: Re: How do you translate intentional language errors? I am watching and translating TV shows to practice certain languages. I was watching a tv show where the main character speaks English but occassionally

@Bryan361

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So, do you translate the idiom into the language you want and then make a mistake that may not be the same but similar?

Yes.

Translation is a creative process, where your priority is retaining the intent of the author. Languages aren't merely simple 1:1 mappings of the same meanings onto different words. Every language has a different history and a different culture that shaped it, attaching varied connotations to words with the same primary meaning, forming own idioms, differing similar words in level of formality.

A direct word-for-word translation will destroy these subtleties, and while it may work for an instruction manual or a cookbook recipe, these subtleties are what sets a difference between a creative literary work and a protocol/report.

Every dictionary will tell you how to translate a word in a literal meaning, but there are no good guide how to transplant all these "extras" between two languages of dissimilar cultural background. It's a work that requires talent, skill and knowledge of both languages. And so, you should recognize the author's intent, what effect, what feeling would given phrasing or quirk evoke, and then create a translation that replicates that effect, by whatever means are best fitting in the target language.

So, in case of intentional errors - try to create an error of similar traits; similar effect on the reader. Maybe humorous, maybe showing ignorance of the speaker, or their poor grasp of the language, or forgetfulness... whatever the author wanted to show through this technique, your translation should do as well.

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