diff --git a/.changeset/tags-placeholder-i18n.md b/.changeset/tags-placeholder-i18n.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c2ef64f06
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/tags-placeholder-i18n.md
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+---
+"@object-ui/fields": patch
+"@object-ui/i18n": patch
+---
+
+`TagsField` no longer ships a hardcoded Chinese input placeholder
+(objectui#3342, AGENTS.md Commandment #-1). The placeholder now resolves
+through the pinned chain: the author-declared `field.placeholder` wins
+(previously ignored by this widget); otherwise the widget's own copy arrives
+via `useFieldTranslation()` under the new `fields.tags.placeholder` key, added
+at full parity across all locale packs (Chinese lives in the zh pack, not in
+code); with no `I18nProvider` mounted the English default from FIELD_DEFAULTS
+renders — never a raw key.
diff --git a/packages/fields/src/widgets/TagsField.placeholder.no-provider.test.tsx b/packages/fields/src/widgets/TagsField.placeholder.no-provider.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ab061c703
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/fields/src/widgets/TagsField.placeholder.no-provider.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+/**
+ * ObjectUI
+ * Copyright (c) 2024-present ObjectStack Inc.
+ *
+ * This source code is licensed under the MIT license found in the
+ * LICENSE file in the root directory of this source tree.
+ */
+
+/**
+ * The tags widget's placeholder with NO `I18nProvider` mounted
+ * (objectui#3342) — standalone/embedded usage, and every test in the repo
+ * that renders a field widget bare.
+ *
+ * Routing the copy through `useFieldTranslation()` must not turn it into a
+ * raw i18n key when nothing is configured: `createSafeTranslation` probes the
+ * instance and falls back to its English defaults map. This is also where the
+ * Commandment #-1 pin lives: the copy shipped FROM CODE (the no-provider
+ * default) carries no CJK — Chinese exists only in the zh locale pack and can
+ * only arrive through a provider.
+ *
+ * Why a separate FILE rather than another case in
+ * `TagsField.placeholder.test.tsx`: mounting `I18nProvider` calls
+ * `initReactI18next`, which installs that instance as react-i18next's GLOBAL
+ * default. Once any sibling test has done so there is no "no provider" state
+ * left to observe in that module graph. Vitest's per-file isolation is what
+ * makes this file's observation honest (same split as
+ * `OptionsEmptyState.no-provider.test.tsx`).
+ */
+import { describe, it, expect, vi } from 'vitest';
+import React from 'react';
+import { render, screen } from '@testing-library/react';
+import '@testing-library/jest-dom';
+import { TagsField } from './TagsField';
+
+function renderTags(field: Record<string, unknown>) {
+  return render(
+    <TagsField
+      value={[]}
+      onChange={vi.fn()}
+      field={field as any}
+      {...({ name: 'labels' } as any)}
+    />,
+  );
+}
+
+const input = () => screen.getByRole('textbox');
+
+describe('TagsField placeholder — English fallback survives with no i18n configured', () => {
+  it('renders the English default, not a raw key', () => {
+    renderTags({ name: 'labels', type: 'tags' });
+    expect(input()).toHaveAttribute('placeholder', 'Type and press Enter to add…');
+    expect(input().getAttribute('placeholder')).not.toContain('fields.tags');
+  });
+
+  it('the code-shipped default carries no CJK (Commandment #-1)', () => {
+    renderTags({ name: 'labels', type: 'tags' });
+    // With no provider mounted, whatever renders here came from CODE
+    // (FIELD_DEFAULTS) — the commandment pin: no Chinese in the codebase.
+    // Escaped ranges on purpose: a literal CJK class would itself violate
+    // the commandment this test enforces (same shape as objectui#3321's pin).
+    expect(input().getAttribute('placeholder')).not.toMatch(/[\u3000-\u30ff\u4e00-\u9fff]/);
+  });
+
+  it('the author-declared field.placeholder still wins without a provider', () => {
+    renderTags({ name: 'labels', type: 'tags', placeholder: 'Add product labels' });
+    expect(input()).toHaveAttribute('placeholder', 'Add product labels');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/fields/src/widgets/TagsField.placeholder.test.tsx b/packages/fields/src/widgets/TagsField.placeholder.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a0fe29607
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/fields/src/widgets/TagsField.placeholder.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+/**
+ * ObjectUI
+ * Copyright (c) 2024-present ObjectStack Inc.
