How to say Russia in Japanese: ロシア and how to say 'I am Russian'
Russia in Japanese is ロシア (Roshia), in katakana. 'I am Russian' is ロシア人です (Roshia-jin desu), 'Russian language' is ロシア語 (Roshia-go), 'I am from Russia' is ロシアから来ました (Roshia kara kimashita). The kanji spelling 露西亜 exists, but today it is used only in abbreviations like 日露 'Japan–Russia'.
Japanese people write country names in katakana — the syllabary for everything that comes from outside. An exception is made for neighbors that entered the language long ago: China, Korea, and the USA have retained kanji. Russia fell into an intermediate category: katakana in everyday life, kanji in diplomacy.
How to say 'Russia' and 'Russian'
| Japanese | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| ロシア | Roshia | Russia |
| ロシア人ロシアじん | Roshia-jin | Russian (person) |
| ロシア語ロシアご | Roshia-go | Russian language |
| ロシアから来ましたロシアからきました | Roshia kara kimashita | I came from Russia |
| モスクワ | Mosukuwa | Moscow |
| 露西亜ロシア | Roshia | Russia (obsolete kanji spelling) |
| 日露にちろ | Nichi-Ro | Japan-Russiaabbreviation of one character from each country |
Why Russia is 露 in abbreviations
Japanese abbreviates country names to one kanji: 日 Japan, 米 USA, 英 Britain, 中 China, 露 Russia. The character 露 ('dew') was chosen for its sound 'ro'. Therefore, in the news you see 日露関係 — 'Japan-Russia relations'.
What you'll need when talking about yourself
| Japanese | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 私はロシア人ですわたしはロシアじんです | watashi wa Roshia-jin desu | I am Russian |
| ロシア語が話せますロシアごがはなせます | Roshia-go ga hanasemasu | I speak Russian |
| 日本語を勉強していますにほんごをべんきょうしています | nihongo o benkyō shite imasu | I am studying Japanese |
| 名前は…ですなまえは…です | namae wa … desu | My name is... |
How to write your name next to it
Your name is written in the same katakana as the country name: ロシアのアンナです — 'I am Anna from Russia'. Kanji are not chosen for names: in documents, badges, and tickets, foreign names are always in katakana.
Say a phrase about yourself
FAQ
How do you say 'Russia' in Japanese?
ロシア (Roshia), in katakana. The obsolete kanji spelling 露西亜 is now found only in abbreviations.
How do you say 'I am Russian' in Japanese?
ロシア人です (Roshia-jin desu) or fully 私はロシア人です. 'I am from Russia' is ロシアから来ました (Roshia kara kimashita).
Why is Russia written in katakana?
Japanese people write all foreign names in katakana. Kanji have been retained only for countries that entered the language very long ago: 日本, 中国, 韓国, 米国.
What does 露 mean in the news?
It is a one-character abbreviation for Russia, chosen for its sound 'ro'. Other countries are abbreviated similarly: 日 Japan, 米 USA, 中 China.
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