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As one linguist said, while the practice of translation is always a work of adaptation, it is much more so when it comes to translating movie titles. For instance, how should the Russian villain in a typical Hollywood production be presented in Moscow cinemas? And what do we do about cultural references?

In addition, there is the fact that the title of a movie is supposed to summarize and condense a two-hour story. Therefore, the translator must rifle through nuances, overtones, examples of polysemy, as well as a number of other approaches.

#2

Big Liar (China)

Final score:

179points

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chi-wei shen 3 years ago

Truer words have never been spoken.

90points

#3

Meth Dad (Slovakia)

Final score:

172points

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A.M. Pierre 3 years ago

It sounds like the sitcom version of the show. “Next week on ‘Meth Dad’: Can Walter handle drug dealers, watching his kids for a day, AND his nosy neighbor? Find out on ‘Meth Dad’!”

97points

What makes it even more difficult is that the reader has no context to understand the translated title of the film; a title should be evocative and should work with no other references than its own semantic values and connotations. The translator can't use contextual elements to supplement or clarify the meaning.

The translation of movie titles involves not only retaining/giving it meaning, but there are also rhythmic constraints (in this case, this comes closer to literary translation and more specifically, poetic) and commercial ones (bringing us closer to marketing translation). It's a minefield.

#4

It's Raining Falafel (Israel)

Final score:

168points

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chi-wei shen 3 years ago

Why? Falafel does not contain meat.

28points

#5

Die Hard: Mega Hard (Denmark)

Final score:

164points

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Daria Zozula 3 years ago

Polish: Glass Trap

50points

#6

Austin Powers: The Spy Who Behaved Very Nicely Around Me (Malaysia)

Final score:

148points

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chi-wei shen 3 years ago

The original title sounded too x-rated for Malaysia.

70points

#7

Santa Is A Pervert (Czech Republic)

Final score:

135points

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I I 3 years ago

Czech title is on the money

80points

#8

Mom, I Missed My Plane (France)

Final score:

131points

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Emma_Aitana yay 3 years ago

I mean, it's not wrong.

54points

#9

If You Leave Me, I'll Erase You (Italy)

Final score:

130points

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Vic 3 years ago

Italian version: Try it, I dare you..

57points

#10

My Partner With The Cold Snout (Germany)

Final score:

127points

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Karel Parth 3 years ago

It's same in Czech

24points

#11

The Urban Neurotic (Germany)

Final score:

126points

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Aaron Kara 3 years ago

Sums it up nicely

55points

#12

Super Power Dare Die Team (China)

Final score:

126points

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Vic 3 years ago

Sounds like a catch phrase a power ranger would use..

63points

#13

The Unbelievable Trip In A Wacky Aeroplane (Germany)

Final score:

114points

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chi-wei shen 3 years ago

Which explains the entire plot.

64points

#14

Rita Heyworth, Key To Escape (Finland)

Final score:

111points

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Wyn Williams 3 years ago

Works both ways, a Finnish film called girl you will be a star was translated to English as beauty and the beast :) the translator also changed a lot of what was said as apparently he didn't like the movie

33points

#15

Knight Of The Night (Spain)

Final score:

110points

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willi santiago 3 years ago

The Spanish title is better

93points

#16

My Boyfriend Is A Psycho (Russia)

Final score:

107points

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Raven Sheridan 3 years ago

To be fair, they're both kinda crazy.

34points

#17

This Hitman Is Not As Cold As He Thought (China)

Final score:

98points

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denzoren 3 years ago

As much as I lol'ed at this, I prefer the original.

36points

#18

Six Naked Pigs (China)

Final score:

95points

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chi-wei shen 3 years ago

This sounds a bit condescending.

35points

#19

Son Of Devil (China)

Final score:

91points

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Raven Sheridan 3 years ago

So...Arnie gave birth to the antichrist?

46points

#20

The Hole Of Malkovich (Japan)

Final score:

89points

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Raven Sheridan 3 years ago

Was this the porn parody title?

