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Romanian Timed Text Style Guide

This document covers the language specific requirements for Romanian. Please make sure to also review the General Requirements section and related guidelines for comprehensive instructions surrounding timed text deliveries to Netflix.

1. Acronyms

  • Acronyms should be written without periods between letters: BBC, CIA, USA, UK

2. Character Limit

  • 42 characters per line.

3. Character Names

  • Do not translate proper names (e.g. Peter, Suzanne), unless Netflix provides approved translations.
  • Nicknames should only be translated if they convey a specific meaning.
  • Transliterate uncommon or unfamiliar letters/characters which appear in names or proper nouns when working from a Roman alphabet language into Romanian if they may cause confusion or be hard to understand or pronounce. Note that diacritics should be kept in proper nouns and names. For example: If the Icelandic name Þór appears, please transliterate as Thór (following relevant KNP and guidance about handling character names). If a German street name such as Torstraße appears in the source, please transliterate as Torstrasse (following relevant KNP and guidance about handling character names).

4. Continuity

  • When including ellipses in subtitles, please use the single smart character (U+2026) as opposed to three dots/periods in a row.

  • Do not use ellipses when a sentence is split between two continuous subtitles.

                                     Subtitle 1    Am știut mereu
                                     Subtitle 2    că o să fii de acord cu mine în final.

  • Use ellipses to indicate a pause (2 seconds or more) or an abrupt interruption:

                                      A ezitat… în legătură cu slujba.

                                      - Voiam să-ți spun că…
                                      - Nu mă interesează!

  • In the case of a pause (2 seconds or more), if the sentence continues in the next subtitle, DO NOT use an ellipsis at the beginning of the second subtitle.  

                         Subtitle 1    Dacă aș fi știut…
                         Subtitle 2    nu te-aș mai fi sunat.

  • Use ellipses without a space to indicate that a subtitle is starting mid-sentence:

                                      …semnat o înțelegere.

5. Documentary/Unscripted

  • Speaker’s title in FNs: Both the title and the name of individual, character, or company should be translated, so that the viewer does not have to look for information in different parts of the screen. If the reading speed does not allow, only translate the title and leave out the names as these can ultimately be deemed redundant.
  • Only translate a speaker’s title once, the first time the speaker appears.
  • When ongoing dialogue is interrupted by a speaker’s title, use ellipses at the end of the sentence in the subtitle that precedes it and at the beginning of the sentence in the subtitle that follows it.

Subtitle 1     Dacă știam ce avea să urmeze…
Subtitle 2     CERCETĂTOR-ȘEF
Subtitle 3      …nu aș fi procedat așa.

  • Dialogue in TV/movie clips should only be subtitled if plot-pertinent and if the rights have been granted.
  • News tickers/banners from archive clips do not require subtitles unless plot-pertinent.
  • Avoid going back and forth between italicized and non-italicized subtitles when the speaker is on and off screen. If the speaker is on-camera for at least part of the scene, do not italicize. Leave italics for off-screen narrators.

6. Dual Speakers

  • Use a hyphen followed by a space to indicate two speakers in one subtitle, with a maximum of one speaker per line.

                                       - Așteaptă!
                                       - Ai documentele?

  • Avoid situations where a sentence with two speakers continues into a second subtitle. However, if this occurs, use a hyphen followed by a space to indicate the first speaker, and an ellipsis for the second speaker.

                                     Subtitle 1   - L-ați văzut cumva pe Zdreanță,
                                     Subtitle 2   - …cel cu ochii de faianță?
                                                        - Nu.

