A Pragmatic and Equivalence-Based Analysis of Korean Honorifics in Indonesian Translation

Honorifics in the Korean language are a linguistic system that reflects social hierarchy, interpersonal relationships, and levels of politeness in communication. This system encompasses various aspects, such as names and titles, personal pronouns, and verb forms, which do not always have direct equivalents in Indonesian. In contrast, the Indonesian language employs a simpler and more flexible system of honorifics, often relying on general address terms like Bapak or Ibu without structural changes to verbs or pronouns. This difference poses challenges in translation, as translators must adjust the social meaning and level of politeness in the target language while ensuring cultural appropriateness. This study employs a qualitative descriptive method. The findings indicate that translating Korean honorifics into Indonesian involves various strategies, including meaning adaptation, omission of honorific elements, and, in certain cases, retention of original terms. Some verbs that undergo form changes in Korean, such as 주무시다 (jumushida)—the polite form of 자다 (jada) ("to sleep")—need to be translated with contextual consideration, for example, as beristirahat ("to rest") instead of tidur ("to sleep"). Additionally, terms like 선배님 (seonbaenim) and 사장님 (sajangnim) not only indicate positions but also convey social status, requiring adjustments when translated into Indonesian.