diff --git a/addons/web/static/src/core/l10n/dates.js b/addons/web/static/src/core/l10n/dates.js
index c7441b673a5..e2cfa3c6cc5 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/src/core/l10n/dates.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/src/core/l10n/dates.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 import { memoize } from "../utils/functions";
 import { sprintf } from "../utils/strings";
 import { localization } from "./localization";
-import { _lt } from "./translation";
+import { _t } from "./translation";
 
 const { DateTime } = luxon;
 
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ export function parseDateTime(value, options = {}) {
     }
 
     if (!result) {
-        throw new Error(sprintf(_lt("'%s' is not a correct date or datetime").toString(), value));
+        throw new Error(sprintf(_t("'%s' is not a correct date or datetime"), value));
     }
 
     result = result.toUTC();
diff --git a/addons/web/static/src/core/l10n/localization_service.js b/addons/web/static/src/core/l10n/localization_service.js
index 57193e37ccb..5163869341b 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/src/core/l10n/localization_service.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/src/core/l10n/localization_service.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { browser } from "../browser/browser";
 import { registry } from "../registry";
 import { strftimeToLuxonFormat } from "./dates";
 import { localization } from "./localization";
-import { translatedTerms } from "./translation";
+import { translatedTerms, _t } from "./translation";
 
 export const localizationService = {
     dependencies: ["user"],
@@ -33,9 +33,6 @@ export const localizationService = {
         }
 
         Object.setPrototypeOf(translatedTerms, terms);
-        function _t(str) {
-            return terms[str] || str;
-        }
         env._t = _t;
         env.qweb.translateFn = _t;
         const dateFormat = strftimeToLuxonFormat(userLocalization.date_format);
diff --git a/addons/web/static/src/core/l10n/translation.js b/addons/web/static/src/core/l10n/translation.js
index 354e2cf0ea0..dec843ea2ea 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/src/core/l10n/translation.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/src/core/l10n/translation.js
@@ -2,6 +2,31 @@
 
 export const translatedTerms = {};
 
+/**
+ * Translate a term, or return the term if no translation can be found.
+ *
+ * Note that it translates eagerly, which means that if the translations have
+ * not been loaded yet, it will return the untranslated term. If it cannot be
+ * guaranteed that translations are ready, one should use the _lt function
+ * instead (see below)
+ *
+ * @param {string} term
+ * @returns {string}
+ */
+export function _t(term) {
+    return translatedTerms[term] || term;
+}
+
+class LazyTranslatedString extends String {
+    valueOf() {
+        const str = super.valueOf();
+        return _t(str);
+    }
+    toString() {
+        return this.valueOf();
+    }
+}
+
 /**
  * Lazy translation function, only performs the translation when actually
  * printed (e.g. inserted into a template).
@@ -12,7 +37,7 @@ export const translatedTerms = {};
  * @returns {{toString: () => string}}
  */
 export function _lt(str) {
-    return { toString: () => translatedTerms[str] || str };
+    return new LazyTranslatedString(str);
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/addons/web/static/tests/core/l10n/translation_tests.js b/addons/web/static/tests/core/l10n/translation_tests.js
index c87136c01e1..ded6e1df950 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/tests/core/l10n/translation_tests.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/tests/core/l10n/translation_tests.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /** @odoo-module **/
 
-import { translatedTerms } from "@web/core/l10n/translation";
+import { translatedTerms, _lt } from "@web/core/l10n/translation";
 import { registry } from "@web/core/registry";
 import { patch, unpatch } from "@web/core/utils/patch";
 import { makeTestEnv } from "../../helpers/mock_env";
@@ -27,6 +27,23 @@ QUnit.test("can translate a text node", async (assert) => {
     unpatch(translatedTerms, "add translations");
 });
 
+QUnit.test("can lazy translate", async (assert) => {
+    assert.expect(3);
+
+    TestComponent.template = owl.tags.xml`<div><t t-esc="constructor.someLazyText" /></div>`;
+    TestComponent.someLazyText = _lt("Hello");
+    assert.strictEqual(TestComponent.someLazyText.toString(), "Hello");
+    assert.strictEqual(TestComponent.someLazyText.valueOf(), "Hello");
+
+    serviceRegistry.add("localization", makeFakeLocalizationService());
+    const env = await makeTestEnv();
+    patch(translatedTerms, "add translations", terms);
+    const target = getFixture();
+    await mount(TestComponent, { env, target });
+    assert.strictEqual(target.innerText, "Bonjour");
+    unpatch(translatedTerms, "add translations");
+});
+
 QUnit.test("_t is in env", async (assert) => {
     assert.expect(1);
     TestComponent.template = owl.tags.xml`<div><t t-esc="env._t('Hello')"/></div>`;