diff --git a/src/components/Timeline.vue b/src/components/Timeline.vue
index e892672..c816fb2 100644
--- a/src/components/Timeline.vue
+++ b/src/components/Timeline.vue
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 				<img src='../assets/timeline/project.svg' />
 			</div>
 			<div :key="'name-'+proj.name" class='name'>
-				Created <b>{{ proj.name }}</b> <span>{{ proj.started_at | date_diff }} ago</span>
+				Created <b>{{ proj.name }}</b> <span>{{ elapsed(proj.started_at) }}</span>
 			</div>
 
 			<div :key="'joint-start-'+proj.name" class='joint-start' />
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@
 			</div>
 			<div :key="'end-'+proj.name" class='end'>
 				<template v-if='proj.stopped_at != null'>
-					Project stopped in {{ proj.stopped_at | short_date }} <span>{{ proj.stopped_at | date_diff }} ago</span>
+					Project stopped in {{ proj.stopped_at | short_date }} <span>{{ elapsed(proj.stopped_at) }}</span>
 				</template>
 				<template v-else>
 					Project still active
@@ -84,23 +84,44 @@ import { tID } from '../model/skills';
 import * as projects from '../service/projects';
 import * as scroller from '../service/scroller';
 
-function pluralize(n: number, s: string): string {
-	n = Math.floor(Math.abs(n));
-	const plural = (n > 1);
+interface TimeDiff {
+	diff: number;
+	one: string; // singular translation label
+	plural: string; // plural translation label
+}
 
-	switch (s) {
-		case 'second':
-			return plural ? `${n} seconds` : `1 second`;
-		case 'minute':
-			return plural ? `${n} minutes` : `1 minute`;
-		case 'day':
-			return plural ? `${n} days` : `1 day`;
-		case 'month':
-			return plural ? `${n} months` : `1 month`;
-		case 'year':
-			return plural ? `${n} years` : `1 year`;
+// returns a TimeDiff from a date. Holds the time elapsed until now in the most
+// broad unit that is greater than 0.
+function getTimeDiff(date: Date): TimeDiff {
+	const minute = 60 * 1000;
+	const hour   = 60 * minute;
+	const day    = 24 * hour;
+	const month  = 30 * day;
+	const year   = 365 * day;
+
+	const now  = new Date();
+	const diff = now.getTime() - date.getTime();
+
+	if ( diff < 0 ) {
+		return {diff: 0, one: 'time.some', plural: 'time.some'};
 	}
-	return '';
+
+	if ( diff < minute ) {
+		return {diff: diff, one: 'time.second', plural: 'time.seconds'};
+	}
+	if ( diff < hour ) {
+		return {diff: diff / minute, one: 'time.minute', plural: 'time.minutes'};
+	}
+	if ( diff < day ) {
+		return {diff: diff / hour, one: 'time.hour', plural: 'time.hours'};
+	}
+	if ( diff < month ) {
+		return {diff: diff / day, one: 'time.day', plural: 'time.days'};
+	}
+	if ( diff < year ) {
+		return {diff: diff / month, one: 'time.month', plural: 'time.months'};
+	}
+	return {diff: diff / year, one: 'time.year', plural: 'time.years'};
 }
 
 @Component({
@@ -109,38 +130,7 @@ function pluralize(n: number, s: string): string {
 	},
 	filters: {
 		short_date(date: Date): string {
-			return date.toLocaleDateString('en-US', { month: 'short', year: 'numeric' });
-		},
-		date_diff(date: Date): string {
-			const minute = 60 * 1000;
-			const hour   = 60 * minute;
-			const day    = 24 * hour;
-			const month  = 30 * day;
-			const year   = 365 * day;
-
-			const now  = new Date();
-			const diff = now.getTime() - date.getTime();
-
-			if ( diff < 0 ) {
-				return 'sometime';
-			}
-
-			if ( diff < minute ) {
-				return pluralize(diff, 'second');
-			}
-			if ( diff < hour ) {
-				return pluralize(diff / minute, 'minute');
-			}
-			if ( diff < day ) {
-				return pluralize(diff / hour, 'hour');
-			}
-			if ( diff < month ) {
-				return pluralize(diff / day, 'day');
-			}
-			if ( diff < year ) {
-				return pluralize(diff / month, 'month');
-			}
-			return pluralize(diff / year, 'year');
+			return date.toLocaleDateString(navigator.language, { month: 'short', year: 'numeric' });
 		},
 	},
 })
@@ -161,6 +151,23 @@ export default class Timeline extends Vue {
 		document.body.addEventListener('scroll', this.onScroll, { passive: true });
 	}
 
+	protected elapsed(date: Date): string {
+		const fmt = 'time.diff-format';
+		const td  = getTimeDiff(date);
+
+		const diff = Math.floor(td.diff);
+
+		if( diff == 0 ){
+			return this.$t(fmt, { elapsed: this.$t(td.one) }).toString();
+		}
+
+		if( diff > 1 ){ // plural
+			return this.$t(fmt, { elapsed: this.$t(td.plural, { n: diff }) }).toString();
+		}
+		// singular
+		return this.$t(fmt, { elapsed: this.$t(td.one, { n: diff }) }).toString();
+	}
+
 	private onScroll(e: Event) {
 		const target = e.target as HTMLElement;
 		const header = this.$refs.header as HTMLElement;
diff --git a/src/locales/en.json b/src/locales/en.json
index ffa35c4..262871f 100644
--- a/src/locales/en.json
+++ b/src/locales/en.json
@@ -72,5 +72,15 @@
 	"skill.inkscape":        "Inkscape",
 	"skill.rnd":             "R&D",
 
+	"time.diff-format": "{elapsed} ago",
+
+	"time.some":   "sometime",
+	"time.second": "{n} second", "time.seconds": "{n} seconds",
+	"time.minute": "{n} minute", "time.minutes": "{n} minutes",
+	"time.hour":   "{n} hour",   "time.hours":   "{n} hours",
+	"time.day":    "{n} day",    "time.days":    "{n} days",
+	"time.month":  "{n} month",  "time.months":  "{n} months",
+	"time.year":   "{n} year",   "time.years":   "{n} years",
+
 	"end": ""
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/locales/fr.json b/src/locales/fr.json
index 935a3fd..d9107cb 100644
--- a/src/locales/fr.json
+++ b/src/locales/fr.json
@@ -33,5 +33,16 @@
 	"skill.opti":            "Optimization",
 	"skill.concurrency":     "Programmation Concurrente",
 
+
+	"time.diff-format": "il y a {elapsed}",
+
+	"time.some":   "un moment",
+	"time.second": "{n} seconde", "time.seconds": "{n} secondes",
+	"time.minute": "{n} minute",  "time.minutes": "{n} minutes",
+	"time.hour":   "{n} heure",   "time.hours":   "{n} heures",
+	"time.day":    "{n} jour",    "time.days":    "{n} jours",
+	"time.month":  "{n} mois",    "time.months":  "{n} mois",
+	"time.year":   "{n} an",      "time.years":   "{n} ans",
+
 	"end": ""
 }
\ No newline at end of file