diff --git a/docs/guide/i18n.md b/docs/guide/i18n.md
index 214b7d2..a1c6314 100644
--- a/docs/guide/i18n.md
+++ b/docs/guide/i18n.md
@@ -5,44 +5,215 @@ Internationalization (I18N) refers to the process of designing a software applic
 various languages and regions without engineering changes. For Web applications, this is of particular importance
 because the potential users may be worldwide.
 
-When developing an application it's assumed that we're relying on
-[PHP internationalization extension](http://www.php.net/manual/en/intro.intl.php). While extension covers a lot of aspects
-Yii adds a bit more:
+Locale and Language
+-------------------
 
-- It handles message translation.
+There are two languages defined in Yii application: [[\yii\base\Application::$sourceLanguage|source language]] and
+[[\yii\base\Application::$language|target language]].
 
+Source language is the language original application messages are written in such as:
 
-Locale and Language
--------------------
+```php
+echo \Yii::t('app', 'I am a message!');
+```
+
+> **Tip**: Default is English and it's not recommended to change it. The reason is that it's easier to find people translating from
+> English to any language than from non-English to non-English.
+
+Target language is what's currently used. It's defined in application configuration like the following:
+
+```php
+// ...
+return array(
+	'id' => 'applicationID',
+	'basePath' => dirname(__DIR__),
+	'language' => 'ru_RU' // ← here!
+```
+
+Later you can easily change it in runtime:
+
+```php
+\Yii::$app->language = 'zh_CN';
+```
+
+Basic message translation
+-------------------------
+
+### Strings translation
+
+Yii basic message translation that works without additional PHP extension and
+
+
+### Named placeholders
+
+```php
+$username = 'Alexander';
+echo \Yii::t('app', 'Hello, {username}!', array(
+	'username' => $username,
+));
+```
+
+### Positional placeholders
+
+```php
+$sum = 42;
+echo \Yii::t('app', 'Balance: {0}', $sum);
+```
+
+> **Tip**: When messages are extracted and passed to translator, he sees strings only. For the code above extracted message will be
+> "Balance: {0}". It's not recommended to use positional placeholders except when there's only one and message context is
+> clear as above.
+
+Advanced placeholder formatting
+-------------------------------
+
+In order to use advanced features you need to install and enable [intl](http://www.php.net/manual/en/intro.intl.php) PHP
+extension. After installing and enabling it you will be able to use extended syntax for placeholders. Either short form
+`{placeholderName, argumentType}` that means default setting or full form `{placeholderName, argumentType, argumentStyle}`
+that allows you to specify formatting style.
+
+Full reference is [available at ICU website](http://icu-project.org/apiref/icu4c/classMessageFormat.html) but since it's
+a bit crypric we have our own reference below.
+
+### Numbers
+
+```php
+$sum = 42;
+echo \Yii::t('app', 'Balance: {0, number}', $sum);
+```
+
+You can specify one of the built-in styles (`integer`, `currency`, `percent`):
+
+```php
+$sum = 42;
+echo \Yii::t('app', 'Balance: {0, number, currency}', $sum);
+```
+
+Or specify custom pattern:
+
+```php
+$sum = 42;
+echo \Yii::t('app', 'Balance: {0, number, ,000,000000}', $sum);
+```
+
+[Formatting reference](http://icu-project.org/apiref/icu4c/classicu_1_1DecimalFormat.html).
+
+### Dates
+
+```php
+echo \Yii::t('app', 'Today is {0, date}', time());
+```
+
+Built in formats (`short`, `medium`, `long`, `full`):
+
+```php
+echo \Yii::t('app', 'Today is {0, date, short}', time());
+```
+
+Custom pattern:
+
+```php
+echo \Yii::t('app', 'Today is {0, date, YYYY-MM-dd}', time());
+```
+
+[Formatting reference](http://icu-project.org/apiref/icu4c/classicu_1_1SimpleDateFormat.html).
+
+### Time
+
+```php
+echo \Yii::t('app', 'It is {0, time}', time());
+```
+
+Built in formats (`short`, `medium`, `long`, `full`):
+
+```php
+echo \Yii::t('app', 'It is {0, time, short}', time());
+```
+
+Custom pattern:
+
+```php
+echo \Yii::t('app', 'It is {0, date, HH:mm}', time());
+```
+
+[Formatting reference](http://icu-project.org/apiref/icu4c/classicu_1_1SimpleDateFormat.html).
+
+
+### Spellout
+
+```php
+echo \Yii::t('app', '{n,number} is spelled as {n, spellout}', array(
+	'n' => 42,
+));
+```
+
+### Ordinal
+
+```php
+echo \Yii::t('app', 'You are {n, ordinal} visitor here!', array(
+	'n' => 42,
+));
+```
+
+Will produce "You are 42nd visitor here!".
+
+### Duration
+
+
+```php
+echo \Yii::t('app', 'You are here for {n, duration} already!', array(
+	'n' => 42,
+));
+```
+
+Will produce "You are here for 47 sec. already!".
+
+### Plurals
+
+Different languages have different ways to inflect plurals. Some rules are very complex so it's very handy that this
+functionality is provided without the need to specify inflection rule. Instead it only requires your input of inflected
+word in certain situations.
+
+```php
+echo \Yii::t('app', 'There {n, plural, =0{are no cats} =1{is one cat} other{are # cats}}!', array(
+	'n' => 0,
+));
+```
+
+Will give us "There are no cats!".
+
+In the plural rule arguments above `=0` means exactly zero, `=1` stands for exactly one `other` is for any other number.
+`#` is replaced with the `n` argument value. It's not that simple for languages other than English. Here's an example
+for Russian:
+
+```
+Здесь {n, plural, =0{котов нет} =1{есть один кот} one{# кот} few{# кота} many{# котов} other{# кота}}!
+```
+
+In the above it worth mentioning that `=1` matches exactly `n = 1` while `one` matches `21` or `101`.
+
+To learn which inflection forms you should specify for your language you can referer to
+[rules reference at unicode.org](http://unicode.org/repos/cldr-tmp/trunk/diff/supplemental/language_plural_rules.html).
+
+### Selections
+
+You can select phrases based on keywords. The pattern in this case specifies how to map keywords to phrases and
+provides a default phrase.
+
+```php
+echo \Yii::t('app', '{name} is {gender} and {gender, select, female{she} male{he} other{it}} loves Yii!', array(
+	'name' => 'Snoopy',
+	'gender' => 'dog',
+));
+```
+
+Will produce "Snoopy is dog and it loves Yii!".
+
+In the expression `female` and `male` are possible values. `other` handler values that do not match. Strings inside
+brackets are sub-expressions so could be just a string or a string with more placeholders.
+
+Formatters
+----------
 
