This video offers a fascinating look at how Slavic languages navigate the tension between literal translation and cultural marketing. It effectively highlights that localization is as much about audience psychology as it is about linguistics.
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Movie Name Differences In 6 Slavic Languages! l Pulp Fiction, Home Alone, Terminator, The HangoverAdded:
What do they call the second one?
>> I'm just kidding. There's the second one. Listen, >> in Belarus, we call it Brans, which literally means dirty dance. And I should watch it tonight when I go home.
>> Hi.
>> Today, we're going to compare how local Slavic languages take American movie titles and put it in their own language.
All right, everybody. How popular are American movies in your country?
>> Very popular. Very, very popular. Yeah.
Yes.
>> What's like one of the most popular movies one by one would you say it's like really popular in your country?
>> I think just in general everything that gets like popular whether it's in the states or like in Europe as well like in our country also is trending. So >> Hollywood baby uh I think like Avengers and every Marvel movie. Yeah. Very popular.
>> But I feel like Avengers and Marvel movies are not as much on at least not on on Serbian television like you can't see them. Maybe if you pay for like, you know, those like extra channels that show only movies, then you would see them like on those, but it's mostly like slightly older movies, I would say, like just classics, you know.
>> When you were a kid, what was really popular on TV?
>> I don't know. They just there's always movies running. So, it's like all of the movies, you know, like you have romcoms, you have action, you have thriller, you have everything. So, I feel like anything that's a classic would probably be on TV. BC class movies as well. Like it doesn't have to >> Titanic, Star Wars, always on TV.
>> Always like Matrix, stuff like that. In Poland, we had this thing where every week, every like Friday or Saturday, I don't know, some of the channels did like a super movie something. I feel like it was always a Hollywood movie.
>> All right. So, I have a question about titles cuz I know when I was a little kid that when title transferred to a different language, they just translate their own meaning in their own language, which was fine. But these days, I feel like the titles are kind of similar. How do you guys translate American titles into your own like movie theaters?
>> I think in my country they mostly translate it literally into Bulgarian.
Maybe there are some cases where like the title like is kind of kept similar but I would say 90% is translated into Bulgarian.
>> So for example Titanic just means large but it's also the ship's name.
>> Oh in that case it's Titanic. So it's the same. Yeah.
>> How do you say like large Titanic in your language?
>> Um grammar Titanic.
I think in Russia it's case by case.
Usually it's kind of literally but sometimes we have movies name that they translate with words that we sue it more for the like the scenario and everything. So sometimes when I see that movie name in English I'm just like what what is it? I have no idea what film is it because the translation is so different.
>> Same >> same.
>> So Avengers is just Avengers or what's the word for Avengers?
>> I think it kept the English name >> just Avengers.
>> Yeah.
>> Okay. right here >> in Belarus. It's a puzzle.
>> A puzzle. Tell me the puzzle. I want to figure out this puzzle.
>> Some of the movies would be the same as we talked. Titanic would be Titanic.
Some of them uh depending on the story actually for some reasons they changed the name. It's similar with Russia, I would say. And you would not know that this film is this film until you kind of see. I I honestly don't know why they do it, but well, that's a tradition. So I think up to 2010s like it was very much that kind of thing like a puzzle. It would happen a lot when they would take the plot and like based on the plot they would change something. We actually make a lot of jokes about that how titles make no sense. But recently as you mentioned I think because so many people speak English it's so much easier to either use the same word or have little translation or like again if it's like Titanic it's just going to be Titanic.
If it's Avengers Endgame it's just going to be Avengers Endgame. I don't know that well about this topic because again I was raised in Austria but and every time I would watch TV in Serbia my dad would have already put the movie on or if he so so he would be like oh if I would ask him what movie is this I would usually like immediately search it up online and see what the English name is.
Uh sometimes it's like a literal translation. Sometimes it's kind of like an interpretation of the movie because you know literal translation can kind of sound a bit awkward in in another language. So, I feel like it's a case by case situation.
>> So, in Austria, how do they do it then?
