Christian
クリスチャン
Kurisuchan
How It Is Said
- クku
- リri
- スsu
- チャcha
- ンn
Kurisuchan: five 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 | クリスチャン | Kurisuchan | |
| German | クリスティアン | Kurisutian | |
| French | クリスティアン | Kurisutian | |
| Danish | クリスチャン | Kurisuchan | the usual form |
| クリスティアン | Kurisutian | also in use |
What Happens to the Sounds
- In Christian, ch is said k: ク (ku).
- The Japanese r is a light tap of the tongue, like the quick t in an American "water": リ (ri).
- A small kana joins the one before it into one beat: チャ (cha).
- ン is a humming n, and it counts as a beat of its own.
- In German, Christian is written クリスティアン (Kurisutian), closer to how it is said there.
- French nasal vowels are written with ン (n): クリスティアン; so in French, Christian is クリスティアン (Kurisutian).
To Type It
On a computer with Japanese input switched on, type kurisuchann (nn gives ン), 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 クリスチャン among the suggestions.
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
