diff --git a/django/utils/translation/__init__.py b/django/utils/translation/__init__.py
index febde404a52..f3cc6348f6a 100644
--- a/django/utils/translation/__init__.py
+++ b/django/utils/translation/__init__.py
@@ -79,10 +79,10 @@ def pgettext(context, message):
 def npgettext(context, singular, plural, number):
     return _trans.npgettext(context, singular, plural, number)
 
-ngettext_lazy = lazy(ngettext, bytes)
-gettext_lazy = lazy(gettext, bytes)
-ungettext_lazy = lazy(ungettext, six.text_type)
+gettext_lazy = lazy(gettext, str)
+ngettext_lazy = lazy(ngettext, str)
 ugettext_lazy = lazy(ugettext, six.text_type)
+ungettext_lazy = lazy(ungettext, six.text_type)
 pgettext_lazy = lazy(pgettext, six.text_type)
 npgettext_lazy = lazy(npgettext, six.text_type)
 
diff --git a/django/utils/translation/trans_real.py b/django/utils/translation/trans_real.py
index 9e6eadcd489..71282ff2b37 100644
--- a/django/utils/translation/trans_real.py
+++ b/django/utils/translation/trans_real.py
@@ -259,6 +259,11 @@ def do_translate(message, translation_function):
     return result
 
 def gettext(message):
+    """
+    Returns a string of the translation of the message.
+
+    Returns a string on Python 3 and an UTF-8-encoded bytestring on Python 2.
+    """
     return do_translate(message, 'gettext')
 
 if six.PY3:
@@ -296,8 +301,10 @@ def do_ntranslate(singular, plural, number, translation_function):
 
 def ngettext(singular, plural, number):
     """
-    Returns a UTF-8 bytestring of the translation of either the singular or
-    plural, based on the number.
+    Returns a string of the translation of either the singular or plural,
+    based on the number.
+
+    Returns a string on Python 3 and an UTF-8-encoded bytestring on Python 2.
     """
     return do_ntranslate(singular, plural, number, 'ngettext')
 
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/i18n/tests.py b/tests/regressiontests/i18n/tests.py
index 9ca66bdb9b2..1a8ff25ff3e 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/i18n/tests.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/i18n/tests.py
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ class TranslationTests(TestCase):
         """
         Translating a string requiring no auto-escaping shouldn't change the "safe" status.
         """
-        s = mark_safe(b'Password')
+        s = mark_safe(str('Password'))
         self.assertEqual(SafeString, type(s))
         with translation.override('de', deactivate=True):
             self.assertEqual(SafeUnicode, type(ugettext(s)))