Sergio
セルヒオ
Seruhio
How It Is Said
- セse
- ルru
- ヒhi
- オo
Seruhio: four 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spanish | セルヒオ | Seruhio | |
| Italian | セルジョ | Serujo | |
| Portuguese (Sérgio) | セルジオ | Serujio |
What Happens to the Sounds
- In Spanish, j (and g before e or i) is a breath from the throat, close to h: ヒ (hi).
- In Spanish, an r before a consonant is said, so it is written ル (ru): セルヒオ.
- In Italian, g before e or i is said j: ジョ (jo); so in Italian, Sergio is セルジョ (Serujo).
- In Portuguese, Sérgio is written セルジオ (Serujio), closer to how it is said there.
To Type It
On a computer with Japanese input switched on, type seruhio, 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 セルヒオ 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
