A great scene doesn’t speak in words — it speaks in silences, glances, breath held between lines. And when the subtitles miss that? The whole thing falls apart. 
That’s why I don’t believe in just translating. I believe in transferring — tone, tension, intent. If it doesn’t feel the same in the subtitle, then it’s not doing its job.
I’ve been watching dramas across languages for years, and I’ve seen it happen over and over: raw, powerful acting undercut by subtitles that are technically correct but emotionally hollow. The tiniest choices change everything.
I’m fluent in Dutch, Turkish, and English, and I’ve studied French, German, Spanish, and Korean. I know how languages bend and shift — how a sentence can soften, sting, or crack depending on how you shape it. I care about that. I care about getting it right — I want to preserve what the scene is trying to say, not just what the words literally mean.
I’m new to contributing, but I’m not new to language, and I don’t approach this casually. I work fast, I communicate clearly, and I don’t take shortcuts — not when the scene’s doing the heavy lifting.
Would love to hear how other subbers approach tone too — how do you preserve the emotional edge of a scene when translating?