7. Font information

  • Font style: Arial as a generic placeholder for proportional SansSerif.
  • Font size: relative to video resolution and ability to fit 42 characters across the screen 
  • Font color: White

8. On-screen Text

  • Forced narrative titles for on-screen text should only be included if plot-pertinent.
  • When on-screen text and dialogue overlap, precedence should be given to the most plot-pertinent message. Avoid over truncating or severely reducing reading speed in order to include both dialogue and on-screen text.
  • The duration of the FN subtitle should as much as possible mimic the duration of the on-screen text, except for cases where reading speed and/or surrounding dialogue takes precedence.
  • Forced narratives that are redundant (e.g. identical to onscreen text or covered in the dialogue) must be deleted. If the file is not dubbed, the overlapping forced narratives can be deleted.
  • Forced narratives for on-screen text should be in ALL CAPS, except for long passages of on screen text (e.g. prologue or epilogue), which should use sentence case to improve readability.
  • Do not italicize forced narratives.
  • Never combine forced narratives with dialogue subtitles.
  • If at all possible, try to avoid interrupting a line of dialogue with a forced narrative.
  • When a forced narrative interrupts dialogue, use an ellipsis at the end of the sentence that precedes it and at the beginning of the one that follows it.
     
    Subtitle 1     Când poliția a ajuns la locuința suspectului…
    Subtitle 2     CRIMA CARE A ZGUDUIT ORAȘUL
    Subtitle 3    …n-a mai găsit pe nimeni acolo.

9. Foreign Dialogue

  • Foreign dialogue should only be translated if the viewer was meant to understand it (i.e. if it was subtitled in the original version). 
  • When using foreign words, always verify spelling, accents and punctuation, if applicable. 
  • Foreign words should be italicized, unless they have become part of regular usage (e.g. in English, the following no longer need to be italicized: bon appétit, rendezvous, doppelgänger, zeitgeist, persona non grata) and unless they are proper names (e.g. a company name).

10. Italics

  • Italicize the following:
    • Titles of works of art (e.g. sculptures, paintings), albums, books, periodicals, films, TV/radio shows, video games, etc. For song titles and episode titles use quotation marks.
    • Foreign words (unless they are part of regular usage)
    • Dialogue that is heard through electronic media (e.g. phone, device, television, computer, loudspeaker, AI, AI assistants, voice of a GPS, other digital devices, non-sentient robots, robotic voices, etc.) if the speaker is not physically present in the scene. For instance, if a character speaks into a microphone and their voice is heard through a loudspeaker but they are physically present, italics are not needed. Use good judgement when applying italics, ensuring there is consistency throughout the film or series.
    • Only use italics when a speaker is not in the scene(s), not merely off screen or off camera
    • Song lyrics (if rights have been granted)
    • Voice-overs
  • Do not use italics to indicate emphasis on specific words.
  • In trailers, avoid going back and forth between italicized and non-italicized subtitles when the speaker is on and off screen. If the speaker is on-camera for at least part of the scene, do not italicize. Leave italics for off-screen narrators.

11. Line Treatment

  • Maximum two lines.
  • Text must be kept on one line if it does not exceed the character limitation. The only exception to this rule is when a forced narrative subtitle has two different types of information written on two separate lines, in which case two lines are advisable even if they would fit on one line.
  • Segment subtitles and lines according to linguistic, syntactic and semantic units. Each subtitle must be semantically and grammatically self-contained, especially if a sentence goes over two or more subtitles.
  • Keep questions and answers grouped together when two speakers are present. Make sure to follow the segmentation rules and avoid spoilers where suspense is created for creative intent or joke punchlines.
  • Back-to-back subtitles with short durations should be merged where timing and punchlines allow.
  • Prefer a bottom-heavy pyramid shape for subtitles when multiple line break options present themselves, but avoid having just one or two words on the top line. Line break rules trump rules around bottom-heavy pyramid shapes.

12. Numbers

  • From 1 to 10 written out: unu, doi, trei, etc. 
  • Above 10 written numerically: 11, 12, 13, etc.
  • A full stop/period should be used when writing four digit numbers and above: 1.000, 10.000.
  • When a number begins a sentence, it should always be spelled out.
  • Note that the above rules may be broken due to space limitations or reading speed concerns, as well as for consistency when listing multiple quantities, for example. This exception also applies to forced narratives.
  • Measurements should be converted to the metric system unless the original unit of measurement is plot relevant.