>> In Austria, well, if it's similar to German, like or if it's like a movie that's iconic, you kind of don't really need to change the name cuz >> Star Wars is going to be Star Wars.
>> Yeah, exactly. But sometimes Germans like to interpret also like their movie names. So, it can be slightly different than the English ones. Yeah.
>> Oh, this is a fantastic movie. Einstein Drive. So, I don't think this is a movie that exists in Slavic countries. I don't think this is something.
>> This is the first time I've heard about it.
>> All right. So, this is Cool Runnings, a Disney movie with four Jamaicans who are sprinters, but none of them qualify for the Olympics sprinting, the summer Olympics. So, they go to the Winter Olympics for bob sighting. It's called Cool Runnings cuz they're running, but they're not running in the summer.
They're running in the cool winter Olympics.
>> Oh, no spoilers. I want to watch it.
>> Well, no spoil. I mean, this is just the this is the first like 10 minutes of the movie. It's fantastic. It's very fun, very enjoyable, family-friendly movie.
>> Looks fun.
>> It's called Cool Running. It is a fun time. Anyone that watches it will have a good time.
>> In my personal case, I don't watch movies. So, it's one of the topics I know least about, but when I checked, I heard that in Bulgaria, they pronounce it as Leen Bullik, which means ice racer, like um fast racing machine. That makes sense.
>> Yeah. So, that's how we call it in Bulgarian, I think.
>> Yeah. In Russia, I'm not sure this one is really popular because I heard about it today the first time.
>> Oh, okay.
>> Yeah. But we call it like vir which means steep turns. It maybe makes sense.
Yeah. I never seen this movie.
>> God, my heart is breaking right now.
>> But I know the title in in Slovak. It's Coco and it means and it means coconut in a snow.
>> Sounds delicious for some reason. I don't know if this title would work in English though >> because from Jamaica you got coconuts there.
>> Oh, okay. Okay.
>> It's a It's a tropical Caribbean island.
So, there are coconuts. In Serbia we call it least which is like I see track because I also haven't really heard about this movie. Um Okay. In Polish it's reanalog. So I >> feel like this is actually the best title though >> maybe. Yeah >> cuz it explains where they're from.
>> Yeah. So I guess that would make sense.
But I really don't think it's a popular movie. I saw definitely I saw it cuz like I can recognize the characters. I just think maybe in Slavic countries it was >> I haven't I've never seen this >> and I'm going to say I'm a Disney adult so I'm legally obligated to know these movies and I don't I've heard about it but like >> honestly I feel like in on Serbian TV they don't really show that much like Disney movies that are not like you know Walt Disney like the the cartoons from like the old times. In Bellarus we call it vira very similar to Russian colleague and interestingly I haven't heard about this movie when I just saw the title I thought it's about car racing >> because there is no ice part in it. It's just the way like the road goes. So I imagined it is probably action movie with car driving guys being so cool. So, I don't know why someone claims it to be very popular in Slavic region. Never mind.
>> Okay, so really quick question. Are you guys all Gen Z millennial? That That's a provocative question. You should >> domest domestic movies are are lacking right now. It's It's such a good movie.
If you guys watch it, you'll enjoy.
>> I mean, it looks cool. I feel like that would be like a nice family comedy to watch and stuff. Yeah, for sure.
>> A Well, that's what we know.
>> Yeah, that one's a classic. This is again an early '90s movie. So I'm guessing the title is going to be much different. Even though it's quite a simple title, I feel that they always like in the early '90s they try to change it to something else or like the late '8s they change to something else.
This is Home Alone. This kid gets left at home and his parents go to Paris, I think. Right. How is this translated in your language?
>> In Belarus we say, which is literally saying home alone. And I know the movie.
I enjoy the movie. Everyone in my country will know it's a very popular and good movie. Please watch it again before Christmas.
>> Um, in Poland we say Kevin Samo, which is Kevin Home Alone.
>> KEVIN HOME ALONE.
>> So yeah, and it's actually Polish people love Home Alone. It's to the point we have this one TV channel. Every Christmas they would play >> Kevin. We would say like Kevin is on TV.
