A few things to add about Korean culture that non-Koreans may not know: 1. The gigantic doll during the Red Light, Green Light game is known to many Koreans as Young Hee. She's a character from Korean school textbooks. The male version is called Chul Soo. They're kind of like the American "Dick and Jane" if they had a universal image. Image how shocking/hilarious it was to Koreans to see their version of "Jane" from their elementary textbooks playing the children's game Red Light, Green Light with deadly consequences. Maybe like a Dora the Explorer or something similar killing people. LOL 2. Korea has universal healthcare. The mother would have been treated for her diabetes without having to worry about high medical bills. That part about not being able to be treated at the hospital due to lack of health insurance was fake to make the lead character's financial situation more dire. 3. The scene at the ATM where Gi Hun didn't know his Mother's birthday had me dying with laughter! Gi Hyun said he didn't know her birthday because she goes by the lunar calendar. Non-Koreans thought it was a really lame excuse but to most Koreans it could have been possible. Possible but probably not practical cause you'd have to change the numbers every year. LOL A lot of the older generation still prefer using the lunar dates which DO change every year so it's not a date a person can come up with quickly. For example, my mother's birthday is October 9th but this year her Lunar birthday will be November 13th so we'll celebrate her birthday then. My birthday is February 28th but it'll be March 30th in 2022 according to the Lunar Calendar. 4. Guns are NOT common in Korea. I've seen some reactions from Americans where they freaked out because the birthday present was a gun and also because his daughter pulled the trigger so easily while pointing the gun at her father. All Koreans immediately knew the gun was a fake, including the daughter in the scene, so wouldn't think twice about pulling the trigger because she knew it was a toy of some sort. 5. A reaction channel was informed that guns weren't common in Korea so wanted to know how the guards knew anything about guns. Korea has a mandatory draft. All men are required to serve approximately 18 months in the military. Able-bodied men serve as active soldiers while others who are not physically able serve as public servants but ALL go through the basic "boot camp" so know how to operate all types of guns. Technically, Korea is still at war. That's also why Gi Hyun was talking in military ranks when he was setting up the group alliance and everyone immediately understood except for Ali. 6. Koreans are very conscious and aware of social standings and class status so knowing these facts from the video really do make a difference. North Koreans are discriminated against so most try to lose or hide their accents i.e. Sae Byeok. The fact that Sang Woo graduated from Seoul National University is mentioned often by his mother and even Gi Hyun because Koreans put a lot of emphasis on status and Seoul National University is the hardest college to get into in Korea (major bragging rights). Ali was more than likely not even an immigrant but an illegal resident and that's why his employer was probably able to get away with treating him like shit with no worries about repercussions. Foreigners are not treated well in Korea and Ali was initially addressing everyone very respectfully as "boss". That's why it was huge when Sang Woo gave Ali permission to call him "Hyung" implying a closer, trusted, less formal relationship. 7. Koreans do NOT call each other by only their given first names unless they are 친구 which means "friend". Technically, one can only be called a "friend" if they're 동갑 (the same age) and even then both parties have to agree to be less formal to use their given names. The word "friend" doesn't quite mean the same as it does in English. One can be "friendly" with another but to be a "friend" to Koreans, you have to be the same age. Ali always added Hyung after Sang Woo's name. Even Sang Woo added Hyung after Gi Hyun's name. They could have just said "Hyung" without adding the first names too. 8. Koreans always say and write their last names first so the first syllable is the surname. Korean women do NOT change their last name when we get married. We retain our maiden name. The kids usually receive their fathers' last names though. 9. Ali wasn't fluent in Korean and had a limited vocabulary. He understood concepts but just didn't know the Korean words like "odd" or "even". Something else I noticed was that during the dalgona game, I don't think he knew he was supposed to use the needle provided to poke out the shape. I think he kept the needle in his mouth the whole time and just used his hands? 10. Last bit of complete trivia: the old man's name일남 (Il Nam) means First Man. The word 오징어 (Squid) is often used to call someone ugly. LOL Everyone take care & stay safe!
Thank you so much for your detailed explanation. It gives a better understanding of the Korean culture. I know a bit of Korean since I have been watching Korean dramas since 2018, so I could understand some dialogues. But when I read the subtitles, I just shook my head because some were just mistranslated or just summarised that they lost their real meanings.
@@achocolatelily0804 Thanks for the info. I know a lot of Asian countries still use the Lunar Calendar to some extent but wasn't sure if it was still regularly used to celebrate birthdays and not just New Years. Take care!
One more I forgot to add: 11. When the survivors meet up with the crazy woman Mi Nyeo after the Marbles game, she called herself a Kkakdugi (깍두기). It's a cultural/slang term used to describe a leftover player in a game or the odd man out during a game. It was a way to keep the 깍두기 involved by giving them a pass. Often, the weakest or newer/younger player(s) were typically designated the Kkakdugi (깍두기) to let them participate by making the rules a little bit more lenient for them by allowing them a few extra chances to make mistakes, a few extra free chances, etc. For example, if there's a new player in a game who's not as familiar with the rules, he'd be designated as a Kkakdugi and given extra chances. Sometimes, if there is an odd number of players available for a game, someone might be picked as a 깍두기 to not play so there can be an equal number of players on each side. It didn't mean the 깍두기 was left out or forgotten completely. He would still be involved by playing the judge, referee, etc. It's a cultural thing to make sure everyone was included during games. BTW - A Kkakdugi (깍두기) is literally a kimchi made from Korean radish cut up into small cubes. LOL Stay healthy everyone!
The hibiscus was a resistance symbol during the Japanese oppression of Korea. “The hibiscus has bloomed” was code for the resistance to attack, so Japanese soldiers would beat you up for saying it. However soldiers didn’t beat up children, so the revolutionaries would teach kids to say it and avoid suspicion.
The worst thing is that Hyung is often used to address a person who is an older brother or older brother figure. So Ali called Sangwoo his older brother and thus showed him vulnerability and trust :(
yo i just made a similar comment, know exactly how you feel. Like getting stabbed a second time at the same place right after the first wound healed up.
Having been a professional subtitler/translator for 10-ish years myself, I'd say that while the subtitles of Squid Game might not be perfect, they're not bad either. In subtitling you can usually fit between 36 and 42 characters on a line (including spaces), and the maximum duration doesn't usually exceed 7 seconds. It would be impossible to fit every nuance of the show in the subtitles due to cultural differences, so the translators will have to use the closest equivalents found in the target language. Chances are a lot of the "mistranslations" are not in fact "huge misses" but adaptations to something that the target language audience would be more familiar with. If they feel like they need more insight on Korean words like gganbu, they can always do a bit of extra research themselves. Good translations are supposed to capture the meaning and the essence of the show and make the viewer feel like they're not reading subtitles at all (thought that might be a bit easier if the viewer is somewhat familiar with the source language). Regardless, I found this video very useful and informative on explaining some of the cultural aspects of the show that the non-Korean viewers might have missed :)
Most of everything highlighted was understood thru the performances. I watch the English dub by Korean voice actors and not the subtitles. Had they not been Korean then I would have opted for the subtitles
Came here to say this. I’ve had to do a lot of Chinese translations involving puns and, in some cases, unless there is saying n English that can convey the same meaning, then it’s just not possible to translate the exact meaning within the limits of the dialogue. It’s always kind of a bummer to know the audience is missing out on a clever joke in a scene, but not having a way to explain it in the text. That’s why fan subbers add a lot of notes with their subs. Context helps, but you have to pause the show to read the full explanation which can be distracting. Though the first game isn’t “Red Light, Green Light”, calling it that for English audiences is a much faster way of making them understand the rules of the game right away. There’s always going to be cultural things that are just not going to carry over to other audiences who aren’t familiar with those things (i.e. accents, traditions). Fortunately when shows are as compelling as this, audiences will often try to learn more.
That tik tok on about the huge misses was talking about the closed caption subtitles as well which are much more inaccurate than the actual subtitles. I watched the actual subs and at least from my perspective they were much more accurate
Do u know if Netflix finnish subs comes from eng->finnish or Korea->finnish? I bet first one D:. I would have enjoyed these tiny details they had on this vid(and I bet there is more). When thinking of some animes they include some tiny extra details in the scene...maybe they could have done it somehow like that in here too.
I think your definition of Hyeong is wrong. It's a title for a boy or man to call an older brother or older male friend. You never call a stranger "Hyeong" only because he's older. You have to be friends with him first. When Sangwoo allowed Ali to call him "Hyeong", it's like like saying "Let's be friends. Think of me like your older brother. And I'll take care of you". Ali was so moved by that, and the wall between them disappeared at that moment. That's why SW's betrayal becomes double triple bad. I liked the English translation of Sang-woo's bad investment in Futures. I bet every country had to tweak it to make sense in their own language. Nothing lost in translation there.
Agree except for one slight correction. They would have to be familiar and friendly but technically can never be considered "friends" in Korea because they aren't the same age. One can only be a 친구 (friend) if they're 동갑 (same age). Take care & stay safe!
But see, when you get too deep into weeds, it gets complicated. I agree with your general take on Ali and Sang-woo, but there are times when you'd call a stranger hyung. Just like there are times when a girl will call strangers oppa or unni. I mean, Mi-nyeo did that to Deok-su. Certain terms have evolved, like unni, eemo, and even hyung. Some people these days will use hyung in place of ajushi as a friendly gesture.
@@dathunderman4 Hey Tretch!. I'm Korean as well. A lot of people consider people of different ages as friends. Thar's why I specifically used the term "technically". 친구 doesn't mean the same as it does in English. It's not that big of a deal to a fellow Korean cause we know the difference but I figure there are quite a few non-Koreans here who are interested in Korean culture & customs so wanted to let them know there is a difference in the way some things are viewed. I don't think they'd want to make the mistake of using Korean words incorrectly. Some Korean concepts like 동갑 and even Korean age vs international age can be really confusing to non-Koreans when they first encounter them. LOL I hope that clarifies it my comment. Please take care & stay safe!
The three ranks of guards are Worker (Ant), Warrior (Ant) and Manager (Handler). In Korean that is일벌 (일개미), 전사 (전사 개미), 매니저. Romanized that is ilbeol (ilgaemi), jeonsa (jeonsa gaemi), and manija. They start with the letters ㅇㅈㅁ. A circle ㅇ, a triangle ㅿ and a square ㅁ (see my other post for an explanation).
I knew there had to be meaning behind the symbols, thank you! But what other post? There's over 1000 comments under this video, I can't go through them all.... 😩
@@menmaemma The Romanized initials for the Squid Game used in Korea are OJM. The derive from OJingeo GeiM: The Korean word (in Hangul) is 오징어 게임 (O-Jing-Eo-Ge-Im). The three symbols in the movie, circle ㅇ, triangle ㅿ and square ㅁ (the "Playstation buttons") are actually the letters (jamo)ㅇㅈㅁ. The Hangul letters (jamo) ieung, jieut and mieum. The ieung isn't the O sound by itself, it's silent. However it combines with the vowel ㅗ (O) to create the full letter 오 with this sound. The letter ieung combines with all the vowels to make sounds. Eg 이 is the i sound. A circle ㅇ, a triangle ㅿ (if you move the horizontal line below the ㅈ) and a square ㅁ. That's the connection between the 3 symbols and the name of the movie, Squid Game. The movie's Korean poster has the title in white and the typeface of these letters is pronounced, as the 3 symbols are in magenda.
