Each language has such a category of words as proper names: first names, surnames, all kinds of names. Any of us at least once has necessarily faced the need not translate, namely to write Russian word in English. For example, when we are dealing with names, surnames, names of cities, streets, various institutions (such as cafes, restaurants, hotels), we need to convey the sound of the word, make it readable in English. The names of cultural and religious events, the names of holidays, national elements that are not in the English-speaking culture also require transmission in English, because we communicate with foreigners about these things, we talk about our country and culture.
There are rules for this purpose transliterations - a method of writing words of one language by means of another. Each letter of the Russian alphabet (Cyrillic) has a corresponding English (Latin) letter or a combination of letters.
There are many systems and standards for transliteration. But first, let's talk about transliteration standards. Now, when almost everyone has a passport, when we travel abroad and fill out documents and forms in English, you just need to know the rules of transliteration that are accepted in the world.
Below are the options for transliterating letters and combinations of the Russian alphabet:
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Russian letters |
English letters and combinations |
Soft mark and hard mark are not conveyed in writing. Some letters are conveyed by combinations of two letters, and the letter Щ - by a combination of four: shch.
For instance:
Surname Shcherbakov will be written Shcherbakov.
Vowels E and Yo transliterated as YE if they appear at the beginning of a word or after a vowel:
Yezhov - Yezhov
Yozhikov - Yezhikov
Sergeev - Sergeyev
In Russian, letter combinations are often found Th with vowels, and each of the combinations has a correspondence:
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Russian combinations |
English combinations |
Many countries have transliteration rules for passports. In Russia, for example, the following rules for passports apply:
A-A, B-B, B-V, G-G, D-D, E-E, E-E, Z-ZH, Z-Z, I-I, Y-I, K-K, L- L, M-M, H-N, O-O, P-P, P-R, C-S, T-T, U-U, F-F, X-KH, C-TC, H-CH, SH-SH, SH-SHCH, S-Y, E-E, Yu-IU, I-IA.
Transliteration of names and surnames for passports is carried out according to this standard using a special program into which your data is entered in Russian. If you have a passport, you must use the spelling of your first and last name, which is presented in the document.
Transliteration is used not only in paperwork. We have already mentioned the word groups for which we use transliteration. For example, in English texts, you can easily come across the words borshch, pelmeni, matryoshka, Perestroyka and many others that have no English equivalent.
Or perhaps you remember the times when mobile phones did not support Russian, and we exchanged SMS in English. At the same time, everyone intuitively invented their own transliteration rules. These messages were challenging to read, but very funny. For example, to transmit the letter F used the letters G, J, Z, ZH. With letter S it was generally difficult: it was written as I, U, Y, JI. Those days are long gone, but the need to own a transliteration system has not disappeared, but on the contrary, has increased. Use the knowledge gained and communicate in English fluently. I wish you success!
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Igor ... Update: October 1, 2018.
Hello, dear readers of the blog site! I decided to devote this post to the topic of transliteration, which, in a nutshell, is the rules for writing text using signs of another language (say, in Russian in Latin).
I think that almost all users have encountered such a phenomenon, and many used transliteration, conveying their thoughts in Russian, but writing them down in English letters, simply not having a Russian-language keyboard layout in the visual display.
Such texts (notes or messages), written in Latin characters, can still be found on some forums. Moreover, their users write, basically not observing any rules that take place and which we will talk about below. The main goal of such communication is to convey information to the audience, which would adequately perceive it.
Some have used (and still use) transliteration from Russian into English when sending SMS from a mobile phone, if there is no corresponding language option. However, these are not the only examples of translit applications. Today we will talk about this.
Transliteration rules and its difference from transcription
To begin with, we will define the basic concepts for a more accurate understanding of the subject, as well as learn the fundamental difference between terms such as "transcription" and "transliteration".
Transcription Is a broad concept that means, as accurate as possible, the transmission of sounds of a particular language through a specific system of symbols.
