Translation and Proofreading Guidelines

• Overall
• Punctuation
• Intro
• Commas (,)
• Quotations (“ ” and ‘ ’)
• Parentheses ()
• Slash (/)
• Dashes
• Colons and Semicolons
• Abbreviated English honorifics
• Sentence endings
• CPS Overflow
• Songs
• Spelling and Grammar
• Intro
• Stuttering
• “Any”
• Broken English being spoken by one of the talents
• Comma before “Too,” “Though,” etc.
• Songs
• Units of measure
• Time and dates
• Elongated syllables
• Past perfect tense
• Plural acronyms and abbreviations
• Numbers
• Currency
• Repetitions
• Illeisms (i.e. Speaking in the third person)
• Specific jargon and special cases
• Onomatopoeia
• Japanese-specific (Neologisms)
• Chinese-specific
• Indonesian-specific

Overall

Try to maintain phrase-by-phrase (rather than word-by-word) loyalty to the source language, unless excessively awkward in English. Read the lines out to yourself. If they sound awkward or weird, try changing things around until everything flows smoothly.

Being literal is not necessarily the best answer, as long as the conveyed meaning is roughly the same.

Version of English

Use US English conventions as a standard (e.g. “Color,” not “Colour”).

Grammar

Try to avoid inverted sentence structures and passive voices as much as possible.

TL Notes

TL notes should be kept to a minimum and, when possible, inserted creatively at the editing stage (e.g. with pointers, markers, or images) rather than a text-based description written out on screen.

Idioms

As much as possible should be replaced with English idioms of similar meaning.

Wordplay

Try to localize wordplays to English. If the phrase is truly untranslatable, then localize it.

Emphasis

Use italics or subtitle effects for emphasis whenever possible.

CPS Guideline

CPS (characters per second) for a line determines the readability of the subtitles. This isn’t a steadfast rule, but when a line seems particularly long for the amount of time it appears on screen, the subber will probably come back to you and ask for a shorter option. Be proactive and try to keep this in mind during translation. Break up lines accordingly. If it’s obviously too long and you’re not sure what to do, then make sure you let the Proofreader know.

• 5-20 is ok. 10-19 is ideal. 20-24 is pushing it.
• 24+ is unreadable and almost always requires a rewrite.

Punctuation

Intro

Follow this for punctuation as best as possible: https://www.thepunctuationguide.com/index.html

All lines should end with punctuation; no exceptions!

If you need to break up a sentence into 2 parts due to CPS overflow, make sure you still follow standard punctuation rules.

Commas (,)

More info: https://prowritingaid.com/Comma

Comma chains

Use Oxford commas.

e.g. “I love my parents, Lady Gaga, and Humpty Dumpty.”

Comma splices

Avoid comma splices and try to replace them with full stops or semicolons.

Wrong: “Koala bears are not actually bears, they are marsupials.”

Right: “Koala bears are not actually bears. They are marsupials.”

Vocative commas

The use of vocative commas should be decided on a case-by-case basis. This is the comma appearing before/after a person addressed in a sentence. Always use them when needed to make the meaning clear.

Wrong: Let’s eat grandma!

Right: Let’s eat, grandma!

Quotations (“ ” and ‘ ’)

Use double quotation marks (“ ”) for quotations. In case you need to apply a "second layer" of quotation inside of an already present one, proceed to use single quotation marks (‘ ’).

Full stops and commas always go inside quotations, while all other punctuation varies on a case-by-case basis:

• Inside if they belong to the quoted sentence.
• Outside if they belong to the “main sentence.”

Parentheses ()

A space is always needed between a parenthesis and the preceding/succeeding word.

Punctuation can go either inside or outside, depending on the situation:

• Inside if it belongs to the sentence inside parentheses.
• Outside if it belongs to the “main sentence.”

Slash (/)

Make sure to always use a forward slash (i.e. “/”) instead of a backslash (i.e. “\”).

If used after a capitalized word, make sure to also capitalize the word that comes after it:

e.g. “...in the end. Red/Crimson should always…”

Dashes

Refer to the Punctuation guide for more details!

