Simone
シモーヌ
Shimōnu
How It Is Said
- シshi
- モmo
- ーo
- ヌnu
Shimōnu: 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| French | シモーヌ | Shimōnu | |
| Italian | シモーネ | Shimōne |
What Happens to the Sounds
- The final e is not said, but Japanese gives the sound before it a light vowel: ヌ (nu).
- The bar ー makes the vowel before it long, one beat more: モー (mō).
- The stressed vowel of an Italian name is often written long in katakana: モー (mō); so in Italian, Simone is シモーネ (Shimōne).
In Italian, Simone is a man's name; in French, a woman's.
To Type It
On a computer with Japanese input switched on, type shimo-nu (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 シモーヌ 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