Transliteration provides the display of letters of one script with the help of signs of another script, while not placing emphasis on pronunciation.
Words written with special characters are extremely useful for mastering the correct pronunciation when learning foreign languages. Here are some examples of transcription of Russian words in the Latin alphabet in the IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) format:
Address - ˈadrʲɪs Alexey - ɐlʲɪksʲˈej Almanac - ɐlʲmɐnˈax Gogol - ɡˈoɡəlʲ Dmitry - dmʲˈitrʲɪj Eugene - jɪvɡʲˈenʲɪj Yekaterinburg - jɪkətʲɪrʲɪnbˈurk Mikhail - mʲɪxɐˈil Dictionary - slɐvˈarʲ Tatiana - trj Yulia - jrjˈæ
Most languages \u200b\u200b(including English and Russian) have their own transcription rules, when each word is matched by its phonetic counterpart, which describes its sound. Here are a couple of examples:
Smile - ulypkʌ (Russian transcription) smile - (English transcription)
Moreover, Cyrillic letters and words can be transcribed into English, and vice versa.
The task of transliteration, as we have already defined, is to simply display the characters of one script with the help of the characters of another. Then the Russian words given above as an example (including names) will be translated into the same English as follows:
Address - Adres Alexey - Aleksej Almanac - Al "manah Gogol - Gogol" Dmitry - Dmitrij Evgeniy - Evgenij Yekaterinburg - Ekaterinburg Mikhail - Mihail Dictionary - Slovar "Tatyana - Tat" jana Julia - Julija Yuri - Jurij
I think now difference between transcription and transliteration the general meaning of these terms is obvious. There are many transliteration standards, sometimes incompatible with each other. Historically, several state standards (GOST) have been adopted, which, including the Soviet era, regulated transliteration.
Today the international standard is valid ISO-9 , regulating the general principles of translation from Russian into Latin. Its main advantage is that it eliminates the ambiguity of interpretation.
Each letter of the Cyrillic alphabet in it corresponds to a specific letter of the Latin alphabet or its combination with a special character (diacritic). Diacritical characters - special superscript or subscript characters that are added to letters.
A striking example is the sign "" "present in some of the transliterated words presented above (say, Tat" jana), which denotes the softening of consonants (analogous to the soft sign "b" in the Russian alphabet). As a result of such a match, reverse transliteration is possible, even if the language is not recognized.
Despite the existence of the international standard ISO-9, which very unambiguously reflects the principles of translating the characters of the Russian alphabet into Latin, it is not the only one, since alternative basic rules are applied in various fields.
If you are intrigued by this topic and want to get to know it better, then you can find a list of all the basic transliteration standards for Cyrillic languages \u200b\u200busing the Latin alphabet on a special Wikipedia page.
Practical transliteration methods
After presenting the theoretical part, it's time to dwell on the types of practical uses of transliteration. Here they are:
1. Practical transcription - is based on the ISO-9 type standard, which I mentioned above. It is necessary to observe not only grammatical, but also phonetic correspondence between both languages. In other words, it is necessary to find a "golden mean" in the spelling and sound of a particular word based on both languages.
The advantage of this method is that text input is easier. In this case, only Latin characters are used. True, slight difficulties may arise when reading some specific consonants, which have such correspondences: "w-zh", "ch-ch", "w-sh", "w-shch".
It is used, among other things, when sending SMS, as well as often in the addresses of Russian-language websites and when working with software that does not support the Cyrillic alphabet. Below is a table of the most commonly used rules of transliteration of the Russian alphabet in Latin:
Please note that some Russian letters correspond to several variants of Latin characters at once (c, d, e, e, f, h, d, k, l, x, c, h, w, sch, b, s, b, e, yu, i). They are ranked in descending order of popularity.
2. Gaming language (alternative name "Volapuk encoding") - Latin letters are used here, together with numbers and punctuation marks. This name was received by him due to the fact that such transliteration is in use between gamers (players of computer games).