En dash (–)

• Mainly used to indicate spans of times (e.g. “1954–1956” = “From 1954 to 1956”).
• If you want an en dash, hold Alt and type 0150 from your numpad.
• Make sure not to mix these up with em dashes and hyphens.

On some EU keyboard layouts, the Alt codes only work with the left Alt key.

Em dash (—)

• Mainly used to replace commas or colons in certain cases.
• If you want an em dash, hold Alt and type 0151 from your numpad.

Em dashes require no spaces before or after them; pay special attention to this!

Use these for non-sequiturs:

e.g. “I was eating—by the way you look great today—and I started talking to Fred.”

Can be used to indicate that a line has been abruptly cut (either by the speaker or by someone else interrupting them). Make sure to capitalize the first letter of the next line when this happens.

e.g. “I was say— // Hey you, stop running!”

Hyphen (-)

Mainly used to create compound words.

Used to indicate stutters (these are different from abrupt cuts in a sentence, which are expressed through the use of em dashes). When this happens, make sure to repeat capitals as well.

e.g. “Th-This time you’re mine!”

There may be certain cases where stuttering can be better conveyed through the use of subbing effects; discuss this option with the subber if you feel like this may be the case in a specific situation.

Colons and Semicolons

More info: https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/semi-colons-colons-and-dashes/

Colon (:)

Generally, the first word following the colon should be lower-cased if the words after the colon form a dependent clause (that is, if they could not stand on their own as a complete sentence). If the following phrase is a complete (independent) clause, you may choose to capitalize it or not. Make sure to be consistent throughout the video with this.

Semicolon (;)

These are very versatile. They can be used to join two independent clauses that share an idea. Don't be afraid to use them.

Abbreviated English honorifics

There is a difference by nation. Mr. is American, Mr is British. Use the former as per US English standard.

Wrong: Mr

Right: Mr.

Sentence endings

In all cases, make sure you have punctuation, aside from one exception with ellipses.

In dialogue, you often face sentences that are half-complete, abruptly cut or trailing off. You have four options: a tilde (~), an em dash (ー), a comma (,) or an ellipses (...). Choose the one that fits the best with the situation.

• Ending with a tilde (~) as punctuation is acceptable. Sometimes, this fits the tone better than an exclamation mark or an ellipses.
• If a strong emphasis is needed, using ~! or ~? is acceptable.
• If a line ends with an em-dash (ー), start a new sentence on the next line, treat it as if you used a full stop.
• Line ending with a comma (,): the next follow-up line (from the same speaker) should start lowercase with no prefixed punctuation.
• Ellipses (...) have multiple use cases but still should be used as sparingly as possible. See ellipses section below for further instructions.

Interrobangs

!? is the Japanese one. ?! is the English one.

Tilde (~)

• Do not overuse them.
• Can convey playfulness or imply that the character is speaking in a teasing tone.
• Does not require the use of a full stop after it, but it can sometimes be followed by an exclamation or question mark.

Ellipsis (...)

Plural: “ellipses.” Not to be confused with the mathematical term, “ellipse,” which shares the same plural writing.
Make sure that each ellipsis only has 3 full stops/dots. NO FOUR-DOTTED ELLIPSES. NO TWO-DOTTED ELLIPSES EITHER.

Ellipses can indicate a meaningful pause in speech.
“Meaningful” is the key word here because speech has pauses of all sorts, differing in length and sentence positioning and having an ellipsis for every single pause would result in a script with more ellipses than words. We want to avoid that. In this usage, have a space after the ellipses (think of it as a “super-comma”).

• Assuming the previous sentence trails off for a considerable pause, If the next line from the same speaker is the same sentence, start the sentence with an ellipsis.

“That’s… not a good idea.”

Ellipses can indicate trailing in or trailing out of speech. Insert an end ellipses for the first line.

It’s almost as if you’re… // dead.
It’s… // almost as if you’re… // dead.

If an ellipsis is used within a single sentence (i.e. not connecting two separate sentences on different lines), do not put a space after it.

e.g. “It’s almost as if you’re...dead.”

Ellipses can continue the thoughts of already finished lines. Insert a start ellipses for the second line.

I don’t hate you. // …or do I?

