Henrik
ヘンリック
Henrikku
Also written ヘンリク.
How It Is Said
- ヘhe
- ンn
- リri
- ッk
- クku
Henrikku: 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swedish | ヘンリック | Henrikku | the usual form |
| ヘンリク | Henriku | also in use | |
| Norwegian | ヘンリック | Henrikku | the usual form |
| ヘンリク | Henriku | also in use |
What Happens to the Sounds
- The Japanese r is a light tap of the tongue, like the quick t in an American "water": リ (ri).
- Japanese syllables end in a vowel or in ン, so the final k takes a light vowel: ク (ku).
- The small ッ is a short pause that doubles the next sound: ック (kku).
Henrik Ibsen is ヘンリック・イプセン in Japanese.
To Type It
On a computer with Japanese input switched on, type hennrikku (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 ヘンリック 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