13. Punctuation

  • Do not use a space before interrogation and exclamation marks.
  • In cases where multiple punctuation marks are required, the standard grammatical norms should apply, with the exception of situations which would lead to a double full stop. For example: „Nu-mi place ce ați mai făcut dv.” instead of „Nu-mi place ce ați făcut dv..”
  • Standard punctuation rules apply when introducing a direct quote by employing a colon. For example: Nu-mi spui: „Ești cel mai minunat din lume.”
  • Either a question mark or an exclamation mark can be used at the end of a sentence, but never both at the same time.

14. Quotations

  • Use quotation marks at the start of the quotation and after the last line of the quotation, marking the beginning and end of the quotation (rather than the beginning and end of every subtitle within the quotation), e.g.
    • Subtitle 1: “Is this a dagger I see before me?
    • Subtitle 2: The handle towards my hand.
    • Subtitle 3: Come, let me clutch thee.”
  • Use lower and upper double quotation marks („ ”) without spaces for regular quotations.
  • Use quotation marks when a character is seen to be reading aloud.
  • If an on-screen character does “air quotes” when speaking, please apply quotation marks to the equivalent word in the target language in order to retain creative intent and to help ensure clarity about which word or part of the sentence the air quotes apply to.
  • Use chevrons («») for quotes within quotes: „Steve a spus: «Totul e OK»”.
  • Quotation marks should be used at the start and end of a sentence and not at the start of every subtitle. 
  • Punctuation should be included within the quotation marks if the quote is an independent clause and outside if it’s not:

                                        „Eu îmi fac treaba și atât.”

                                        George Bush a declarat: „Irakul posedă arme de distrugere în masă.” 

                                        M-a întrebat: „L-ați văzut cumva pe Zdreanță,
                                        cel cu ochii de faianță?”

                                        Ceva cunoscut
                                        sub denumirea de „magnetism”.

                                        Ce înțelege președintele Bush
                                        prin „arme de distrugere în masă”?

15. Reading Speed Limits

  • Adult programs: Up to 17 characters per second
  • Children’s programs: Up to 13 characters per second
  • Avoiding exceeding reading speed limits is of utmost importance. Reading speed infringements can be remedied by adjusting timing, condensing or rephrasing text, merging and splitting subtitle events.
  • Always ensure the timing guidelines are closely adhered to whenever making adjustments for reading speed.

16. Repetitions

  • Do not translate words or phrases repeated more than once by the same speaker.
  • If the repeated word or phrase is said twice in a row, time subtitle to the audio but translate only once.

17. Songs

  • Only subtitle plot-pertinent songs if the rights have been granted. 
  • Opening and ending theme songs should only be subtitled if clearly plot-pertinent (e.g. for children’s content when the lyrics tell a story) or if instructed by Netflix. Normally, adult programs should not have the opening songs subtitled, except for SDH.
  • Italicize lyrics. 
  • Use an uppercase letter at the beginning of each line. 
  • Use ellipses when a song continues in the background, but is no longer subtitled to give precedence to dialogue. 
  • Punctuation: only question marks and exclamation marks should be used at the end of a line – no commas or periods. Commas can be used within the lyric line, if necessary.
  • Follow this approach for poetry also: keep the original punctuation, do not italicize, use quotation marks instead.

18. Titles

  • Main titles: Subtitle the on-screen main title for branded content when the approved title for Romanian is available in KNP/Terminology and it does not match the title which appears in the card. Do not translate the main title from scratch: always use the approved title provided.
  • Do not subtitle when the on-screen main title and the approved title for Romanian are identical and fully match. (e.g. the on-screen title is already in Romanian, both read with the exact same words and spellings, etc.)
  • Subtitle when the approved title for Romanian contains a part that is transliterated/translated/transcreated/edited and does not fully match the on-screen main title. (e.g. when the on-screen title is: The Matrix Revolutions but the approved title for Romanian is Matrix - Revoluții)
  • When the provided translation of the main title does not work with a line break in a way that fits within the limit, the maximum character count per line or maximum line limit can be exceeded. Do not split the provided translation into multiple subtitle events.
  • Do not italicize the main title event.
  • Episode titles: do not subtitle episode titles if they do not appear on screen/are not voiced-over. If on-screen (either as part of the principal photography or burned into video) or voiced-over, please reference the KNP tool for approved translations.
  • Titles of published works, existing movies and TV shows: use official or well-known translations. If none are available, leave titles in the original language.

