Some Kanji symbols needed
- Thread starter B-MAN
- Start date
im Peter... how do you write my name in Kanji? or does anyone know where you can find BIG kanji symbols.
WWWJDIC: Word Search .B-MAN said:
If you are set on having your name in kanji there are two approaches.B-MAN said:
1. 'Meaning'
2. 'Phonetic'.
MEANING
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Now if you want to believe the random web-site I found it on
Peter 'means' small rock.
If you think about it for a moment though if somebody says "small rock" you're unlikely to immediately spring to attention.
If you use 'small rock' as your name don't expect people who know Japanese to realise that it's your name and is supposed to mean Peter.
Incidentally 岩 is not a very good kanji for 'small rock', it's more likely to mean 'boulder'.
小石 【こいし】
pebble; (P)might be more appropriate.
PHONETIC
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Now kanji in Japanese are not usually used to 'spell' words phonetically. It's not unheard of, but the general effect of 'spelling' Peter with kanji will be a large amount of confusion for anybody who can read Japanese. Even if they do realise it's a name it may look funny or even stupid depending on which kanji you choose.
Frankly you're all out of luck with this approach anyway because there aren't any kanji commonly said like ぴ ( pi ), or even ぺ ( pe ).
B-MAN said:
No, this is not the good one for Peter. In fact, and I'm sure you'll be surprised by this, the Japanese (and Chinese) people did NOT make kanji based on Western names. Yes, really. All those foreign signs, they mean foreign things, they're pronounced in a foreign way, and they're not appropriate for foreign names. Stick to Katakana. I don't see any reason a foreigner would need to have their names written in kanji that are read very differently from their real name. And trying to "transliterate" your name by meaning? Dumb, dumb, dumb. Do you get anyone here calling you "little rock"? Do you use that at your name? Then why the **** would you want to use that as your name in another language?
Katakana at least preserves something close to how your name is said. Foreign names in Kanji are for silly foreigners who think they're special enough to warrant a "cool" name in Japanese kanji. The only reason I can see is for official documents and hanko in Japan, and AFAIK, you pick your name from a list of appropriate names, you don't make it up as you go along.
