Lars
ラーシュ
Rāshu
Also written ラース.
How It Is Said
- ラra
- ーa
- シュshu
Rāshu: three 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 | ラーシュ | Rāshu | the usual form |
| ラース | Rāsu | also in use | |
| Norwegian | ラーシュ | Rāshu | the usual form |
| ラース | Rāsu | also in use | |
| Danish | ラース | Rāsu |
What Happens to the Sounds
- In Swedish, rs is said sh: シュ (shu).
- Japanese has no l. It uses its one sound between l and r, a light tap of the tongue, written ラ リ ル レ ロ: ラ (ra).
- The bar ー makes the vowel before it long, one beat more: ラー (rā).
- In Danish, Lars is written ラース (Rāsu), closer to how it is said there.
To Type It
On a computer with Japanese input switched on, type ra-shu (the - key gives the bar ー), 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 ラーシュ 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
