I am planning a move to Japan in about a year in a half. One question I have is how Slavic names are transliterated into Japanese. For example, Polish, Czech, or Croatian names that are written like this:
* Čapek (pronounced Chapek)
* Czapek (pronounced Chapek)
I ask because my last name is like this, where the English letter sounds don’t match up with the actual sounds in my last name’s language. The extra wrinkle is that I am American, not legally from the places with these language differences.
From what I have read online, the name is just transliterated into Katakana with the sounds; not the direct name from English. Is that correct? But how does it work with Romaji, for example on official documents. Will it be the original legal name, or the pronunciation one?
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**How does transliteration work if your name is in Latin characters but pronounced differently than in English?**
I am planning a move to Japan in about a year in a half. One question I have is how Slavic names are transliterated into Japanese. For example, Polish, Czech, or Croatian names that are written like this:
* Czapek (pronounced Chapek)
* Čapek (pronounced Chapek)
* Czapek (pronounced Chapek)
I ask because my last name is like this, where the English letter sounds don’t match up with the actual sounds in my last name’s language. The extra wrinkle is that I am American, not legally from the places with these language differences.
From what I have read online, the name is just transliterated into Katakana with the sounds; not the direct name from English. Is that correct?
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Like you said, it’s based on the sounds. Even in English, combinations of letters do not always have the same sounds, and as such it’s not like a specific order of Roman letters will necessarily represent a specific katakana.
You also have some freedom of choice, but the important thing is that you’re consistent. For example, my name is Emily. It’s usually written エミリー, but I don’t like the long sound at the end so I just write it エミリ. That’s my kana on all official documents that require it.
In my case you can choose, my girlfriend (now wife) helped me and we choose what represents the sounds of my name the best.
In my case it was even, that the sound in english is different than in my native language.
Now you got to choose at the office / townhall what you want to be called (or what is the most similar sound)
>the name is just transliterated into Katakana with the sounds; not the direct name from English. Is that correct?
Correct. For example, katakana for José is ホセ, not ジョセ.
>But how does it work with Romaji, for example on official documents. Will it be the original legal name, or the pronunciation one?
Official documents will always follow your legal name as written in your passport. I’m not sure about the special character Č, my guess is it will be written as Czapek.
You transliterate based on sound rather than spelling. It’s best to work it out yourself and let your company know so that they aren’t proactive and submit a transliterated name to health insurance or other services without your OK. I had to do some extra paperwork to change my ~vic(h) from ビッチ (aka bitch) to ヴィッチ.
And if you name is Mankovic(h), you’re going to have a bad time.
Modified Hepburn Romanisation is for English, mostly. It’s why Audrey Hepburn is so popular here.
Look up the Japanese/your_language transliteration method. There should be one, hopefully.
If not, figure out the phonetic transliteration of your name into katakana, and use that.
There may even be a transliteration of your name, try searching for it.
Ah ah I would have the exact same issue with my last name so I’m following this one