Anna
アナ
Ana
Also written アンナ.
How It Is Said
- アa
- ナna
Ana: two beats, each about the same length. Japanese has no strong stress, so the name is said evenly, beat by beat.
By Language
| Language | Katakana | Rōmaji | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | アナ | Ana | the usual form |
| アンナ | Anna | also in use | |
| German | アンナ | Anna | |
| Italian | アンナ | Anna |
What Happens to the Sounds
- The double nn is one sound in English, so katakana writes it once: アナ.
- In German, Anna is written アンナ (Anna), closer to how it is said there.
- The double nn is held: ン is a beat of its own before the next; so in Italian, Anna is アンナ (Anna).
Anna is also a Japanese given name, written in kanji such as 杏奈.
To Type It
On a computer with Japanese input switched on, type ana, then press F7 on Windows or Control+K on a Mac to turn it into katakana. On a phone, type the same letters with the Japanese keyboard and choose アナ among the suggestions.
The Same Name in Other Languages
Why Katakana
In Japan, names from abroad are written in katakana, the script for words from other languages. Kanji versions of Western names are mostly invented, and a Japanese reader often sees odd meanings in them; the katakana is what a Japanese person would really write. More on katakana and names
