Transposition is a translation technique that involves changing the sequence of parts of speech and grammatical structures without altering the meaning of the original text. It is commonly utilized between languages like English and Spanish, adapting to different syntactical preferences. This method allows translators to achieve equivalency and avoid misunderstandings, while providing flexibility in style and expression.

1. Transposition

2. To avoid falling into the trap of a literal
translation (an exceedingly strict adherence to
the source text’s composition and grammatical
structure), which is justifiable only in some
isolated cases, we generally use a variety of
methods. These are almost always done
automatically, without knowing which
approach we are using or what it is called. One
of these strategies, which is quite useful when
we cannot find the perfect structure to match
the original, is:

3. Transposition
a style of translation
This is the process where parts of speech change their
sequence when they are translated. It is in a sense a shift
of word class. Grammatical structures are often different
in different languages. Transposition is often used
between English and Spanish because of the preferred
position of the verb in the sentence: English often has
the verb near the beginning of a sentence; Spanish can
have it closer to the end. This requires that the translator
knows that it is possible to replace a word category in
the target language without altering the meaning of the
source text.

4. For example:
In English Hand knitted (noun +
participle) becomes in Spanish Tejido
a mano (participle + adverbial phrase).
"She likes swimming" translates as
"Le gusta nadar" (not "nadando").
“El carro rojo” literally is “the car red”
as opposed to the correct translation
“the red car”.

5. Original in English: After he comes back.
• Literal Spanish translation: Después de que él
regrese.
• Transposed Spanish translation: Después de su
regreso.
EQUIVALENCY: using a word whose meaning
is a synonym of another word in the source.

6.  Working with you is a pleasure → Trabajar
contigo… El trabajo contigo …
 Tras su salida → after he’d gone out
 There’s a reason for life → Hay una razón para
vivir
 with government support → apoyado por el
gobierno
 It’s getting dark → comienza a oscurecer

7. Techniques of transposition
Transposition
• Operates at the grammatical level
• Consists of the replacement of a word class by another word
class without changing the meaning.
Within the same language:
Reconstruction of the city is very important
Reconstructing the city is very important
To reconstruct the city is very important
Tu enojo me tiene sin cuidado
Que te enojes me tiene sin cuidado
(Back-translation: I don’t care about your anger.
I don’t care about your getting angry.)
Enojo (noun) → enojes (verb)

8. Public servants should be held accountable for their
management of public goods. →
Debe responsabilizarse a los funcionarios públicos por
el manejo de los bienes públicos.
Tips
• The use of the pronominal passive allows a rendition
that does not indicate the subject of the sentence, like in
the ST.
• From a stylistic view point the transposed expression
does not have the same value, but the meaning is the
same.
• Transposed expressions are generally more literary in
character.
• It is important to choose the form that best fits the
context.

9. Transposition can be:
Free: When the transposition used depends mostly on
context and desired effect.
The course is of interest to all of us. → El curso nos
interesa a todos (nosotros). (Back-translation: The
course interests all of us)
Compulsory: When only a transposition is acceptable.
I will never forget the time when I got lost in the
market. → Nunca olvidaré la vez que me perdí en el
mercado.
(Back-translation: I will never forget the time that I got
lost in the market.)
When (adverb) → que (relative pronoun)

10. Types of transposition
Adverb→ verb
I only defended myself. → No hice sino defenderme
(Back-translation → I did nothing but defend
myself.)
Adverb→ noun
I wrote to you early this year. → Le escribí a
principios de año.
(Back-translation → I wrote to you at the beginning
of the year)
Adverb→ adjective
He lives precariously → Lleva una vida precaria.
(Back-translation → He leads a precarious life)

11. Adjective→ noun
He found it difficult to arrange for the trip
Tuvo dificultad en hacer los arreglos para el viaje
(Back-translation → I had difficulty to make the
arrangemets for the trip)
Possessive adjective → definite article
Your hair is too long→ Tienes el cabello muy largo
(Back-translation → Your have the hair too long)
Verb or past participle → noun
I intended to tell you the whole truth. → Mi intención fue
(era) decirle toda la verdad.
(Back-translation → My intention was to tell you the whole
truth.)
Adverb → noun
I wrote to you early this year. → Le escribí a principios de
año.
(Back-translation → wrote to you at the beginning of the
year.)

12.  It is very important to understand that transposition means
“replacing one word class with another without
changing the meaning of the message”.
 Transposition concerns the changes of grammatical categories
in translation. This procedure is the most frequent device used by
translators, since it offers a variety of possibilities that help
avoiding the problem of untranslatability.
 Besides, with this type of translation, misunderstanding and
literary translations can be avoided. In this, the translator can
interpret the content without changing the main idea from the
original text; whereby, it is comfortable because of the person
can use their own style to translate.