-Translation
------------
-
-/*
-
-numeric arg \{\s*\d+\s*\}
-named arg \{\s*(\w|(\w|\d){2,})\s*\}
-
-named placeholder can be unicode!!!
-
-
-argName [^[[:Pattern_Syntax:][:Pattern_White_Space:]]]+
-
-message = messageText (argument messageText)*
- argument = noneArg | simpleArg | complexArg
- complexArg = choiceArg | pluralArg | selectArg | selectordinalArg
- noneArg = '{' argNameOrNumber '}'
- simpleArg = '{' argNameOrNumber ',' argType [',' argStyle] '}'
- choiceArg = '{' argNameOrNumber ',' "choice" ',' choiceStyle '}'
- pluralArg = '{' argNameOrNumber ',' "plural" ',' pluralStyle '}'
- selectArg = '{' argNameOrNumber ',' "select" ',' selectStyle '}'
- selectordinalArg = '{' argNameOrNumber ',' "selectordinal" ',' pluralStyle '}'
- choiceStyle: see ChoiceFormat
- pluralStyle: see PluralFormat
- selectStyle: see SelectFormat
- argNameOrNumber = argName | argNumber
- argName = [^[[:Pattern_Syntax:][:Pattern_White_Space:]]]+
- argNumber = '0' | ('1'..'9' ('0'..'9')*)
- argType = "number" | "date" | "time" | "spellout" | "ordinal" | "duration"
- argStyle = "short" | "medium" | "long" | "full" | "integer" | "currency" | "percent" | argStyleText
- */
\ No newline at end of file
+In order to use formatters you need to install and enable [intl](http://www.php.net/manual/en/intro.intl.php) PHP
+extension.
diff --git a/framework/yii/i18n/MessageFormatter.php b/framework/yii/i18n/MessageFormatter.php
index e7163c0..de717dc 100644
--- a/framework/yii/i18n/MessageFormatter.php
+++ b/framework/yii/i18n/MessageFormatter.php
@@ -14,8 +14,6 @@ namespace yii\i18n;
  * - Issues no error when an insufficient number of arguments have been provided. Instead, the placeholders will not be
  *   substituted.
  *
- * @see http://php.net/manual/en/migration55.changed-functions.php
- *
  * @author Alexander Makarov <sam@rmcreative.ru>
  * @since 2.0
  */
@@ -30,9 +28,12 @@ class MessageFormatter extends \MessageFormatter
 	 */
 	public function format($args)
 	{
-		$pattern = self::replaceNamedArguments($this->getPattern(), $args);
-		$this->setPattern($pattern);
-		return parent::format(array_values($args));
+		if (self::needFix()) {
+			$pattern = self::replaceNamedArguments($this->getPattern(), $args);
+			$this->setPattern($pattern);
+			$args = array_values($args);
+		}
+		return parent::format($args);
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -46,8 +47,11 @@ class MessageFormatter extends \MessageFormatter
 	 */
 	public static function formatMessage($locale, $pattern, $args)
 	{
-		$pattern = self::replaceNamedArguments($pattern, $args);
-		return parent::formatMessage($locale, $pattern, array_values($args));
+		if (self::needFix()) {
+			$pattern = self::replaceNamedArguments($pattern, $args);
+			$args = array_values($args);
+		}
+		return parent::formatMessage($locale, $pattern, $args);
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -66,9 +70,25 @@ class MessageFormatter extends \MessageFormatter
 				return $input[1] . $map[$name] . $input[3];
 			}
 			else {
+				//return $input[1] . $name . $input[3];
 				return "'" . $input[1] . $name . $input[3] . "'";
 			}
 		}, $pattern);
 	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Checks if fix should be applied
+	 *
+	 * @see http://php.net/manual/en/migration55.changed-functions.php
+	 * @return boolean if fix should be applied
+	 */
+	private static function needFix()
+	{
+		return (
+			!defined('INTL_ICU_VERSION') ||
+			version_compare(INTL_ICU_VERSION, '48.0.0', '<') ||
+			version_compare(PHP_VERSION, '5.5.0', '<')
+		);
+	}
 }
  
