Dubbing: meaning, definitions and examples

Dubbing is mainly used in films and TV shows when the original audio track is replaced with another language. This process involves replacing the dialogue to match the lip movements of the actors.

• The movie was originally in French, but the dubbing makes it accessible to English-speaking audiences.
• The dubbing in this film was so good that you can hardly tell the actors are speaking a different language.

To 'dub' refers to the action of replacing the original audio track with a new recording. It is often used in past tense ('dubbed') and is specific to situations where voices or sounds are replaced.

• They dubbed the entire movie in Spanish for the Latin American market.
• Due to the actor's thick accent, his lines were dubbed by another voice actor.

Voice-over is used when a narrator speaks over the original video or film without replacing the original audio, often to provide additional information, context, or narrative. It is common in documentaries, commercials, and instructional videos.

• The documentary included a voice-over explaining the historical context of the events.
• The commercial used a voice-over to highlight the product's key features.

Dubbing is commonly used in movies and television shows when the original dialogue is replaced with another language or different dialogue. It aims to match the lip movements and emotions of the characters.

• The film was originally in French, but it was dubbed into English for international audiences.
• They did an excellent job with the dubbing; the characters' emotions were perfectly conveyed.

Voice-over is used in movies, television, and commercials to add a narrative or commentary by a speaker who is not part of the actual scene. Unlike dubbing, it does not replace the original dialogue but rather adds additional information.

• The documentary featured a famous actor doing the voice-over.
• In the animated film, the character's thoughts were conveyed through a voice-over.

Translate is a broader term used to describe converting text or speech from one language to another. It involves maintaining the meaning, context, and tone of the original content.

• I need to translate this document from Spanish to English for my assignment.
• She works as a translator and often translates books and articles.