The shift theory of translation, also known as "translation shifts," is a concept primarily associated with linguist J. C. Catford and further developed by scholars in translation studies. It deals with the changes or “shifts” that occur when translating a text from a source language (SL) to a target language (TL). Translation is rarely a word-for-word process; differences in grammar, syntax, semantics, and cultural context often require adjustments, leading to shifts. The shift theory provides a systematic framework to identify, classify, and analyze these transformations in translation. According to Catford, shifts can be broadly categorized into two main types: level shifts and category shifts. Level shifts occur when a linguistic item in the source language is translated at a different linguistic level in the target language. For example, an SL grammatical structure may be rendered as a lexical or idiomatic expression in the TL. This usually happens when the target language lacks an exact grammatical equivalent or when an alternative expression conveys the intended meaning more naturally. Level shifts often preserve the meaning but adjust the form to suit the target