And one year, like 10 years ago, they were like, "We're not going to do it anymore." And people got mad.
>> Demonstrate.
>> It's like a Polish tradition that on Christmas Eve, I think, or like the first day of Christmas, we have to watch Kevin. I don't know if where I'm from in America, but this wasn't like a Christmas movie. It was just like a fun like we'd watch it so much. You just there was no need to watch it Christmas because you've already watched it like three times in a year.
>> But it's a classic Christmas movie.
>> I agree. I agree.
>> Like it's like an inside joke in Poland cuz people are tired of it. But like if it's not on the TV, then they get mad.
Some of them they're not even going to watch it. It's just a principle. It has to be there.
>> Like a tradition. You cannot >> In Serbia we say samukuchi which means home alone. So very similar. And I feel like it's always on TV around Christmas time as well. In Slovakia, we also call it Sam Doma, which means home alone.
>> Sam do. My Slovakian is improving. Sam talk.
>> All right. Is the second one called Samma 2? Yeah.
>> Okay. Is it Sam do lost in New York or do you guys just drop it? Cuz we have like a the second title >> in Polish they just did Kevin Sor. So it's like Kevin alone in New York.
>> Okay. Okay. Okay.
>> Yeah. In Russia is the same as Barus is a doma. In Bulgaria, we call it Samushi, which again translates literally to home alone. I think we say it also, which is the second part, but I'm not sure about the second title if we drop it or not.
>> I just checked it online and it says also Home Alone, too. And then Lost in New York.
>> Yeah, we did the same exact same thing.
Okay. All right. So, Home Alone in your guys' countries almost kept the same title, kept the exact same meaning. But for Cool Runnings, you guys changed a little bit to either match the story or just have your own little explanation of what the title you wanted to be. Why do you think that is?
>> Oh, I think the answer is actually pretty easy. Home Alone is very easily translatable and cool running is like a like kind of I don't want to say it's an idiom because it's not, >> but it's like a metaphor >> like in itself. It's really hard to translate to other language, but like Home Alone the most simple sentence you can actually create, right? It's not Jamaicans on a sled.
>> Yeah, exactly. That's right. That's right.
>> I agree with them. So, yeah, >> I would guess that since Home Alone was so popular that the movie company just wanted to keep it like as close as you can. But Cool Running was not as popular. So, it's like a just do whatever you want. We don't care. Just as long as you market it and show it, we're happy. That's what I'm guessing though.
>> The thing is they don't know if it's going to be big when it's released.
>> That's also true.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah.
>> Released a couple months later though or >> I don't think cuz like they have to translate it and everything, right? Like if I maybe it's like weeks later, but I don't think it's a >> I think we will see what the next example. We'll >> see. My favorite.
>> All right. So, the next one is the best Christmas movie on the list. Classic Die Hard. So, what do you guys think about this Christmas classic Die Hard?
Starting at Christmas.
>> It's a joke in America. Die Hard's a Christmas movie.
>> I am sorry, but as I mentioned, I haven't watched it.
>> You haven't watched it. Do you know the title in your language?
>> Yes, I do know. I know it's a very popular movie in Bulgaria as well. I just haven't personally watched it. Uh, we say Trudno, >> which means the same as the title, like die hard.
>> Okay. When you read this title, what do you think it's referring to? Cuz I just think die hard just sounds like die hard, like cool, like powerful. But he doesn't die. And >> he dies hard.
>> He doesn't die though. And >> basically, my interpretation is action movie where the like person goes through many different obstacles and yeah, kind of like challenging or dangerous >> like it's hard for him to die or others die hard in a difficult situation. I personally don't know what they're trying to say.
>> His anime is die hard.
>> Okay. Okay.
>> And I just say it I find it really funny when she said trudno because that just means to be pregnant in Serbian >> like a difficult pregnancy.
