diff --git a/src/xz/message.c b/src/xz/message.c
index e128cf57..80c86a49 100644
--- a/src/xz/message.c
+++ b/src/xz/message.c
@@ -726,7 +726,11 @@ vmessage(enum message_verbosity v, const char *fmt, va_list ap)
 
 		progress_flush(false);
 
-		fprintf(stderr, "%s: ", progname);
+		// TRANSLATORS: This is the program name in the beginning
+		// of the line in messages. Usually it becomes "xz: ".
+		// This is a translatable string because French needs
+		// a space before a colon.
+		fprintf(stderr, _("%s: "), progname);
 		vfprintf(stderr, fmt, ap);
 		fputc('\n', stderr);