The fact is that in such games there are basically no options for using the Cyrillic alphabet in nicknames, so gamers make up such a set of English characters and numbers that look like Russian letters (for example, "Cuneiform" in the gaming version looks like "KJIuHonucb").
For the formation of Russian nicknames, this is even original, but for the purpose of sending SMS, and even more so, when communicating, this method is clearly not suitable. True, sometimes gamer transliteration is used by some webmasters for their website (for example, nouck.ru or kypc.ru).
3. Vulgar - the most popular version of transliteration in communication between ordinary users. It is based on a mixture of transcription and gaming language. A compromise has been reached here, since such an option is quite simple to introduce and at the same time easy to read.
Let's say it uses the number “4” to denote the letter “Ch”. Also, instead of "Ж" they put an asterisk "*", instead of "Ш" - "W", etc. In general, ordinary translit allows almost any interpretation, the main thing is that the author is comfortable writing the text, and the readers can easily perceive it correctly.
Transliteration of names, surnames and website addresses
And now we move on to the practical area where the relevant standards must be strictly adhered to. For example, it is very often required to provide data (first name, last name, your address) when registering on foreign sites, say, on the same Google Adsense () or payment system websites (for example, PayPal).
If you are registering from the territory of the Russian Federation, then strictly follow the rules applied when issuing passports, otherwise difficulties may arise.
Therefore, the correct spelling of the Russian name, surname, address (as well as other necessary data) in English can help you significantly.
For webmasters, strict and consistent adherence to the rules of transliteration of Russian words is also of the utmost importance. Indeed, many owners of web resources in the open spaces of the Russian Internet use translit both in page addresses and in the names of their sites.
What is it for? The point is that web pages containing URLs () have a positive effect on SEO. Say, is this a trifle? But the successful promotion of any project just consists of solid nuances.
An indirect proof of this can be the fact that, for example, Yandex, when ranking (in how search engines rank sites), quite recently even highlighted keywords in urls in bold in search results:
Thus, it is very important to observe the correct translit from Russian to English for the addresses of all pages on your site. For this purpose, it is worth taking the table above as a basis.
It should also be borne in mind that when constructing a URL, it is best to limit the character set as follows: use only numbers (0-9), uppercase (AZ) and lowercase (az) letters, and dash ("-") and underscore ("_").
For those who have web resources, there is a simple extension (although this plugin has not been updated for a long time, so for ardent perfectionists like me there is a more modern analogue), which provides automatic transliteration of Russian letters in the page address, while creating a CNC (human-readable urla).
Regarding search engine optimization, I would like to dwell on one more nuance (I remind you that there are no trifles in promotion). Despite the fact that the main international standard is currently ISO-9, transliteration in Yandex and Google has its own characteristics.
For example, in the generally accepted standard, the Russian letter "x" (ha) corresponds to the Latin "x" (x). However, Yandex in the search results does not highlight keywords with this variant in the URL (only those keys where "x" is transliterated into "h" can be highlighted in bold):
A similar situation is observed with Google, although in the rules of transliteration of the "empire of good" there are some differences with the Russian search engine.
Since many webmasters and owners of commercial resources are a little more focused on Yandex, in the last chapter I will provide one of the online services that makes it possible to correctly translate any set of letters that meet the rules of the "mirror of the Russian Internet" into transliteration.
In general, you can always manually enter the desired letter when compiling the URL of any web page. Using the automatic option represented by the same RusToLat, we waste some time editing, since in the settings of this plugin it is possible to set only the ISO-9 standard as the most suitable. And in it just the correspondence "x" - "x".
Of course, you can find a way out here too. Namely, slightly change the plugin file, where the correspondences between the Russian and Latin alphabets are defined. To do this, open it for editing (I advise you to use the Notepad ++ editor in such cases) and replace the necessary symbols:
Just do not forget to make sure that RusToLat is configured correctly in (ISO 9-95 encoding must be set there):
Naturally, to perform such an operation or not, everyone decides for himself. By the way, I would be glad to have any comment from you regarding this aspect. Is the game worth the candle?