They should have hired people who make subtitles for k-dramas. They usually add another line in parenthesis or in italics which explains what wouldn't be known outside of Korea.
@@quigli I was about to say the same thing. Basically all Netflix kdrama trans are lacking and none of them properly translate things. So watching squid games subbed wasntt any different than the others.
Agree, this drama is totally global phenomenon, even like China where Netflix is banned there. Chinese fans so crazy about it as well: *「China TikTok」'Squid Game' Overhyped Trends on Chinese TikTok* czcams.com/video/P8W-oL_oTVA/video.html
More people need to understand what happened in 9/11 the event that changed the world. More people need to educate themselves about the killing their governments doing i. Other countries Not watch this video
The 선물 / “future” joke for English could’ve easily been shoehorned in. When I watched it , I thought the joke was that Gi-hun thought Sang-woo meant he wasted his money investing in a “future” with a woman he fell for. I had no knowledge of the double meaning/homonym situation. I still laughed. It could’ve worked. I’m thankful I learned something new today LOL
@@JimvicDy It is very common that 1 Korean word could mean several things. It depends on the context. It is easily to read and write Korean but when it comes to conversation it is harder - because you have to know what the person is referring to.
@Lynn Dalton - Jimvic Dy was pointing out that it’s interesting that in Korean, the word Gift and Future are the exact same. In English, that word is Present. Present means Gift and Now in English. So in Korean, gift = future. In English gift = now. Get the ‘joke’?
Just because i really enjoyed this joke when i watched it, i wanna say this. In english a future is also a type of stock investment so a double meaning is still there. This joke definitely made me giggle when i watched :)
As a KDrama fan (that's not a Korean), I did realise that Ali was addressing him as his elder brother when he kept calling out for Sang-Woo as Hyung... It broke my heart, honestly speaking... That's when I noticed the subs were just mentioning his name.. I felt sorry for the ppl that were missing on the emotion 😕😕😕
I noticed that too! I've only watched like 2? K-dramas but I am a language geek so I am often research things like these. Ali referring to Sangwoo as a brother figure and then being betrayed by him hurt so much
I don’t speak a word of Korean, but I really don’t know how people missed that. It was a big deal when Sang Woo told Ali to stop calling him “sir”, and then told to call him “hyung.” The way Ali’s face lit up it was clear how touched he was, how much it meant to him, and despite the subtitles you could plainly hear him calling for Sang Woo by the new term and the heartbreaking desperation as he refused to accept that his friend had betrayed him. You have to listen while you’re reading.
Same here, so heartbreaking that he was told to call him older brother (someone who is meant to take care of you) and was essentially calling out "brother" as Sangwoo had betrayed him and left him to die. It shows even clearer that he refuses to believe that Sangwoo has betrayed him right until the end 😭
Hyung is casual, not formal. That's what made Ali calling Sang Woo hyung so sad. As an immigrant Ali was mistreated and taken advantage of, and Sang Woo was the first person to be kind to him, to tell him to call him hyung (used only with an actual older brother, very close older male friend, or older boyfriend for gay couples). Also, Mi Nyeo didn't call Deok Su old man, she called him oppa, which is what a female speaker calls her older brother, close older male friend, or older boyfriend.
Yup, and there’s a flirtatiousness to the word oppa when used on a non-related male. A young woman wouldn’t address an older man she has no interest in as oppa but might to someone she wants to get to know better. I guess an American equivalent is calling your older boyfriend “daddy”, but I think oppa is more wholesome.
@@Singleeyedking ehh not really lol most don't like it if an older girl/gf calls them that, it would only weird them out. Some guys will call their gf nuna if the girl was older, but never an older girl calling their younger bf oppa. Only as a joke maybe.
I am Korean, so when my American husband and I watched it, I was able to explain to him the subtle cultural differences as we watched. However, I ALSO see why they made the decisions they did with the translations. While I agree, they could have been done them a bit better, to fully explain all the deeper meanings is not feasible in a fast-paced show or movie. Especially when you're asking the audience who is unfamiliar with Korean culture in the first place to read all this as well as watching the action on the screen. An audience that has generally never had to read their movies and shows, and tend to shy away from foreign language cinematography specifically because of this. Sometimes, you need to shorten phrasing and take shortcuts in translation to keep the proper pace of the mood and vibes. Sometimes, a relatable and understandable equivalent will make far more sense than a direct Korean translation. Explaining all the deeper aspects of Korean culture is not something you can do quickly - it takes time and tons of subtitling to explain the differences. While I was able to do it quickly verbally, it's a bit much to ask for in text on the screen in the midst of dialogue and action sequences. And since not everyone can have a Korean handy to explain things as you go, you do what you can. Videos like this, that explain all the subtle things afterwards, is ideal for those who have watched the show, and are wondering about what they may have missed due to that cultural barrier. But it's better done like this - afterwards - than trying to jam all that information into the show as you watch. It's just too much, and can be prohibitive. If a person is overwhelmed, then they are more likely to walk away than to stick it out. At this point, I'm just happy westerners are getting over their aversion to reading a non-English film - the culture lessons can come later. It's better to ease people into another culture and pique their own interest in gaining that knowledge, rather than jamming it down their throats all at once whether they want to know or not.
Just want to say that outside of the Anglosphere, 'westerners' have been consuming non-English media their entire lives: that from their own country, in fact.
Thank you!! I've worked in the translation business and it's very common for cultural-specific terms to be translated with equivalents in the target language rather than translating literally (see "red light, green light"), or leave something out when there is no way to translate it in a way that immediately makes sense to the viewer (like the word "oppa").
@@DrPOP-jp7eb people in the anglosphere do, too. It didn't require a ton more context or verbiage to at least hint at a lot of this stuff, especially in to the dubbing. People were really interested and motivated to be engaged
I have seen some dramas where the actor might say a word, for example Oppa and then the subtitle is shown as honey. They then put a definition of Oppa (word used by females to call older brother or lover). I love when they do that. It’s so helpful
Because subs are not technically a "translation" as we used to call them, but an "adaptation": this means that there's an implicit process to "transform" the movie/song/opera in something the listener/reader can better understand based on his culture. Many things could be missunderstood with just a translation. I think they should just give the choice to users to watch subs in "translation" mode or "adaptation" mode: it would be interesting notice the differences too.
Even the choices of the foreign actors for the rich viewers shows they never expected this to blow up. They were assuming it was just going to be watched in Korea.
It might just be for English since most Netflix movies’/series’ original language is English and rarely need English dub. The Hungarian dubs (on Netflix and in general) are pretty good.
This vid needs more views. Adds much more value to the show than the gazillion other Squid Game content out there. I already knew the robot wasn't saying red light green light just by the sing song tone and the sentence was too long, but was hard to find an explanation of what it was really saying
Mugunghwa is a flower name. "Red light, Green light" is just a localization, or we would say generalization for global audience understanding. Just like in China, Chinese say it like "One, two, three, move wooden man" (or something like that). *「China TikTok」'Squid Game' Overhyped Trends on Chinese TikTok* czcams.com/video/P8W-oL_oTVA/video.html
@@greyLeicester Mugunghwa is also the name of the doll, which makes everything clear. She sings "I (Mugunghwa) bloomed..." and everyone has to freeze, so it's understandable it would take a long explanation to translate the meaning of it all, so they looked for a more global and quick understandable kind of game with "red light, green light".
@@noparanoiax She sings "무궁화꽃이 피었습니다" which translate to "The Rose of Sharon FLOWER has bloomed." It makes no sense for the doll to say SHE bloomed. This particular Hibiscus is the national Flower of Korea. The huge doll's name is Young Hee, the female half of the girl and boy duo found in young childrens' textbooks in Korea.
Also, there are 2 versions of english subs. English CC and English. English CC is the english used in the dubbed version. English has a more accurate translation. So for example, Minyeo's scene 'go away' is actually 'what are you looking at' in the English version of subs. 👍
I regret watching the CC version so much. I was confused as to why so many things seemed mistranslated and why other people's subs were different. I don't understand why the CC didn't just use the regular English subs which although not perfect, at least didn't make any huge mistakes like the dub script :(
Yeah, I noticed the differences between the English CC and English subtitles too. The English subtitles will give you the most direct translation and the English CC will give a translation as close or limited to the timings of the original dialog as possible. Think that girl on Tiktok had the wrong settings because mine translated it fine apart from the obvious grievances (such as hyung, oppa, noona and eunni) but that's another debate about Netflix's translations/subtitles decisions.
@@icedmochaart The English subtitles are meant for those watching the show in Korean, while the English CC are meant for those watching the dubbed version. It would be pretty confusing to watch the show dubbed in English with subtitles that don't match what the characters are saying. On the other hand, for those who watch the show in Korean, the English subtitles can be longer and more accurate since they do not have to match the mouth movements.
The north korean dialect being hidden. That is mad props to the show. I always thought that was because the actress was still green to keep the accent consistent bit my God I was wrong! This makes me respect the writing even more!
@@sgtmian and how did you tie in her hidden accent with her being inexperienced? I didn't really get that. also interesting for me to know: is the actor actually from north korea, or did she fake that accent?
And the song played when Sae Byeok dies it's called "dawn". And it's beautiful, reminds me of some of the band Mogwai greatest tunes💜 Also notice that scene where they talk about the lunch boxes, and the protagonist tells to his childhood friend if he remembers when they put it on the briquette to heat the rice, and he with his blank face told him it's not good to remember the past... but the next game he remembered his childhood when they used to buy the dalgonas and eat them together, and still he didn't tell anything to his friend, letting him go to the umbrella hard shape.
I think it would be impossible to transfer all of the nuances of Squid Game from Korean to English. If you watch with subtitles, you can still pick up things in just an actor's tone or behavior that can help fill in the gaps, but you'll never get 100%. Still they did a pretty good job overall, that's why SG is so popular worldwide!
Exactly! So much of the actors job is the communication done with tone and body language. Shaw is famous for saying: ‘England and America are two countries separated by the same language’.
They could do better, though. I have watched many Korean shows on other sites that included much more in translations, letting me learn the little cultural differences, plays on words, respect titles and attitudes, etc, just by including better descriptions in the subtitles. Viewers would get much more out of the shows if Netflix could do that.
This is golden!! While everyone else is yammering on about "playstation buttons" and "Is he is daddy??", you brought some real and useful insight to the series that I wouldve never understood otherwise. This video definitely should have more views!!
@@killykat4425 It's not like he was using his phone all the time, he used it only to take notes and to record the video. He probably switched it off at other times. I've seen people soo obsessed with that. 🙄
@@silvergamerofficial dude most phones still lose battery when idle especially when on a lower percentage and i never really saw anyone try to make anything out of the PlayStation button thing its usually just an off hand comment or joke
Agreed, but this doesn't diminish the story. Squid Games isn't the usual K-drama though, the unblurred violence, crude language, nudity and sexual situations are rare. There should be a word for each type of storyline. K-soaps (from the American "Soap Opera") and K-cinema for the more esthetic genre of the modern story telling as seen in "Parasite", "Squid Games" and "Sweet Home".
