Exploring Chinese Idiomatic Expressions in Malay Subtitles

Abstract

This study addresses the gap in translating Chinese idiomatic expressions into Malay and explores how such translations impact the quality of subtitles. Despite their cultural and communicative significance, these expressions remain underexplored on global streaming platforms, where linguistic and technical limitations influence translation practices. This study analyses Chinese idiomatic expressions translated into Malay subtitles by categorising the expressions, identifying translation strategies, and assessing quality. A total of 239 expressions from nine Chinese drama series were grouped into five categories: idioms, proverbs, aphorisms, two-part allegorical sayings, and common sayings. Idioms make up the majority of the dataset (83.26%), highlighting the cultural richness of Chinese dialogue. Using Baker’s model, paraphrasing is the most common strategy, followed by omission and the use of idioms with similar meanings but different forms. Pedersen’s FAR model shows high Acceptability (Rater 1: 98.74%, Rater 2: 98.22%) and Functional Equivalence (Rater 1: 76.05%, Rater 2: 82.22%), while Readability scores are lower (Rater 1: 71.23%, Rater 2: 71.03%) due to timing and reading speed issues. The results suggest that subtitling practices prioritise semantic accuracy and fluency, sometimes sacrificing technical constraints. This study emphasises the importance of balancing meaning retention with readability and suggests combining product-based assessment with viewer reception and multimodal analysis.