/src/ui/web/login/LoginView.js
+++ b/src/ui/web/login/LoginView.js
@@ -3,12 +3,12 @@ import {brawlGithubLink} from "./common.js";
 
 export class LoginView extends TemplateView {
     render(t, vm) {
-        const username = t.input({type: "text", placeholder: vm.usernamePlaceholder, disabled});
-        const password = t.input({type: "password", placeholder: vm.passwordPlaceholder, disabled});
-        const homeserver = t.input({type: "text", placeholder: vm.hsPlaceholder, value: vm.defaultHomeServer, disabled});
         const disabled = vm => !!vm.loadViewModel;
+        const username = t.input({type: "text", placeholder: vm.i18n`Username`, disabled});
+        const password = t.input({type: "password", placeholder: vm.i18n`Password`, disabled});
+        const homeserver = t.input({type: "text", placeholder: vm.i18n`Your matrix homeserver`, value: vm.defaultHomeServer, disabled});
         return t.div({className: "LoginView form"}, [
-            t.h1(["Log in to your homeserver"]),
+            t.h1([vm.i18n`Log in to your homeserver`]),
             t.if(vm => vm.error, t.createTemplate(t => t.div({className: "error"}, vm => vm.error))),
             t.div(username),
             t.div(password),
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@ export class LoginView extends TemplateView {
             t.div(t.button({
                 onClick: () => vm.login(username.value, password.value, homeserver.value),
                 disabled
-            }, "Log In")),
-            t.div(t.button({onClick: () => vm.goBack(), disabled}, ["Pick an existing session"])),
+            }, vm.i18n`Log In`)),
+            t.div(t.button({onClick: () => vm.goBack(), disabled}, [vm.i18n`Pick an existing session`])),
             t.if(vm => vm.loadViewModel, vm => new SessionLoadView(vm.loadViewModel)),
             t.p(brawlGithubLink(t))
         ]);