Writing content in Japanese language is an interesting and fun activity, but it can be challenging for someone who doesn’t know enough about it. If you’re interested in converting your name or any writing into Japanese, then it’s essential to understand the basic concepts. The article below provides a step-by-step guide on how to convert names to Japanese writing using Katakana.
Table of Contents:
1. Writing names using Katakana
2. Pay attention to the pronunciation
3. Creating an alternative
4. Check the pronunciation
5. Revised Katakana table
Writing Names using Katakana:
You need to start by breaking down your name into syllables. Japanese language uses syllables to write any foreign words, including Indonesian names. For example, if your name is Nirmala (Ni-ru-ma-ra), you need to write it using Katakana, which is exclusively used for writing foreign words. An important thing to remember while writing in Japanese is, every word that ends with a particular letter, requires the use of letter “u” at the end, except for letters “t” and “d.” In that case, the word ends with the letter “o.”
Pay Attention to the Pronunciation:
Since you’re converting names into Japanese language, the pronunciation is essential. Choose the appropriate syllables for each word by following its pronunciation instead of its spelling. The language emphasizes more on the sound, rather than the spelling.
Creating an Alternative:
You can create multiple alternatives to help you decide which one suits best with the original name.
Check the Pronunciation:
After creating the alternatives, the next step is to check the pronunciation using Google Translate. Paste the name to it, and if it produces a sound similar to the original name, then it’s correct.
Revised Katakana Table:
Here is a revised Katakana table that will help you in writing names:
ア a イ i ウ u エ e オ o
k カ ka キ ki ク ku ケ ke コ ko
g ガ ga ギ gi グ gu ゲ ge ゴ go
ky キャ kya キ ki キュ kyu ケ ke キョ kyo
s サ sa シ shi ス su セ se ソ so
z ザ za ジ zi ズ zu ゼ ze ゾ zo
sh シャ sha シ shi シュ shu シェ she ショ sho
j ジャ ja ジ ji ジュ ju ジェ je ジョ jo
t タ ta ティ ti チ chi トゥ tu ツ tsu テ te ト to
ch チャ cha チ chi チュ chu チェ che チョ cho
d ダ da ディ di ドゥ du デ de ド do
n (ン:n) ナ na ニ ni ヌ nu ネ ne ノ no
h ハ ha ヒ hi フ hu ヘ he ホ ho
f / v ファ fa/va フィ fi/vi フ fu フェ fe/ve フォ fo/vo
b バ ba ビ bi ブ bu ベ be ボ bo
p パ pa ピ pi プ pu ペ pe ポ po
m マ ma ミ mi ム mu メ me モ mo
y ヤ ya イ yi ユ yu イェ ye ヨ yo
r / l ラ ra/la リ ri/li ル ru/lu レ re/le ロ ro/lo
w ワ wa ウィ wi ウ wu ウェ we ウォ wo
Conclusion:
Writing in Japanese language may not be easy, but it’s not impossible either. With the help of Katakana and the right pronunciation, you can easily convert your name or any writing into Japanese. Follow the steps mentioned above, and you can write your name in Japanese in no time!
