diff --git a/cmd/php/php_deploy.go b/cmd/php/php_deploy.go
index 32404d8c..3a764e40 100644
--- a/cmd/php/php_deploy.go
+++ b/cmd/php/php_deploy.go
@@ -338,7 +338,7 @@ func printDeploymentSummary(index int, status *phppkg.DeploymentStatus) {
 
 	age := ""
 	if !status.StartedAt.IsZero() {
-		age = formatTimeAgo(status.StartedAt)
+		age = i18n.TimeAgo(status.StartedAt)
 	}
 
 	fmt.Printf("  %s %s %s",
@@ -362,29 +362,3 @@ func printDeploymentSummary(index int, status *phppkg.DeploymentStatus) {
 	fmt.Println()
 }
 
-func formatTimeAgo(t time.Time) string {
-	duration := time.Since(t)
-
-	switch {
-	case duration < time.Minute:
-		return i18n.T("cli.time.just_now")
-	case duration < time.Hour:
-		mins := int(duration.Minutes())
-		if mins == 1 {
-			return i18n.T("cli.time.minute_ago")
-		}
-		return i18n.T("cli.time.minutes_ago", map[string]interface{}{"Count": mins})
-	case duration < 24*time.Hour:
-		hours := int(duration.Hours())
-		if hours == 1 {
-			return i18n.T("cli.time.hour_ago")
-		}
-		return i18n.T("cli.time.hours_ago", map[string]interface{}{"Count": hours})
-	default:
-		days := int(duration.Hours() / 24)
-		if days == 1 {
-			return i18n.T("cli.time.day_ago")
-		}
-		return i18n.T("cli.time.days_ago", map[string]interface{}{"Count": days})
-	}
-}
diff --git a/pkg/i18n/i18n.go b/pkg/i18n/i18n.go
index a35c13b9..13849cb1 100644
--- a/pkg/i18n/i18n.go
+++ b/pkg/i18n/i18n.go
@@ -750,6 +750,14 @@ func (s *Service) handleI18nNamespace(key string, args []any) string {
 		return FormatOrdinal(toInt(args[0]))
 	}
 
+	// i18n.ago → FormatAgo(count, unit)
+	if key == "i18n.ago" && len(args) >= 2 {
+		count := toInt(args[0])
+		if unit, ok := args[1].(string); ok {
+			return FormatAgo(count, unit)
+		}
+	}
+
 	return ""
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/i18n/time.go b/pkg/i18n/time.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6bececf4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/i18n/time.go
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+// Package i18n provides internationalization for the CLI.
+package i18n
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"time"
+)
+
+// TimeAgo returns a localized relative time string.
+//
+//	TimeAgo(time.Now().Add(-5 * time.Minute)) // "5 minutes ago"
+//	TimeAgo(time.Now().Add(-1 * time.Hour))   // "1 hour ago"
+func TimeAgo(t time.Time) string {
+	duration := time.Since(t)
+
+	switch {
+	case duration < time.Minute:
+		return T("time.just_now")
+	case duration < time.Hour:
+		mins := int(duration.Minutes())
+		return FormatAgo(mins, "minute")
+	case duration < 24*time.Hour:
+		hours := int(duration.Hours())
+		return FormatAgo(hours, "hour")
+	case duration < 7*24*time.Hour:
+		days := int(duration.Hours() / 24)
+		return FormatAgo(days, "day")
+	default:
+		weeks := int(duration.Hours() / (24 * 7))
+		return FormatAgo(weeks, "week")
+	}
+}
+
+// FormatAgo formats "N unit ago" with proper pluralization.
+// Uses locale-specific patterns from time.ago.{unit}.
+//
+//	FormatAgo(5, "minute") // "5 minutes ago"
+//	FormatAgo(1, "hour")   // "1 hour ago"
+func FormatAgo(count int, unit string) string {
+	svc := Default()
+	if svc == nil {
+		return fmt.Sprintf("%d %ss ago", count, unit)
+	}
+
+	// Try locale-specific pattern: time.ago.{unit}
+	key := "time.ago." + unit
+	result := svc.T(key, map[string]any{"Count": count})
+
+	// If key was returned as-is (not found), compose fallback
+	if result == key {
+		return fmt.Sprintf("%d %s ago", count, Pluralize(unit, count))
+	}
+
+	return result
+}
diff --git a/pkg/i18n/time_test.go b/pkg/i18n/time_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ee2e0f24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/i18n/time_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+package i18n
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestFormatAgo(t *testing.T) {
+	svc, err := New()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	SetDefault(svc)
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name     string
+		count    int
+		unit     string
+		expected string
+	}{
+		{"1 second", 1, "second", "1 second ago"},
+		{"5 seconds", 5, "second", "5 seconds ago"},
+		{"1 minute", 1, "minute", "1 minute ago"},
+		{"30 minutes", 30, "minute", "30 minutes ago"},
+		{"1 hour", 1, "hour", "1 hour ago"},
+		{"3 hours", 3, "hour", "3 hours ago"},
+		{"1 day", 1, "day", "1 day ago"},
+		{"7 days", 7, "day", "7 days ago"},
+		{"1 week", 1, "week", "1 week ago"},
+		{"2 weeks", 2, "week", "2 weeks ago"},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			result := FormatAgo(tt.count, tt.unit)
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.expected, result)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestTimeAgo(t *testing.T) {
+	svc, err := New()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	SetDefault(svc)
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name     string
+		ago      time.Duration
+		expected string
+	}{
+		{"just now", 30 * time.Second, "just now"},
+		{"1 minute", 1 * time.Minute, "1 minute ago"},
+		{"5 minutes", 5 * time.Minute, "5 minutes ago"},
+		{"1 hour", 1 * time.Hour, "1 hour ago"},
+		{"3 hours", 3 * time.Hour, "3 hours ago"},
+		{"1 day", 24 * time.Hour, "1 day ago"},
+		{"3 days", 3 * 24 * time.Hour, "3 days ago"},
+		{"1 week", 7 * 24 * time.Hour, "1 week ago"},
+		{"2 weeks", 14 * 24 * time.Hour, "2 weeks ago"},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			result := TimeAgo(time.Now().Add(-tt.ago))
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.expected, result)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestI18nAgoNamespace(t *testing.T) {
+	svc, err := New()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	SetDefault(svc)
+
+	t.Run("i18n.ago pattern", func(t *testing.T) {
+		result := T("i18n.ago", 5, "minute")
+		assert.Equal(t, "5 minutes ago", result)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("i18n.ago singular", func(t *testing.T) {
+		result := T("i18n.ago", 1, "hour")
+		assert.Equal(t, "1 hour ago", result)
+	})
+}