diff --git a/src/server/plugins/engine/components/ComponentBase.ts b/src/server/plugins/engine/components/ComponentBase.ts
index bfeffac0a..901963df6 100644
--- a/src/server/plugins/engine/components/ComponentBase.ts
+++ b/src/server/plugins/engine/components/ComponentBase.ts
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ export class ComponentBase {
 
   isFormComponent = false
   model: FormModel
+  def: ComponentDef
 
   /** joi schemas based on a component defined in the form JSON. This validates a user's answer and is generated from {@link ComponentDef} */
   formSchema: ComponentSchema = joi.string()
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@ export class ComponentBase {
     this.type = def.type
     this.name = def.name
     this.title = def.title
+    this.def = def
 
     if ('schema' in def) {
       this.schema = def.schema
diff --git a/src/server/plugins/engine/components/ComponentCollection.ts b/src/server/plugins/engine/components/ComponentCollection.ts
index cc4286b1f..f0ae4cfc9 100644
--- a/src/server/plugins/engine/components/ComponentCollection.ts
+++ b/src/server/plugins/engine/components/ComponentCollection.ts
@@ -308,12 +308,11 @@ export class ComponentCollection {
             labelOverrides[subField.name] = patchedSchema
           }
         } else {
+          const fieldDef = field.def
           const translatedLabel =
-            translator.tComponent(
-              field as unknown as ComponentDef,
-              'shortDescription'
-            ) ||
-            translator.tComponent(field as unknown as ComponentDef, 'title')
+            translator.tComponent(fieldDef, 'errorDescription') ||
+            translator.tComponent(fieldDef, 'shortDescription') ||
+            translator.tComponent(fieldDef, 'title')
           const messagesOverride =
             field.getValidationMessagesOverride(translator)
           let patchedSchema = field.formSchema
diff --git a/src/server/plugins/engine/components/DeclarationField.ts b/src/server/plugins/engine/components/DeclarationField.ts
index 2836e1371..f413b756c 100644
--- a/src/server/plugins/engine/components/DeclarationField.ts
+++ b/src/server/plugins/engine/components/DeclarationField.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ import {
   ComponentType,
   hasFormComponents,
   isFormType,
-  type ComponentDef,
   type DeclarationFieldComponent,
   type Item
 } from '@defra/forms-model'
@@ -148,7 +147,7 @@ export class DeclarationField extends FormComponent {
         'components.declarationField.defaultLabel'
       )
     } = this
-    const content = tComponent(this as unknown as ComponentDef, 'content')
+    const content = tComponent(this.def, 'content')
 
     const viewModel = super.getViewModel(context)
     let { fieldset, label } = viewModel
diff --git a/src/server/plugins/engine/components/FormComponent.ts b/src/server/plugins/engine/components/FormComponent.ts
index 8806fcf32..528e2977b 100644
--- a/src/server/plugins/engine/components/FormComponent.ts
+++ b/src/server/plugins/engine/components/FormComponent.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import {
-  type ComponentDef,
   type FormComponentsDef,
   type FormMetadata,
   type Item
@@ -178,15 +177,14 @@ export class FormComponent extends ComponentBase {
     const isRequired = !('required' in options) || options.required !== false
     const hideOptional = 'optionalText' in options && options.optionalText
 
-    const resolvedTitle =
-      tComponent(this as unknown as ComponentDef, 'title') || title
+    const resolvedTitle = tComponent(this.def, 'title') || title
     const optionalTag =
       !isRequired && !hideOptional ? ` ${t('common.optional')}` : ''
     const label = `${resolvedTitle}${optionalTag}`
 
     if (hint) {
       viewModel.hint = {
-        text: tComponent(this as unknown as ComponentDef, 'hint') || hint
+        text: tComponent(this.def, 'hint') || hint
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/server/plugins/engine/components/Markdown.ts b/src/server/plugins/engine/components/Markdown.ts
index 7d7abe3be..a8aaa2bf1 100644
--- a/src/server/plugins/engine/components/Markdown.ts
+++ b/src/server/plugins/engine/components/Markdown.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { type ComponentDef, type MarkdownComponent } from '@defra/forms-model'
+import { type MarkdownComponent } from '@defra/forms-model'
 
 import { ComponentBase } from '~/src/server/plugins/engine/components/ComponentBase.js'
 import { type RenderContext } from '~/src/server/plugins/engine/components/types.js'
@@ -28,8 +28,7 @@ export class Markdown extends ComponentBase {
 
     return {
       ...viewModel,
-      content:
-        tComponent(this as unknown as ComponentDef, 'content') || content,
+      content: tComponent(this.def, 'content') || content,
       headerStartLevel: this.headerStartLevel
     }
   }
diff --git a/src/server/plugins/engine/components/TextField.test.ts b/src/server/plugins/engine/components/TextField.test.ts
index 1223fdbbe..c6eae1ba8 100644
--- a/src/server/plugins/engine/components/TextField.test.ts
+++ b/src/server/plugins/engine/components/TextField.test.ts
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ describe('TextField', () => {
             language: 'en-GB'
           }
         })
-        expect(tComponent).toHaveBeenCalledWith(field, 'title')
+        expect(tComponent).toHaveBeenCalledWith(field.def, 'title')
         expect(viewModel.label.text).toBe('Translated title')
       })
 
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ describe('TextField', () => {
             language: 'en-GB'
           }
         })
-        expect(tComponent).toHaveBeenCalledWith(hintField, 'hint')
+        expect(tComponent).toHaveBeenCalledWith(hintField.def, 'hint')
         expect(viewModel.hint?.text).toBe('Translated hint')
       })
 
diff --git a/src/server/plugins/engine/i18n/types.ts b/src/server/plugins/engine/i18n/types.ts
index a10db632f..f9aaf3cfb 100644
--- a/src/server/plugins/engine/i18n/types.ts
+++ b/src/server/plugins/engine/i18n/types.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ export type FormDefinitionTranslations = Record<
         hint: string
         content: string
         shortDescription: string
+        errorDescription: string
         paymentDescription: string
       }>
     >