Game of Thrones Languages: English, Dothraki and High Valyrian Explained
The subtitles are in English. The actor is clearly not speaking English. Then a word such as Dothraki appears in an English sentence, and suddenly you are not sure whether it names a people, a language, or both. Welcome to the multilingual layer of Game of Thrones.
The easiest way through it is not to memorize every fantasy word. Use four moves: HEAR → LABEL → LAYER → LEARN.
- HEAR: notice that the audio has changed, but do not identify a language from sound alone.
- LABEL: look for an explicit language label or a reliable creator source.
- LAYER: separate the language being spoken from the English subtitle or interpreter layer.
- LEARN: decide what belongs in your English vocabulary, what belongs in a show-language note, and what is simply a culture/title word.
Quick answer: there is more than one language layer
Game of Thrones uses English alongside constructed languages including Dothraki and languages in the Valyrian family. Language creator David J. Peterson explains on his official About Dothraki page that he created Dothraki for HBO's series and that it is the language of the Dothraki people.
Valyrian needs an extra warning label. The English subtitle asset for one Astapor scene uses the broad label Valyrian, but Peterson's own linguistic notes are more specific. In his Season 3 language note, he explains the relationship between High Valyrian and Astapori Valyrian; in his S03E04 recap, he identifies Kraznys's dialogue as Astapori Valyrian and Daenerys's later command sequence as High Valyrian.
So the safe learner rule is: “Valyrian” does not automatically mean “High Valyrian.”
The three layers you need to keep separate
Writer-original example: imagine a character speaks Spanish, an interpreter says in English, “He says the train leaves at six,” and the subtitle also shows English. The audio language is Spanish. The interpreter's sentence is English. The subtitle language is English. Those are three facts, not one.
1. English subtitles do not prove the audio is English
(KRAZNYS SPEAKING VALYRIAN)
This stage label is unusually helpful. It tells you directly that the source speech is Valyrian even though the surrounding subtitle track is English.
Notice what it doesn't prove by itself: it does not tell you the finer linguistic variety. The subtitle label is broad; Peterson's creator notes give the more precise Astapori Valyrian classification for Kraznys in this scene.
The master says
Now English is functioning as an interpreter relay. The English words are not evidence that the original speaker suddenly switched to English. They report what the source speaker said.
He says you would be wise
This is also useful English in its own right: He says… introduces reported speech. You can learn that English structure while still remembering that it is carrying somebody else's non-English message.
What should an English learner save?
If your goal is English, the interpreter's natural English can absolutely be useful. Save the English phrase with a note such as “interpreter relay; source dialogue is non-English.” That prevents a common mistake: remembering the translation correctly but misremembering what language the scene used.
2. Dothraki can name a people without naming the language of the sentence
The word Dothraki does double duty in the wider world of the series: it names the people/culture, and Peterson's creator documentation also uses it for the constructed language spoken by those people. Context decides which job the word is doing.
The Dothraki don't sail.
This sentence is English. Here the Dothraki names a people. The appearance of the word Dothraki does not turn the sentence into the Dothraki language.
Dothraki boys learn
Again, Dothraki functions as a cultural/people label inside an English sentence. Think of ordinary English phrases such as French students learn…: the nationality adjective does not tell you what language the whole sentence is being spoken in.
Khal Drogo will not make his
Khal is a Dothraki status title. A cultural title is another clue about the society in the scene—but it still is not, by itself, a language label.
Culture word ≠ language proof. If a subtitle says “Dothraki army,” “Dothraki boys,” or names Khal Drogo, you have evidence about people, culture, or status. To identify the spoken language, you still need the audio plus an explicit label or reliable source.
3. Valyrian is a family problem, not a one-label problem
This is where learners—and sometimes subtitle labels—can get too broad. Peterson describes Astapori Valyrian as a variety descended from and related to High Valyrian. That means High Valyrian and Astapori Valyrian are related, but they are not interchangeable names for every Valyrian utterance.