In order to achieve active participation of your site in image search, you can use translit of keywords in the very name of image files. For these purposes, it is convenient to use the Punto Switcher program. After activating the software, simply select the name of the graphic file and press the Alt + Scroll Lock combination on the keyboard (the default hotkeys in the Switch).
Online transliteration translators
1. First of all, I would like to immediately fulfill the promise and provide a service that takes into account the rules of Yandex (I suspect that for the Google search engine it will work too). it Translit-online.ru , where there are several options to choose from. On the main tab, you can translate online any readable text up to 50,000 characters long:
Below are the settings for some characters inherent only in the Cyrillic alphabet (ё, d, x, c, sch, e), which cause some difficulties when converting them to the Latin alphabet. Since this is a translation mode for reading, you can adjust the correspondence according to your understanding:
But the next page of the online translator you can just use to translate the page address of your website with CNC in translit:
There is also such an interesting tool as a virtual keyboard. It allows you to type text in Russian, even if you do not have a Russian-language layout. Switching it to the English layout, you can print using Latin characters that are most consonant with Russian counterparts. However, you must first set the virtual keyboard to "RU" mode using the "Esc" button:
For example, to get the word “transliteration”, after the above described actions, type in English “t-r-a-n-s-l-i-t-e-r-a-c-i”, and to display the letter “I” in the text field, press first Ctrl and then “a”.
Among the useful features of this service, there is also obtaining a variant of the name and surname for a passport, this option is extremely suitable when registering on important foreign resources, as I mentioned above in the article. An online multilingual translator from Russian and vice versa is provided on a separate tab.
2. Another transliteration translator online is a well-known resource Translit.net (formerly Translit.ru), where its advantages. There is also a virtual keyboard right on the main page, which allows you to transliterate text.
On the braggart, they often ask how to write the address correctly on, and in other foreign online stores. Therefore, we decided to help and made a small service. You enter your address in Russian, and the service does transliteration for you. You just have to check the resulting address and copy it into the corresponding fields in the store.
The data is not saved anywhere. Questions and wishes - write in the comments. I would like to say thank you - LIKE!
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How to write an address on foreign stores
In principle, for any store to send a parcel, it is enough to indicate the country of the recipient and the index. Because this data is enough for the parcel to reach our customs. Therefore, in private correspondence, you can indicate the address of the country in English and the index in numbers, and the recipient's address (city, street, etc.) in Russian. It's even more convenient for our mail. It is more convenient for the postman to read the address in Russian than to parse the transliteration curve.
However, this will not work with stores. In most cases, they cannot type the address in Cyrillic. Their computer simply may not have the appropriate encoding and the address written in Cyrillic will simply be seen by krakozyabrami. Therefore, you have to translate the address. In this case, you do not need to write an address in accordance with foreign rules. No need to write all sorts of street, apartment, P.O.Box, etc. At the post office, such an address may not be understood. Write your address as usual, but in Latin letters.
If you have a foreign passport, then it is better to write the names of streets, cities or regions as written there.
Our service doesn't do anything special. It just helps you transliterate your address, that is, write Russian letters in English. That's all.
Attention! Be sure to check the address before submitting it. We do not accept any responsibility for any errors in the address (although we try to avoid them).
While working at a computer, there are times when we are faced with transliteration of the text, i.e. with writing the words of the Russian language (Cyrillic) in Latin letters.
For example, if we find ourselves abroad or in some Internet cafe, etc., and on the computer we want to use there is no Russian keyboard layout, then in such cases it is rather difficult to type Russian text.
In such situations, a transliterator (transliteration for short - Cyrillic converter) can be helpful. The principle of transliteration is simple - pressing keys with Latin letters, we get the Cyrillic alphabet.
Or such a situation: for example, we live in Russia, we speak and write in Russian, and we have an operating system on our computer with support for Russian fonts. And our friend or acquaintance lives "abroad" and there are no Russian fonts on his computer, so he cannot write to us in Russian.
