onsdag 30 oktober 2013

Why transcribing my last name to Chinese is a bad idea

My last name is Niklas Utterbäck.  People's victory Otter mountain stream, if you will. It is a good name. I like it very much. Except translating if to a naturally sounding Japanese name is a bit of a hassle.

Our teacher showed us different ways to translate our names, direct translation of the meaning, changing to kanji with the same pronounciation and the like.

I tried switching my name by looking for character with similar pronounciation and got some nice and flattering results for Niklas. Long time protector of virtue and peace or something like that. If I translated the meaning of Niklas, Victorious people, I got 勝人, commonly pronounced as katsuhito. But in Japan there are more ways of saying it:

Kachiji
Kachito
Kachine
Kachihiko
Kachifumi
Toji
Toto
Tone
Tohiko
Tofumi

Yoshiji
Yoshito
Yoshine
Yoshihiko
Yoshifumi

It depends on how you want it to sound.

When it came to Utterbäck it became much more difficult. Translating by meaning becomes 獺川, usogawa. Which isn't that bad, except it also sounds like you're saying "A river of lies".

Translating by changing to similar sounding characters was no improvement either. 生手留便来、 uterubenku. In Chinese it becomes something like "A novice/beginner came and left a poop".

I got to work on that translation.

7 kommentarer:

  1. since i am your biggest fan what would my name translate to ( if you have the time? ) =)

    SvaraRadera
    Svar
    1. Currently busy with homework, but send me the following and I will look it up later:

      First name: Daniel
      Meaning of first name:

      Last name: Adler
      Meaning of last name:

      Radera
  2. i am your biggest fan! translate my name as well :)

    SvaraRadera
    Svar
    1. Well, send me the meanings of your name and I will do that next time I am able. :)

      Radera
  3. Hare, which is promissed to god!

    SvaraRadera
    Svar
    1. Hare (兎)

      The animal is mainly known as usagi. Other pronounciations are "tsu" or "to", but I don't think it sounds very good by itself.

      If you use mountain hare get yamausagi (山兔) as the literal translation.
      Mountain by itself is yama. Other pronounciations are "san" or "sen". Mountain is commonly used in Japanese names and therefore has its own name pronounciations such as "sa", "yano" or "yan".

      Arctic hare, which exists in Russia, is called hokkyokunousagi (北極野兎). I am pretty certain this is way too long for a Japanese name, so my suggestion would be snow hare, yukiusagi (雪兔). I think that conveys pretty well a Russian hare. :)

      Snow is commonly called yuki, but other pronounciations are "setsu" or "buki".

      So, if you want mountain hare as your name:

      sato
      satsu
      yato
      yatsu (This sounds like "that guy", so I don't think so)
      yanoto
      yanotsu

      If you prefer snow hare:

      Setto
      Setsu
      Bukito
      Bukitsu

      If you just want hare:

      Usagi (Think this one is the cutest and probably easiest

      Radera
  4. As for "promise to god". I changed promise to oath and skipped the to so it became God oath(神誓).

    For god there are loads of ways to pronounce it:
    Kami, kan, kou, shin, jin, ka, kagu, kana, kamo, kuma, ko, koha, dama, mi

    For oath there are only two ways but only one is not a verb: sei

    So something like:
    Kamisei
    Kansei (Which also sounds like complete, completion)
    Kousei
    Shinsei
    Jinsei
    Kasei
    Kagusei
    Kanasei
    kamosei
    kumasei
    kohasei
    damasei
    kosei
    Misei

    I really can't say if they sound good or not as a natural sounding Japanese name, but there you go. :)

    SvaraRadera