The symbols of staffs also have meanings: Manager = 매니저 in Korean = ㅁ / Soldier = 솔져 in Korean = ㅅ -> △ / Worker = 워커 (in pronounciation) or 일꾼 (meaning) = ㅇ
Also the part when the detective gets killed by his brother he says "형이 왜?" (hyeongi wae?) It means "brother, why?" But the subtitles were saying "In-ho why?"
@@l.ishfaq5194 subtitle always change oppa/hyung/noona/euni/sunbie/hobby and other korean words to just the name of the character they can't find easy way to translate it so they just put the names it took a lot of the meaning of the relationship between characters but when you get used to korean you know what they mean of those words and didn't take only sub.
Hahahaha okay. I'm Korean. I agree that some parts of english sub for squid game were not enough to deliver the original meaning but I think this clip also has some overtranslation. Especially the tiktoker youngmi? She said the Han Mi-Nyeo's line '공부를 안해서 그렇지' means 'never got a chance to study'. It's not impossible to translate it like that depending on the situation. But it literally means 'I didn't study' or 'I didn't like studying'. There's no words for 'never got a chance' or 'not wealthy' in it. I also do not think Han Mi-Nyoe grew up in a wealthy family but in that scene, 'I didn't study' is more appropreate I think. If the writer wanted to deliver the meaning of 'never got a chance' through the line, he would have gone by '공부를 못했다/할 수 없었다'(I couldn't study) something like that. Thank you for trying to understand Korean language more accurately. But you don't need to think that every single sentence of squid game has deep meaning. hahaha
I think it is inevitable that there will be things lost in translation and via cultural differences. It is why videos such as these are so valuable to address these concerns and educate the world further from the popularity this great series from Korea has had in the world at large.
My gosh, the number of similarities between African and Asian cultures are insane! Never ceases to amaze me! Things like the issues with bad translations losing the deeper meanings of the show, terms used for respect, age and class consciousness reigning supreme, accent switches to avoid discrimination, always handing things to older people with BOTH hands and more!
@@Isinforblood Im sure @ phronesis meant african culture. We respect and curtsey to anyone older than us. We have age grades, both hands to give elders items......
@@Isinforblood My heritage is Nigerian. Although I don't live there anymore my family still lives there. Google is your friend if you are still unsure. Educate yourself
"Once you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many amazing films," said Bong Joon-ho. No need to explain to International viewers because we "overcome" the nuance of subs & dubs.
Dang, I didn't even notice the change in honorifics at the end of the show. That's a big one. Very cool. The more I learn about this show, the more I love it.
This is why I keep watching these videos. I know being an American, I would view things differently. I loved the show and knew there was more meaning that just what was dubbed. Thank you for sharing because it really helps make the story even more real
I think this is a testament to the writing that despite so much being lost in translation, the story is so good that it captivated the whole world despite that.
Right before tug-of-war when Deok-Su betrays Mi-Nyeo, the English subtitles/dub have his gang members saying she "isn't worth the effort", but the actual line is something like "what a waste of a name". Mi-Nyeo's name directly translates to beauty in Korean, so the gang hurts her further by insulting her appearance in addition to abandoning her.
Having studied audiovisual translating and dubbing at uni, I need to say that languages are NOT exact sciences. You can never fully and faithfully transfer a message from the source language to the target language because there are just simply differences that dont allow it. The expression 'lost in translation' illustrates this perfectly. Having 100% accurate translations would be making 2 languages the same when in reality languages are the verbal and written representation of a certain people with centuries of history and culture unique to it. Plus there are way too many factors to take on board, like cultural aspects, humour, socio-political background, character limit for the subtitles, time (sound + visual shot), mouth synch... Literal translations dont work all the time. The best thing is to find an equivalent that roughly conveys the message from context A to context B. Stop criticising a complex process whose intricacies and nuances are not understood by most people. You would need constant 'foot notes' on the screen explaining all of these details for the full message to come across and be fully grasped and that is just simply not possible.
That's why movie translations are not direct translate, but some jokes can be changed for something which makes sense in your laguauge etc...Many people hate translation of names (like in Harry Potter or LOTR), but I actually think it's correct to translate them, it makes feeling from movie completely different than have some English names which people in other countries don't understand. Movies which have good translation and good dubbing in my langauge (Czech), have one thing common - they all have translated names, it's not a coincidence, it's important, especially in fantasy where names are some word game very often.
Thank you so much for this. The subtlety of global culture is a deep interest, and I try very hand to be respectful and correct when interacting with people from different races and cultures, and I've been told so many times how much they appreciate the honor of my efforts (an Afghani gentleman once gave me a beautiful cuff bracelet because I was aware of his customs, he said he was so moved that an American woman would be so polite and interested in his nation. And it is a gift I will always treasure, we were both nearly in tears, and I to refuse the gift would have been an insult.) I loved this show and I knew I was missing so much. There was a great deal of English in it, but I knew there was a much deeper undercurrent that I was missing. I was born in the year of the Tiger and my neighbors were from Korea. He was very impressed and told me it was very difficult for a woman to be a Tiger, but that they had great loyalty, and were generous, but very angry if they are betrayed. He hit it perfectly. Tiger bows only to Dragon and together they are Yin and Yang, they balance the world. This series meant a lot to me on so many levels, thank you for giving it even more meaning for us. I work as a television writer, and generally watch foreign films with the original language and subtitles, because I get a better perspective when I can hear the tone in the actor's voices. Regardless, thank you for this tutorial and explaining the customs many of us missed, I will always be mindful of them. Respect opens many doors.
The Romanized initials for the Squid Game used in Korea are OJM. The derive from OJingeo GeiM: The Korean word (in Hangul) is 오징어 게임 (O-Jing-Eo-Ge-Im). The three symbols in the movie, circle ㅇ, triangle ㅿ and square ㅁ (the "Playstation buttons") are actually the letters (jamo)ㅇㅈㅁ. The Hangul letters (jamo) ieung, jieut and mieum. The ieung isn't the O sound by itself, it's silent. However it combines with the vowel ㅗ (O) to create the full letter 오 with this sound. The letter ieung combines with all the vowels to make sounds. Eg 이 is the i sound. A circle ㅇ, a triangle ㅿ (if you move the horizontal line below the ㅈ) and a square ㅁ. That's the connection between the 3 symbols and the name of the movie, Squid Game. The movie's Korean poster has the title in white and the typeface of these letters is pronounced, as the 3 symbols are in magenda.
For a non-Korean speaker the only way to judge the subtitle translation is in it's lucid conveyance of the story and dialogue: in this, the English subtitles (NOT the closed-captioning!) of SQUID GAME succeeded. As anyone who has ever read a novel in translation knows, it is impossible to translate every nuance. It's important to remind non-Korean-speaking audiences that they are not getting the full effect of the writing (just as those not proficient in Russian will not get the full effect of CRIME AND PUNISHMENT... regardless of who did the translation), and I'm grateful for the videos explaining the nuances that I missed (as I'm grateful for the footnotes in my English copy of CRIME AND PUNISHMENT). But that said I think a little respect should be shown to the translators who agreed to tackle this next to impossible task. Subtitle translation may be the most difficult of all, because in addition to capturing cultural nuances that readers of the target language couldn't possibly take in, subtitles require very careful abridgment of the dialogue itself due to the necessity of insuring that each subtitle presented has time to be read by the audience. Under these circumstances, I think the translators did an admirable job.
I noticed it when the subtitles didn’t match the dubbed voices because they were both saying 2 different things. (I got curious to see if they were matching so I turned on the audio and the captions). So I changed the dubbed back to Korean audio and used the English version and not the English CC subtitles. It was confusing me too much to use the English CC and hearing the English dubbed audio.
Thanks for the video! This is some of the better content surrounding the show I've seen, you're actually adding to the conversation for us non-Korean speakers!
1:28 The English dub skipped the doll's chant all together. When I heard the haunting refrain, quick research showed the Mugungwha flower to be white with a sharp red center, much like a gun shot wound. "The Mugunghwa has bloomed" "The shooting will begin."
There is ALWAYS going to be things that are lost in translation. However I personally found that I was able to pick up the idea of what they were saying in there acting. It was an amazing show that was seen all over the world. I believe that they took great care in translating it. My wife is Japanese and I am American. I watch it dubbed in English while she watched it sub in Japanese. Still we both were able to watch the show and know what was going on. More amazing we both enjoyed it very much. This shows how much went into every detail of the show and even down to picking out the words used for “Red Light, Green Light” if it was “Flower bloom stop” I felt that I would have understand less. I know that they will make a season 2 but it’s going to have to have the same amount of detail put into the show as season 1. For sure it’s going to be another Korean classic story that we all can enjoy. For sure if you are Korean you will know the ending as before but for me and the rest of the world, it will be a very entertaining exchange of couture. It was great to learn what was missed if you didn’t speak Korean, and it was an amazing show. My respect goes out to everyone involved in making it.
@@KyleLambing Not really, it is in the first two episodes like it is kind of exaggerative and weird, but as the show goes on it gets much better and you can't even tell they are dubbing anymore
@@GameboySqurill yes it is honestly idrc which one people prefer i watch dubbed stuff sometimes but i cant pretend like the acting wasnt comeplete dog shit ESSPESIALLY when people are trying to pick at the Korean (original)
I love videos like these! Thank you for sharing! I’ve always expected that subtitles and dubbing wouldn’t always be perfect but having the opportunity to watch something like this and for there to be others to explain the customs and nuances of the Korean Culture, it makes for a great watching and re-watching of any kind of foreign piece of entertainment.
Yay, first comment. Great video, you pointed out all the subtlties lost in translation really well, I found them really interesting. Translating word plays, and the cultural meanings of honorifics not used in other cultures would be incredibly difficult, but I agree with what you are saying that this would result in the loss of an enormous amount of nuance from the show.
At this point someone should do proper english subtitles for Squid Games and type "oppa" and "hyung" whenever it's said and curious viewers can google its meaning later, it'd be much better than leaving those words out altogether (also type the translations of characters names in brackets, I'm honestly surprised they didn't at least do that). (I watched it with serbian subtitles and they were surprisingly better that english ones, eg. they translated Min-yeo's "What are you looking at?" right and also the way Gi-hun adresses old man in a respectful manner also translated well but the weirdest thing was when Gi-hun thought Sang-woo lost money on a woman lmao, i was literally so confused about that part)
This is a good point, and might have been a good alternative. At first people would be like “idk wtf that means” but it wouldn’t be any worse than just replacing it with their name, it would give a chance for people to learn a new term/Korean cultural reference, and would be most accurate. Often people would be able to infer the meaning from context. Also there are two versions of the English subtitles, I’m not sure why, and the version I saw also said “what are you looking at?” Etc.