For the S03E04 scene used here, Peterson's recap specifically distinguishes Kraznys's Astapori Valyrian from Daenerys's High Valyrian. That is more precise than the subtitle stage direction's generic Valyrian label.
Dracarys.
This is a useful example of a source-language/show-specific item being preserved rather than replaced with an English phrase in the subtitle pack. Treat it as a Valyrian-world item, not ordinary English vocabulary.
Do not reverse-engineer a fake etymology from how the word looks. For a learner, the useful fact is its role and language context—not an invented breakdown of its spelling.
Three traps English learners hit
Trap 1: “The subtitle is English, so the character is speaking English.”
No. English can be the translation layer while the audio is another language.
Trap 2: “The word Dothraki appears, so this must be Dothraki speech.”
No. Dothraki may simply be the name/adjective for the people inside an English sentence.
Trap 3: “The subtitle says Valyrian, so it must be High Valyrian.”
No. The broader Valyrian label may hide a more specific variety. In the governed Astapor scene, creator notes distinguish Astapori Valyrian from High Valyrian.
What does each clue actually prove?
| What you see or hear | What it proves | What it does not prove | What to save |
|---|---|---|---|
| An explicit “speaking Valyrian” label | The source speech is being identified broadly as Valyrian | That every such line is specifically High Valyrian | Language label + scene note |
| An interpreter says “The master says…” | The English line is relaying someone else's speech | That the original speaker spoke English | Useful English reporting phrase + interpreter note |
| “Dothraki” inside an English sentence | The sentence refers to Dothraki people/culture | That the sentence itself is spoken in Dothraki | Culture/people label, not automatic language tag |
| A preserved source-language word | The subtitle has kept a non-English/show-language item | That it belongs in your everyday English deck | Separate show-language note unless your goal includes that language |
| Creator documentation naming a variety | A stronger linguistic classification | That every subtitle provider will use the same detailed label | Precise variety note |
HEAR → LABEL → LAYER → LEARN in practice
- HEAR: “That does not sound like English.” Good observation. Stop there.
- LABEL: find an explicit cue or authoritative source. Do not guess Dothraki versus High Valyrian from vibes.
- LAYER: ask whether the English you see is translation, interpretation, or actual English dialogue.
- LEARN: save the layer that matches your goal.
If you are learning English, an elegant English translation can still be useful vocabulary. Just do not mislabel it as the actor's original spoken line.
Practice 1: spoken language or subtitle language?
Writer-original scenario: A character speaks Spanish. Your screen shows “I need a doctor.” What can you safely say?
Show the answer
You can safely say the subtitle is English and the audio is Spanish if the scene/source identifies it as Spanish. You cannot say the character spoke the English sentence just because that is what appeared on screen.
Practice 2: people label or language label?
Writer-original sentence: “The Dothraki riders entered the valley.” Is Dothraki naming the language of the sentence?
Show the answer
No. In that sentence it labels the people/cultural group associated with the riders. The sentence itself is English.
Practice 3: English deck or show-language note?
Writer-original situation: An untranslated fantasy-language command appears repeatedly, while the surrounding English subtitle explains the scene. Where should you save it if your main goal is English?
Show the answer
Usually in a separate show-language/cultural note, not your core English vocabulary deck. Save the transferable English from the subtitle or interpreter separately.
One more useful distinction: translation can still teach excellent English
MISSANDEI: It is done.
This compact English line is useful regardless of the multilingual scene around it. It is done is formal, concise English meaning the action or agreement is complete. The key is to save it with the right layer: English relay/confirmation, not source-language evidence.
FunFluen can help when multiple subtitle tracks are available: dual or triple subtitles let you compare layers, while replay, the hover dictionary, saved phrases, and shadowing help you work on the English you actually want to learn. Track availability depends on the platform and title, so treat extra subtitle languages as an option, not a guarantee.
When a multilingual scene gets confusing, do not ask only “What does the subtitle say?” Ask three separate questions: What language am I hearing? What layer am I reading? What exactly am I trying to learn?
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