A very simple python lib, used to format datetime with *** time ago statement. Javascript version here. timeago.js.

Such as:

just now
12 seconds ago
3 minutes ago
2 hours ago
24 days ago
6 months ago
2 years ago

in 12 seconds
in 3 minutes
in 2 hours
in 24 days
in 6 months
in 2 years

For other languages see below.

pip install timeago

# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
import timeago, datetime

now = datetime.datetime.now() + datetime.timedelta(seconds = 60 * 3.4)

date = datetime.datetime.now()

# locale
print (timeago.format(date, now, 'zh_CN')) # will print `3分钟前`

# input datetime
print (timeago.format(date, now)) # will print 3 minutes ago

# input timedelta
print (timeago.format(datetime.timedelta(seconds = 60 * 3.4))) # will print 3 minutes ago

# input date, auto add time(0, 0, 0)
print (timeago.format(datetime.date(2016, 5, 27), now))

# input datetime formatted string
print (timeago.format('2016-05-27 12:12:03', '2016-05-27 12:12:12')) # will print just now

# inverse two parameters
print (timeago.format('2016-05-27 12:12:12', '2016-05-27 12:12:03')) # will print a while

only one API format.

Three parameters of method format:

• date: the parameter which will be formatted, must be instance of datetime / timedelta or datetime formatted string.
• now: reference time, must be instance of datetime or datetime formatted string.
• locale: the locale code, default en.

At the time we're speaking, following locale are available:

• ar
• bg
• ca
• da
• de
• el
• en
• en_short
• es
• eu
• fa_IR
• fi
• fr
• gl
• guj_IN
• he
• hu
• in_BG
• in_HI
• in_ID
• is
• it
• ja
• ko
• lt
• ml
• my
• nb_NO
• nl
• nn_NO
• pl
• pt_BR
• pt_PT
• ro
• ru
• sk
• sv_SE
• ta
• th
• tr
• uk
• vi
• zh_CN
• zh_TW

1. Fork the project
2. Create a locale python script called [name_of_your_locale].py following the existing other locales.
3. Add the name of your locale in the Readme (both in MD and in RST) to keep it updated (alphabetically).
4. Add test case following the english model
5. Create the Pull Request.

For complicated plurals, you can take example on the PL :flag-pl: locale here