How to write your name in Japanese

[jacobf]

Originally Posted by Nagoyankee

What makes you think that?

Just from doing it with my own name, I've seen it done as ba, bi, bu, be, and bo. I did it as ヤコビ for the longest time, but Google Translator says that it is ヤコブ, so I am not sure which one is right, if either.

[Nagoyankee]

Originally Posted by jacobf

Just from doing it with my own name, I've seen it done as ba, bi, bu, be, and bo. I did it as ヤコビ for the longest time, but Google Translator says that it is ヤコブ, so I am not sure which one is right, if either.

I'm glad I asked. Anything other than ブ would be very unnatural. In case you didn't know, I'm a native speaker.

On a more important note, ヤコブ isn't the way we write your name if you pronounce it the English way. It's ジェイコブ or ジェーコブ with the former being in more frequent use.

The important thing that I feel the members here aren't aware of is that we go from the sounds, not the spelling, when writing foreign names in Japanese. We re-write the name with the closest sound combinations within the Japanese sound system.

[jacobf]

Originally Posted by Nagoyankee

I'm glad I asked. Anything other than ブ would be very unnatural. In case you didn't know, I'm a native speaker.

On a more important note, ヤコブ isn't the way we write your name if you pronounce it the English way. It's ジェイコブ or ジェーコブ with the former being in more frequent use.

The important thing that I feel the members here aren't aware of is that we go from the sounds, not the spelling, when writing foreign names in Japanese. We re-write the name with the closest sound combinations within the Japanese sound system.

Ah, thank you a lot for clarifying that. Now it makes more sense! Sorry for my bad information, I've never been told the correct way it works.

Thank you so much again.

[Pexster]

I already know how. *sighs*

[Ohad]

Originally Posted by jacobf

Not sure, I would go with something like オハヅ (Ohadu). However, I am sure you can use any of the d(a,i,u,e,o) for the end.



In katakana, it would be トマ.

Yeah, I already knew there isn't any signle-sounded 'd', but I just wasn't sure which one was the most correct to choose. And then I saw Nagoyankee's posts.

Thanks

[luvan1me]

Originally Posted by Avary_Ninja

Good find NinjaKasumi. There's this version of Katrina in Japanese :



Translating western names into Japanese is a bit touchy. The sound must be translated into japanese phonetics and then the proper characters must be chosen accordingly. Sometimes there is no equivalent sounds in Japanese and the closest proximity must be chosen arbitrarily and will vary depending on the translator.

And I've got my own hanko for "Avary" :



Since there is no "va" sound in japanese the katakana for "ba" is used, so "Avary" in Japanese is said "Abari".

there IS a va sound now. they use ヴァ my japanese teacher says that va is used and it's how ppl are now prounouncing a lot of the older american words with va ヴァvi　ヴィ vo　ヴォ vu ヴand ve ヴェ lol. hope that helps! ^__^

[Nagoyankee]

Originally Posted by luvan1me

there IS a va sound now. they use ヴァ my japanese teacher says that va is used and it's how ppl are now prounouncing a lot of the older american words with va ヴァvi　ヴィ vo　ヴォ vu ヴand ve ヴェ lol. hope that helps! ^__^

Not true at all. You can't introduce a new sound to an entire nation/language so easily. That is rediculous.

You can use the katakana ヴ all you want, but that doesn't mean we Japanese will start producing the V sound. Each language is already complete with what they have.

[komitsuki]

Originally Posted by Nagoyankee

Not true at all. You can't introduce a new sound to an entire nation/language so easily. That is rediculous.

It really depends on few circumstances. The Japanese "di" syllable was lost for several centuries thanks to the "high vowel assimilation of alveolar consonants" and linguists didn't object that Japanese phonology can restrain the speakers from pronouncing "di".

If it was trying to introduce a brand new phoneme (either vowel or consonant) to a given language, then it's theoretically impossible to superimpose it to the speakers.

[GTJ]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

hi i noticed that u were volunteering in helping someone with translating names can u pls help me i really like to get my name in japanese as i have it in some other languages so my name is "Bukuroshe" in english it means beauty and in italian bella if u can help please email me at kasandra1909@yahoo.co.uk
thanks in advance and i know is hard work so if u cant do it its ok

"Bukuroshe", eh? In Katakana that would be ブクロッシェ, I think.

Just putting my 2 cents in, I just wanna put out there that "translate" is a misnomer. You're not "translating" your names, you're simply writing them in Katakana, that is to say, you're changing the pronunciation so native Japanese speakers can say them.

For example, earlier Jonathan posted his name in Katakana and someone said that the 'ta' sound could be used since he doesn't like the "san" at the end. I disagree. "Jyo-na-san" is how the Japanese will pronounce his name, because "sa" is the Japanese equivalent of "th" sounds!

[GTJ]

Originally Posted by Nagoyankee

Not true at all. You can't introduce a new sound to an entire nation/language so easily. That is rediculous.

You can use the katakana ヴ all you want, but that doesn't mean we Japanese will start producing the V sound.

Yeah, ヴ still has a "bu" sound to it. The Japanese simply dont' make a "V" sound, so they're going to use the closest equivalent: "B".

Remember that カクカク•シカジカ CM where シカさん was trying to teach Japanese people how to say Vikkuri?

"vvvvvvvvvvIKKURI."

I actually used that CM in teaching some of my Japanese students

Each language is already complete with what they have.

You get a double high five for that!!