Ellipses can be used to trail off in a standalone line, but with ending punctuation.
Do not include any spaces before, and treat it following as the ending punctuation it is paired with.

What the…?
You son of a…!
You’re my… Never mind.

Note: Since the next line from the same speaker is a new sentence, start that sentence capitalized.

The first letter in a sentence starting with an ellipsis should not be capitalized if the line is picking up where the previous one left off. The only exception to this rule is the following:

• A trail-in ellipsis can also express doubt or hesitancy

e.g. “...Are you sure?”

CPS Overflow

You may need to artificially cut up a wordy line into two or more separate lines to handle CPS issues. When you do, you need to make sure proper punctuation is used and attempt to translate and/or proofread to accommodate this as best as possible.

Example:

Original:
“On Saturday, I was thinking of meeting up with Moona and Iofi and start working on our Minecraft house together.”

Fixed:
On Saturday, I was thinking of meeting up with Moona and Iofi,
so that we start working on our Minecraft house.

Songs

• Follow standard punctuation rules.
• Full stops can sometimes be replaced with tildes at your discretion.
• Can discuss with subber/editor if they have some idea on how to better render a specific clip.

Spelling and Grammar

Intro

If you get their/they’re/there wrong, you will be publicly lynched.
- Also we’re and were and where
- Also to, too, and two

Stuttering

Separate with hyphens. First phoneme repeats, including capitals. Repeat vowels if necessary.

Refer to this: Answer: How do you punctuate stammering speech?

There are exceptions. But we may be able to deal with exceptions in subbing.

“Th-Thats…” (“Th” is the first phoneme, as such, it should be the one being repeated.)

“Wh-What?” (Wh being the first phoneme, it should be the one repeating.)

“Any”

Any should always be followed by uncountable nouns or plurals.

e.g. “Do you own any books?”

Broken English being spoken by one of the talents

Leave as is; there is no need to fix any grammar mistakes made by the talents themselves.

Comma before “Too,” “Though,” etc.

Add a comma before them when in the middle of a sentence.

Adding a comma at the end of a sentence is not mandatory, but not wrong either. It’s up to the individual PR to choose whether to use one or not, as long as they stay consistent throughout the script.

Songs

Punctuation in songs follows the standard rules. Every sentence should end with punctuation, and capitalization should only be applied where necessary, not on every line.

Full stops can be replaced with tilde “~” to make the subs look nicer.

Units of measure

This comes from the official SI manual and is non-negotiable for translations.

The numerical value always precedes the unit and a space is always used to separate the unit from the number. They are not followed by a period except at the end of a sentence, and one must neither use the plural (e.g. “kgs” and “Ls”) nor mix unit symbols (e.g. “kg” or “L”) and unit names (e.g. “Kilogram” or “Liter”) within one expression, since names are not mathematical entities.

Unit symbols are mathematical entities and not abbreviations.

e.g. 10 cm, 42 L, 69 kg

Not all metric prefixes are capitalized; see here for more details: Metric prefix

Time and dates

Follow the European/military conventions: dd/mm/yy, 24 hours.

• dd/mm/yy (e.g. “11/05/21” = “May 11 2021”)
• 24 hours time format (e.g. “20:45” = “8:45 PM”)

When writing a date in long-form, the ordinal form of the day can be implied.

Wrong: June 15th June 15th, 2021 15 of June

Right: June 15 June 15, 2021 15th of June

Season names are always uncapitalized except when required by other grammar rules.

e.g. “I got married in summer.”

If in doubt, make it sound good rather than worry about being “right”.

Elongated syllables

Use only if absolutely necessary.

Can be replaced with:

• Italics (e.g. “Really.”)
• Tildes at the end of the word (e.g. “Really~”)
• Subbing effects/animation.

Wrong:
- Reeeeally
- Are you heeeere
- Loooooove~
- Lo~~~~ve (this will get you stabbed)
- Love~~~~~~ (this is better but still bad)

The only time these would be okay is if you were to fully animate them, be it with aegisub or asking an editor to do it for you. You can leave a TL note in the Sheet telling the subber that this line should 100% be animated.

Use these extremely sparingly, only when pronunciation and emphasis on the word is indeed that strong. For a good example of when to use a repeating letter and how to potentially animate it, see this video for Aqua stretching “long” out for 7 seconds.