71points

#21

If You Drink, Don't Marry! (Brazil)

Final score:

77points

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kathoco 3 years ago

France: Very bad trip (so the title is changed but it's still in English, not French)

22points

#22

His Powerful Device Makes Him Famous (China)

Final score:

77points

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Candace Fitzpatrick 3 years ago

"Powerful device" 😂

49points

#23

Dimwit Surges Forth (Thailand)

Final score:

77points

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JENAVIVE RIVERA 3 years ago

hhhhhaaahahaahah

1point

#24

A Supertough Kangaroo (Spain)

Final score:

75points

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Emma_Aitana yay 3 years ago

ok?

14points

Nadine 3 years ago

Now they're just making the titles sound funny on purpose. In Spain the word "kangaroo" ("canguro") means "babysitter" as well as the animal...

12points

respulero 3 years ago

in spanish "canguro" means "kangaroo" and "babysitter"

12points

Luis Martín 3 years ago

The right translation would be "A supertough baby sitter". In Spanish kangaroo=baby sitter.

5points

TheDankBoi 69 3 years ago

yeah that's how babysitters are called in Spain. In Hispanic America the movie title is called "A Bullet-proof Babysitter"

1point

Onix 3 years ago

Chile: A bulletproof babysitter

1point

Cleo Carter 3 years ago

Brazil: Operation Nanny

1point

Sabrina Thomi 3 years ago

I believe the German title was The Babynator

1point

Ryan Michael 3 years ago

Vin Diesel bouncy bounce

1point

CCTheVampire 3 years ago

That was a really good movie. No clue where Kangaroo came from though

0points

Cybele Spanjaard 3 years ago

What has a dummy ( Aussie for pacifier)got to do with a kangaroo? I object

0points

Mónica Elisabeth Sacco 3 years ago

Spanish translators: go home!

0points

the lord of weebs 3 years ago

i mean van disel is strong but i do not think he is a kangaroo but correct me if i am wrong

0points

Bunzilla 3 years ago

..w h a t

0points

Oskar vanZandt 3 years ago

Vin Diesel is a marsupial?

0points

#25

The Teeth From The Sea (France)

Final score:

74points

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Jihan Kim 3 years ago

poetic

26points

#26

Captain Supermarket (Japan)

Final score:

71points

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I I 3 years ago

yep , Black Friday shoppers

30points

#27

Pigs And Diamonds (Mexico, Spain)

Final score:

68points

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JuJu 3 years ago

Germany too.

5points

#28

The Gun Died Laughing (Israel)

Final score:

64points

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Premislaus de Colo 3 years ago

Polish: Shooting with laughter

27points

#29

American Virgin Man (China)

Final score:

60points

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I I 3 years ago

ask the pie if hes a virgin

33points

#30

Full Of The Nuts (Germany)

Final score:

56points

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Nela Rothenbach 3 years ago

Well, more like "full on the nuts"

39points

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#31

One Night Big Belly (China)

Final score:

27points

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Monday 3 years ago

Well it kind of makes sense.

13points

#32

Excitement 1995 (China)

Final score:

27points

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respulero 3 years ago

not bad after reading all other chinese titles

4points

#33

Mysterious Murder In Snowy Cream (China)

Final score:

25points

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Raven Sheridan 3 years ago

Sounds like the name of a painting in an art gallery.

19points

#34

Sexy Dance (France)

Final score:

24points

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Lucia B... 3 years ago

Slovaks 'translated' this film to 'Let's Dance'. Up to this point I am still trying to understand why. My best guess is that there was a show with famous ppl dancing called 'Let's dance' and it was quite popular so they went with the same one..?? Possibly...

5points

#35

A Twin Seldom Comes Alone (Germany)

Final score:

24points

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Helena Houzarová 3 years ago

The actual German original title is "Das Doppelte Löttchen" - that's the name of the Erich Kästner's book. I suppose the translator either didn't know the source, or actually knew it and considered it very different.

22points