I always wonder how American films are translated for other countries that are non-English speakers and how accurate it is for them. I work in healthcare and we have translators for all our non-English speakers in every other language. And sometimes the translator will say, “oh, ummm, I don’t really have a translation for that word/phrase specifically”.
I've done lots of subtitling and translation of TV programming. Most of the examples here would simply slow down the dialogue if they attempted to include them, because the viewers will not understand the language- or culture-specific concepts anyway. For example, as the video says, Korean has many levels of formality, but English doesn't, and most attempts to replicate this (such as use of honorifics) would just sound contrived. Likewise, a character who switches accents - at best, we might be able to replicate this in English if it were a person of humble origins who switches to sounding posh, but there's no way to replicate the difference between North and South Korean accents and what they signify. Puns or similar misunderstandings must often be dropped altogether, unless there is a similar concept that won't sound awkward. Other details - references to a novel familiar in Korea but not elsewhere, or the fact that a game is named for the Korean national flower, or a player's constant swearing - would turn the dubbing into a clunky bore if they were somehow included. On the other hand, a genuine mistranslation, like the "I'm not a genius" cited here, certainly can take their toll on the understanding of the characters, no matter what response it triggers in Korean or other viewers.
I herd Netflix didn't give the man who directed and wrote this masterpiece (Hwang Dong-hyuk) a bonus for the success🙁They only paid him the agreed upon amount. He says he's not rich but he can put food on the table. I feel like Netflix should be more thankful bc everything they put out has never been this successful. They made hundreds of millions of dollars because of him and he put everything he had into it. He directed EVERY episode. Truly amazing
Thank you for this video. This really highlights how much can get lost in translation from one culture to another. When I eventually rewatch, it will be with a greater appreciation.
One more thing to add is that Dragon Motors Gi-hun used to work before getting fired is based on the actual company called Ssangyong motors, which went bankrupt years ago. There had been a huge strike and more than 30 people died in the process if I remember correctly. Ssang yong means double dragon in Korean by the way. I think Netflix fixed the subs recently. The new eng sub is much much better than the previous one.
Brilliant! Thank you for this. I had the pleasure of working with a few South Korean people here in the UK some years ago. I learned a lot from them about respect and honour. I noticed the significance of the passing the glass of water. Also, A Chinese girl once told me that it would be extremely insulting to pass something to an older person with only one hand. The language explanations in your video are very helpful.
Thank you! Even though I already watched it, it’s so nice to get these insights. Many of us have been watching Korean TV and film for a while and are beginning to understand the culture more which makes the viewing experience richer.
I watched the show with English subtitles (and that's not my first language, either) and I was able to surmise some of this, like Ali not being familiar with some words/customs and being very respectful to the others, and also the way most players looked down on Ali and Sae-Byeok. but some of these had gone over my head for sure!
As a Korean who is a native Korean speaker, you guys really did great job echoing my frustration of the translation of this show. So much of the mannerism and the sentiments were lost due to a hack job of translation... but bravo to you guys for pointing it out in detail.
Could you help me out with something? At the end of the marble game does Ji-yeon say "thank you for playing with me" or " i'm honoured that we were partners" to Sae-byeok. I've seen both translations but have no idea which is correct. thank you!
@@xoloveebuggxo Ji-yeon says "Goh-mah-wuh" an informal way of saying "Thanks" then she says "Nah-rahng Gah Chi Hae joh suh" which if taken literally means "for doing it with me" so basically "thank you for playing with me" is the right translation, albeit not literal but carries the same tone. There's no mention of the word honor in Korean
I appreciate videos like this SO much! I'm pretty familiar with Japanese culture and can pick out where dubs (which I can no longer listen to) and subs get things horribly wrong, but I'm not as familiar with Korean, so I'm so glad people who do know Korean culture are pointing these things out! It gives SO much more depth to the show!
I’m non Korean but do know Korean culture and cultural norms. I understand some Korean but am not fluent. I picked up on a lot of these but definitely wish the dialogue was subtitled more literally to get what was actually said by the actors and actresses.
Here's what I think. 1) I think this has been pointed out before but the subs that the rainbow-colored hair girl pointed out were actually the closed caption subs and not the regular subs. The closed-captioned subs have different restraints and so had to cut a lot of the dialog down. The regular subs were actually closer to the actual meaning. (example: when the rainbow haired girl point's out that the (CC) subtitles say "go away." The non-cc subtitles say "what are you looking at." I checked) 2) the thing with the titles can't be helped. The English language does not have equivalents for "hyeong" "oppa" etc. 3) The other things can't be helped either. There's no time to explain what "one fine day" means to Koreans if you don't already know and there's no way to represent a North Korean accent in text. The same happens the other way around as well. When I lived in Asia, I ran into so many people who thought that Americans all slept in the bed with their shoes on because they didn't know that showing a character asleep in their bed with their full clothes on, including their shoes, is a way to show that they're exhausted. They also didn't know that showing a person eating an apple is a way to show that they're an asshole/arrogant. Things always get lost in translation because of cultural differences and that can't be helped.
Thank you for the insight! It helps to understand Squid game even more. And there was a lot of lessons and comparisons with real life. Truly masterpiece and the effort to design these fields etc...
The actor who plays the front man is name-dropped when the girls are talking about what they want to do in the future in episode 6. It unfortunately makes the reveal of his identity kind of funny if you were paying attention... and also know who he is, which is not likely if you're not aware of Korean pop culture. He's a very high-profile actor so I think many Korean people might have noticed.
To add one more thing, in the last scene of episode 5, the detective finds his brother's profile. The profile says that he worked as a police officer for a long time. That's why Frontman was well aware of the types and rules of police guns.
I agree as a non-korean speaker.. while its nice to know these cultures.. I personally think it would confuse the non-korean speaking audience or prolong the series
Not only did I feel like I was missing stuff. I rewatched the first two episodes after realising that Netflix had two different kinds of subtitles in English. The CC-english doesn't even care about translation since it's literally just texting the dubbed version. So switching to "English" translated subs at least made it tolerable. But yeah so much is lost in translation.
I understand that the dubbing takes away something from the story but for those of us who struggle with dyslexia and have developed an appreciation for Korean dramas is the only way we can follow the plot so instead of attacking dubbing in general demand a better team of translators. preferably people with a better eye for details.
Recently finished the show & just discovered this video. Was an interesting watch. Definitely going to rewatch the show but I've been watching breakdowns.
Very interesting! I know there’s many customs in Korea that we don’t have in the states necessarily so it was definitely to our detriment to not get the translation exact for us to understand. I would’ve loved to of had it really exact with the translation and I did not want to watch it dubbed I wanted to listen to the Korean because I think Korean is a beautiful language.
I watched with translations first. I read quickly, but scenes were changing while I was reading. I watched a reaction channel where they watched it dubbed and it really helped free up my eyes to watch. I had missed many small exchanges and dropping of weapons. Thank you for covering how some of the honorifics were done. I’m aware of them, but can’t understand and hear them all the tine at a regular speed.
These just gave the show a whole lot deeper meaning and cultural context. Really wish things like this has a way of getting elivered to forein audiences even after they've been translated to a different language.
A few things to add about Korean culture that non-Koreans may not know:
1. The gigantic doll during the Red Light, Green Light game is known to many Koreans as Young Hee. She's a character from Korean school textbooks. The male version is called Chul Soo. They're kind of like the American "Dick and Jane" if they had a universal image. Image how shocking/hilarious it was to Koreans to see their version of "Jane" from their elementary textbooks playing the children's game Red Light, Green Light with deadly consequences. Maybe like a Dora the Explorer or something similar killing people. LOL
2. Korea has universal healthcare. The mother would have been treated for her diabetes without having to worry about high medical bills. That part about not being able to be treated at the hospital due to lack of health insurance was fake to make the lead character's financial situation more dire.
3. The scene at the ATM where Gi Hun didn't know his Mother's birthday had me dying with laughter! Gi Hyun said he didn't know her birthday because she goes by the lunar calendar. Non-Koreans thought it was a really lame excuse but to most Koreans it could have been possible. Possible but probably not practical cause you'd have to change the numbers every year. LOL A lot of the older generation still prefer using the lunar dates which DO change every year so it's not a date a person can come up with quickly. For example, my mother's birthday is October 9th but this year her Lunar birthday will be November 13th so we'll celebrate her birthday then. My birthday is February 28th but it'll be March 30th in 2022 according to the Lunar Calendar.
4. Guns are NOT common in Korea. I've seen some reactions from Americans where they freaked out because the birthday present was a gun and also because his daughter pulled the trigger so easily while pointing the gun at her father. All Koreans immediately knew the gun was a fake, including the daughter in the scene, so wouldn't think twice about pulling the trigger because she knew it was a toy of some sort.
5. A reaction channel was informed that guns weren't common in Korea so wanted to know how the guards knew anything about guns. Korea has a mandatory draft. All men are required to serve approximately 18 months in the military. Able-bodied men serve as active soldiers while others who are not physically able serve as public servants but ALL go through the basic "boot camp" so know how to operate all types of guns. Technically, Korea is still at war. That's also why Gi Hyun was talking in military ranks when he was setting up the group alliance and everyone immediately understood except for Ali.
6. Koreans are very conscious and aware of social standings and class status so knowing these facts from the video really do make a difference. North Koreans are discriminated against so most try to lose or hide their accents i.e. Sae Byeok. The fact that Sang Woo graduated from Seoul National University is mentioned often by his mother and even Gi Hyun because Koreans put a lot of emphasis on status and Seoul National University is the hardest college to get into in Korea (major bragging rights). Ali was more than likely not even an immigrant but an illegal resident and that's why his employer was probably able to get away with treating him like shit with no worries about repercussions. Foreigners are not treated well in Korea and Ali was initially addressing everyone very respectfully as "boss". That's why it was huge when Sang Woo gave Ali permission to call him "Hyung" implying a closer, trusted, less formal relationship.
7. Koreans do NOT call each other by only their given first names unless they are 친구 which means "friend". Technically, one can only be called a "friend" if they're 동갑 (the same age) and even then both parties have to agree to be less formal to use their given names. The word "friend" doesn't quite mean the same as it does in English. One can be "friendly" with another but to be a "friend" to Koreans, you have to be the same age. Ali always added Hyung after Sang Woo's name. Even Sang Woo added Hyung after Gi Hyun's name. They could have just said "Hyung" without adding the first names too.
8. Koreans always say and write their last names first so the first syllable is the surname. Korean women do NOT change their last name when we get married. We retain our maiden name. The kids usually receive their fathers' last names though.
9. Ali wasn't fluent in Korean and had a limited vocabulary. He understood concepts but just didn't know the Korean words like "odd" or "even". Something else I noticed was that during the dalgona game, I don't think he knew he was supposed to use the needle provided to poke out the shape. I think he kept the needle in his mouth the whole time and just used his hands?
10. Last bit of complete trivia: the old man's name일남 (Il Nam) means First Man. The word 오징어 (Squid) is often used to call someone ugly. LOL
Everyone take care & stay safe!