Past perfect tense

Keep in mind that while past perfect may be accurate, it is sparingly used in casual English speech.

When it applies to a series of events, use it only when the intent is clear and it makes a functional difference in the sentence. Generally only to be used in a series of events to illustrate the order in which they happen.

- "If I had woken up earlier this morning, I would have caught her."
- "Had she caused trouble in other homes before she struck ours?"

Plural acronyms and abbreviations

There are different ways to form plural acronyms and it highly depends on the individual acronym or abbreviation. Please look up the plural acronym or abbreviation if available. Otherwise, you may add the apostrophe or omit it to avoid misreading or confusion.

"PhD" → "PhDs"

"M.D." → "M.D.'s"

"FPS" → "FPSes"

More info: https://www.thepunctuationguide.com/apostrophe.html#plurals

Numbers

Numbers

• Numbers can be either spelled out (e.g. “Nine thousands”) or written in numerals (e.g. “9,000”). Be consistent.
• In case multiple numbers follow each other, write the first in numerals and spell the second one out (e.g. “3 nine-inch boards”).
• Use commas as separators (i.e. “10 thousand” = “10,000”).
• Use full stops for decimals (e.g. “10.5”).
• Only use numbers up to 99,999.
• In the case of millions, billions, etc, said word needs to follow the number and present a space (e.g. “10 million”), but only when it comes to “round numbers” (e.g. “12 million” or “19 billion”).

Currency

• Follow standard numbers rules outlined in said section.
• Currency names should not be capitalized (unless requested by some other grammar rule).
• Use currency abbreviations instead of symbols

e.g. “EUR,” “USD,” “JPY,” or “CNY”

• Currency abbreviations can either precede (with no space) or come after (with a space) the amount (e.g. “EUR10” or “10 EUR”). Both are correct and it comes down to a stylistic choice. Make sure to stick to one and to not mix the two within a script.
• Use currency names instead of abbreviations when no amount is specified (e.g. “I don’t like euros.”)
• Any currency other than the Japanese yen must present a conversion into US dollars above it.

More info:
How to write about money in business writing
How to Format 30+ Currencies from Countries All Over the World

Repetitions

If only 2 repetitions are present, either leave as-is (e.g. “Hey, hey.”) or add a counter (e.g. “Hey. x2”)

If more than 2 repetitions are present, add a counter (e.g. “Hey. x5”)

Make sure to use an uncapitalized “x” when using a counter.

If, for whatever reason, it’s not possible to add a counter, just discuss with the subber on how to better handle that line.

Illeisms (i.e. Speaking in the third person)

Avoid whenever possible.

(e.g. Pekora saying “Pekora is…” turns into “I am…”)

Specific jargon and special cases

• When they’re thanking their subscribers, write ‘’400K subscribers.’’ In these instances change ‘’thousand’’ to “K.” This is uppercased. Use ‘’subscribers’’ not ‘’subs.’’
• “all right” vs. “Alright”. All right has specific exceptions where it can be used because it has multiple meanings, some of which can be different from “alright.”
• “Ok” vs. “Okay”. Always write as Okay.
• “Super Chat/s” should always be capitalized in this way; in either singular or plural form as appropriate.
• “hololive” and "hololive production" should always be uncapitalized, as it is the way that is officially spelled.
• VTuber: not vtuber, Vtuber or vTuber.
• Gen vs Generation: Both of these are okay, pick whichever fits best on a case-by-case basis.
• Viewers vs. Listeners: when the VTuber is referring to the people watching or listening.
  • This is dependent on the media being translated or the context of the conversation.
    • If you are translating or the speaker is referring to a video or live-stream clip: use viewers.
    • If you are translating or the speaker is referring to an audio-only medium like radio shows, audio books (Drama CDs), or podcasts: use listeners.
• Corporations/groups are singular entities, so they should be referred to with singular pronouns/verb tenses, etc.
• “lol” and “lmao” should never be capitalized.
• Both “Roboco,” “Robocosan,” and “Roboco-san” are acceptable.

Hyphenate compounds or not?

