Silvia
シルビア
Shirubia
Also written シルヴィア.
How It Is Said
- シshi
- ルru
- ビbi
- アa
Shirubia: 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 | シルビア | Shirubia | the usual form |
| シルヴィア | Shiruvia | also in use | |
| Italian | シルヴィア | Shiruvia | the usual form |
| シルビア | Shirubia | also in use |
What Happens to the Sounds
- In Spanish, v is said like b, so it is written with the b row: ビ (bi).
- 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: ル (ru).
- In Italian, Silvia is written シルヴィア (Shiruvia), closer to how it is said there.
To Type It
On a computer with Japanese input switched on, type shirubia, 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 シルビア 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