Thank you so much for your detailed explanation. It gives a better understanding of the Korean culture. I know a bit of Korean since I have been watching Korean dramas since 2018, so I could understand some dialogues. But when I read the subtitles, I just shook my head because some were just mistranslated or just summarised that they lost their real meanings.
this is really interesting, thank you!
@@achocolatelily0804 Thanks for the info. I know a lot of Asian countries still use the Lunar Calendar to some extent but wasn't sure if it was still regularly used to celebrate birthdays and not just New Years. Take care!
Thank you! This was a really cool and interesting thing to read 😊
One more I forgot to add:
11. When the survivors meet up with the crazy woman Mi Nyeo after the Marbles game, she called herself a Kkakdugi (깍두기).
It's a cultural/slang term used to describe a leftover player in a game or the odd man out during a game. It was a way to keep the 깍두기 involved by giving them a pass. Often, the weakest or newer/younger player(s) were typically designated the Kkakdugi (깍두기) to let them participate by making the rules a little bit more lenient for them by allowing them a few extra chances to make mistakes, a few extra free chances, etc. For example, if there's a new player in a game who's not as familiar with the rules, he'd be designated as a Kkakdugi and given extra chances.
Sometimes, if there is an odd number of players available for a game, someone might be picked as a 깍두기 to not play so there can be an equal number of players on each side. It didn't mean the 깍두기 was left out or forgotten completely. He would still be involved by playing the judge, referee, etc. It's a cultural thing to make sure everyone was included during games.
BTW - A Kkakdugi (깍두기) is literally a kimchi made from Korean radish cut up into small cubes. LOL
Stay healthy everyone!
The hibiscus was a resistance symbol during the Japanese oppression of Korea. “The hibiscus has bloomed” was code for the resistance to attack, so Japanese soldiers would beat you up for saying it. However soldiers didn’t beat up children, so the revolutionaries would teach kids to say it and avoid suspicion.
Fascinating.
Thank you! 🤯 This information is gold!
Considering what Japanese soldiers did to Korean women it seems weird that they would hold back with children. Have a source to back up that claim?
I wondered where kids got the phrase, that makes sense
대환장 파티구먼… 영작실력이 부족하면 오역을 불러 일으킬수 있으니 구글번역기 돌려서 글 올릴바엔 차라리 댓글을 쓰지 말기를.
OK the fact that Ali wasn't just calling Sang-woo by his name just broke me again! God that scene was heartbreaking
The worst thing is that Hyung is often used to address a person who is an older brother or older brother figure. So Ali called Sangwoo his older brother and thus showed him vulnerability and trust :(
yo i just made a similar comment, know exactly how you feel. Like getting stabbed a second time at the same place right after the first wound healed up.
@@Flareontoast Ali is showing him respect. He has been grateful ever since sang woo helped him in the second episode.
I was crying at that scene 😭
I watched with Korean audio and English subs so I could hear him call out Hyong and it was so sad. ;_;
Having been a professional subtitler/translator for 10-ish years myself, I'd say that while the subtitles of Squid Game might not be perfect, they're not bad either. In subtitling you can usually fit between 36 and 42 characters on a line (including spaces), and the maximum duration doesn't usually exceed 7 seconds. It would be impossible to fit every nuance of the show in the subtitles due to cultural differences, so the translators will have to use the closest equivalents found in the target language. Chances are a lot of the "mistranslations" are not in fact "huge misses" but adaptations to something that the target language audience would be more familiar with. If they feel like they need more insight on Korean words like gganbu, they can always do a bit of extra research themselves. Good translations are supposed to capture the meaning and the essence of the show and make the viewer feel like they're not reading subtitles at all (thought that might be a bit easier if the viewer is somewhat familiar with the source language). Regardless, I found this video very useful and informative on explaining some of the cultural aspects of the show that the non-Korean viewers might have missed :)
You mean in English or Finnish
Most of everything highlighted was understood thru the performances. I watch the English dub by Korean voice actors and not the subtitles. Had they not been Korean then I would have opted for the subtitles
Came here to say this. I’ve had to do a lot of Chinese translations involving puns and, in some cases, unless there is saying n English that can convey the same meaning, then it’s just not possible to translate the exact meaning within the limits of the dialogue. It’s always kind of a bummer to know the audience is missing out on a clever joke in a scene, but not having a way to explain it in the text. That’s why fan subbers add a lot of notes with their subs. Context helps, but you have to pause the show to read the full explanation which can be distracting. Though the first game isn’t “Red Light, Green Light”, calling it that for English audiences is a much faster way of making them understand the rules of the game right away. There’s always going to be cultural things that are just not going to carry over to other audiences who aren’t familiar with those things (i.e. accents, traditions). Fortunately when shows are as compelling as this, audiences will often try to learn more.
That tik tok on about the huge misses was talking about the closed caption subtitles as well which are much more inaccurate than the actual subtitles. I watched the actual subs and at least from my perspective they were much more accurate
Do u know if Netflix finnish subs comes from eng->finnish or Korea->finnish? I bet first one D:. I would have enjoyed these tiny details they had on this vid(and I bet there is more).
When thinking of some animes they include some tiny extra details in the scene...maybe they could have done it somehow like that in here too.
I think your definition of Hyeong is wrong. It's a title for a boy or man to call an older brother or older male friend. You never call a stranger "Hyeong" only because he's older. You have to be friends with him first. When Sangwoo allowed Ali to call him "Hyeong", it's like like saying "Let's be friends. Think of me like your older brother. And I'll take care of you". Ali was so moved by that, and the wall between them disappeared at that moment. That's why SW's betrayal becomes double triple bad. I liked the English translation of Sang-woo's bad investment in Futures. I bet every country had to tweak it to make sense in their own language. Nothing lost in translation there.
That's a very accurate point.
Biological brother > Hyeong >>>>friend.
Agree except for one slight correction. They would have to be familiar and friendly but technically can never be considered "friends" in Korea because they aren't the same age. One can only be a 친구 (friend) if they're 동갑 (same age).
Take care & stay safe!
But see, when you get too deep into weeds, it gets complicated. I agree with your general take on Ali and Sang-woo, but there are times when you'd call a stranger hyung. Just like there are times when a girl will call strangers oppa or unni. I mean, Mi-nyeo did that to Deok-su.
Certain terms have evolved, like unni, eemo, and even hyung. Some people these days will use hyung in place of ajushi as a friendly gesture.
@@TheHockeywitch yeah that’s a little crazy I’m Korean and I would consider ppl a bit younger than me as friends. You’re being a bit too literal.
@@dathunderman4 Hey Tretch!. I'm Korean as well. A lot of people consider people of different ages as friends. Thar's why I specifically used the term "technically". 친구 doesn't mean the same as it does in English. It's not that big of a deal to a fellow Korean cause we know the difference but I figure there are quite a few non-Koreans here who are interested in Korean culture & customs so wanted to let them know there is a difference in the way some things are viewed. I don't think they'd want to make the mistake of using Korean words incorrectly. Some Korean concepts like 동갑 and even Korean age vs international age can be really confusing to non-Koreans when they first encounter them. LOL I hope that clarifies it my comment.
Please take care & stay safe!
The three ranks of guards are Worker (Ant), Warrior (Ant) and Manager (Handler). In Korean that is일벌 (일개미), 전사 (전사 개미), 매니저. Romanized that is ilbeol (ilgaemi), jeonsa (jeonsa gaemi), and manija. They start with the letters ㅇㅈㅁ. A circle ㅇ, a triangle ㅿ and a square ㅁ (see my other post for an explanation).
This is such a great info. thanks for sharing I didn't know about this 😄
I knew there had to be meaning behind the symbols, thank you! But what other post? There's over 1000 comments under this video, I can't go through them all.... 😩
@@menmaemma The Romanized initials for the Squid Game used in Korea are OJM. The derive from OJingeo GeiM: The Korean word (in Hangul) is 오징어 게임 (O-Jing-Eo-Ge-Im). The three symbols in the movie, circle ㅇ, triangle ㅿ and square ㅁ (the "Playstation buttons") are actually the letters (jamo)ㅇㅈㅁ. The Hangul letters (jamo) ieung, jieut and mieum. The ieung isn't the O sound by itself, it's silent. However it combines with the vowel ㅗ (O) to create the full letter 오 with this sound. The letter ieung combines with all the vowels to make sounds. Eg 이 is the i sound.
A circle ㅇ, a triangle ㅿ (if you move the horizontal line below the ㅈ) and a square ㅁ. That's the connection between the 3 symbols and the name of the movie, Squid Game. The movie's Korean poster has the title in white and the typeface of these letters is pronounced, as the 3 symbols are in magenda.
omg !!!!
That’s brilliant
They should have hired people who make subtitles for k-dramas. They usually add another line in parenthesis or in italics which explains what wouldn't be known outside of Korea.
IKR! Even Manhwas which are fan translated are more specific and easily understandable compared to webtoons or the like
Yeah,instead of making it auto generated
Those are typically only seen in fan subs in my experience. People doing stuff without being paid just because they love it always do the best job 🤣
@@quigli I was about to say the same thing. Basically all Netflix kdrama trans are lacking and none of them properly translate things. So watching squid games subbed wasntt any different than the others.
They should redo the subtitles. I bet no one expected this show to blow up like it did
This is great. More people should see this if they like Squid Game.
Agree, this drama is totally global phenomenon, even like China where Netflix is banned there. Chinese fans so crazy about it as well:
*「China TikTok」'Squid Game' Overhyped Trends on Chinese TikTok*
czcams.com/video/P8W-oL_oTVA/video.html
well, i am Korean and i didn't know the points foreign people can't understand well but i catch them now
More people need to understand what happened in 9/11 the event that changed the world.
More people need to educate themselves about the killing their governments doing i. Other countries
Not watch this video
I was the 1,000th like, you’re welcome
Sanwoo eating first even though he’s not the oldest at the table is also something people who are not familiar with Korean customs might have missed
The 선물 / “future” joke for English could’ve easily been shoehorned in. When I watched it , I thought the joke was that Gi-hun thought Sang-woo meant he wasted his money investing in a “future” with a woman he fell for. I had no knowledge of the double meaning/homonym situation. I still laughed. It could’ve worked. I’m thankful I learned something new today LOL
Interesting that in Korean the word for futures also mean gift. In English it's present!
@@JimvicDy It is very common that 1 Korean word could mean several things. It depends on the context. It is easily to read and write Korean but when it comes to conversation it is harder - because you have to know what the person is referring to.
@Lynn Dalton - Jimvic Dy was pointing out that it’s interesting that in Korean, the word Gift and Future are the exact same. In English, that word is Present. Present means Gift and Now in English. So in Korean, gift = future. In English gift = now. Get the ‘joke’?
Just because i really enjoyed this joke when i watched it, i wanna say this. In english a future is also a type of stock investment so a double meaning is still there. This joke definitely made me giggle when i watched :)
Agree, the joke still worked. “$6 million? That must be some future!”