(e.g. “On stream” vs “Onstream” vs “On-stream”)

Case-by-case; a Google search should solve most of your problems.

More info: https://www.grammarly.com/blog/hyphen/

“S” vs no “S” (e.g. “Towards” vs “Toward”).

Both versions work. Please, be consistent throughout a video and only stick to one or the other.

More info:
- Is It 'Toward' or 'Towards'?
- Let's Talk About 'Anyways'

Speaking in foreign language

If the character is speaking in a foreign language they are not fluent in, it’s possible to either italicize the text, change the color of the subs, or both. In any case, discuss this with the subber.

TL;DR: Case-by-case.

Stock translations

(e.g. “It can’t be helped,” “Somehow,” “I will never forgive,” “This is?!”, etc.)

Not wrong, but avoid them whenever possible.

Swear words

Is case by case, so left to the translator's discretion. But as a general rule, use them sparingly as English swears can be harsh. TLC/PR can provide a second opinion.

“You and me” vs “You and I”

The super easy way to figure out which one to use (without knowing shit about objects and subjects) is to just remove the other noun. If the sentence still works, then it's okay, if it doesn't, you need to switch.

Eg:

You and me are going to the zoo today.
You and Me are/am going to the zoo today.
❌ Doesn't work, so you have to switch pronouns

You and I are going to the zoo today.
You and I are am going to the zoo today.
✅ Sentence still works. It's good.

Come join Father and I for dinner.
Come join Father and I for dinner.
❌ Doesn't work, gotta switch pronouns.

Come join Father and me for dinner.
Come join Father and me for dinner.
✅ Sentence still works so it's good.

- Source

If 2 or more people possess something

Single object, multiple owners:

Try to replace with “Their,” “Our,” etc. wherever possible. When this is not possible, consider “spreading” the possessive across all owners (e.g. “Kelly’s and Karen’s dog.”)

Multiple of the same type of object, multiple owners:

Add “ ‘s ” to all owners and pluralize the owned object (e.g. “Karen’s and Kelly’s dogs.”)

Exceptions

If the talent is quoting English text that appears on screen, consider using that text rather than the guidelines. That text should be relayed on-screen inside quotation marks and following the original presentation (i.e. without correcting any possible grammar error or inconsistencies).

For example, see this video for Pekora quoting “OK!” as it appears on screen.

Onomatopoeia

The word itself

Try to localize as much as possible. This may mean it is changed to an actual description rather than a sfx.

• Descriptors:ry to localize. 
  • ぴしゃぴしゃ (Pisha pisha) is the sound of water splashing. This would turn into “splash splash.”
• If used in the context of a sentence, italicize it.
  • “She suddenly started saying “bark bark” in front of me!”

Action words

No action words (e.g. “*panic*”); these should be replaced by a subbing effect or an edit from the editor. Unless they are explicitly spoken (such as in the example above of barking), “action words” should not be left as such. Try to change it to something else, or use the TL note section for editing instructions.

• if it's a non-verbal expression, it should be edited visually, not made by subs.
  • *panick* -> TL note: editors can shake the screen for the panicked sounds
• if it's a verbal expression, use style effects during subbing or editing, case-by-case.
  • *screams* -> AHH! with some special effects.
• Screams and other such things (e.g. “AAAAAAHHHHH”) are prime candidates for applying subbing effects.

Animation

Animate it as much as possible. Or have it be a floating text around the avatar.
If for some reason, it’s necessary to keep it in subbing, use these options:

• *Bang* *Bang* 
• *bang* *bang*
• Bang, Bang.

Japanese-specific (Neologisms)

Character-defining speech ending tics (gobi 語尾) or catchphrase: 

Gobi

As much as possible, mix it within a word (most preferably, a verb).

“Are you peko-ing serious?!”

Catchphrases

Leave untranslated. Example includes Korone’s “Yubi!”

Nicknames and terms (せんちょう, ファンデッド)

Keep it romanized. If you can make it work, localize or turn it into an English pun.

• Lamy fans: Yukimin.
• Marine referring to herself: Senchou (Leave as is)
• An example of an English pun: Botan fans are called Bo-gang. (ぼ団)

Yagoo, not YAGOO or yagoo.

