src/CMakeLists.txt

@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ add_executable(qtpotato
     translate/llmclient.h
     translate/translationservice.cpp
     translate/translationservice.h
+    translate/translationpresets.cpp
+    translate/translationpresets.h
 )
 
 kconfig_target_kcfg_file(qtpotato

src/qml/TranslationSettings.qml

@@ -145,6 +145,51 @@ SettingsBasePage {
                 onEditingFinished: QtPotatoSettings.save()
             }
 
+            Label {
+                text: KI18n.i18nc("@label:listbox", "Preset")
+                Layout.alignment: Qt.AlignRight | Qt.AlignTop
+            }
+
+            ColumnLayout {
+                Layout.fillWidth: true
+
+                ComboBox {
+                    id: presetCombo
+                    Layout.fillWidth: true
+                    model: root.translator.translationPresets
+                    textRole: "name"
+                    valueRole: "id"
+                    Component.onCompleted: currentIndex = Math.max(0, indexOfValue(QtPotatoSettings.translationPreset))
+                    onActivated: {
+                        QtPotatoSettings.translationPreset = currentValue
+                        QtPotatoSettings.save()
+                    }
+                }
+
+                Label {
+                    text: presetCombo.currentIndex >= 0 ? presetCombo.model[presetCombo.currentIndex].guidance : ""
+                    wrapMode: Text.WordWrap
+                    opacity: 0.7
+                    Layout.fillWidth: true
+                }
+            }
+
+            Label {
+                text: KI18n.i18nc("@label:textbox", "Additional instructions")
+                Layout.alignment: Qt.AlignRight | Qt.AlignTop
+            }
+
+            TextArea {
+                text: QtPotatoSettings.customInstructions
+                placeholderText: KI18n.i18nc("@info:placeholder", "e.g. Translate 'Young Master' as 'Thiếu gia'. Use 'ta/ngươi' between enemies.")
+                wrapMode: TextArea.Wrap
+                Layout.fillWidth: true
+                Layout.preferredHeight: Kirigami.Units.gridUnit * 4
+                // TextArea has no textEdited before Qt 6.9.
+                onTextChanged: QtPotatoSettings.customInstructions = text
+                onEditingFinished: QtPotatoSettings.save()
+            }
+
             Label {
                 text: KI18n.i18nc("@label:spinbox", "Lines per request")
                 Layout.alignment: Qt.AlignRight

src/settings/qtpotatosettings.kcfg

@@ -122,6 +122,14 @@
       <label>Language to translate subtitles into, written for the model</label>
       <default>Vietnamese</default>
     </entry>
+    <entry name="TranslationPreset" type="String">
+      <label>Style preset used by the subtitle translation prompt</label>
+      <default>general</default>
+    </entry>
+    <entry name="CustomInstructions" type="String">
+      <label>Additional instructions for subtitle translation</label>
+      <default></default>
+    </entry>
     <entry name="BatchSize" type="Int">
       <label>Subtitle lines sent per request</label>
       <default>40</default>

src/translate/llmclient.cpp

@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 #include "llmclient.h"
 
+#include "translationpresets.h"
+
 #include <KLocalizedString>
 
 #include <QCoroNetworkReply>
@@ -28,19 +30,29 @@ struct ReplyDeleter {
 };
 using ReplyPtr = std::unique_ptr<QNetworkReply, ReplyDeleter>;
 
-QString systemPrompt(const QString &language)
+QString systemPrompt(const QString &language, const QString &presetId, const QString &customInstructions)
 {
-    return uR"(You are a professional subtitle translator. Translate subtitles into %1.
+    const auto &preset = TranslationPresets::find(presetId);
+    QString prompt = uR"(You are a professional subtitle translator. Translate subtitles into %1.
 
 The user sends a JSON object:
 - "title": the video title, for context.
 - "context": the subtitle lines right before this batch, for context only. Do not translate them.
 - "lines": an object that maps ids to subtitle lines.
 
-Translate every entry of "lines" into natural, spoken %1 that fits the scene and the speaker. Keep names and the tone. Translate each entry on its own; never merge, split, skip or reorder entries.
+Translate every entry of "lines" into natural, spoken %1 that fits the scene and the speaker. Translate each entry on its own; never merge, split, skip or reorder entries.
 