As a KDrama fan (that's not a Korean), I did realise that Ali was addressing him as his elder brother when he kept calling out for Sang-Woo as Hyung... It broke my heart, honestly speaking... That's when I noticed the subs were just mentioning his name.. I felt sorry for the ppl that were missing on the emotion 😕😕😕
I noticed that too! I've only watched like 2? K-dramas but I am a language geek so I am often research things like these. Ali referring to Sangwoo as a brother figure and then being betrayed by him hurt so much
@@Flareontoast IKR 😕
Honestly
I don’t speak a word of Korean, but I really don’t know how people missed that. It was a big deal when Sang Woo told Ali to stop calling him “sir”, and then told to call him “hyung.” The way Ali’s face lit up it was clear how touched he was, how much it meant to him, and despite the subtitles you could plainly hear him calling for Sang Woo by the new term and the heartbreaking desperation as he refused to accept that his friend had betrayed him. You have to listen while you’re reading.
Same here, so heartbreaking that he was told to call him older brother (someone who is meant to take care of you) and was essentially calling out "brother" as Sangwoo had betrayed him and left him to die. It shows even clearer that he refuses to believe that Sangwoo has betrayed him right until the end 😭
Hyung is casual, not formal. That's what made Ali calling Sang Woo hyung so sad. As an immigrant Ali was mistreated and taken advantage of, and Sang Woo was the first person to be kind to him, to tell him to call him hyung (used only with an actual older brother, very close older male friend, or older boyfriend for gay couples).
Also, Mi Nyeo didn't call Deok Su old man, she called him oppa, which is what a female speaker calls her older brother, close older male friend, or older boyfriend.
Yup, and there’s a flirtatiousness to the word oppa when used on a non-related male. A young woman wouldn’t address an older man she has no interest in as oppa but might to someone she wants to get to know better. I guess an American equivalent is calling your older boyfriend “daddy”, but I think oppa is more wholesome.
and even younger boy friend ^^
@@Singleeyedking ehh not really lol most don't like it if an older girl/gf calls them that, it would only weird them out. Some guys will call their gf nuna if the girl was older, but never an older girl calling their younger bf oppa. Only as a joke maybe.
@@user-vy8ip9tv7w In this show(Squid game), han mi-nyo is older than snake tatoo guy. but she called him oppa...lol
and also that is weird thing^^
I'm german, but I wonder if that oppa address is close to when english women call their boyfriends daddy, or hispanic women say papi.
I am Korean, so when my American husband and I watched it, I was able to explain to him the subtle cultural differences as we watched. However, I ALSO see why they made the decisions they did with the translations. While I agree, they could have been done them a bit better, to fully explain all the deeper meanings is not feasible in a fast-paced show or movie. Especially when you're asking the audience who is unfamiliar with Korean culture in the first place to read all this as well as watching the action on the screen. An audience that has generally never had to read their movies and shows, and tend to shy away from foreign language cinematography specifically because of this.
Sometimes, you need to shorten phrasing and take shortcuts in translation to keep the proper pace of the mood and vibes. Sometimes, a relatable and understandable equivalent will make far more sense than a direct Korean translation. Explaining all the deeper aspects of Korean culture is not something you can do quickly - it takes time and tons of subtitling to explain the differences. While I was able to do it quickly verbally, it's a bit much to ask for in text on the screen in the midst of dialogue and action sequences. And since not everyone can have a Korean handy to explain things as you go, you do what you can.
Videos like this, that explain all the subtle things afterwards, is ideal for those who have watched the show, and are wondering about what they may have missed due to that cultural barrier. But it's better done like this - afterwards - than trying to jam all that information into the show as you watch. It's just too much, and can be prohibitive. If a person is overwhelmed, then they are more likely to walk away than to stick it out. At this point, I'm just happy westerners are getting over their aversion to reading a non-English film - the culture lessons can come later. It's better to ease people into another culture and pique their own interest in gaining that knowledge, rather than jamming it down their throats all at once whether they want to know or not.
This ^
Just want to say that outside of the Anglosphere, 'westerners' have been consuming non-English media their entire lives: that from their own country, in fact.
Thank you!! I've worked in the translation business and it's very common for cultural-specific terms to be translated with equivalents in the target language rather than translating literally (see "red light, green light"), or leave something out when there is no way to translate it in a way that immediately makes sense to the viewer (like the word "oppa").
@@DrPOP-jp7eb people in the anglosphere do, too. It didn't require a ton more context or verbiage to at least hint at a lot of this stuff, especially in to the dubbing. People were really interested and motivated to be engaged
I have seen some dramas where the actor might say a word, for example Oppa and then the subtitle is shown as honey. They then put a definition of Oppa (word used by females to call older brother or lover). I love when they do that. It’s so helpful
I don’t understand why Netflix doesn’t put more money and effort into better transactions. Their foreign shows are so popular!
Because subs are not technically a "translation" as we used to call them, but an "adaptation": this means that there's an implicit process to "transform" the movie/song/opera in something the listener/reader can better understand based on his culture. Many things could be missunderstood with just a translation. I think they should just give the choice to users to watch subs in "translation" mode or "adaptation" mode: it would be interesting notice the differences too.
Even the choices of the foreign actors for the rich viewers shows they never expected this to blow up. They were assuming it was just going to be watched in Korea.
Facts
@@erestube Well, also one person living in Korea said that there are actors in Korea that speak English well, but cannot act well.
It might just be for English since most Netflix movies’/series’ original language is English and rarely need English dub. The Hungarian dubs (on Netflix and in general) are pretty good.
This vid needs more views. Adds much more value to the show than the gazillion other Squid Game content out there. I already knew the robot wasn't saying red light green light just by the sing song tone and the sentence was too long, but was hard to find an explanation of what it was really saying
Mugunghwa is a flower name. "Red light, Green light" is just a localization, or we would say generalization for global audience understanding. Just like in China, Chinese say it like "One, two, three, move wooden man" (or something like that).
*「China TikTok」'Squid Game' Overhyped Trends on Chinese TikTok*
czcams.com/video/P8W-oL_oTVA/video.html
Same same
@@greyLeicester Mugunghwa is also the name of the doll, which makes everything clear. She sings "I (Mugunghwa) bloomed..." and everyone has to freeze, so it's understandable it would take a long explanation to translate the meaning of it all, so they looked for a more global and quick understandable kind of game with "red light, green light".
@@noparanoiax the dolls name is YoungHee
@@noparanoiax She sings "무궁화꽃이 피었습니다" which translate to "The Rose of Sharon FLOWER has bloomed." It makes no sense for the doll to say SHE bloomed. This particular Hibiscus is the national Flower of Korea. The huge doll's name is Young Hee, the female half of the girl and boy duo found in young childrens' textbooks in Korea.
Also, there are 2 versions of english subs. English CC and English. English CC is the english used in the dubbed version. English has a more accurate translation. So for example, Minyeo's scene 'go away' is actually 'what are you looking at' in the English version of subs. 👍
I regret watching the CC version so much. I was confused as to why so many things seemed mistranslated and why other people's subs were different. I don't understand why the CC didn't just use the regular English subs which although not perfect, at least didn't make any huge mistakes like the dub script :(
Yes, everything for English was directly translated, including swears and other things that were changed through translation, I watched on that one.
Yeah I noticed, fuck I regret watching the dub so much 🤢
Yeah, I noticed the differences between the English CC and English subtitles too. The English subtitles will give you the most direct translation and the English CC will give a translation as close or limited to the timings of the original dialog as possible.
Think that girl on Tiktok had the wrong settings because mine translated it fine apart from the obvious grievances (such as hyung, oppa, noona and eunni) but that's another debate about Netflix's translations/subtitles decisions.
@@icedmochaart The English subtitles are meant for those watching the show in Korean, while the English CC are meant for those watching the dubbed version.
It would be pretty confusing to watch the show dubbed in English with subtitles that don't match what the characters are saying. On the other hand, for those who watch the show in Korean, the English subtitles can be longer and more accurate since they do not have to match the mouth movements.
The north korean dialect being hidden. That is mad props to the show. I always thought that was because the actress was still green to keep the accent consistent bit my God I was wrong! This makes me respect the writing even more!
what do you mean by "the actress was still green"?
@@jayweh when you're green you're new and inexperienced at something, this was her first acting role.
@@sgtmian and how did you tie in her hidden accent with her being inexperienced? I didn't really get that.
also interesting for me to know: is the actor actually from north korea, or did she fake that accent?
@@jayweh She faked the accent, so hiding Sae-byeok’s accent could be seen as the actress not knowing how to do the North Korean accent properly.
@@AkunoRaion aah.
And the song played when Sae Byeok dies it's called "dawn". And it's beautiful, reminds me of some of the band Mogwai greatest tunes💜
Also notice that scene where they talk about the lunch boxes, and the protagonist tells to his childhood friend if he remembers when they put it on the briquette to heat the rice, and he with his blank face told him it's not good to remember the past... but the next game he remembered his childhood when they used to buy the dalgonas and eat them together, and still he didn't tell anything to his friend, letting him go to the umbrella hard shape.
The serious face while saying not to remember the past was because it was reminding him of his recent suicide attempt with the briquette.
This was by far the most intersting squid game based video I've seen. They MUST be more. Please make more. Thanks.
I think it would be impossible to transfer all of the nuances of Squid Game from Korean to English. If you watch with subtitles, you can still pick up things in just an actor's tone or behavior that can help fill in the gaps, but you'll never get 100%. Still they did a pretty good job overall, that's why SG is so popular worldwide!
yes i could 100% tell at the end where the main charactar lost all respect for the old man just by subs& tone alone
Exactly! So much of the actors job is the communication done with tone and body language. Shaw is famous for saying: ‘England and America are two countries separated by the same language’.
Cultural differences will always be a challenge for those not in that specific cultural group.
True. I watched it with translation and if you are used to the language and understand the culture .. it wasnt difficult to interpret
They could do better, though. I have watched many Korean shows on other sites that included much more in translations, letting me learn the little cultural differences, plays on words, respect titles and attitudes, etc, just by including better descriptions in the subtitles. Viewers would get much more out of the shows if Netflix could do that.
This is golden!! While everyone else is yammering on about "playstation buttons" and "Is he is daddy??", you brought some real and useful insight to the series that I wouldve never understood otherwise. This video definitely should have more views!!
True that. Everyone else keeps talking about those playstation buttons, and the battery life of the police guy's phone.
@@silvergamerofficial Well, because phone battery life is important 🤣🤣
@@killykat4425 It's not like he was using his phone all the time, he used it only to take notes and to record the video. He probably switched it off at other times. I've seen people soo obsessed with that. 🙄
@@silvergamerofficial dude most phones still lose battery when idle especially when on a lower percentage and i never really saw anyone try to make anything out of the PlayStation button thing its usually just an off hand comment or joke
This doesnt only happened to squid game but to other kdramas too. As a casual kdrama viewer this is already understandable and normal for me 😂
Agreed, but this doesn't diminish the story. Squid Games isn't the usual K-drama though, the unblurred violence, crude language, nudity and sexual situations are rare. There should be a word for each type of storyline. K-soaps (from the American "Soap Opera") and K-cinema for the more esthetic genre of the modern story telling as seen in "Parasite", "Squid Games" and "Sweet Home".
