INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 02, 2025
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PHRASEOLOGY IN TRANSLATION: CHALLENGES AND STRATEGIES
Zuvaytova Sarvinoz Nusurxon qizi
Qarshi davlat universiteti Xorijiy tillar fakultetiti, Filologiya va tillarni o'qitish yo'nalishi(ingliz
tili) 3-kurs talabasi. 95-074-43-01
Annotation
Phraseology plays a crucial role in translation, as idiomatic expressions, collocations, and proverbs
often carry meanings that extend beyond their literal interpretations. Translators face significant
challenges when dealing with phraseological units, including cultural differences, context
dependency, and language-specific structures. This study explores the major difficulties in
translating phraseological expressions and provides strategies for overcoming these challenges.
By analyzing different translation approaches—such as literal translation, equivalence-based
methods, and adaptation—this paper offers insights into best practices for handling phraseology
in translation.
Keywords
Phraseology, translation challenges, idiomatic expressions, collocations, proverbs,
equivalence, cultural adaptation
Introduction
Translation is not merely the process of converting words from one language to another; it involves
conveying meaning, tone, and cultural context. Phraseology, which includes idiomatic
expressions, collocations, and proverbs, presents one of the most significant challenges in
translation. These linguistic units often have meanings that cannot be derived from their individual
words, making direct translation ineffective.
For example, the English idiom "kick the bucket" cannot be translated literally into another
language without losing its meaning (to die). Instead, an equivalent phraseological expression must
be used. Similarly, cultural differences play a key role in determining how phraseological
expressions are interpreted and translated.
This paper explores the challenges that translators face when working with phraseology and
presents strategies for ensuring accurate and culturally appropriate translations.
Relevance of the Topic
Phraseological expressions are deeply embedded in a language’s culture, history, and societal
norms. They add richness and expressiveness to communication, making them essential elements
of both spoken and written language. However, they also pose one of the biggest obstacles in
translation due to their figurative meanings, cultural specificity, and structural differences across
languages.
In professional translation fields such as literary translation, legal translation, and audiovisual
translation (e.g., subtitling and dubbing), the accurate rendering of phraseological expressions is
essential for maintaining meaning and coherence. Failure to properly translate idiomatic
expressions can result in confusion, loss of intended meaning, or even miscommunication.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 02, 2025
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Additionally, with the rise of machine translation and AI-driven translation tools, the challenge of
phraseology becomes even more relevant. While AI can handle word-for-word translation, it often
struggles with idiomatic expressions and cultural nuances. This highlights the need for human
translators to apply specialized strategies when dealing with phraseology.
Research Objectives
The main objectives of this research are:
To identify the primary challenges in translating phraseological expressions.
To analyze different translation strategies for phraseological units.
To examine how cultural differences impact phraseological translation.
To assess the role of modern translation technologies in handling phraseology.
To provide recommendations for best practices in translating idiomatic expressions.
Research Materials and Methods
This study is based on a qualitative analysis of translation challenges related to phraseology. The
research materials include:
Linguistic studies on phraseology and translation theory.
Case studies of phraseological translation in literature, legal documents, and media.
Comparative analysis of phraseological expressions in different languages.
Data from machine translation tools (Google Translate, DeepL, etc.) to evaluate their effectiveness
in handling phraseology.
The research methodology includes:
Descriptive analysis of phraseological expressions and their meanings.
Contrastive analysis between source and target language phraseological units.
Evaluation of different translation strategies applied to phraseological expressions.
Research Findings
1. Challenges in Translating Phraseology
Several key challenges arise when translating phraseological expressions:
Lack of direct equivalents: Many phraseological units have no exact counterparts in other
languages, requiring adaptation.
Cultural specificity: Some expressions are deeply rooted in a culture, making them difficult to
translate without losing their intended meaning.
Ambiguity and polysemy: Certain idiomatic expressions have multiple meanings, requiring careful
interpretation.
Structural differences: The grammatical structure of phraseological units varies across languages,
complicating direct translation.
Context dependency: The meaning of phraseological expressions often depends on context,
requiring a nuanced approach.
2. Translation Strategies for Phraseology
Different strategies can be employed to effectively translate phraseological expressions:
Literal translation: Used when a phrase retains its meaning in the target language (e.g., "a blessing
in disguise" → "bir maskarad ichidagi ne’mat" in Uzbek).
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 02, 2025
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Equivalence-based translation: Finding an idiomatic expression with a similar meaning in the
target language (e.g., "when pigs fly" → "tovuq tishi chiqanda" in Uzbek).
Paraphrasing: Explaining the meaning of the phrase when no equivalent exists (e.g., "spill the
beans" → "sirni oshkor qilish").
Borrowing: Retaining the original expression when it is widely understood (e.g., "déjà vu" used in
English).
Adaptation: Modifying the expression to fit the cultural and linguistic norms of the target language.
3. The Role of Machine Translation in Phraseology
Machine translation tools often struggle with phraseology due to their reliance on word-for-word
translation. For example:
Google Translate renders "piece of cake" (meaning very easy) as "bir bo‘lak tort", which is
incorrect.
AI-based translators like DeepL perform better but still require human intervention for accuracy.
This highlights the need for human expertise in phraseological translation, particularly in fields
where precision and cultural sensitivity are critical.
Results and Discussion
The findings of this study suggest that phraseology is one of the most complex aspects of
translation due to its cultural, linguistic, and contextual variations. While some phraseological
units can be translated using direct equivalents, many require adaptation, paraphrasing, or even
complete restructuring.
Machine translation tools, despite their advancements, are still largely ineffective in handling
phraseological expressions accurately. This emphasizes the ongoing need for skilled human
translators who can navigate cultural nuances and linguistic subtleties.
Furthermore, the study underscores the importance of context in phraseology. The same expression
can have different meanings depending on the situation, making literal translation unreliable.
Conclusion
Phraseology in translation presents significant challenges due to its figurative nature, cultural
specificity, and structural differences between languages. Translators must employ various
strategies—such as equivalence, adaptation, and paraphrasing—to ensure accurate and meaningful
translations.
While machine translation tools continue to improve, they remain inadequate in handling
phraseological units effectively. This highlights the indispensable role of human translators in
preserving the meaning and cultural depth of phraseological expressions.
To improve phraseological translation, it is essential to:
Invest in training programs for translators focused on phraseology.
Develop AI-powered translation tools that better recognize idiomatic expressions.
Encourage research on cross-linguistic phraseology and its translation.
References
1.Baker, M. (2018). In Other Words: A Coursebook on Translation. Routledge.
2.Newmark, P. (1988). A Textbook of Translation. Prentice Hall.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 02, 2025
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3.Vinay, J. P., & Darbelnet, J. (1995). Comparative Stylistics of French and English: A
Methodology for Translation. John Benjamins.
4.Nida, E. A., & Taber, C. R. (2003). The Theory and Practice of Translation. Brill.
5.Chesterman, A. (2016). Memes of Translation. John Benjamins.
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Functionalist Approach. Meta, 47(4), 498-512.
7.Catford, J. C. (1965). A Linguistic Theory of Translation. Oxford University Press.
