Beyond "Word-for-Word" translations of two psychological questionnaires from English to Hindi: observations from India

This study involved translating (Danielsen et al., 1) two public health Uuestionnaires from English to Hindi. The Hindi versions were preliminarily validated through discussions with ten adult -ndian participants ?uent in Hindi. Although the audience�s native language may be associated with a better understanding of information, literal translations may be inadeUuate (e.g., Hindi of �Has the cat got your tongue?� ????? ?????? ?????? ??? ??/ ?? ???A does not make sense). Findings revealed that ?relatable? examples and metaphors (Taylor Dewsbury, 18) contributed to clearer explanations (example: �???? ???????????? ??? ??? ??? ??#� in Hindi better explains �Has the cat got your tongue#�). Code-switching (alternating between two or more languages) emerged as a crucial factor. English was more effective ?emotionally? in certain situations (example: �sex� instead of ??? ?????) and helped ?better understand? speci?c words (example: �potty� instead of ??). Easy-to-understand Hindi words (example: ?????? instead of ?????? for �coordination�) were prioritized so that the Uuestionnaires are accessible to audiences with at least primary education. The process also highlighted deeper issues: Stereotyping (example: ????? for �child� is not a gender-neutral term) and Positionality (researcher as insideroutsider). There is limited evidence of such studies from -ndia. Data collection is in progress to ensure that these Uuestionnaires are reliable and valid in -ndian settings. Results will be presented at the conference. Such studies can provide critical insights into the importance of language choice, improving science communication and health education ecosystems.