Not a Korean speaker but also as someone who watches a lot of kdramas I was translating the common phrases I read
Exactly haha
I feel the same way lol. I watch kdramas a lot so I understood a lot of things even when the translation was a bit off in the subs
Thank you. It makes a huge difference. Especially the formal and informal way of treating elders, you mentioned.
When ali calls sang-woo as "hyung", ali feels san-woo very close to him. but sang-woo betrayed ali. cold and cruel
The symbols of staffs also have meanings: Manager = 매니저 in Korean = ㅁ / Soldier = 솔져 in Korean = ㅅ -> △ / Worker = 워커 (in pronounciation) or 일꾼 (meaning) = ㅇ
Wow! I’m Korean but didn’t catch that!! Thanks for enlightening me👍👍👍
That makes so much sense!! I didn't see this anywhere
And this is why learning languages is useful.
Also the part when the detective gets killed by his brother he says "형이 왜?" (hyeongi wae?) It means "brother, why?" But the subtitles were saying "In-ho why?"
this makes so much sense as to why the translations didn't sound like the words that came out of their mouths.
Directly translating Hyung to Big Brother/Brother sounds weird especially Americans never use formal term to call their parents/siblings.
It said "brother, why?" in the German dub
@@l.ishfaq5194 subtitle always change oppa/hyung/noona/euni/sunbie/hobby and other korean words to just the name of the character they can't find easy way to translate it so they just put the names it took a lot of the meaning of the relationship between characters but when you get used to korean you know what they mean of those words and didn't take only sub.
I have a theory that he’s not dead yet… We saw all the characters dead bodies but this one!
Hahahaha okay. I'm Korean. I agree that some parts of english sub for squid game were not enough to deliver the original meaning but I think this clip also has some overtranslation. Especially the tiktoker youngmi? She said the Han Mi-Nyeo's line '공부를 안해서 그렇지' means 'never got a chance to study'. It's not impossible to translate it like that depending on the situation. But it literally means 'I didn't study' or 'I didn't like studying'. There's no words for 'never got a chance' or 'not wealthy' in it. I also do not think Han Mi-Nyoe grew up in a wealthy family but in that scene, 'I didn't study' is more appropreate I think. If the writer wanted to deliver the meaning of 'never got a chance' through the line, he would have gone by '공부를 못했다/할 수 없었다'(I couldn't study) something like that. Thank you for trying to understand Korean language more accurately. But you don't need to think that every single sentence of squid game has deep meaning. hahaha
I think it is inevitable that there will be things lost in translation and via cultural differences. It is why videos such as these are so valuable to address these concerns and educate the world further from the popularity this great series from Korea has had in the world at large.
South Korean cultute is very interesting. Learned a lot
They should've hired Parasite's translator. They were spot on with the subtitles
They should’ve hired Bong Joon Ho’s award shows interpreter. (If you know, you know.)
My gosh, the number of similarities between African and Asian cultures are insane! Never ceases to amaze me! Things like the issues with bad translations losing the deeper meanings of the show, terms used for respect, age and class consciousness reigning supreme, accent switches to avoid discrimination, always handing things to older people with BOTH hands and more!
U meant black American cultures not really African, but is true black American and asian cultures are like a family :)
@@Isinforblood Im sure @ phronesis meant african culture. We respect and curtsey to anyone older than us. We have age grades, both hands to give elders items......
@@leovirgoempress9492 wow that’s nice do u live in Africa or something and do those people make orders for u guys to follow?
@@Isinforblood he meant Africa. the accent switching to avoid being subjected to bribery at checkpoints (in Nigeria for example) still happens today
@@Isinforblood My heritage is Nigerian. Although I don't live there anymore my family still lives there. Google is your friend if you are still unsure. Educate yourself
"Once you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many amazing films," said Bong Joon-ho.
No need to explain to International viewers because we "overcome" the nuance of subs & dubs.
Dang, I didn't even notice the change in honorifics at the end of the show. That's a big one. Very cool. The more I learn about this show, the more I love it.
This is why I keep watching these videos. I know being an American, I would view things differently. I loved the show and knew there was more meaning that just what was dubbed. Thank you for sharing because it really helps make the story even more real
I think this is a testament to the writing that despite so much being lost in translation, the story is so good that it captivated the whole world despite that.
The most shocking thing about this video is that it was made by an account with 1k subs. It has the quality of a channel with 100k easy.
Right before tug-of-war when Deok-Su betrays Mi-Nyeo, the English subtitles/dub have his gang members saying she "isn't worth the effort", but the actual line is something like "what a waste of a name".
Mi-Nyeo's name directly translates to beauty in Korean, so the gang hurts her further by insulting her appearance in addition to abandoning her.
"Hyung" means older brother in Korean so this shows how close Ali was with Sang-woo
Having studied audiovisual translating and dubbing at uni, I need to say that languages are NOT exact sciences. You can never fully and faithfully transfer a message from the source language to the target language because there are just simply differences that dont allow it. The expression 'lost in translation' illustrates this perfectly. Having 100% accurate translations would be making 2 languages the same when in reality languages are the verbal and written representation of a certain people with centuries of history and culture unique to it. Plus there are way too many factors to take on board, like cultural aspects, humour, socio-political background, character limit for the subtitles, time (sound + visual shot), mouth synch...
Literal translations dont work all the time. The best thing is to find an equivalent that roughly conveys the message from context A to context B.
Stop criticising a complex process whose intricacies and nuances are not understood by most people.
You would need constant 'foot notes' on the screen explaining all of these details for the full message to come across and be fully grasped and that is just simply not possible.
That's why movie translations are not direct translate, but some jokes can be changed for something which makes sense in your laguauge etc...Many people hate translation of names (like in Harry Potter or LOTR), but I actually think it's correct to translate them, it makes feeling from movie completely different than have some English names which people in other countries don't understand. Movies which have good translation and good dubbing in my langauge (Czech), have one thing common - they all have translated names, it's not a coincidence, it's important, especially in fantasy where names are some word game very often.
Thank you so much for this. The subtlety of global culture is a deep interest, and I try very hand to be respectful and correct when interacting with people from different races and cultures, and I've been told so many times how much they appreciate the honor of my efforts (an Afghani gentleman once gave me a beautiful cuff bracelet because I was aware of his customs, he said he was so moved that an American woman would be so polite and interested in his nation. And it is a gift I will always treasure, we were both nearly in tears, and I to refuse the gift would have been an insult.) I loved this show and I knew I was missing so much. There was a great deal of English in it, but I knew there was a much deeper undercurrent that I was missing. I was born in the year of the Tiger and my neighbors were from Korea. He was very impressed and told me it was very difficult for a woman to be a Tiger, but that they had great loyalty, and were generous, but very angry if they are betrayed. He hit it perfectly. Tiger bows only to Dragon and together they are Yin and Yang, they balance the world. This series meant a lot to me on so many levels, thank you for giving it even more meaning for us. I work as a television writer, and generally watch foreign films with the original language and subtitles, because I get a better perspective when I can hear the tone in the actor's voices. Regardless, thank you for this tutorial and explaining the customs many of us missed, I will always be mindful of them. Respect opens many doors.
The Romanized initials for the Squid Game used in Korea are OJM. The derive from OJingeo GeiM: The Korean word (in Hangul) is 오징어 게임 (O-Jing-Eo-Ge-Im). The three symbols in the movie, circle ㅇ, triangle ㅿ and square ㅁ (the "Playstation buttons") are actually the letters (jamo)ㅇㅈㅁ. The Hangul letters (jamo) ieung, jieut and mieum. The ieung isn't the O sound by itself, it's silent. However it combines with the vowel ㅗ (O) to create the full letter 오 with this sound. The letter ieung combines with all the vowels to make sounds. Eg 이 is the i sound.
A circle ㅇ, a triangle ㅿ (if you move the horizontal line below the ㅈ) and a square ㅁ. That's the connection between the 3 symbols and the name of the movie, Squid Game. The movie's Korean poster has the title in white and the typeface of these letters is pronounced, as the 3 symbols are in magenda.
And I don't know about you, the ㅇㅈㅁ combination reminds me something like a terminator panda emoji (a deadly symbol). Is this on purpose?
Thx
For a non-Korean speaker the only way to judge the subtitle translation is in it's lucid conveyance of the story and dialogue: in this, the English subtitles (NOT the closed-captioning!) of SQUID GAME succeeded. As anyone who has ever read a novel in translation knows, it is impossible to translate every nuance. It's important to remind non-Korean-speaking audiences that they are not getting the full effect of the writing (just as those not proficient in Russian will not get the full effect of CRIME AND PUNISHMENT... regardless of who did the translation), and I'm grateful for the videos explaining the nuances that I missed (as I'm grateful for the footnotes in my English copy of CRIME AND PUNISHMENT). But that said I think a little respect should be shown to the translators who agreed to tackle this next to impossible task. Subtitle translation may be the most difficult of all, because in addition to capturing cultural nuances that readers of the target language couldn't possibly take in, subtitles require very careful abridgment of the dialogue itself due to the necessity of insuring that each subtitle presented has time to be read by the audience. Under these circumstances, I think the translators did an admirable job.
I noticed it when the subtitles didn’t match the dubbed voices because they were both saying 2 different things. (I got curious to see if they were matching so I turned on the audio and the captions). So I changed the dubbed back to Korean audio and used the English version and not the English CC subtitles. It was confusing me too much to use the English CC and hearing the English dubbed audio.
Fun fact: when Sangwoo calls Gihun, he calls him “Gihun hyeong” which meant they were very close
Thanks for the video! This is some of the better content surrounding the show I've seen, you're actually adding to the conversation for us non-Korean speakers!
1:28 The English dub skipped the doll's chant all together.
When I heard the haunting refrain, quick research showed the Mugungwha flower to be white with a sharp red center, much like a gun shot wound.
"The Mugunghwa has bloomed"
"The shooting will begin."
Sorry, but that has nothing to do with why the song is sung. Kids in the playground don't go around shooting those who fail to freeze.
@@JaySee5 Metaphor much ?
This was a fantastic video. I'm saving it for later to watch with my friends who also enjoyed Squid Game.
“There is no ownership between me and you” makes no sense.
It’s more like “what’s mine is yours and what’s yours is mine”
@@jinalee3240 that’s the same thing as saying we share everything
There is ALWAYS going to be things that are lost in translation. However I personally found that I was able to pick up the idea of what they were saying in there acting. It was an amazing show that was seen all over the world. I believe that they took great care in translating it. My wife is Japanese and I am American. I watch it dubbed in English while she watched it sub in Japanese. Still we both were able to watch the show and know what was going on. More amazing we both enjoyed it very much. This shows how much went into every detail of the show and even down to picking out the words used for “Red Light, Green Light” if it was “Flower bloom stop” I felt that I would have understand less.
I know that they will make a season 2 but it’s going to have to have the same amount of detail put into the show as season 1. For sure it’s going to be another Korean classic story that we all can enjoy. For sure if you are Korean you will know the ending as before but for me and the rest of the world, it will be a very entertaining exchange of couture.
