diff --git a/brutaldon/forms.py b/brutaldon/forms.py
index 618171f..76bdeba 100644
--- a/brutaldon/forms.py
+++ b/brutaldon/forms.py
@@ -1,24 +1,25 @@
 from django import forms
 from django.conf import settings
+from django.utils.translation import gettext as _
 from pytz import common_timezones
 from .models import Theme, Preference
 
 
-PRIVACY_CHOICES = (('public', 'Public'),
-                   ('unlisted', 'Unlisted'),
-                   ('private', 'Private'),
-                   ('direct', 'Direct'))
+PRIVACY_CHOICES = (('public', _('Public')),
+                   ('unlisted', _('Unlisted')),
+                   ('private', _('Private')),
+                   ('direct', _('Direct')))
 
 timezones = [ (tz, tz) for tz in common_timezones]
 
 class LoginForm(forms.Form):
-    instance = forms.CharField(label="Instance",
+    instance = forms.CharField(label=_("Instance"),
                                max_length=256)
-    email = forms.EmailField(label="Email")
+    email = forms.EmailField(label=_("Email"))
     password = forms.CharField(widget=forms.PasswordInput())
 
 class OAuthLoginForm(forms.Form):
-    instance = forms.CharField(label="Instance",
+    instance = forms.CharField(label=_("Instance"),
                                max_length=256)
 
 class PreferencesForm(forms.ModelForm):
@@ -31,24 +32,24 @@ class PostForm(forms.Form):
     """def status_post(self, status, in_reply_to_id=None, media_ids=None,
                        sensitive=False, visibility=None, spoiler_text=None):"""
     status = forms.CharField(label="Toot", widget=forms.Textarea)
-    visibility = forms.ChoiceField(label="Toot visibility", choices=PRIVACY_CHOICES,
+    visibility = forms.ChoiceField(label=_("Toot visibility"), choices=PRIVACY_CHOICES,
                                    required=False)
-    spoiler_text = forms.CharField(label="CW or Subject",
+    spoiler_text = forms.CharField(label=_("CW or Subject"),
                                    required=False)
-    media_file_1 = forms.FileField(label = "Media 1",
+    media_file_1 = forms.FileField(label = _("Media 1"),
                                    required=False)
-    media_text_1 = forms.CharField(label="Describe media 1.",
+    media_text_1 = forms.CharField(label=_("Describe media 1."),
                                    required=False)
-    media_file_2 = forms.FileField(label = "Media 2",
+    media_file_2 = forms.FileField(label = _("Media 2"),
                                    required=False)
-    media_text_2 = forms.CharField(label="Describe media 2.",
+    media_text_2 = forms.CharField(label=_("Describe media 2."),
                                    required=False)
-    media_file_3 = forms.FileField(label = "Media 3",
+    media_file_3 = forms.FileField(label = _("Media 3"),
                                    required=False)
-    media_text_3 = forms.CharField(label="Describe media 3.",
+    media_text_3 = forms.CharField(label=_("Describe media 3."),
                                    required=False)
-    media_file_4 = forms.FileField(label = "Media 4",
+    media_file_4 = forms.FileField(label = _("Media 4"),
                                    required=False)
-    media_text_4 = forms.CharField(label="Describe media 4.",
+    media_text_4 = forms.CharField(label=_("Describe media 4."),
                                    required=False)
-    media_sensitive = forms.BooleanField(label="Sensitive media?", required=False)
+    media_sensitive = forms.BooleanField(label=_("Sensitive media?", required=False))
diff --git a/brutaldon/templatetags/humanetime.py b/brutaldon/templatetags/humanetime.py
index 4c4113a..2b86294 100644
--- a/brutaldon/templatetags/humanetime.py
+++ b/brutaldon/templatetags/humanetime.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 from django.utils.timezone import get_default_timezone, get_current_timezone, localtime
 from django.utils.timezone import now as django_now
+from django.utils.translation import gettext as _
 from django import template
 
 register = template.Library()
@@ -24,6 +25,8 @@ def humane_time(arg):
 
     It is not safe to use on future times.
 
+    FIXME: work out how best to make these strings translatable
+
     '''
     now = django_now()
     arg = localtime(arg)
@@ -52,14 +55,14 @@ def time_of_day(hour):
     This is very english-centric and probably not translatable.
     """
     if hour < 3:
-        return "wee hours"
+        return _("wee hours")
     elif hour < 6:
-        return "early morning"
+        return _("early morning")
     elif hour < 12:
-        return "morning"
+        return _("morning")
     elif hour < 18:
-        return "afternoon"
+        return _("afternoon")
     elif hour < 22:
-        return "evening"
+        return _("evening")
     else:
-        return "night"
+        return _("night")
diff --git a/brutaldon/templatetags/taglinks.py b/brutaldon/templatetags/taglinks.py
index b8247ea..71d86bd 100644
--- a/brutaldon/templatetags/taglinks.py
+++ b/brutaldon/templatetags/taglinks.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ from django import template
 from bs4 import BeautifulSoup
 from urllib import parse
 from django.urls import reverse
+from django.utils.translation import gettext as _
 from pdb import set_trace
 
 register = template.Library()
diff --git a/brutaldon/views.py b/brutaldon/views.py
index 2e283c8..d8ae5d7 100644
--- a/brutaldon/views.py
+++ b/brutaldon/views.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ from django.urls import reverse
 from django.views.decorators.cache import never_cache, cache_page
 from django.urls import reverse
 from django.core.files.uploadhandler import TemporaryFileUploadHandler
-from django.utils.translation import gettext_lazy as _
+from django.utils.translation import gettext as _
 from brutaldon.forms import LoginForm, OAuthLoginForm, PreferencesForm, PostForm
 from brutaldon.models import Client, Account, Preference, Theme
 from mastodon import Mastodon, AttribAccessDict, MastodonError, MastodonAPIError