+ *
+ * This source code is licensed under the MIT license found in the
+ * LICENSE file in the root directory of this source tree.
+ */
+
+/**
+ * The tags widget's input placeholder (objectui#3342).
+ *
+ * It used to be a hardcoded Chinese literal in code — a double violation:
+ * Commandment #-1 (English-only codebase) AND a bypass of the i18n channel the
+ * sibling widgets already use. The pinned resolution chain is:
+ *
+ *   1. `field.placeholder` — the field author's declaration always wins;
+ *   2. `t('fields.tags.placeholder')` — the widget's own copy, from the
+ *      locale packs via `useFieldTranslation()`;
+ *   3. the English default in FIELD_DEFAULTS when no I18nProvider is mounted
+ *      (that leg lives in `TagsField.placeholder.no-provider.test.tsx` — see
+ *      its header for why it must be a separate file).
+ *
+ * Chinese now lives in the zh locale pack only, which is what the zh-locale
+ * case below observes end-to-end.
+ */
+import { describe, it, expect, vi } from 'vitest';
+import React from 'react';
+import { render, screen } from '@testing-library/react';
+import '@testing-library/jest-dom';
+import { I18nProvider } from '@object-ui/i18n';
+import { TagsField } from './TagsField';
+
+function renderTags(
+  field: Record<string, unknown>,
+  { value = [] as string[], language }: { value?: string[]; language?: string } = {},
+) {
+  const element = (
+    <TagsField
+      value={value}
+      onChange={vi.fn()}
+      field={field as any}
+      {...({ name: 'labels' } as any)}
+    />
+  );
+  return render(
+    language ? (
+      <I18nProvider config={{ defaultLanguage: language, detectBrowserLanguage: false }}>
+        {element}
+      </I18nProvider>
+    ) : (
+      element
+    ),
+  );
+}
+
+const input = () => screen.getByRole('textbox');
+
+describe('TagsField placeholder — author declaration beats the widget copy (objectui#3342)', () => {
+  it('renders the author-declared field.placeholder', () => {
+    renderTags({ name: 'labels', type: 'tags', placeholder: 'Add product labels' }, { language: 'en' });
+    expect(input()).toHaveAttribute('placeholder', 'Add product labels');
+  });
+
+  it('the author declaration wins even under a non-English locale', () => {
+    // The author's copy is theirs verbatim — a locale switch must not
+    // overwrite an explicit declaration with the widget's own translation.
+    renderTags({ name: 'labels', type: 'tags', placeholder: 'Add product labels' }, { language: 'zh' });
+    expect(input()).toHaveAttribute('placeholder', 'Add product labels');
+    expect(input().getAttribute('placeholder')).not.toContain('输入后回车添加');
+  });
+});
+
+describe('TagsField placeholder — undeclared falls back to the translated key', () => {
+  it('renders the en pack copy under the en locale', () => {
+    renderTags({ name: 'labels', type: 'tags' }, { language: 'en' });
+    expect(input()).toHaveAttribute('placeholder', 'Type and press Enter to add…');
+  });
+
+  it('renders the zh pack copy under the zh locale — Chinese comes from the pack, not code', () => {
+    renderTags({ name: 'labels', type: 'tags' }, { language: 'zh' });
+    expect(input()).toHaveAttribute('placeholder', '输入后回车添加…');
+    // …and never the raw key.
+    expect(input().getAttribute('placeholder')).not.toContain('fields.tags');
+  });
+});
+
+describe('TagsField placeholder — shown only while the tag list is empty', () => {
+  it('is empty once a tag exists (the input is a continuation strip)', () => {
+    renderTags({ name: 'labels', type: 'tags', placeholder: 'Add product labels' }, {
+      value: ['alpha'],
+      language: 'en',
+    });
+    expect(input()).toHaveAttribute('placeholder', '');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/fields/src/widgets/TagsField.tsx b/packages/fields/src/widgets/TagsField.tsx
index 2f8754137..085c15ff2 100644
--- a/packages/fields/src/widgets/TagsField.tsx
+++ b/packages/fields/src/widgets/TagsField.tsx
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import React from 'react';
 import { Badge, Input, EmptyValue, cn } from '@object-ui/components';
 import { FieldWidgetComponentProps } from './types';
 import { toDomProps } from './toDomProps';
+import { useFieldTranslation } from './useFieldTranslation';
 
 /**
  * TagsField - free-form list of string tags. Type a value and press Enter (or
@@ -11,6 +12,8 @@ import { toDomProps } from './toDomProps';
 export function TagsField({ value, onChange, field, readonly, className, error, ...props }: FieldWidgetComponentProps<string[]>) {
   const tags: string[] = Array.isArray(value) ? value : value == null ? [] : [value as unknown as string];
   const [draft, setDraft] = React.useState('');
+  // Unconditional hook call (rules-of-hooks): before the readonly early return.