友人A (A-san) is often called “A-san”, but when called by her actual name, it should be “Yuujin A.”

Net jargon (草、リア充、ショタコン、ロリコン)

Depends on context, but in most cases, try to use a defined english alternative slang term, use it. 

• 草 (If the person audibly says “kusa”) = lol, lmao (depends on context/use synonyms to avoid too much repetition)
• ｗｗｗ (laughing in general) = use some creative subbing to hide it somewhere on screen where it is barely visible. Editors can do something if wanted. Do NOT include it inside the translation.
• リア充 = normie
• ショタコン = This proof is trivial, and is left as an exercise to the translator. (Usually left as the original)
• Other terms, case-by-case.

Utterances

Not always required to keep in script. Omitting them is fine, especially when they are distracting in the script or repeated a large number of times.

• えっ (Eh): Localize to Huh, Hmm, etc…
• あっ (Ah): “Oh”, “Ah”, or remove and include nuance in translation.
• あの (Ano-): Sometimes translated as “Excuse me”, sometimes “Uhm/Uhh” (not um)

Try to not repeat a consonant (e.g. uhmmmmmm). Up to 3 repeats preferred.
- Uhmmmmmmm vs Uhm… vs. Uhmmm…

Talent-specific greetings

Leave untranslated (Konaqua, Konpeko, …)

Honorifics and names

• Depends on tone. If used due to respect/position, localize it. 
• [NAME] -chan, -kun, -senpai, -paisen: keep it
  • If they only say “senpai” : replace it with name of the person
  • Do not use illeisms (third person speak) - If the character refers to themselves in 3rd person, translate it as “I” in first person 
    • If Pekora was talking about herself: “Pekora is…” vs “I am…”
• -san: remove
• -dono, -sensei: localize
• おじさん (Oji-san): Mister, instead of uncle.
• おばさん (Oba-san): Ma’am, Miss. 
• ばばぁ (Senchou): Old hag (as an example)

Chinese-specific

Idioms

There are many websites for idiom translations. In the best case scenario, you should translate these idioms into the same, existing, English idioms.

Following are a few websites that contain idiom info:

• https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Chinese_proverbs
• https://www.ltl-shanghai.com/chinese-proverbs/
• http://carlgene.com/blog/2010/12/33-proverbs-that-translate-well-between-english-and-mandarin/
• http://blog.tutorming.com/mandarin-chinese-learning-tips/15-most-common-chinese-quotes-and-proverbs

IF there are no equivalent English idioms, translate it with a figurative meaning instead of literally.

Neologisms

• 叉叉前辈 → “localize” to xx-Senpai
• 叉叉酱 → “localize” to xx-Chan
• If they only say “前辈” : replace it with name of the person

Traditional Words

• This will vary from case to case, i.e. localization or using the pinyin. Consult with the CN Team before deciding.
• Example: 旗袍--> qipao

Indonesian-specific

Idioms

Use many websites as references since our idioms could be interpreted differently in English idioms. It would be best if you could translate Indonesian Idioms into the same, existing English Idioms.

• Here are a few Idioms from internet that have close or same meaning as the English idioms, https://docs.google.com/document/d/1u5p2Y-X7kHWDnZWyRegsp1FZ1QGHAEz_NcTr1f1BWPg/edit?usp=sharing 
• Go ahead edit/add more to the document if you find a mistake.

If there are no equivalent English idioms, translate it with a figurative meaning instead of literally.

Proverbs

Use these websites as reference when you’re translating proverbs:

• https://dosenbahasa.com/kumpulan-peribahasa 
• https://salamadian.com/contoh-peribahasa-dan-artinya/ 
• Or if you have other website other than above, feel free to use it. But please leave the website link in the Translator notes for TLC.

Tradition & Culture

For cultural aspects like races, dances, traditional clothes, etc.

You don’t have to translate it to English. Make notes in the Translator notes section for editor to put in an image of particular dances or clothes.

For traditional languages (ex. Sundanese, Javanese, etc.)

Translate it to Indonesian if you don’t particularly have confidence in the translation. Consult with other ID Translator in case they understand the particular traditional language. Consider using a web translator if there is one for the particular traditional language.