-Reply with only a JSON object that maps every id to its translation, for example {"1": "...", "2": "..."}. No explanations, no Markdown.)"_s
+Style guidance:
-        .arg(language);
+%2
+
+)"_s
+        .arg(language, preset.guidance);
+    if (!customInstructions.trimmed().isEmpty()) {
+        prompt += u"Additional instructions from the user (follow them unless they conflict with the reply format):\n"_s;
+        prompt += customInstructions.trimmed();
+    }
+    prompt += u"\n\nReply with only a JSON object that maps every id to its translation, for example {\"1\": \"...\", \"2\": \"...\"}. No explanations, no Markdown."_s;
+    return prompt;
 }
 
 // Pulls the error message out of an OpenAI-style error body, falling back to the raw text.
@@ -137,7 +149,7 @@ QCoro::Task<LlmClient::BatchResult> LlmClient::translate(QStringList lines, QStr
         {"model"_L1, m_config.model},
         {"messages"_L1,
          QJsonArray{
-             QJsonObject{{"role"_L1, "system"_L1}, {"content"_L1, systemPrompt(m_config.targetLanguage)}},
+             QJsonObject{{"role"_L1, "system"_L1}, {"content"_L1, systemPrompt(m_config.targetLanguage, m_config.translationPreset, m_config.customInstructions)}},
              QJsonObject{{"role"_L1, "user"_L1}, {"content"_L1, QString::fromUtf8(QJsonDocument(userContent).toJson(QJsonDocument::Compact))}},
          }},
     };

src/translate/llmclient.h

@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ public:
         QString apiKey;
         QString model;
         QString targetLanguage;
+        QString translationPreset;
+        QString customInstructions;
     };
 
     struct BatchResult {

src/translate/translationpresets.cpp

@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2026 Tri Vo Khac
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
+
+#include "translationpresets.h"
+
+#include <KLocalizedString>
+
+using namespace Qt::Literals::StringLiterals;
+
+namespace TranslationPresets
+{
+const QList<Preset> &all()
+{
+    static const QList<Preset> presets{
+        {
+            u"general"_s,
+            i18nc("@item:inlistbox translation preset", "General"),
+            u"Keep names as they are conventionally rendered and use a natural, conversational tone appropriate to the scene."_s,
+        },
+        {
+            u"chinese-donghua"_s,
+            i18nc("@item:inlistbox translation preset", "Chinese animation / wuxia / xianxia"),
+            u"For Chinese animation, wuxia, xianxia, and historical settings, the source is often an English subtitle with pinyin names. When translating into Vietnamese, convert Chinese personal names, place names, sect and clan names, techniques, and cultivation terms into their Sino-Vietnamese (Hán-Việt) forms (for example, Xiao Yan → Tiêu Viêm, Dou Qi → Đấu Khí, Sect Master → Tông chủ). For other target languages, use that language's conventional rendering. Be consistent and prefer well-known established renderings from famous works. When translating into Vietnamese, use period-appropriate forms of address such as ta/ngươi, huynh/đệ, sư phụ, and tiền bối."_s,
+        },
+        {
+            u"japanese-anime"_s,
+            i18nc("@item:inlistbox translation preset", "Japanese anime"),
+            u"Keep Japanese names in romaji. Keep honorifics such as -san, -kun, and -senpai as-is. Use a natural, casual tone."_s,
+        },
+        {
+            u"korean-drama"_s,
+            i18nc("@item:inlistbox translation preset", "Korean drama"),
+            u"Keep Korean names. Use modern forms of address that fit the relationships; when translating into Vietnamese, use forms such as anh/em, and oppa may be kept when appropriate."_s,
+        },
+        {
+            u"western"_s,
+            i18nc("@item:inlistbox translation preset", "Western"),
+            u"Keep names. Use a neutral modern tone and adapt idioms naturally for the target language."_s,
+        },
+        {
+            u"documentary"_s,
+            i18nc("@item:inlistbox translation preset", "Documentary"),
+            u"Keep names. Use a formal, precise tone and translate terminology accurately."_s,
+        },
+    };
+    return presets;
+}
+
+const Preset &find(const QString &id)
+{
+    const auto &presets = all();
+    for (const Preset &preset : presets) {
+        if (preset.id == id) {
+            return preset;
+        }
+    }
+    return presets.constFirst();
+}
+}