+  const { t } = useFieldTranslation();
 
   if (readonly) {
     if (tags.length === 0) return <EmptyValue />;
@@ -64,7 +67,15 @@ export function TagsField({ value, onChange, field, readonly, className, error,
         onKeyDown={onKeyDown}
         onBlur={() => addTag(draft)}
         disabled={props.disabled}
-        placeholder={tags.length === 0 ? '输入后回车添加…' : ''}
+        // Placeholder chain (objectui#3342): the author-declared
+        // `field.placeholder` wins; otherwise the widget's own copy arrives
+        // via `useFieldTranslation()` — `fields.tags.placeholder` in the
+        // locale packs, English default from FIELD_DEFAULTS when no
+        // I18nProvider is mounted. This used to be a hardcoded Chinese
+        // literal (Commandment #-1); Chinese now lives in the zh pack only.
+        // Shown only while the list is empty — once a tag exists the input is
+        // a small continuation strip and the hint would be noise.
+        placeholder={tags.length === 0 ? field?.placeholder || t('fields.tags.placeholder') : ''}
         className="h-7 flex-1 border-0 bg-transparent p-0 px-1 shadow-none focus-visible:ring-0 min-w-[8ch]"
         // AFTER the spread so this widget's own computation wins (the #3222
         // discipline): `error` is the published validation slot, and
diff --git a/packages/fields/src/widgets/useFieldTranslation.ts b/packages/fields/src/widgets/useFieldTranslation.ts
index 1edefa47d..b359a4db5 100644
--- a/packages/fields/src/widgets/useFieldTranslation.ts
+++ b/packages/fields/src/widgets/useFieldTranslation.ts
@@ -75,6 +75,9 @@ const FIELD_DEFAULTS: Record<string, string> = {
   'fields.filterCondition.jsonOnly': 'This criteria can only be edited as JSON',
   'fields.filterCondition.editAsJson': 'Edit as JSON',
   'fields.filterCondition.useVisualBuilder': 'Use visual builder',
+  // objectui#3342 — the tags widget's input hint. Used only when the field
+  // author declared no `placeholder` of their own (author declaration wins).
+  'fields.tags.placeholder': 'Type and press Enter to add…',
   // objectui#2600 B5 — capability picker scope group headers.
   'capability.group.platform': 'Platform',
   'capability.group.org': 'Organization',
diff --git a/packages/i18n/src/locales/ar.ts b/packages/i18n/src/locales/ar.ts
index bd2676b1f..039b54328 100644
--- a/packages/i18n/src/locales/ar.ts
+++ b/packages/i18n/src/locales/ar.ts
@@ -203,6 +203,9 @@ const ar = {
       editAsJson: "التحرير بصيغة JSON",
       useVisualBuilder: "استخدام المُنشئ المرئي",
     },
+    tags: {
+      placeholder: "اكتب واضغط Enter للإضافة…",
+    },
   },
   table: {
     rowsPerPage: "صفوف في الصفحة",
diff --git a/packages/i18n/src/locales/de.ts b/packages/i18n/src/locales/de.ts
index a5ad98059..293d05249 100644
--- a/packages/i18n/src/locales/de.ts
+++ b/packages/i18n/src/locales/de.ts
@@ -203,6 +203,9 @@ const de = {
       editAsJson: "Als JSON bearbeiten",
       useVisualBuilder: "Visuellen Builder verwenden",
     },
+    tags: {
+      placeholder: "Tippen und mit der Eingabetaste hinzufügen…",
+    },
   },
   table: {
     rowsPerPage: "Zeilen pro Seite",
diff --git a/packages/i18n/src/locales/en.ts b/packages/i18n/src/locales/en.ts
index 47c8ca9db..6d9955d60 100644
--- a/packages/i18n/src/locales/en.ts
+++ b/packages/i18n/src/locales/en.ts
@@ -213,6 +213,11 @@ const en = {
       editAsJson: 'Edit as JSON',
       useVisualBuilder: 'Use visual builder',
     },
+    // objectui#3342 — the tags widget's input hint, shown while the tag list
+    // is empty. The author-declared `field.placeholder` always wins over this.