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/unit/framework/i18n/MessageFormatterTest.php b/tests/unit/framework/i18n/MessageFormatterTest.php
index 7595fe0..51e512c 100644
--- a/tests/unit/framework/i18n/MessageFormatterTest.php
+++ b/tests/unit/framework/i18n/MessageFormatterTest.php
@@ -32,6 +32,39 @@ class MessageFormatterTest extends TestCase
 		));
 
 		$this->assertEquals($expected, $result);
+
+		$pattern = <<<_MSG_
+{gender_of_host, select,
+  female {{num_guests, plural, offset:1
+	  =0 {{host} does not give a party.}
+	  =1 {{host} invites {guest} to her party.}
+	  =2 {{host} invites {guest} and one other person to her party.}
+	 other {{host} invites {guest} and # other people to her party.}}}
+  male {{num_guests, plural, offset:1
+	  =0 {{host} does not give a party.}
+	  =1 {{host} invites {guest} to his party.}
+	  =2 {{host} invites {guest} and one other person to his party.}
+	 other {{host} invites {guest} and # other people to his party.}}}
+  other {{num_guests, plural, offset:1
+	  =0 {{host} does not give a party.}
+	  =1 {{host} invites {guest} to their party.}
+	  =2 {{host} invites {guest} and one other person to their party.}
+	  other {{host} invites {guest} and # other people to their party.}}}}
+_MSG_;
+		$result = MessageFormatter::formatMessage('en_US', $pattern, array(
+			'gender_of_host' => 'male',
+			'num_guests' => 4,
+			'host' => 'ralph',
+			'guest' => 'beep'
+		));
+		$this->assertEquals('ralph invites beep and 3 other people to his party.', $result);
+
+		$pattern = '{name} is {gender} and {gender, select, female{she} male{he} other{it}} loves Yii!';
+		$result = MessageFormatter::formatMessage('en_US', $pattern, array(
+			'name' => 'Alexander',
+			'gender' => 'male',
+		));
+		$this->assertEquals('Alexander is male and he loves Yii!', $result);
 	}
 
 	public function testInsufficientArguments()