src/translate/translationpresets.h

@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2026 Tri Vo Khac
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
+
+#pragma once
+
+#include <QList>
+#include <QString>
+
+namespace TranslationPresets
+{
+struct Preset {
+    QString id;
+    QString name;
+    QString guidance;
+};
+
+const QList<Preset> &all();
+const Preset &find(const QString &id);
+}

src/translate/translationservice.cpp

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 #include "apikeystore.h"
 #include "qtpotatosettings.h"
+#include "translationpresets.h"
 
 #include <KLocalizedString>
 
@@ -34,7 +35,7 @@ constexpr int MaxAttempts = 3;
 // depend on each other.
 constexpr int ParallelRequests = 3;
 // Bump when the prompt changes so old cached translations are not reused.
-constexpr auto CacheVersion = "llm-v1";
+constexpr auto CacheVersion = "llm-v2";
 
 // "Vietnamese" -> "vi", so the file ends in ".vi.srt" like other players expect.
 QString languageSuffix(const QString &language)
@@ -112,6 +113,15 @@ QStringList TranslationService::availableModels() const
     return m_availableModels;
 }
 
+QVariantList TranslationService::translationPresets() const
+{
+    QVariantList result;
+    for (const auto &preset : TranslationPresets::all()) {
+        result.append(QVariantMap{{u"id"_s, preset.id}, {u"name"_s, preset.name}, {u"guidance"_s, preset.guidance}});
+    }
+    return result;
+}
+
 bool TranslationService::isFetchingModels() const
 {
     return m_fetchingModels;
@@ -160,6 +170,8 @@ QCoro::Task<std::pair<LlmClient::Config, QString>> TranslationService::loadConfi
         {},
         settings->model().trimmed(),
         settings->targetLanguage().trimmed(),
+        settings->translationPreset().trimmed(),
+        settings->customInstructions(),
     };
 
     if (!config.baseUrl.isValid() || config.baseUrl.scheme().isEmpty() || config.baseUrl.host().isEmpty()) {
@@ -235,11 +247,13 @@ QCoro::Task<> TranslationService::run(QUrl videoUrl, QVariantMap track)
         co_return;
     }
 
-    // Same subtitles, model and language give the same file, so it is translated once.
+    // Same subtitles, model, language, and prompt settings give the same file, so it is translated once.
     QCryptographicHash hash(QCryptographicHash::Sha1);
     hash.addData(CacheVersion);
     hash.addData(config.model.toUtf8());
     hash.addData(config.targetLanguage.toUtf8());
+    hash.addData(config.translationPreset.toUtf8());
+    hash.addData(config.customInstructions.toUtf8());
     hash.addData(Subtitles::toSrt(cues).toUtf8());
     const QString outputPath = cachePath(videoUrl, QString::fromLatin1(hash.result().toHex().left(12)), config.targetLanguage);
 

src/translate/translationservice.h

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include <QObject>
 #include <QStringList>
 #include <QUrl>
+#include <QVariantList>
 #include <QVariantMap>
 #include <QtQml/qqmlregistration.h>
 
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ class TranslationService : public QObject
     Q_PROPERTY(QString statusText READ statusText NOTIFY statusTextChanged)
     Q_PROPERTY(QString errorText READ errorText NOTIFY errorTextChanged)
     Q_PROPERTY(QStringList availableModels READ availableModels NOTIFY availableModelsChanged)
+    Q_PROPERTY(QVariantList translationPresets READ translationPresets CONSTANT)
     Q_PROPERTY(bool fetchingModels READ isFetchingModels NOTIFY fetchingModelsChanged)
 
 public:
@@ -39,6 +41,7 @@ public:
     QString statusText() const;
     QString errorText() const;
     QStringList availableModels() const;
+    QVariantList translationPresets() const;
     bool isFetchingModels() const;
 
     // \a track is an entry of MpvItem::subtitleTracks.