Meaning & use
subtitling
Last updated
“subtitling” is a form of “subtitle”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
noununcountable
The work or process of adding written words at the bottom of a screen to show what is being said.
Grammar: Uncountable: you talk about 'the subtitling' or 'subtitling work', not 'a subtitling'.
Patterns
- subtitling of something
- do the subtitling
- subtitling for someone
The subtitling of the documentary took longer than expected because of the technical vocabulary.
She studied subtitling as part of her translation degree.
Good subtitling must be accurate and easy to read quickly.
verbtransitive or intransitive
The present participle of 'subtitle': adding written text to a film or program.
Grammar: As a verb, it can take an object ('subtitling a film') or be used without one ('she works subtitling for a streaming service').
Patterns
- subtitling a film
- subtitling for a company
He is subtitling the new series for an international audience.
They spent the weekend subtitling old episodes of the show.
Word forms
| third person singular | subtitles |
|---|---|
| past tense | subtitled |
| past participle | subtitled |
| present participle | subtitling |
Common combinations
- subtitling software
- The team uses subtitling software to add captions quickly.
- do the subtitling
- A freelancer did the subtitling for the foreign-language film.
- subtitling into English
- Subtitling into English requires a good sense of natural phrasing.
- professional subtitling
- Professional subtitling follows strict rules about timing and line length.
Synonyms and how they differ
- captioning
- Captioning often includes descriptions of sounds for deaf viewers, while subtitling usually just translates dialogue.
- translation
- Translation is the broader activity of changing text from one language to another; subtitling is a specialized type of translation for screens.
Word family
Commonly confused: subtitling or subtitle? subtitling or dubbing?
subtitling vs subtitle
'Subtitle' is the noun for a single line of text or the verb; 'subtitling' is the activity or process.
subtitling vs dubbing
Dubbing replaces the original speech with actors' voices in another language, while subtitling keeps the original audio and adds text.
Practice
She works from home, ______ foreign films for a streaming service.
Choose one answer.
The present participle 'subtitling' is needed after 'works ...' to describe the activity. 'Subtitle' is the base form and does not fit after 'works'. 'Subtitled' is the past participle and would suggest a completed action. 'Subtitles' is a plural noun and cannot follow 'works' in this way.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “subtitling”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.