At the moment, https://korean.stackexchange.com/help/on-topic states that "Requests for translation that contain no particular question about the Korean language" are off-topic. That wording was arrived at here.
However, the earlier question What is the policy for translation requests? suggested allowing small translation requests.
Should we change https://korean.stackexchange.com/help/on-topic to allow small translations? If so, what restrictions (if any) should we keep in place?
I don't think we want to unreasonably restrict questions that are at heart still fairly specific questions about the Korean language just because of how a question is phrased, so I'd be happy with allowing small translations. However, if we do this, it would be good if questions could make clear (ideally in the title) what aspects of sentence the asker is finding difficult. Doing this should:
EDIT : Also happy to include questions about how to say something in a certain context, as suggested elsewhere.
I think that users should be wary of asking a question like "How can I say XXXXX?" and just leaving it at that. However, just a little context can make such a question entirely allowable.
예.
How do I say "I like pizza"?
versus
How do I say "I like pizza"? I need to introduce myself tomorrow to a Korean speaking client at work and I want to use a bit of Korean. I know next to nothing about Korean though.
The second question is pretty much asking the same exact question as the first, but the added context of the second helps us answer the question better. We know what politeness level to use and we are aware of the asker's abilities in Korean.
This being said, I think that we should be rather loose on this. I would personally prefer that a user ask a weaker question than never ask any questions for fear of being rejected.
So, conclusion, I think that we should be willing to allow questions like "How can I say XXXXX?" while also pushing for the askers to provide context. As long as the request for translation is less than a few sentences, I am fine helping.
There is more to translation than simply the literal words.
If seeking a "translation" of a common phrase or idiom - or some piece of slang, a literal translation is not what is required. Common metaphors and similes don't always have the same resonance in different languages. A correct answer would be how the concept of the idiom is expressed in the target language.
This form of translation is surely acceptable.
You can compare it to the number of similar requests for translation of idioms on the EL&U and ELL sites. Some of which ask for translation between variants of English around the world.
