Translate subtitles to Italian

A little. Italian text runs about a tenth longer than the English it translates, yet each subtitle keeps its original start and end. So a long line is spread over fuller lines, never an extra line or an extra subtitle.

Lines aim for 42 characters, read at about 17 characters a second, and break between words, preferably after a comma and not straight after a short word such as “di”, “il” or “che”. If a fast speaker’s subtitle looks crowded, trim a word or two; the timing is already right.

Both, depending on the line. In our test, “Can you send me the report before Friday?” became “Puoi inviarmi il rapporto prima di venerdì?” with tu, while “Please sit down, sir” became “Per favore si sieda, signore” with the polite Lei.

For a training video, an interview with a public figure or anything addressed to customers, search the Italian file for tu forms (puoi, sai, ti) and change the ones that should be Lei. A relaxed vlog can stay as it is.

Gender. Italian nouns and past participles show it, and English often doesn’t. In our test, “Our doctor said she would call back” came back as “Il nostro medico ha detto che richiamerà”: the doctor turned masculine and “she” disappeared.

If the doctor on screen is a woman, write “la nostra dottoressa”. Mixed groups take the masculine plural, as Italian normally does: “The teachers were tired after the trip” became “Gli insegnanti erano stanchi dopo il viaggio”.

NoteOwl understands Italian on your Mac: it transcribes Italian recordings with unlimited transcription, puts a name to each speaker and exports SRT subtitles. For subtitles made from Italian speech in a video, try the Italian subtitle generator.