+    tags: {
+      placeholder: 'Type and press Enter to add…',
+    },
   },
   table: {
     rowsPerPage: 'Rows per page',
diff --git a/packages/i18n/src/locales/es.ts b/packages/i18n/src/locales/es.ts
index 04ad5c6cb..ba7fae6a8 100644
--- a/packages/i18n/src/locales/es.ts
+++ b/packages/i18n/src/locales/es.ts
@@ -203,6 +203,9 @@ const es = {
       editAsJson: "Editar como JSON",
       useVisualBuilder: "Usar el constructor visual",
     },
+    tags: {
+      placeholder: "Escriba y pulse Intro para añadir…",
+    },
   },
   table: {
     rowsPerPage: "Filas por página",
diff --git a/packages/i18n/src/locales/fr.ts b/packages/i18n/src/locales/fr.ts
index f6ded0857..fe0d0ef30 100644
--- a/packages/i18n/src/locales/fr.ts
+++ b/packages/i18n/src/locales/fr.ts
@@ -203,6 +203,9 @@ const fr = {
       editAsJson: "Modifier en JSON",
       useVisualBuilder: "Utiliser le constructeur visuel",
     },
+    tags: {
+      placeholder: "Saisissez puis appuyez sur Entrée pour ajouter…",
+    },
   },
   table: {
     rowsPerPage: "Lignes par page",
diff --git a/packages/i18n/src/locales/ja.ts b/packages/i18n/src/locales/ja.ts
index acd0bfbce..f806884a4 100644
--- a/packages/i18n/src/locales/ja.ts
+++ b/packages/i18n/src/locales/ja.ts
@@ -203,6 +203,9 @@ const ja = {
       editAsJson: "JSON で編集",
       useVisualBuilder: "ビジュアルビルダーを使用",
     },
+    tags: {
+      placeholder: "入力してEnterキーで追加…",
+    },
   },
   table: {
     rowsPerPage: "1ページの行数",
diff --git a/packages/i18n/src/locales/ko.ts b/packages/i18n/src/locales/ko.ts
index b436817ba..2f9830d04 100644
--- a/packages/i18n/src/locales/ko.ts
+++ b/packages/i18n/src/locales/ko.ts
@@ -203,6 +203,9 @@ const ko = {
       editAsJson: "JSON으로 편집",
       useVisualBuilder: "비주얼 빌더 사용",
     },
+    tags: {
+      placeholder: "입력 후 Enter 키로 추가…",
+    },
   },
   table: {
     rowsPerPage: "페이지당 행 수",
diff --git a/packages/i18n/src/locales/pt.ts b/packages/i18n/src/locales/pt.ts
index 8b6cac503..549584703 100644
--- a/packages/i18n/src/locales/pt.ts
+++ b/packages/i18n/src/locales/pt.ts
@@ -203,6 +203,9 @@ const pt = {
       editAsJson: "Editar como JSON",
       useVisualBuilder: "Usar o construtor visual",
     },
+    tags: {
+      placeholder: "Digite e pressione Enter para adicionar…",
+    },
   },
   table: {
     rowsPerPage: "Linhas por página",
diff --git a/packages/i18n/src/locales/ru.ts b/packages/i18n/src/locales/ru.ts
index 49c913dec..f44b43af3 100644
--- a/packages/i18n/src/locales/ru.ts
+++ b/packages/i18n/src/locales/ru.ts
@@ -203,6 +203,9 @@ const ru = {
       editAsJson: "Редактировать как JSON",
       useVisualBuilder: "Использовать визуальный конструктор",
     },
+    tags: {
+      placeholder: "Введите и нажмите Enter, чтобы добавить…",
+    },
   },
   table: {
     rowsPerPage: "Строк на странице",
diff --git a/packages/i18n/src/locales/zh.ts b/packages/i18n/src/locales/zh.ts
index e944f4105..7f8d0ea5e 100644
--- a/packages/i18n/src/locales/zh.ts
+++ b/packages/i18n/src/locales/zh.ts
@@ -208,6 +208,9 @@ const zh = {
       editAsJson: '以 JSON 编辑',
       useVisualBuilder: '使用可视化构建器',
     },
+    tags: {
+      placeholder: '输入后回车添加…',
+    },
   },
   table: {
     rowsPerPage: '每页行数',