>> Yeah. Well, trud can also mean to >> is it because of labor? Like I know that word >> is like to be pregnant but then trud means to go through hardship, right? So I guess that's where it probably comes from. So >> yeah, in Russia the title of this movie is which means tough cookie but tough not but yeah the meaning is tough cookie. So yeah, he's like a really cool guy.
Something about like action movie and everything. Everything.
>> And it remains like he's difficult to kill, right? Yeah. Okay, that makes more sense to me.
>> In Slovakia, it is called Napasa, which means the trap that carries the death.
>> Is he the trap or is the building the trap?
>> No idea because I never watched the movie.
>> Okay. just but it's interesting to see like what you guys think the title refers to cuz when I was a little kid yeah I didn't know what the title was referring to it just sounded cool >> so in Barus the title is >> Mesak which literally means a hard nut >> so a hard nut in your language also means difficult to like break or something >> yes >> that makes sense >> very metaphorical actually if you think about it >> and I didn't know the English title of the movie I knew Bellarussian Russian title before I learned and then >> your title makes sense and our title doesn't make sense.
>> I honestly thought in English it would be hard nut and when I saw die hard I was like what is this like I don't understand because I was expecting realies hard nut hard nut three or something. Yeah.
>> Bellarusian is it hard nut hard nut three the same.
>> Sweet.
>> Is there a hard nut nut four? We're talking about too many nuts here.
>> Too many nuts.
>> Quick polling. You didn't answer.
>> Yeah. I This is one of my favorite things ever. We have a standup comedy about this. Polish people are going to be so excited right now. So, this movie in Polish is called Puapka, which means a glass trap because of the building. It makes sense because it's a skyscraper.
The problem is the second, third, fourth, fifth movie, they're not in a skyscraper, right?
>> They keep the same title, >> but they kept the same title. It's just the glass strap all over again. And I think it's just like glass strap two, three, and maybe like some subtitle next to it, but it just it makes no sense.
In Serbia, we say omriki, which means to die like a man.
>> That is way cooler than die.
>> Yes. Yes.
>> But okay. Do you think he Bruce Willis is dying like a man or the bad he's killing them in an honorable way? The bad guy. Cuz obviously Bruce Willis doesn't die.
>> It's been such a long time I watched this movie, so I wouldn't be able to tell you.
>> No, no. What's your opinion when you hear the title in your language?
>> I don't know. I just think of like, oh man, >> that's what I think. Try hard, >> man. I'm dying like a man.
>> Dying like a man. That sounds Yeah, that sounds cool.
>> Please, let's not skip the hangover thing.
>> I really want to. It's also It's in the same stand up. I really >> All right, so this is The Hangover.
There were three of these movies and obviously Hangover is the feeling you get when you're drunk. The next morning you have kind of a headache.
>> I'VE WATCHED THIS ONE.
>> SHE watched the movie.
>> So this one we call >> Oh. Oh, >> which the last bachelor binge drinking like a big party kind of drinking.
>> It's perfect. Yeah. Was that the same for two?
>> Uh I think so. Yeah.
>> Russia we call it which means like a bachelor party in Vegas. But the problem is the second part is not in Vegas.
>> Not Vegas in Thailand.
>> So they have to they can change the title itself like that like fully. So they call it is of Bangkok which means bachelor party 2 seconds from Vegas to Bangkok. That's a nice one. That's a nice solution. That's a really nice one.
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
>> In Slovakia, we call it which means I love that opita means monkey, but it's like we call it like hangover.
>> It means hangover.
>> Feel like a monkey the next day >> kind of. I guess.
>> Wasn't there a monkey in the movie?
>> Yeah. The war >> there is. I think >> Yeah, there is a random monkey. I feel like in Belarus we call it which literally means very the same thing as Russian bachelor party in Vegas but we do have a separate word for hangover so but I guess it doesn't sound >> yeah it doesn't explain the meaning of the yeah the story of the movie the story of the movie this is the case when the original title and translation is >> Poland what do they call it >> Poland uh it's another part of the standup comedy that I'm talking about Because pure poetry truly in Polish hangover itself is Kats >> but Las Vegas is Las Vegas. So what they did is they created a title KATZ VEGAS.
