Let's Start Exploring The Idiom Translations

Ways to translate idioms

Based on Mona Baker's theory, there are four strategies for translating idioms:  

a) Using a similar meaning and form of an idiom

b) Using a similar meaning but a different form of an idiom

c) Paraphrasing the translation  

d) Translation by Omission

Additionally, there are 18 translation techniques you can use based on Molina & Albir, namely:

• Adaptation
• Amplification  
• Borrowing
• Calque 
• Compensation
• Description
• Discursive
• Established Equivalent   
• Generalization
• Linguistic Amplification
• Linguistic Compression
• Literal Translation
• Modulation
• Particularization  
• Reduction
• Substitution
• Transposition
• Variation

In conclusion, the above facts show that the high intensity of idiom use in English and the lack of translation tools are obstacles to translation. Understanding each word of an idiom does not help us find the real meaning of the phrase. We should interpret whole idioms as single words (Xalilova & Atoyeva, 2023). Also, the different cultures between the source and the target language become a problem because idioms cannot be translated word for word. Therefore, the difficulty of translating idioms causes a misinterpretation of the meaning. However, there are  some strategies and techniques that you can use to get an exact meaning of the idioms and if you get used to their meaning and usage, it will lead you to understand it better.