diff --git a/django/core/template.py b/django/core/template.py
index df0e1083c4..d23e3f6a71 100644
--- a/django/core/template.py
+++ b/django/core/template.py
@@ -418,7 +418,7 @@ def resolve_variable(path, context):
     if path[0]  in ('"', "'") and path[0] == path[-1]:
         current = path[1:-1]
     elif path.startswith('_(') and path.endswith(')') and path[2] in ("'", '"') and path[-2] == path[2]:
-        current = _(path[3:-2])
+        current = _(path[3:-2]) % context
     else:
         current = context
         bits = path.split(VARIABLE_ATTRIBUTE_SEPARATOR)
diff --git a/tests/othertests/templates.py b/tests/othertests/templates.py
index 509aa29a3e..9b70230537 100644
--- a/tests/othertests/templates.py
+++ b/tests/othertests/templates.py
@@ -244,6 +244,9 @@ TEMPLATE_TESTS = {
 
     # translation of string without i18n tag
     'i18n11': ('{{ _("blah") }}', {}, "blah"),
+
+    # translation of string without i18n tag but with interpolation
+    'i18n12': ('{{ _("blah%(anton)s") }}', {'anton': 'blubb'}, "blahblubb"),
 }
 
 # This replaces the standard template_loader.