diff --git a/po/de.po b/po/de.po
index 5c4a2439a..5bef898fa 100644
--- a/po/de.po
+++ b/po/de.po
@@ -155,10 +155,6 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "%s, version %s\n"
 msgstr "%s, version %s\n"
 
-#, c-format
-msgid "%s: %*s\n"
-msgstr ""
-
 #, c-format
 msgid "%s: %s\n"
 msgstr ""
diff --git a/po/en.po b/po/en.po
index 1b04e2404..78184556f 100644
--- a/po/en.po
+++ b/po/en.po
@@ -153,10 +153,6 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "%s, version %s\n"
 msgstr "%s, version %s\n"
 
-#, c-format
-msgid "%s: %*s\n"
-msgstr ""
-
 #, c-format
 msgid "%s: %s\n"
 msgstr ""
diff --git a/po/fr.po b/po/fr.po
index 38907eac6..1e9eab368 100644
--- a/po/fr.po
+++ b/po/fr.po
@@ -284,10 +284,6 @@ msgstr "%s, version %s"
 msgid "%s, version %s\n"
 msgstr "%s, version %s\n"
 
-#, c-format
-msgid "%s: %*s\n"
-msgstr "%s : %*s\n"
-
 #, c-format
 msgid "%s: %s\n"
 msgstr "%s : %s\n"
diff --git a/po/pl.po b/po/pl.po
index ab2cfaacd..ab905fcb1 100644
--- a/po/pl.po
+++ b/po/pl.po
@@ -149,10 +149,6 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "%s, version %s\n"
 msgstr "%s, wersja %s\n"
 
-#, c-format
-msgid "%s: %*s\n"
-msgstr ""
-
 #, c-format
 msgid "%s: %s\n"
 msgstr ""
diff --git a/po/pt_BR.po b/po/pt_BR.po
index 26028ccb9..68b33c31d 100644
--- a/po/pt_BR.po
+++ b/po/pt_BR.po
@@ -154,10 +154,6 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "%s, version %s\n"
 msgstr "%s, versão %s\n"
 
-#, c-format
-msgid "%s: %*s\n"
-msgstr ""
-
 #, c-format
 msgid "%s: %s\n"
 msgstr ""
diff --git a/po/sv.po b/po/sv.po
index 6f7669d2f..3d122d1a7 100644
--- a/po/sv.po
+++ b/po/sv.po
@@ -150,10 +150,6 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "%s, version %s\n"
 msgstr "%s, version %s\n"
 
-#, c-format
-msgid "%s: %*s\n"
-msgstr ""
-
 #, c-format
 msgid "%s: %s\n"
 msgstr ""
diff --git a/po/zh_CN.po b/po/zh_CN.po
index 497ddbf4c..9028dea99 100644
--- a/po/zh_CN.po
+++ b/po/zh_CN.po
@@ -176,10 +176,6 @@ msgstr "%s，版本 %s"
 msgid "%s, version %s\n"
 msgstr "%s，版本 %s\n"
 
-#, c-format
-msgid "%s: %*s\n"
-msgstr "%s: %*s\n"
-
 #, c-format
 msgid "%s: %s\n"
 msgstr "%s: %s\n"
diff --git a/po/zh_TW.po b/po/zh_TW.po
index 2cdf3a9a8..8bba47bbf 100644
--- a/po/zh_TW.po
+++ b/po/zh_TW.po
@@ -149,10 +149,6 @@ msgstr "%s，%s 版"
 msgid "%s, version %s\n"
 msgstr "%s，%s 版\n"
 
-#, c-format
-msgid "%s: %*s\n"
-msgstr "%s：%*s\n"
-
 #, c-format
 msgid "%s: %s\n"
 msgstr "%s：%s\n"
diff --git a/src/builtins/abbr.rs b/src/builtins/abbr.rs
index 816a72d5f..f4e52a1b4 100644
--- a/src/builtins/abbr.rs
+++ b/src/builtins/abbr.rs
@@ -353,8 +353,12 @@ fn abbr_add(opts: &Options, streams: &mut IoStreams) -> BuiltinResult {
             if let Some(offset) = error.offset() {
                 streams
                     .err
-                    .append(wgettext_fmt!("%s: %s\n", CMD, regex_pattern.as_utfstr()));
-                streams.err.append(sprintf!("%s: %*s\n", CMD, offset, "^"));
+                    .append(sprintf!("%s: %s\n", CMD, regex_pattern.as_utfstr()));
+                // TODO: This is misaligned if `regex_pattern` contains characters which are not
+                // exactly 1 terminal cell wide.
+                let mut marker = " ".repeat(offset.saturating_sub(1));
+                marker.push('^');
+                streams.err.append(sprintf!("%s: %s\n", CMD, marker));
             }
             return Err(STATUS_INVALID_ARGS);
         }
diff --git a/src/builtins/string.rs b/src/builtins/string.rs
index d2ea05165..58bf06696 100644
--- a/src/builtins/string.rs
+++ b/src/builtins/string.rs
@@ -187,7 +187,11 @@ fn print_error(&self, args: &[&wstr], streams: &mut IoStreams) {
                     &WString::from(e.error_message())
                 );
                 string_error!(streams, "%s: %s\n", cmd, pattern);
-                string_error!(streams, "%s: %*s\n", cmd, e.offset().unwrap_or(0), "^");
+                // TODO: This is misaligned if `pattern` contains characters which are not exactly 1
+                // terminal cell wide.
+                let mut marker = " ".repeat(e.offset().unwrap_or(0).saturating_sub(1));
+                marker.push('^');
+                string_error!(streams, "%s: %s\n", cmd, marker);
             }
             InvalidCaptureGroupName(name) => {
                 streams.err.append(wgettext_fmt!(