In terms of phraseology, idiomaticity is a feature that is usually represented together with the concept of motivation and is explained according to the type of phraseological unit or the constituents that form it. Motivation, on the other hand, is linked to the existing cognitive processes between literal meaning and figurative meaning of the phraseologism in question. Based on these premises, the present study refers to the idiomatic component present in phraseological translation and aims to determine it by means of a translation exercise of idiomatic locutions (L) for Russian students to examine the degree of idiomaticity and motivation of the phraseological units. The importance of these properties in the training of translators and interpreters, as well as in the phraseological acquisition of these idiomatic units for general linguistic competence and proficiency, is also emphasized. © (2024), (Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina). All rights reserved.