>> OH >> PURE POETRY. I think it's just extremely amazing. However, the second part called Katz Vegas, which is like Kats Vegas in Bangkok, which makes no sense because it's not Vegas. Like they just keep kicking themselves in the knee like with all of those things that they're doing like just like with the glass trap. So it's like Why are we doing this?
>> A lot of those movies, they don't know it's going to be popular. So, they're just like just this is what it is. And they're like, "Oh, it's popular. I got to make a second one." Damn it.
>> Can you imagine the guy that made the first title? I feel like he had to be so proud or like g I don't know what that was. But like they could have been like this amazing and then the second part comes out and like >> ah wait a second this is hard. Okay, last one.
>> In Serbia we call it mamurlove.
So uh hangover in Vegas. And then the second one would be mamurlova. So hangover two. Yeah.
So hangover in Bangkok because you can just add in Vegas and then you just take it off for the second one. So that worked out.
>> How do you actually say I have a hangover? Just the word hangover.
>> Yeah. Well, you wouldn't say I have a hangover. You would say I'm hung over more so. So you would say mamurans.
>> Okay. Okay. Pulp fiction.
>> All right. This is a '90s classic one.
>> So this is Pulp Fiction. A really good '90s movies which a bunch of different story lines that come together. Pulp meaning kind of like cheap comic book newspaper like stories and then fiction meaning not real. Pulp fiction not a real cheap kind of story. But no one really like looks too deep into the title of Pulp Fiction because the actual story of the movie is so good they just kind of breeze by it.
>> So I've seen some parts of it. I know that people call it either criminal or criminal. That's all.
>> Really? Yeah.
>> I think that that fits more.
>> Yeah. Just like criminalistic. I think it matches the story better than pulp fiction cuz pulp fiction just means like a madeup fantasy story that's like kind of not that great. But that that could be anything, you know, that doesn't Yeah, I think yours matches more to the story. What about in Russia?
>> Yeah, in Russia we call it criminal.
>> Yeah, that mean like which means criminal fiction almost the same. In Slovakia we have name like pulp fiction normal like in English and then we have like the another title. It's a history which means the stories from the underworld.
>> Wow.
>> I think that fits even more.
>> Your titles are so cool in >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. In many creative people live there.
>> For Serbia I had to look it up as well.
Word that I don't even know. It's called petri, which translates literally to like nickel stories or cheap stories.
>> Yes, exactly.
>> So, it's it's not word for word pulp fiction because it's an it's a word that you can kind of interpret, right? But it's pretty much translated literally, which is pretty cool. I don't know. I felt like most people would just say pulp fiction, like just the English word.
>> In Poland, it's about fiction.
>> Oh.
>> So, yeah, that's it. They just gave up basically.
>> Does pulp mean something in Polish?
>> No, there is nothing. We even write it in the same way. They just didn't translate it at all. We would say like pulp fiction. We just say like pop fiction. Like the accent is a little bit different, right? The pronunciation. But yeah.
>> What do they call the second one?
>> I'm just kidding. There's a second.
>> Listen, I was like, is there a second one? Huh?
>> Ah, in Barus. It's very similar to Russian. Criminal truth.
>> Trva. Okay, I got the first part.
>> Yeah, there is criminal in there. I feel like Serbia did good at translating it literally. I'm guessing Tarantino tried to give it a specific title because he grew up in the 70s and like there's a lot of pop fiction stories in the '7s, but the criminal title I think explains the story better quicker cuz whenever I saw Pulp Fiction, it's just like I don't know what that means. All right, now we're moving on to another ' 80s classic, Dirty Dancing.
>> I love this.
I love this movie.
>> All right, so what do you guys call dirty dancing?
>> So in Poland now it's dirty dancing. So say dirty dancing.
>> Now it's dirty dancing. Okay, >> dirty dancing. Something like that. But back in the days when I was a child, I still remember it being virant sex, which is like spinning, how do you call when you dance? Like you were like whirl twirl.
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So like twirling sex, something like that.
