Thread: Can you help me write my name in Russian

Hi, I've just started a russian course at the university, and I was wondering if you could help me write my name in russian.

Kimberly Chapman

which, I think looks like,

Кимварли Чапман

I think I screwed up on some of my vowels, but could some one who is a little more advanced let me know?

Thanks,
Kimmi

Diffrent people will probly tell you diffrent things, but

Кииберли чепмен is probly a little bit more accurate.

Alternatively, Кимбэрли Чэпмэн. But I can't stand transliterated names. Are you really required to write your name in transliterated Russian?

The first name will be definitely "Кимберли". As to the last name, it can be either "Чапмен" or "Чепмен". For example, the name of George Chapman, English poet and playwright, is traditionally spelled as "Чапмен". However, the same encyclopedia that spells the poet's name that way calls Sidney Chapman (an English scientist) "Чепмен".

Originally Posted by Pravit

Alternatively, Кимбэрли Чэпмэн. But I can't stand transliterated names. Are you really required to write your name in transliterated Russian?

They hardly ever (almost never) use the letter Э in transliterated names, i dont think i have seen one yet (though im not expert).

and when i wrote "Кииберли", i naturally ment "ким" typo's happen.

(its funnt becayse at first i wrote "кммберли" and i went back and edited it... and i thought i double checked it but i guess i switched the M's for the И's =(... pwned).

I think that Чепмен is a good spelling.
One more example in favour of that, Tracy Chapman in most cases spells like Трейси Чепмен.

That's strange, most of the transliterated names I've seen have Э in them. Guess it depends on your preference.

My visa has my last name spelled with э .

it probly just depends on the russian who translates it.

if you wrote chapman with one Э and one E. it would look wierd. And, if you wrote it with two Эs. it would look really weird. So, u can never go wrong with just E E .

I transliterate my name with an Э.

Well, that's probly 100% fine, but, if/when you go to russia, you'll probly be spotted as pwnable n00b right away, but who cares really.

Latin/English "E" is transliterated into Russian "Э" if it is the 1st letter in the word, like in the name Эдуард.

When you go to Russia you are stuck with what ever the spelling on your visa is and you don't get a say in how the Russian Embassy spells your name. Also on all official or legal documents your name must match the name and spelling on your visa.

Considering official papers, there are some transliteration rules (I'm speaking about Cyrillic -> Latin transliteration). As far as I know, until some years ago names in travel passports were transiterated by french rules and now they are transliterated by english ones. Unfortunetly it seems that different organizations use different rules. For instance, my name "Алексей Е..." is written as:
Alexei E... - in my passport
Alexey Ye... - in my plastic VISA card
Aleksey Ye... - in my driver's license

By the way, when I filled in a form for getting a plastic card, there was a field where I could write my name the way I wanted to see it in the card, but they just ignored what I wrote.

Anybody who's interested in transliteration rules can take a look here:
http://www.vgd.ru/ENGLISH/translit.htm

Here is a story about how one man's name was transliterated by some organizations :)
http://az.48.org/z.htm

PS: Is "travel passport" an appropriate translation (actually a guess) for "загранпаспорт"?

We don't have a загранпаспорт(at least not in the US), that is, we use the passport for foreign travel only and generally don't need it inside the country.

Pravit

I see, but how do you call it, just a 'passport'?

Originally Posted by Pravit

We don't have a загранпаспорт(at least not in the US), that is, we use the passport for foreign travel only and generally don't need it inside the country.

We don't have a загранпаспорт(at least not in the England), that is, we use the passport for foreign travel only and never need it inside the country

Originally Posted by alexei

I see, but how do you call it, just a 'passport'?

Exactly. If you have one you just call it a passport.

Originally Posted by alexei

I see, but how do you call it, just a 'passport'?

We only have one kind of passport... so, therefore, its just a passport.

Okay, it seems that only Russians can help me.
Although I have another question, if I translate it as "foreign passport" is it will be any good?

Originally Posted by alexei

Okay, it seems that only Russians can help me.
Although I have another question, if I translate it as "foreign passport" is it will be any good?

No

Just say passport ! Since we have no "Domestic" passports, if someone has a passport, it's obviously for foriegn travel.