It was great to learn what was missed if you didn’t speak Korean, and it was an amazing show. My respect goes out to everyone involved in making it.
The english subs are fine, just minor changes, the dub is terrible though. The dub acting is brutal
@@KyleLambing Not really, it is in the first two episodes like it is kind of exaggerative and weird, but as the show goes on it gets much better and you can't even tell they are dubbing anymore
@@KyleLambing the dub not that bad
their*
@@GameboySqurill yes it is honestly idrc which one people prefer i watch dubbed stuff sometimes but i cant pretend like the acting wasnt comeplete dog shit ESSPESIALLY when people are trying to pick at the Korean (original)
One of the best explainer vids out here! Great Work!
I love videos like these! Thank you for sharing! I’ve always expected that subtitles and dubbing wouldn’t always be perfect but having the opportunity to watch something like this and for there to be others to explain the customs and nuances of the Korean Culture, it makes for a great watching and re-watching of any kind of foreign piece of entertainment.
This is exactly the analysis I have longed for! Thank you 🙂
Yay, first comment. Great video, you pointed out all the subtlties lost in translation really well, I found them really interesting. Translating word plays, and the cultural meanings of honorifics not used in other cultures would be incredibly difficult, but I agree with what you are saying that this would result in the loss of an enormous amount of nuance from the show.
At this point someone should do proper english subtitles for Squid Games and type "oppa" and "hyung" whenever it's said and curious viewers can google its meaning later, it'd be much better than leaving those words out altogether (also type the translations of characters names in brackets, I'm honestly surprised they didn't at least do that).
(I watched it with serbian subtitles and they were surprisingly better that english ones, eg. they translated Min-yeo's "What are you looking at?" right and also the way Gi-hun adresses old man in a respectful manner also translated well but the weirdest thing was when Gi-hun thought Sang-woo lost money on a woman lmao, i was literally so confused about that part)
This is a good point, and might have been a good alternative. At first people would be like “idk wtf that means” but it wouldn’t be any worse than just replacing it with their name, it would give a chance for people to learn a new term/Korean cultural reference, and would be most accurate. Often people would be able to infer the meaning from context.
Also there are two versions of the English subtitles, I’m not sure why, and the version I saw also said “what are you looking at?” Etc.
I always wonder how American films are translated for other countries that are non-English speakers and how accurate it is for them. I work in healthcare and we have translators for all our non-English speakers in every other language. And sometimes the translator will say, “oh, ummm, I don’t really have a translation for that word/phrase specifically”.
One of the Best Break Down Videos for this Amazing Series!! Thank You!!
I love this video. Very well informed and beautifully delivered
I loved this!! Explains a lot!
I've done lots of subtitling and translation of TV programming. Most of the examples here would simply slow down the dialogue if they attempted to include them, because the viewers will not understand the language- or culture-specific concepts anyway. For example, as the video says, Korean has many levels of formality, but English doesn't, and most attempts to replicate this (such as use of honorifics) would just sound contrived. Likewise, a character who switches accents - at best, we might be able to replicate this in English if it were a person of humble origins who switches to sounding posh, but there's no way to replicate the difference between North and South Korean accents and what they signify. Puns or similar misunderstandings must often be dropped altogether, unless there is a similar concept that won't sound awkward. Other details - references to a novel familiar in Korea but not elsewhere, or the fact that a game is named for the Korean national flower, or a player's constant swearing - would turn the dubbing into a clunky bore if they were somehow included. On the other hand, a genuine mistranslation, like the "I'm not a genius" cited here, certainly can take their toll on the understanding of the characters, no matter what response it triggers in Korean or other viewers.
This was such an informational video, haven’t seen anyone talk about the meanings of character’s names, Squid Game fans should watch this
I herd Netflix didn't give the man who directed and wrote this masterpiece (Hwang Dong-hyuk) a bonus for the success🙁They only paid him the agreed upon amount. He says he's not rich but he can put food on the table. I feel like Netflix should be more thankful bc everything they put out has never been this successful. They made hundreds of millions of dollars because of him and he put everything he had into it. He directed EVERY episode. Truly amazing
"They made hundreds of millions of dollars because of him"
Source : trust me bro
Yeah I heard that too.
Wow this was actually so informative!
Thx for the info. Knowing about the culture and how the language is spoken definity enhanced my experience of this show.
Thank you for posting this!
Thank you for this video. This really highlights how much can get lost in translation from one culture to another. When I eventually rewatch, it will be with a greater appreciation.
The parallel story in the ending was insanely good.
i learned a lot! thank you for making this video, i was especially interested in the changes to ha min yeos character.
Awesome! I watched this series in 2 days. 😅 I loved it! Thanks.
One more thing to add is that Dragon Motors Gi-hun used to work before getting fired is based on the actual company called Ssangyong motors, which went bankrupt years ago. There had been a huge strike and more than 30 people died in the process if I remember correctly. Ssang yong means double dragon in Korean by the way. I think Netflix fixed the subs recently. The new eng sub is much much better than the previous one.
Brilliant! Thank you for this. I had the pleasure of working with a few South Korean people here in the UK some years ago. I learned a lot from them about respect and honour. I noticed the significance of the passing the glass of water. Also, A Chinese girl once told me that it would be extremely insulting to pass something to an older person with only one hand. The language explanations in your video are very helpful.
This was so enlightening! Who knew we missed so much. Now I gotta go learn Korean.
I don't speak Korean fluently but I've been watching kdrama for a long time and I caught those subtle things. I'm glad.
Thank you! Even though I already watched it, it’s so nice to get these insights. Many of us have been watching Korean TV and film for a while and are beginning to understand the culture more which makes the viewing experience richer.
I watched the show with English subtitles (and that's not my first language, either) and I was able to surmise some of this, like Ali not being familiar with some words/customs and being very respectful to the others, and also the way most players looked down on Ali and Sae-Byeok. but some of these had gone over my head for sure!
As a Korean who is a native Korean speaker, you guys really did great job echoing my frustration of the translation of this show. So much of the mannerism and the sentiments were lost due to a hack job of translation... but bravo to you guys for pointing it out in detail.
Could you help me out with something? At the end of the marble game does Ji-yeon say "thank you for playing with me" or " i'm honoured that we were partners" to Sae-byeok. I've seen both translations but have no idea which is correct. thank you!
@@xoloveebuggxo Ji-yeon says "Goh-mah-wuh" an informal way of saying "Thanks" then she says "Nah-rahng Gah Chi Hae joh suh" which if taken literally means "for doing it with me" so basically "thank you for playing with me" is the right translation, albeit not literal but carries the same tone. There's no mention of the word honor in Korean
Fantastic work, thank you
I appreciate videos like this SO much! I'm pretty familiar with Japanese culture and can pick out where dubs (which I can no longer listen to) and subs get things horribly wrong, but I'm not as familiar with Korean, so I'm so glad people who do know Korean culture are pointing these things out! It gives SO much more depth to the show!
I’m non Korean but do know Korean culture and cultural norms. I understand some Korean but am not fluent. I picked up on a lot of these but definitely wish the dialogue was subtitled more literally to get what was actually said by the actors and actresses.
Here's what I think.
1) I think this has been pointed out before but the subs that the rainbow-colored hair girl pointed out were actually the closed caption subs and not the regular subs. The closed-captioned subs have different restraints and so had to cut a lot of the dialog down. The regular subs were actually closer to the actual meaning. (example: when the rainbow haired girl point's out that the (CC) subtitles say "go away." The non-cc subtitles say "what are you looking at." I checked)
2) the thing with the titles can't be helped. The English language does not have equivalents for "hyeong" "oppa" etc.
3) The other things can't be helped either. There's no time to explain what "one fine day" means to Koreans if you don't already know and there's no way to represent a North Korean accent in text.
The same happens the other way around as well. When I lived in Asia, I ran into so many people who thought that Americans all slept in the bed with their shoes on because they didn't know that showing a character asleep in their bed with their full clothes on, including their shoes, is a way to show that they're exhausted. They also didn't know that showing a person eating an apple is a way to show that they're an asshole/arrogant. Things always get lost in translation because of cultural differences and that can't be helped.
This is so helpful, thank you
Thank you for the insight! It helps to understand Squid game even more. And there was a lot of lessons and comparisons with real life. Truly masterpiece and the effort to design these fields etc...
The actor who plays the front man is name-dropped when the girls are talking about what they want to do in the future in episode 6. It unfortunately makes the reveal of his identity kind of funny if you were paying attention... and also know who he is, which is not likely if you're not aware of Korean pop culture. He's a very high-profile actor so I think many Korean people might have noticed.
How exactly? What did the girls say that revealed it?
@KMT Korean Music Translator thanks 👍🏼
To add one more thing, in the last scene of episode 5, the detective finds his brother's profile. The profile says that he worked as a police officer for a long time. That's why Frontman was well aware of the types and rules of police guns.
I think the actors were so good that the non-verbal communication helped a lot to understand the real meaning of what they were saying.
Great video. Very informative.
I agree as a non-korean speaker.. while its nice to know these cultures.. I personally think it would confuse the non-korean speaking audience or prolong the series
Ok, that makes what Gi-hun said to Sae-byeok make more sense. He was making a crack about her not being all perky and cheerful.
I really appreciate this video!
Thank you so much, This answered alot of questions.
Not only did I feel like I was missing stuff. I rewatched the first two episodes after realising that Netflix had two different kinds of subtitles in English. The CC-english doesn't even care about translation since it's literally just texting the dubbed version.
So switching to "English" translated subs at least made it tolerable. But yeah so much is lost in translation.
I understand that the dubbing takes away something from the story but for those of us who struggle with dyslexia and have developed an appreciation for Korean dramas is the only way we can follow the plot so instead of attacking dubbing in general demand a better team of translators. preferably people with a better eye for details.
thank you, for enlightening us
Recently finished the show & just discovered this video. Was an interesting watch. Definitely going to rewatch the show but I've been watching breakdowns.
Very interesting! I know there’s many customs in Korea that we don’t have in the states necessarily so it was definitely to our detriment to not get the translation exact for us to understand. I would’ve loved to of had it really exact with the translation and I did not want to watch it dubbed I wanted to listen to the Korean because I think Korean is a beautiful language.
They should have a pop up video version like the used to have for MV's back in the day. I think that would be insightful
I watched with translations first. I read quickly, but scenes were changing while I was reading. I watched a reaction channel where they watched it dubbed and it really helped free up my eyes to watch. I had missed many small exchanges and dropping of weapons. Thank you for covering how some of the honorifics were done. I’m aware of them, but can’t understand and hear them all the tine at a regular speed.
Thanks for making this video! I love to learn about other cultures.
These just gave the show a whole lot deeper meaning and cultural context. Really wish things like this has a way of getting elivered to forein audiences even after they've been translated to a different language.
This made Squid Game even better, and I already thought it was awesome.
Can't wait for Season 2!
there were no plans for a season 2
@@emilym3013 there are many plans for season 2 in my head.
@@Whitesquall123 SAMW
Thank you for explaining.
Thank you for this, I knew there were some things I missed due to language and culture. This was very helpful.