Japanese names

[jamien]

Hi, first question for me, yippeee!

Ok, if you come across an unfamiliar japanese name, lets say飯田圭織 (Kaori Iida of Morning Musume) How would you ask them what it was, as in: How do you spell your name, or how do you pronounce it based on the kanji:

お名前はどんなスペルですか. I think this might be right but I'm not sure.

Thanks
Jamie

BTW, to enter Kaori's name in an IME try KEI ORI. It's one of those name/kanji combos i hate

 

[beluga]

Hmmm, let me give it a try,

お名前はどのように発音しますか？

Is this correct?

 

[billiken]

(the pronunciation)
■失礼ですが、お名前はどのようにお読みすれば、よろしいでしょうか？

(how to write in kanji)
■失礼ですが、お名前の漢字の方は、どのようにお書きすればよろしいでしょうか？
■失礼ですが、お名前は漢字でどのように書きますか？

 

[beluga]

Hmm... yomimasu does makes more sense. It's the same as chinese if one were to ask how to pronounce.

 

[Elizabeth]

Although using hatsuon to correct a misreading is perfectly appropriate, isn't it? Tatoeba "Namae wa Koori de wa nakute Kaori to hatsuon suru to omoimasu" sou ieba ii deshouka?

 

[beluga]

Originally posted by Elizabeth
Although using hatsuon to correct a misreading is perfectly appropriate, isn't it? Tatoeba "Namae wa Koori de wa nakute Kaori to hatsuon suru to omoimasu" sou ieba ii deshouka?

Hmmm... I think I should correct myself a little here. From my Kodansha dictionary, it does say that pronounce means hatsuon. That's why I came out with the example earlier on. I think you are right in your example. I guess when conversation is done face to face, hatsuon would probably be better. However, in the case if someone is pointing at a written kanji to ask how it's pronounced, yomimasu would be more appropriate.

Just my 2 cents....

 

[beluga]

Originally posted by Elizabeth
Although using hatsuon to correct a misreading is perfectly appropriate, isn't it? Tatoeba "Namae wa Koori de wa nakute Kaori to hatsuon suru to omoimasu" sou ieba ii deshouka?

By the way, congratulation to you for being promoted to the highest rank!

 

[Elizabeth]

Originally posted by beluga
Hmmm... I think I should correct myself a little here. From my Kodansha dictionary, it does say that pronounce means hatsuon. That's why I came out with the example earlier on. I think you are right in your example. I guess when conversation is done face to face, hatsuon would probably be better. However, in the case if someone is pointing at a written kanji to ask how it's pronounced, yomimasu would be more appropriate.

Just my 2 cents....

That's just one way I've been corrected in the past. Certainly it is going to be situation dependent to some extent. If I were to guess Kaori to be Rikao, for instance, you'd most likely let me know straight out Rikao to iu kotoba wa arimasen. Tabun Kaori desu/deshitane! :sorry:

 

[billiken]

It is right that "pronunciation" means "Hatsuon".

"お名前はどのように発音しますか？"and "Namae wa Koori de wa nakute Kaori to hatsuon suru to omoimasu"

Whether these expressions are actually used in Japan, I think, is important.

The Japanese could understand what you are asking.
But, they don't use the "Hatsuon/Pronunciation" about their name.
It sounds strange and some people think it's rude. (These are not the right sentences though.)

English speakers ask, "How do you pronounce your name?" "どの様に発音しますか？" Is it right?
Anyway, We Japanese people always say, "How do you read your name?" "どの様に読みますか？"
Is it odd? But it's true.

 

[Elizabeth]

OK--that makes sense, I've just heard "hatsuon" used for the correction of other proper names like buildings or geographic places.

 

[Elizabeth]

Tutorsanにもわからない名前の読み方のことを聞きました。これは一部分の返事です。


たいてい漢字を聞く前に名前は知っていますから分らない部分だけを聞きます。たとえば、かわしまさんという人が居たとします。そして「かわ」も「しま」も何種類かあるので「すみませんが、かわしまさんのかわは、どう書きますか？」とか、「かわしまさんの漢字を教えていただけますか？」と言う風に聞きます。だから「名前は どの様に書きますか？」のような表現はあまり使われません。漢字を聞く前に名前を聞いているはずだからです。わかりますか？それと日本で他人に名前を聞くときはまず自己紹介します。「東山と申します。」と言う風に言うと一般的には相手も「川島と申します。」と返って来ます。だから相手の名前が聞きたいときは「はじめまして。エリザベスと申します。」と言えばまず相手は名前を返してくるでしょう。これは日本の常識と言えるでしょう。

 

[billiken]

■名前を知りたい場合
お名前を教えてください。
お名前を教えていただけますか？
お名前を頂戴できますか？（やや商業的）
■すでに名前を聞いて、その漢字を知りたい場合
お名前の漢字を教えてください。
お名前は漢字でどのように書きますか？
お名前の漢字の方は、どのようにお書きすればよろしいでしょうか？（やや商業的）
■例えば名刺に漢字で書かれた名前の読みを知りたい場合
お名前の読み方を教えてください。
お名前はどのようにお読みすればよろしいでしょうか？

 

[billiken]

"名前は、どの様に書きますか？"と聞くと "お名前は漢字でどのように書きますか？"であることが直感的分かるから、
"ビリケンは、どの様に書きますか？"
"ビリケンとはどういう風に書くんですか？"
"ビリケンってどう書くの？"
等の表現が可能。
一番最後の"○○ってどう書くの？"と言うのが実は、日常的に最も用いられていますが、親しくない人には使いません。