>> That is a way cooler title.
>> Yeah. I actually like that. I just think it was a lot like for it to be on the TV in a Catholic country. I don't know. As a child, I remember being like, "What is this movie? What is it?" Like my parents wouldn't really want me to watch it.
>> I don't think my parents would let me watch Twirling Sex either. Dirty Dancing is a different story. Twirling sex. No.
No. No. No, >> but now it's dirty dancing. Like we just say dirty dancing.
>> In Belarus, we call it Bransi, which literally means dirty dance. And I should watch it tonight when I go home.
>> It's definitely a story plot that wouldn't be allowed anymore because of the age gap.
>> Maybe that's why her parents didn't want me to watch it.
>> In Serbia, we call it play. So dirty dancing.
>> Do you think if they aged her up to like 24, 25, would it be okay?
>> Oh, yeah. Yeah, cuz whenever I saw the movie, I didn't think she was supposed to be 16.
>> Exactly.
>> I didn't know either. I just thought she's like 23, 24, and he was like maybe late 20s, early 30s.
>> But unfortunately, I feel like in the 80s that was kind of even normal like to kind of be almost an adult at 16, 17.
>> All of the rock stars, what was going on? Who allowed that to be happening?
What >> one day we actually have to talk about what was going on with rock music scene?
>> Slovenia. What a dirty dancing. Have you Have you seen it?
>> Yes. too many times.
>> Yes. Okay.
>> In Slovakia, we call it which means sinful dance. I like that.
>> That's a good translation. It's smooth.
Okay.
>> Yeah. In Russia, it's like literal.
Translation is the same. And in Bulgarian, we say, which is again the literal translation.
>> So, it's funny because in Serbia we say no for like breaking a fast. And usually when you're fasting, you're not supposed to like succumb to your like sinful lust or like, you know, vices and stuff. So, I feel like that makes sense.
>> I thought it was super fun. It kind of went a little different than I thought cuz you guys had a more a lot more correct translations. I thought you guys would have totally different translations for all of them.
>> I was actually surprised for Poland, for example, that it kind of keeps some of the titles in the English version, even with the pronunciation, which I think it's less likely to happen in Bulgaria.
And also I was surprised that in Serbia like their translation was the closest to the American also.
>> I was really happy to be able to do this video because I saw many comments in the other video that I was doing with Latin American and romance languages about movie titles and everyone's like why didn't Draga say the titles and I was like I'm sorry I was told not to give the titles. So I'm happy I was able to do that today.
>> For me it was really interesting to get know how these titles calling in other countries. It was really nice to know that in Slovakia they have so many creative titles for these movies and everything. Yeah, I was very interested to learn how die hard can be translated in different languages because my hard nut is my love forever.
So I'm so proud of someone who translated the movie Die Hard to Mozek.
The nut is our everything.
>> Still not broken yet. I just like the fact that some of them were so different from each other. I like the whimsical ones the most.
>> The best translation. Oh, no. It has to be What was uh Who is Sexy Twirling?
>> Oh, me.
>> Sexy twirling is my favorite cuz it just like Hey, >> sex. Twirling sex.
>> Twirling sex. Well, that gets even better. That gets even twirling sex. Do they have sex in the movie? I don't.
>> They do.
>> They do. I like >> Okay. Well, cuz I've never heard like I don't know how it's possible to twirl and have sex at the same time. It's just amazing. But they do it in the movie apparently.
>> It's just about the dirty dancing, I guess. So, it's like >> No, the the the pregame was just them dancing and then it happens.
>> Yeah. So, I guess at some point, >> so my my actual favorite uh was the Pulp Fiction that we had almost the same one.
>> Oh, I thought you like the dying like a man.
>> I thought that was interesting, but I just feel that to me Die Hard doesn't really make sense. So, it's just like Yeah, the Pulp Fiction one where you guys have it almost the same. I think that's cool.
>> All right. So today we compared how different Slavic countries compared American movie titles.
>> If you enjoyed this video, please like, comment, and subscribe. See you next time.
>> Bye.
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