19. Special Instructions

  • All plot-pertinent dialogue should be subtitled, and takes precedence over background dialogue.
  • Dialogue must never be censored. Expletives should be rendered as faithfully as possible. However, when dialogue is bleeped, linguists may use lighter language or a sequence of asterisks.
  • Always match the tone of the original content, while remaining relevant to the target audience (e.g. replicate tone, register, class, formality, etc. in the target language in an equivalent way).
  • Deliberate misspellings and mispronunciations should not be reproduced in the translation unless plot-pertinent.
  • When brand names or trademarks appear, you may either; use the same name if it is known in the territory you are translating for; adapt to the name that the brand or product is known by that the territory you are translating for; or use a generic name for that product or item. Avoid swapping out names of brands, companies or famous people for other names.
  • For the characters Ș , ș, Ț, ț, the comma diacritical marks should be used. Do not use cedillas. 
Standard (Correct) Character Unicode
Uppercase S with Comma Ș U+0218
Lowercase s with Comma ș U+0219
Uppercase T with Comma Ț U+021A
Lowercase t with Comma ț U+021B
Legacy (Incorrect) Character Unicode
Uppercase S with Cedilla Ş U+015E
Lowercase s with Cedilla ş U+015F
Uppercase T with Cedilla Ţ U+0162
Lowercase t with Cedilla ţ U+0163

20. Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (SDH) Guidelines

  • Include as much of the original content as possible.
  • Do not simplify or water down the original dialogue.
  • Where content has been dubbed into Romanian, please refer to the dubbing script or dubbed audio as the basis for the SDH file and ensure that the two match as much as reading speed and timings allow.
  • Reading speed limits can be increased to:
    • Adult programs: Up to 20 characters per second
    • Children’s programs: Up to 17 characters per second
  • Truncating the original dialogue should be limited to instances where reading speed and synchronicity to the audio are an issue.
  • For TV/movie clips, all audible lines should be transcribed, if possible. If the audio interferes with dialogue, please give precedence to most plot-pertinent content.
  • All same-language audible songs that do not interfere with dialogue should be titled, if the rights have been granted.
  • Use song title identifiers when applicable - song titles should be in quotes: [„Forever Your Girl" pe fundal]
  • Song lyrics should be enclosed with a music note (♪) at the beginning and the end of each subtitle.
  • Add a space between the music note and the preceding or subsequent text.
  • When a dual speaker subtitle appears in a song, e.g. when there is a duet, each line of sung text should have a music note at the beginning and end to clearly indicate that both characters are singing.
  • Use brackets [ ] to enclose speaker IDs or sound effects.
  • Identifiers/sound effects should be all lowercase, except for proper nouns.
  • Only use speaker IDs or sound effects when they cannot be visually identified.
  • When characters are not yet identified, use [bărbat], [femeie], or [voce de bărbat], [voce de femeie] so as not to provide information that is not yet present in the narrative.
  • Gender-neutral identifiers like [ospătar], [manager] or [redactor] can be used where appropriate.
  • Use a generic ID to indicate and describe ambient music, e.g. [muzică rock pe fundal] or [muzică jazz la radio]
  • Plot-pertinent sound effects should always be included unless inferred by the visuals.
  • Subtitle silence if plot-pertinent. For example, when plot-pertinent music ends abruptly.
  • Be detailed and descriptive, use adverbs where appropriate when describing sounds and music, describe voices, speed of speech, volume of sounds.
  • Describe the sounds and audio as opposed to visual elements or actions.
  • Sound effects that interrupt dialogue should be treated as follows:

Subtitle 1: Totuși, în ultima vreme, am văzut…

                  [tușește, fornăie]

Subtitle 2: …multe astfel de lucruri.

  • Speaker IDs and the corresponding dialogue should ideally be on the same line.
  • Never italicize speaker IDs or sound effects, even when the spoken information is italicized, such as in a voice-over.

