Translating LexisCasilla, Megan D.

What Makes Translating Words Hard

The translator doesn’t understand It’s hard for us to translate a word The possible translations are not

known to the translator The word used in the sentence is

different from its usual meaning

One dayI saw

One BirdFlyingI shootI tookI cookI ate

Isang ArawNakita koIsang ibonLumilipadBinaril koPinulot koNiluto koKinain ko

HaruNan bwatdaSe hanmari

NaldaNaega sso at da

Naega gajidaYorihada

Nan Mukutda

4 Types of meaningPhysicalFigurativeTechnicalColloquial

DenotativeConnotativeJargonsInformal/ Colloquial

Examples

PhysicalFigurativ

e TechnicalColloquia

l

Tinapay Bread Life-

givingMoney

Maison House Home Firm First-rate

Love Pag-ibig Iniirog Tabla Ate/kuya

Chin-gu Friend LoyaltyBusiness partner

Co-conspirato

r

Points to remember The more common the word the more

accessible the figurative meanings In translating we either OVER-Translate

or UNDER-Translate

SeeLookGlareGaze

GlimpseNotice