Chinese compound surname readings
How are Chinese compound surnames read in Japanese?
A compound surname uses two characters as one family name. The converter must recognize that boundary before combining Japanese on-readings or Mandarin-based Katakana.
Convert a compound-surname nameOuyang, Sima, Zhuge: two characters, but one surname. Full-name examples make the boundary easier to see.
Ouyang, Sima and Zhuge in Japanese
欧阳 has the Japanese reading オウヨウ and the Mandarin-based Katakana オウヤン (Ōuyáng). For 司马, the two forms are シバ and スーマ. The chart includes Pinyin so you can compare the sounds as well as the characters.
Common compound Chinese surnames in Japanese
The Japanese column reads the kanji in Japanese; Mandarin Katakana approximates the source-language pronunciation.
| Chinese surname | Japanese form | Pinyin | Japanese on-reading | Mandarin Katakana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 欧阳 | 欧陽 | Ōuyáng | オウヨウ | オウヤン |
| 司马 | 司馬 | Sīmǎ | シバ | スーマ |
| 诸葛 | 諸葛 | Zhūgě | ショカツ | チューゲ |
| 上官 | 上官 | Shàngguān | ジョウカン | シャングアン |
| 夏侯 | 夏侯 | Xiàhóu | カコウ | シャホウ |
| 东方 | 東方 | Dōngfāng | トウホウ | ドンファン |
Where the surname ends
欧阳娜娜: 欧阳 / 娜娜
Both characters of 欧阳 belong in the family-name field. 娜娜 is the given name; the Japanese reading separates them as オウヨウ / ダダ.
Character forms
欧阳, 司马 and 诸葛 become 欧陽, 司馬 and 諸葛 in Japanese forms. 上官 and 夏侯 keep the same characters.
Continue exploring Chinese surnames in Japanese
How do you read a Chinese name in Japanese?
Use the complete guide to see how compound surnames combine with given names.
How are common Chinese surnames read in Japanese?
Look up common Chinese surnames in Japanese glyphs, on-readings and Mandarin Katakana.
How is the Chinese surname Zhang read in Japanese?
Compare Zhang in Japanese kanji, Katakana, Hiragana, Romaji and Mandarin pronunciation.
How are Chinese novel character names read in Japanese?
Compare Japanese kanji, on-readings and Mandarin Katakana through Chinese fictional character names.
Convert a full Chinese name with a compound surname
Enter the complete name and keep the compound family name grouped correctly.