SUBTITLING STRATEGIES IN TRANSLATING IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS IN THE TV SERIES FRIENDS SEASON 8

Abstract

This study analyzes the subtitling strategies used to translate idiomatic expressionsin the American television series Friends Season 8. Idiomatic expressions often containfigurative meanings that cannot be translated literally, posing challenges in audiovisualtranslation, particularly subtitling. This study aims to identify the types of idioms that appearand determine the most frequently used subtitling strategies in translating these idioms intoIndonesian subtitles. This study uses a descriptive qualitative method. The research dataconsists of idiomatic expressions in the dialogue of Friends Season 8 along with theirIndonesian subtitle translations taken from the official HBO Max platform. Data werecollected through documentation techniques and analyzed using Gottlieb's (1992) subtitlingstrategy theory and the idiom classifications by Fernando (1996). Based on the findings,paraphrasing is the most frequently used subtitling strategy, accounting for 66% of the totaldata. This is followed by resignation (12%), condensation (8%), transfer (6%), expansion(5%), and deletion (2%). The results indicate that paraphrase dominates the translation ofidiomatic expressions in Friends Season 8. Paraphrase was the most frequently usedstrategy, indicating that translators prioritized equivalence of meaning and audienceunderstanding over maintaining the idiomatic form of the source language. The dominanceof paraphrase was also influenced by technical limitations in subtitling, such as the spaceand time required for subtitles. Overall, this study shows that the translation of idioms inFriends Season 8 is significantly influenced by the level of idiomatically and thecommunicative needs of the audiovisual media. This research is expected to contribute tothe study of audiovisual translation, particularly in the application of subtitling strategies toidiomatic expressions in television series.