for example if someone with a Japanese name needs to write it using the English alphabet (perhaps for a legal document?) do they get to decide what letters will work best or maybe is there a general system they’ll use to translate it over? this is not limited to my example, I am curious about other languages that use characters as well!
In: 12
In general, when translating names from a language that uses characters to one that uses the Latin alphabet (such as English), the translator will usually try to use letters that are as close as possible to the original characters. For example, if the name is written in Japanese, the translator might use “K” for “き” and “M” for “ま”. However, there is no single standard for this, so the translator has some flexibility in how they choose to represent the name in English. Ultimately, it is up to the individual to decide what letters they prefer, as long as the result is still easily recognizable.
Latest Answers