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ArchivesRe: Pronunciation of "Kane" in Japanese?
in reply to a message by Kane
That is a little confusing, all right.
There is a Japanese word Kane which means "metal, gold; money." This is pronounced roughly as your first responder stated. Two syllables, Ka- (as in car) -ne (as in nest). It would be written in their phonetic script as かね(ka-ne).
However, if a person's name in English is "Kane" (rhyming with main), the Japanese will not say it as though it were a Japanese word. They will approximate the English pronunciation. And, they will write it in a way that matches that pronunciation: ケイン (kein).
So, there are really two words or names here, the Japanese Kane and the English Kane. The pronunciation and spelling in Japanese depends on the meaning and context. I hope this makes sense.
There is a Japanese word Kane which means "metal, gold; money." This is pronounced roughly as your first responder stated. Two syllables, Ka- (as in car) -ne (as in nest). It would be written in their phonetic script as かね(ka-ne).
However, if a person's name in English is "Kane" (rhyming with main), the Japanese will not say it as though it were a Japanese word. They will approximate the English pronunciation. And, they will write it in a way that matches that pronunciation: ケイン (kein).
So, there are really two words or names here, the Japanese Kane and the English Kane. The pronunciation and spelling in Japanese depends on the meaning and context. I hope this makes sense.
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