Film & Television vocabulary · Distribution, Festivals and Awards
Subtitles
Meaning in film & television, with examples
/ˈsʌbtaɪtlz/nounCore term
In film & television, subtitles means: Written text at the bottom of the screen that translates or shows the dialogue, so viewers can read what is being said.
In Turkish: altyazı
How it is used
Usually plural: turn on the subtitles, watch with English subtitles. A film is subtitled; festival copies need subtitles in English. Subtitlers follow strict rules on line length and reading speed.
Example sentences
The festival requires all films to have English subtitles.
I watch Korean series with subtitles rather than dubbing.
Common collocations
English subtitles
turn on subtitles
subtitled version
burned-in subtitles
subtitle file
Related terms
dubbingReplacing the original dialogue of a film or series with a recorded translation in another language, performed by voice actors.
dialogueThe words that characters speak to each other in a film, series or play.
film festivalAn event where new films are shown to audiences, critics and industry professionals, often with competitions, awards and markets.
streaming serviceAn online service that lets subscribers watch films and series over the internet whenever they want, often including its own original productions.
This word in other fields
The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:
