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Brazilian Portuguese Timed Text Style Guide

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

I. Brazilian Portuguese Subtitles

This section applies to Brazilian Portuguese subtitles created for non-Brazilian Portuguese language content (i.e. interlingual subtitles). For subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing (SDH), please also see Section II.

I.1. Abbreviations and Acronyms

  • Metric system abbreviations do not allow for periods or plurals: 1km, 6km, 1h, 5h. No space should be used between the number and the abbreviation.
  • Ordinal numbers may be abbreviated only when followed by a noun. (Correct: Ela foi a 1ª pessoa a chegar. Incorrect: Ela foi a 1ª a chegar.)
  • Doutor/Doutora: Dr./Dra.
  • General: Gen.
  • Presidente: Pres.
  • Professor/Professora: Prof./Profa.
  • Século: Séc. (do not use Roman numerals: Séc. 20 not Séc. XX)
  • Senhor: Sr.
  • Senhora: Sra.
  • Senhorita: Srta.
  • Tenente: Ten.
  • Sargento: Sgt.
  • Universidade: Univ. (must be followed by the name of the university: da Califórnia. Do not use it alone.) 
  • Acronyms should be written without periods between letters: BBC, CIA, EUA, RU

I.2. Character Limitation

  • 42 characters per line

I.3. 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.
  • Use language-specific translations for historical/mythical characters (e.g. Santa Claus).
  • Always use accents and diacritics in names and proper nouns from Romance languages where their use is seen in official sources, or in the source text for fictional names. For example, Spanish names such as Mónica Naranjo should retain their diacritics. As an exception, if the name can be confused with another word in Brazilian Portuguese, such as “Valeria” which could be read as a verb, please add diacritics to disambiguate: “Valéria.”

  • Any proper names which have lost the use of accents due to cultural reasons (e.g. Jennifer Lopez) do not need to have them added. This is particularly relevant for unscripted titles.

  • Do not add foreign names and terms in the KNP that may read or sound unintentionally offensive or awkward in Brazilian Portuguese. In such cases, transliterate non-Latin scripts (e.g. in Korean content) with a similar name or term, e.g. Use “Mi-Cho” instead of “Mi-Jo”.

  • Transliterate uncommon or unfamiliar letters/characters which appear in names or proper nouns when working from one Roman alphabet language to another 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).

I.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 or dashes when an ongoing sentence is split between two or more continuous subtitles.

      Subtitle 1   Três anos não foi tempo suficiente

      Subtitle 2   para aprender tudo.

  • Use ellipses to indicate a pause (2 seconds or more) or an abrupt interruption. 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   Se eu soubesse

             Subtitle 2   não teria ligado para você.

             Subtitle 1   - Eu ia te contar que

             Subtitle 2   - Não quero saber!

  • Use an ellipsis without a space to indicate that a subtitle is starting mid-sentence.

      assinaram um acordo.

I.5. Documentary/Unscripted

  • Speaker’s title: only translate the title. Do not include the company name or too much extra information in order to help the viewer understand the main information and not be distracted by irrelevant context.
  • 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   Eu trabalhei neste filme

Subtitle 2 (FN)       DIRETOR

Subtitle 3  só durante seis meses.

  • 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.

I.6. Dual Speakers

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

           - Boa sorte.

           - Obrigada.

  • Text in each line in a dual speaker subtitle must be a contained sentence and should not carry into the preceding or subsequent subtitle. Creating shorter sentences and timing appropriately helps to accommodate this.
Prefer this segmentation style Avoid this segmentation style

Muitos acreditam que só encontramos

um amor verdadeiro em nossas vidas.

Muitos acreditam que só encontramos

O amor é uma boa razão

para que tudo fracasse.

um amor verdadeiro em nossas vidas.

O amor é uma boa razão

Sim, é preciso coragem para amar.

- para que tudo fracasse.

- Sim, é preciso coragem para amar.

I.7. Font Information

  • Font style: Arial as a generic placeholder for proportionalSansSerif
  • Font size: relative to video resolution and ability to fit 42 characters across screen
  • Font color: white

I.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.
  • 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.
  • Never combine a forced narrative with dialogue in the same subtitle.
  • When a forced narrative interrupts dialogue, 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         Acho que não deveríamos

Subtitle 2 (FN) ENTRADA PROIBIDA

Subtitle 3        prosseguir.

I.9. Foreign Dialogue

  • Foreign dialogue should only be translated if the viewer was meant to understand it. If it was subtitled in the original version, please subtitle in the localized 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).

I.10. Italics

  • Italicize the following:
    • Album, book, film and program titles (use quotes for song titles)
    • Foreign words (unless they are part of regular usage)
    • Dialogue that is heard through electronic media, such as a phone, television, or computer
    • Only use italics when the speaker is not in the scene(s), not merely off screen or off camera
    • Song lyrics (if rights have been granted)
    • Voice-overs
    • The voice of a visible character expressing unspoken thoughts or inner monologue

I.11. Line Treatment and Line Breaks

  • Maximum two lines.
  • Text should usually be kept to one line, unless it exceeds the character limitation.
  • Only allow two sentences in the same line.
  • Prefer bottom-heavy pyramid shaped subtitles where possible.
  • If there is a third sentence, please move it to a second line. 
  • Follow these basic principles regarding line breaks:
  • The line should be broken:
      • after punctuation marks
      • before conjunctions
      • before prepositions
  • The line break should not separate:
      • a noun from an article
      • a noun from an adjective
      • a first name from a last name
      • a verb from a subject pronoun
      • a prepositional verb from its preposition
      • a verb from an auxiliary, reflexive pronoun or negation

I.12. Numbers

  • From 1 to 10, numbers should be written out: um, dois, três, etc.
  • Above 10, numbers should be written numerically: 11, 12, 13, etc.
  • 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.
  • Convert to the metric system: kilometers (km), centimeters (cm), meters (m), kilograms (kg), unless the original unit is plot relevant. The abbreviations should be used without a space: 5km.
  • For American dollars, please use the following notation when appropriate: US$. For smaller or rounded amounts, spell out if possible:
    • Example:  US$ 1,4 milhão
                       Seis dólares
                       Um milhão de dólares (or US$ 1 milhão)
  • For other currencies, please spell out: Euros, Pesos, Ienes, etc.
  • The percentage symbol (%) should be used without a space: 3%.
  • For details on number notation, please refer to:
    http://www.estadao.com.br/manualredacao/esclareca/numeros

I.13. Quotes

  • 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):

    [Subtitle 1]:
    “É um punhal

    que vejo diante de mim?

    [Subtitle 2]:
    A alça em direção à minha mão.

    [Subtitle 3]:
    Venha, deixe-me agarrar-te.”
  • Use double quotation marks (" ") without spaces for regular quotations.
  • Use single quotation marks (' ') for quotes within quotes.
  • Use quotes when a character is 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.
  • Punctuation should be included within the quotation marks if the quote is an independent clause and outside if it’s not. Examples:

Quem se lembra ainda do "nada a declarar"?

Ele me disse: "Volte amanhã."

"Deus ajuda a quem cedo madruga."

I.14. Reading Speed Limits

  • Adult programs: Up to 17 characters per second
  • Children’s programs: Up to 13 characters per second

I.15. 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.

I.16. 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 an ellipsis 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.
  • Album titles should be in italics.
  • Song titles should be in quotes.
  • Please treat poetry in the same way.

I.17. Titles

  • Main titles: Subtitle the on-screen main title for branded content when the approved title for Brazilian Portuguese 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 Brazilian Portuguese are identical and fully match. (e.g. the on-screen title is already in Brazilian Portuguese, both read with the exact same words and spellings, etc.)
  • Subtitle when the approved title for Brazilian Portuguese 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 Peaky Blinders but the approved title for Brazilian Portuguese is Peaky Blinders: Sangue, Apostas e Navalhas)
  • 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.

I.18. Special Instructions

  • Dialogue must never be censored. Expletives should be rendered as faithfully as possible.
  • Plot-pertinent dialogue always takes precedence over background dialogue.
  • 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.
  • Both language styles (i.e., educated norm and colloquial style) are acceptable, as long as they are appropriate to the nature of the program. For instance, a series such as Orange Is The New Black calls for the use of colloquial style, whereas as series such as Marco Polo should be subtitled using the educated norm.
  • Both forms of the second person singular (você and tu) are acceptable.
  • Using the correct grammatical form should always be preferred, except for clearly established deviations from the norm that would otherwise imply an artificial sophistication not intended in the content. E.g. “Eu te amo”, “Me liga”, etc.
  • Contractions such as “né”, “pra”, and “tá” should be used only as needed to convey a high level of informality when appropriate for the content. ”Num”, “numa”, and “cadê” are acceptable.
  • 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.

I.19. Reference

For all language-related issues not covered in this document, please refer to:

II. Brazilian Portuguese SDH - Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

This section builds upon the previous instructions from Section I and applies to subtitles for the Deaf and hard of hearing (SDH) only. For regular subtitles, please see Section I. For SDH subtitles, only refer to Section I in case of omissions in this section. In case of conflicting instructions, the guidelines in this section trump those of Section I when it comes to SDH files.

II.1. Accuracy of Content

  • When editing for reading speed, favor text reduction, deletion, and condensing but do not paraphrase.

  • Transcription of the source language should follow the word choice and sentence order of the spoken dialect. Slang and other dialectal features should not be changed.

  • Where content has been dubbed into Brazilian Portuguese, please refer to the dubbed audio or dubbing script as the basis for the SDH file and ensure that the two match as much as reading speed and timings allow.

  • Avoid conveying in writing ordinary phonetic events such as elisions, contractions and other phenomena that do not carry any meaningful value (characterization, cultural background etc.). e.g. “Quer comer?”, not “Qué comê?”; “Pode deixar”, not “Podexá”.

II.2. Reading Speed Limits

  • Adult programs: Up to 20 characters per second

  • Children’s programs: Up to 17 characters per second

II.3. Italics

  • Italics may be used when a word is obviously emphasized in speech and when proper punctuation cannot convey that emphasis (e.g. Ela que terminou comigo).

II.4. Quotes

  • On-going quotations that are interrupted by sound cues should include quotation marks before and after every sound description:

           Subtitle 1     Ele disse: “Olha aí, um dos assaltantes do banco.”

           Subtitle 2     [gargalha]

           Subtitle 3     “Todo mundo sabe quem foi, menos a polícia.”

II.5. Speaker IDs/Sound Effects

  • Use brackets [ ] to enclose speaker IDs or sound effects.

  • Use all lowercase, except for proper nouns.

  • When captioning utterances and interjections, prefer words that describe the actual sound made by the character rather than the feeling that elicited the sound.

           e.g. [esbraveja] or [grunhe] instead of [nervoso] or [reação de raiva]

  • Avoid spelling out sounds that are easily describable using short verbs.

           e.g. [ri] instead of Ha-ha-ha!; [espirra] instead of Atchim!

  • Use the simple present to describe sounds that are present within the duration of the subtitle. e.g. [porta fecha]

  • Use the gerund to describe ongoing sounds which continue after the duration of the subtitle. e.g. [telefone tocando]

  • Describe the sounds and audio as opposed to visual elements or actions.

  • Subtitle silence if plot-pertinent. For example, when plot-pertinent music ends abruptly, or when a character is shown saying something that is not audible.

  • Plot-pertinent sound effects should always be included unless inferred by the visuals.

  • Sound effects should be plot-pertinent.

  • Speaker IDs and the corresponding dialogue should ideally be on the same line.

  • Only use speaker IDs or sound effects when they cannot be visually identified.

  • Do not use speaker IDs for continuation dialogue, i.e. new and ongoing sentences of a character that has been the last to be seen or identified.

  • Do not use speaker IDs when a line starts off-screen but the character is then shown before the sentence ends.

  • When a speaker ID is required for a character who has yet to be identified by name, use [homem] or [mulher] so as not to provide information that is not yet present in the narrative. If the same identifier is used multiple times in one scene to refer to more than one person, numbers should be added to distinguish them, for example [homem 1] and [homem 2]. Do not add a number 1 if only one person is featured.

  • Use objective descriptions that describe genre or mood identifiers for atmospheric non-lyrical music, for example [música eletrônica tensa], [música instrumental ameaçadora].

  • Opt for concise sound effect descriptions as much as possible.

           e.g. [garoto imita sapo] instead of [garoto imitando o som de um sapo coaxando]

                  [ruído urbano] instead of [burburinho típico de cidade grande]

  • Sound effects that interrupt dialogue should be treated as follows:

           Subtitle 1     Só que, ultimamente, eu tenho…

                               [tosse, espirra]

           Subtitle 2     …observado mais e mais disso.

           Subtitle 1     - Só que, ultimamente, eu tenho…

                                - [trovoada]

           Subtitle 2     …observado mais e mais disso.

  • Never italicize speaker IDs or sound effects, even when the spoken information is italicized, such as in a voice-over. e.g. [narrador] Era uma vez…

II.6. Dual Speakers/Multiple Sources

  • Hyphens can also be used to indicate a speaker and sounds in the same subtitle, if they come from different sources:

           - [Joe gargalha]

           - [Maria] Não acredito que fez isso!

  • If the sound emanates from the speaker themselves, no hyphens are needed:

           [Joe gargalha]

           Não acredito que fez isso!

II.7. Songs

  • When working on Brazilian Portuguese-language content, transcribe all audible Brazilian Portuguese-language song lyrics that do not interfere with dialogue.