He knows Russian, but he simply cannot type the text in Russian on his computer, so he uses transliteration and writes the Russian text in Latin letters.
And usually in such cases, we can get a message that may look something like this:
Privet, Maks! Pishu tebe v translite, potomu chto u menya na komp'yutere net russkih shriftov.
If we know the Latin letters, then we can easily understand what is written in the message:
Hi, Max! How are you? I am writing to you in transliteration, because I do not have Russian fonts on my computer.
But, if such a message, written in transliteration, we get much more in volume, then it becomes more difficult to quickly read a large text. Therefore, in such a situation, a transliterator can also help, which will quickly translate this message into Cyrillic.
There are various online services and programs that transliterate text. Let's first pay attention to three transliterations of the text online, from simple to more advanced.
Online transliteration - to transliteration and from transliteration to Cyrillic
If we just need to translate the text into transliteration, or we received a transliterated message and needs to be translated into Cyrillic, i.e. into Russian, then we can use, for example, a simple service:.
We translate the text into transliteration:
We translate the text from transliteration into Cyrillic:
It remains to select the text and, by pressing the right mouse button, select Copyfor further use of the selected text.
You can also use another service for transliterating text: transliteration translator online.
Here is the same as in the described previous service, only here the button is also added To buffer, which corresponds to the action of selecting and copying text. And also this service provides a virtual keyboard for typing:
An even more advanced service for translating text: Translit.
This service was specially developed for Russian-speaking residents of the CIS countries who are abroad and want to correspond in their native language. And this service has even more possibilities than the previous ones.
There is no particular need to describe it in detail in this article, since there is also a help for use with a clear description:
Although I would like to mention some interesting features of this service.
For example, those who own a computer can use a virtual Russified keyboard and type in Russian blindly, even on computers that do not support the Russian language.
Translit service can also translate words into other languages \u200b\u200b(although I personally like to use them better), look up the meaning of words in dictionaries and a few other useful features.
There is also a mobile version of transliteration: http://translit.ru/classic/ for working in browsers of phones, smartphones, as well as computers on which the browser does not support JavaScript:
Program for translation from transliteration into Russian and vice versa
There are also different programs for transliterators of text, but since novice users in most cases often do not have to deal with transliteration, so I will not focus on the programs so far.
But if someone still needs a transliterator program, then you can, for example, use the NI Transliterator program, trying to figure it out yourself (if there are requests to prepare instructions for installing and using this program, I will take a note).
Online service: transliteration of text - writing Russian characters in Latin.
About transliteration of Russian names and surnames
When filling out registration forms, questionnaires, drawing up various kinds of documents (for example, a passport or visa), you have to write your last name, first name, address in Latin (English) letters. This service allows automate translation ( transliteration) russians letters in english.
How to spell the surname and first name correctly in English? What is the correct name for a Russian site in English letters? There are various systems or rules for transliterating first and last names (transliteration of Russian words). They are based on the process of simple replacement of the letters of the Russian alphabet with the corresponding letters or combinations of letters of the English alphabet (see below). The difference between the systems of transliteration of names and surnames is observed when translating some letters, for example, E, E, b, b, and diphthongs (combinations of a vowel letter and Y).
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In order to translate english letters at russians paste your text into the top input field and click the "Do" button. As a result, in the lower input field, you will get a translation of the Russian text into a transcript (Russian words in English letters).
Note. Since March 16, 2010, new rules for transliteration of the Cyrillic alphabet for the Russian alphabet have been used when issuing a passport. The result may not match the old name, for example, on a plastic card. In order for the name to be entered in the passport correctly (as before), that is, so that it coincides with the name on the credit card or driver's license, you must additionally submit a corresponding application. Example: Julia according to the new system will be Iuliia, most likely you will want Julia or Yuliya (which, in my opinion, is more harmonious).
When issuing a driver's license, a transliteration system is used that is different from a passport, similar to the system for a US visa. At the request of the owner of the entry in Latin letters in the driver's license
