diff --git a/builtin/checkout.c b/builtin/checkout.c
index cbf73b8c9f6..4bd8a57f190 100644
--- a/builtin/checkout.c
+++ b/builtin/checkout.c
@@ -1621,7 +1621,7 @@ static int checkout_main(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix,
 				cb_option, toupper(cb_option));
 
 	if (opts->overlay_mode == 1 && opts->patch_mode)
-		die(_("-p and --overlay are mutually exclusive"));
+		die(_("%s and %s are mutually exclusive"), "-p", "--overlay");
 
 	if (opts->checkout_index >= 0 || opts->checkout_worktree >= 0) {
 		if (opts->checkout_index < 0)
diff --git a/builtin/diff-tree.c b/builtin/diff-tree.c
index f33d30d57bf..08d5477486a 100644
--- a/builtin/diff-tree.c
+++ b/builtin/diff-tree.c
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ int cmd_diff_tree(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	}
 
 	if (read_stdin && merge_base)
-		die(_("--stdin and --merge-base are mutually exclusive"));
+		die(_("%s and %s are mutually exclusive"), "--stdin", "--merge-base");
 	if (merge_base && opt->pending.nr != 2)
 		die(_("--merge-base only works with two commits"));
 
diff --git a/builtin/fetch.c b/builtin/fetch.c
index f7abbc31ff1..bec3cc7535e 100644
--- a/builtin/fetch.c
+++ b/builtin/fetch.c
@@ -2012,7 +2012,7 @@ int cmd_fetch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		if (deepen_relative < 0)
 			die(_("Negative depth in --deepen is not supported"));
 		if (depth)
-			die(_("--deepen and --depth are mutually exclusive"));
+			die(_("%s and %s are mutually exclusive"), "--deepen", "--depth");
 		depth = xstrfmt("%d", deepen_relative);
 	}
 	if (unshallow) {
diff --git a/builtin/init-db.c b/builtin/init-db.c
index 2167796ff2a..1439e05c93d 100644
--- a/builtin/init-db.c
+++ b/builtin/init-db.c
@@ -557,7 +557,7 @@ int cmd_init_db(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	argc = parse_options(argc, argv, prefix, init_db_options, init_db_usage, 0);
 
 	if (real_git_dir && is_bare_repository_cfg == 1)
-		die(_("--separate-git-dir and --bare are mutually exclusive"));
+		die(_("%s and %s are mutually exclusive"), "--separate-git-dir", "--bare");
 
 	if (real_git_dir && !is_absolute_path(real_git_dir))
 		real_git_dir = real_pathdup(real_git_dir, 1);
diff --git a/builtin/log.c b/builtin/log.c
index f75d87e8d7f..a2005e3c778 100644
--- a/builtin/log.c
+++ b/builtin/log.c
@@ -1928,9 +1928,9 @@ int cmd_format_patch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		numbered = 0;
 
 	if (numbered && keep_subject)
-		die(_("-n and -k are mutually exclusive"));
+		die(_("%s and %s are mutually exclusive"), "-n", "-k");
 	if (keep_subject && subject_prefix)
-		die(_("--subject-prefix/--rfc and -k are mutually exclusive"));
+		die(_("%s and %s are mutually exclusive"), "--subject-prefix/--rfc", "-k");
 	rev.preserve_subject = keep_subject;
 
 	argc = setup_revisions(argc, argv, &rev, &s_r_opt);
diff --git a/builtin/submodule--helper.c b/builtin/submodule--helper.c
index e630f0c730e..beedd873894 100644
--- a/builtin/submodule--helper.c
+++ b/builtin/submodule--helper.c
@@ -1313,7 +1313,7 @@ static int module_summary(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 
 	if (files) {
 		if (cached)
-			die(_("--cached and --files are mutually exclusive"));
+			die(_("%s and %s are mutually exclusive"), "--cached", "--files");
 		diff_cmd = DIFF_FILES;
 	}
 
@@ -2971,7 +2971,7 @@ static int module_set_branch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		die(_("--branch or --default required"));
 
 	if (opt_branch && opt_default)
-		die(_("--branch and --default are mutually exclusive"));
+		die(_("%s and %s are mutually exclusive"), "--branch", "--default");
 
 	if (argc != 1 || !(path = argv[0]))
 		usage_with_options(usage, options);
diff --git a/builtin/worktree.c b/builtin/worktree.c
index d22ece93e1a..9287c455594 100644
--- a/builtin/worktree.c
+++ b/builtin/worktree.c
@@ -700,7 +700,7 @@ static int list(int ac, const char **av, const char *prefix)
 	if (ac)
 		usage_with_options(worktree_usage, options);
 	else if (verbose && porcelain)
-		die(_("--verbose and --porcelain are mutually exclusive"));
+		die(_("%s and %s are mutually exclusive"), "--verbose", "--porcelain");
 	else {
 		struct worktree **worktrees = get_worktrees();
 		int path_maxlen = 0, abbrev = DEFAULT_ABBREV, i;
diff --git a/range-diff.c b/range-diff.c
index cac89a2f4f2..bd954988e0f 100644
--- a/range-diff.c
+++ b/range-diff.c
@@ -556,7 +556,7 @@ int show_range_diff(const char *range1, const char *range2,
 	struct string_list branch2 = STRING_LIST_INIT_DUP;
 
 	if (range_diff_opts->left_only && range_diff_opts->right_only)
-		res = error(_("--left-only and --right-only are mutually exclusive"));
+		res = error(_("%s and %s are mutually exclusive"), "--left-only", "--right-only");
 
 	if (!res && read_patches(range1, &branch1, range_diff_opts->other_arg))
 		res = error(_("could not parse log for '%s'"), range1);