  • When working on dubbed foreign content, only identify the name of the song being played or sung by characters, unless the lyrics were localized in dubbing; in that case, transcribe the dubbed audio. 

  • Use song title identifiers when applicable. Song titles should be in quotes, e.g. [“Let It Be” tocando]. Use the name of a musical number or classical piece only if widely known, e.g. [“O Quebra-Nozes” toca].

  • Prefer describing the genre and the mood of a song rather than identifying its title when it is not clear whether it is something widely known or instantly recognizable by the public. e.g. [música pop animada] instead of [“I Think I Wanna Scream” de Party Juice tocando]

  • Describe ambient music that is heard by the characters by specifying its source. e.g. [“Então é Natal” tocando no alto-falante], [música melancólica tocando no rádio]

  • Italicize lyrics.

  • Do not transcribe lyrics for foreign language songs.

  • Song lyrics should be enclosed with a music note (♪) at the beginning and the end of each subtitle (not at the beginning and the end of each line).

  • Add a space between the music note and the preceding or subsequent text.

  • When a dual speaker subtitle appears in a song, for example 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.

          [ambos] ♪ É uma cobra, é um pau ♪

          - [Tom] ♪ É João ♪

          - [Elis] ♪ É José ♪

          - [Tom] ♪ É um espinho… ♪

          - [Elis] ♪ …na mão ♪

          - [Tom] ♪ É um corte… ♪

          - [Elis] ♪ …no pé ♪

          [ambos] ♪ São as águas de março

          Fechando o verão… ♪

          [música para]

II.8. Foreign Dialogue

  • When a foreign language appears:

    • If foreign dialogue is translated, use [em <língua>], for example [em espanhol] followed by the translation.

    • If foreign dialogue is not meant to be understood, use [falando em <língua>], for example [falando em espanhol]

    • Always research the language being spoken. [falando em língua estrangeira] should not be used. 

    • Foreign accents that are plot pertinent require the same treatment, for example [sotaque espanhol]

II.9. Special Instructions

  • When dialogue is bleeped, use the first or two first letters and a sequence of asterisks representing the number of characters being censored to convey the censored word.

           Eu não queria estar envolvido naquela me***.

           P****, me deixa em paz!

 


Change Log:

2022-12-22

2022-11-03

  • Revised section I.17 Titles - "for branded content" added

2022-10-07

  • Revised section I.17 Titles - rules added/edited to include main title translations

2022-06-17

  • Article now split into section I (interlingual subtitling) and section II (intralingual subtitling/SDH). Sections renumbered accordingly.
  • Revised section I.3 Names - 4th, 5th and 6th bullets edited and expanded
  • Revised section I.4 Continuity - missing spaces added to examples
  • Revised section I.6 Dual Speakers - segmentation examples added
  • Revised section I.10 Italics - final bullet point added
  • New section added - Section II

2021-10-13

  • Revised section 13 Quotation Marks - 1st bullet point edited with a new localized example added
  • Revised section 3 Character Names - 5th bullet point added

2021-07-09

2021-02-24

2020-10-28

  • Revised section 7 Dual speaker subtitles - 2nd bullet added
  • Revised section 12 Line treatment - 2nd bullet added
  • Revised section 14 Quotes - 4th bullet added regarding reading aloud
  • Revised section 17 Songs - 9th bullet added regarding poetry

2020-07-24

  • Revised section 5 Continuity - clarified the type of ellipsis permitted
  • Revised section 20 SDH Guidelines - revised wording in 3rd bullet point

2020-05-07

2018-11-19

2018-06-04

2018-03-09

  • Revised section 6 Documentary - 4th, 5th and 6th bullet points added
  • Revised section 9 Forced Narratives - 2nd and 3rd bullet points added, 5th bullet point revised
  • Added section 12 Line Treatment
  • Revised section 13 Numbers - 4th and 5th bullet points revised, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th bullet points added
  • Section 14 Quotes rewritten for clarity
  • Revised section 15 Reading Speed - Words per minute removed
  • Revised section 16 Repetitions - 1st point revised for clarity
  • Revised section 17 Songs - 2nd bullet point added
  • Revised section 18 Titles - 1st, 2nd and 3rd bullet points revised
  • Revised section 19 Special Instructions - 6th and 7th bullet points added
  • Revised section 20 SDH Guidelines - renamed and expanded

2016-05-15

  • Revised section 16 Songs – 5th bullet point revised
  • Revised section 17 Titles – 1st bullet point revised, 2nd bullet point added
  • Revised section 18 Special Instructions – 4th bullet point removed

 

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