Word Usage – Page 6 – Dragoman Transcreation

Titles of Films, Songs, Works of Art, Ads, etc. – How to translate?

Posted on March 9, 2016July 22, 2019 Style

This is a quick reminder for writing in style for the following copy types: Titles of Films, TV Series, TV Episodes, Albums, CDs, Songs, Videos, Visual Media, Works of Art, Sculptures, Paintings, Exhibitions, Advertising Slogans and Radio/TV Spots, Projects, and Clinical or Case Studies or Clinical Trials Follow these general rules: 1. Use initial capitalization and quotation marks. Put the year in parenthesis. 2. Follow these examples for each category: “Pride and Prejudice” – film “CSI: New York” – TV […]

Black Coffee – Sade Kahve

Posted on November 29, 2015July 15, 2019 Transcreation

Does “sade kahve” mean “black coffee“? Rarely! It’s common usage is for Turkish coffee and “sade” means “no sugar“. However, if a Starbucks barista asks “How do you like your coffee?” in Turkish and the answer is “sade“, then it means “black“. I saw “plain coffee” and “just coffee” in some restaurant menus. “Sade” also means “plain” and “just” (only). What to do – and this is primarily for my fellow copy-editors – I just want to remind you guys the importance […]

Top 5 Mass Noun Mistakes

Posted on March 6, 2015July 15, 2019 Translation_Tips

If I was asked what one of the most commonly occurring mistakes I see in translations is, my answer would be the attempt to pluralize uncountable (mass) nouns. Uncountable nouns: Are seen as a mass and cannot be counted or separated (i.e., bread) Are not used with indefinite articles a / an Can be used with much / little / some / any (e.g., “a little knowledge is a dangerous thing“) Mistakes are understandable given that what is uncountable in one […]

Articles Exercise: The Rise and Fall of the Berlin Wall

Posted on November 20, 2014September 28, 2018 Translation_Tips

Have a go at this short exercise testing your knowledge of articles. You may wish to first read this overview of the definite article. Fill in the gaps below with a, an, the or Ø: The rise and fall of the Berlin Wall In (1)_ early hours of Sunday, August 13, 1961, East German border guards took up positions at (2)_ Brandenburg Gate in central Berlin. With the help of workers, the guards began to tear up streets and lay barbed wire […]

Powerful Writing Through Powerful Words

Posted on November 1, 2014July 1, 2019 Translation_Tips

Are you looking for ways that will help you present your ideas more precisely and effectively? Then this is the right place for you! Clear writing not only grabs attention of your readers but also makes you a more powerful communicator. And this is where power words and, especially, power verbs come into the picture. On our blog we will be sharing several tips on some vigorous words that will help you communicate your thoughts more powerfully. For example, make […]

When To Use “The”

Posted on October 15, 2014June 22, 2018 Translation_Tips

Below in an overview of the times when the definite article (“the”) needs to be used. There are some exceptions. [ws_table id=”1″] *For some organizations the trend is now to drop the “the,” e.g, Harvard University, Facebook. If unsure, check online. **Check whether the “the” is part of the official title and requires capitalization.