[narator] A fost odată ca niciodată…

  • In instances of foreign dialogue being spoken:
    • If foreign dialogue is translated, use [in language], for example [în spaniolă]
    • If foreign dialogue is not meant to be understood, use [speaking language], for example [vorbește spaniolă]
    • Always research the language being spoken – [vorbește o limbă străină] should never be used

21. Reference

Change Log:

2024-12-20

  • Revised section 5 Documentary/Unscripted - 1st bullet edited with further details about translating name captions in forced narratives
  • Revised section 6 Dual speakers - 2nd bullet and example edited
  • Revised section 8 On-screen text - 6th bullet added confirming that forced narratives should not be italicized
  • Revised section 10 Italics - 1st bullet expanded, final bullet covering trailer italics added
  • Revised section 11 Line treatment - 6th bullet expanded confirming that line break rules take precedence
  • Revised section 12 Numbers - 3rd bullet added covering using full stops/periods in long numbers
  • Revised section 13 Punctuation - section expanded and overhauled, please review closely
  • Revised section 14 Quotations - 3rd example in final bullet slightly edited
  • Revised section 17 Songs - final bullet expanded covering approach for poetry
  • Revised section 19 Special instructions - 2nd bullet expanded covering handling of bleeped content

2024-10-08

  • Revised section 10 Italics - 4th bullet edited to new standard wording about italics, electronic media/speakers and on-screen/in-scene characters

2024-06-28

  • Revised section 8 On-screen Text - 4th bullet edited
  • Revised section 10 Italics - 4th bullet expanded to include how to handle in-vision speakers heard through mics etc.
  • Revised section 11 Line treatment - 2nd-6th bullets added
  • Revised section 12 Numbers - FN exception added to 4th bullet
  • Revised section 15 Reading speed limits - 3rd bullet added
  • Revised section 21 Reference - new links added

2022-12-22

  • Revised sections 15 Reading Speed and 20 SDH - sections edited to mention "reading speed limits" and "up to"

2022-11-03

  • Revised section 18 Titles - "for branded content" added

2022-10-07

  • Revised section 18 Titles - rules added/edited to include main title translations

2021-10-22

  • Revised section 3 Character names - 3rd bullet point added regarding transliteration of unfamiliar characters in proper nouns/names
  • Revised section 14 Quotation marks - 1st bullet point reworded for clarity

2021-07-11

2021-02-24

2020-11-01

  • Revised section 11 Line Treatment - 2nd bullet point added
  • Revised section 14 Quotations - 3rd bullet point added
  • Revised section 17 Songs - 7th bullet point added

2020-07-24

  • Revised section 4 Continuity - 1st bullet point added to clarify type of ellipsis permitted
  • Revised section 20 SDH Guidelines - 3rd bullet point reworded

2020-05-08

2018-06-04

  • Revised section 8 On-Screen Text - section header revised for clarity

2018-03-09

  • Revised section 5 Documentary - 1st, 4th, 5th and 6th bullet points added
  • Revised section 8 Forced Narratives - 2nd and 3rd bullet points added, 5th bullet point revised
  • Revised section 12 Numbers - 4th bullet point revised
  • Revised section 16 Repetitions - 2nd bullet point added
  • Revised section 17 Songs - 2nd bullet point added
  • Revised section 18 Titles - 2nd bullet point revised
  • Revised section 20 SDH Guidelines - renamed and expanded for clarity

2017-05-19

  • Revised section 5 Documentary - example added
  • Revised section 8 Forced Narrative - example added
  • Revised section 10 Italics - 1st bullet point rewritten for clarity
  • Revised section 12 Numbers - 3rd, 4th, and 5th bullet points added
  • Revised section 14 Quotes - 1st and 2nd bullet points revised
  • Revised section 15 Reading Speed - words per minute removed
  • Revised section 16 Repetitions - 1st bullet point rewritten for clarity
  • Revised section 17 Songs - 5th bullet point revised
  • Revised section 18 Titles - 1st bullet point revised
  • Revised section 20 SDH Guidelines

2017-02-17

 

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