5 crucial tips to get the correct translation of your name in Arabic
Whether you are thinking about getting your name in Arabic as a tattoo or you just want to know what your name would look like written in Arabic letters, you will know exactly what to do after reading these five crucial tips on Arabic name translations.
1. Short vowels turn into long vowels
In Arabic short vowels are usually not written. So a short “e”-sound like in the word “wet” would not be written, resulting in “wt”. However, in foreign names the short vowels are often turned into long vowels that are part of the Arabic alphabet. This is done so that it is easier to recognize the words as names. As an example, the name “Angela” would be written like this in Arabic:
This is pronounced “anjeelaa”.
2. Some sounds have no equivalent in Arabic
Certain sounds used in English are not present in the Arabic language. In these cases the Arabic letters with the closest sounds are used instead to translate names. For example, the “g”-sound does not exist in Modern Standard Arabic, so “Megan” becomes:
which is pronounced “meeghaan”, where the “gh” is like a French “r” from the throat.
Other English sounds that do not have a direct equivalent in Arabic:
- v -> becomes “f”
- p -> becomes “b”
- r -> becomes a trilled “r”, like in Spanish
3. More than one acceptable translation
There often are a number of different acceptable Arabic translations for a single name. This can depend on taste or just convention. Usually, it is a safe bet to go with the name that is more frequently used. One way to find out which translation is more popular is to put the alternatives into a search engine and then compare the number of results returned. (Be cautious though, as some name translations are also words in Arabic or in Persian, which might distort the results.)
4. Arabic equivalent names
For some Western names there are Arabic equivalents. This is especially true for names with a Biblical background, such as David or Abraham, that become Dawood and Ibraheem. In this case one can either go with the Arabic equivalents or with the direct sound translation (“daafeed” and “abrahaam”).
5. Where to get an accurate translation?
If you are looking for the correct way to write your name in Arabic for a tattoo or you need to be sure that it is absolutely accurate, then you should consider getting a professional translation of your name. Why not check out the service I offer here for name translations? Alternatively, you should check out my Arabic Tattoos eBook that contains Arabic translations and designs for over 120 male and female names.