Polivanov system

Polivanov system is a system of transliterating the Japanese language into Russian Cyrillic script, either to represent Japanese proper names or terms in Russian or as an aid to Japanese language learning in those languages. The system was developed by Yevgeny Polivanov in 1917.

In terms of spelling the system is a middle ground between Kunrei-shiki and Hepburn romanisations, matching the former everywhere except for morae hu and tu, which are spelled as in Hepburn (fu and tsu), moras starting with z (which are spelled with dz, as in archaic Hepburn, but following the consistency of Kunrei-shiki with Jun being spelled as Dzyun) and syllabic n, which is changed to m before b, p and m as in traditional Hepburn.

The following cyrillization system for Japanese is known as the Yevgeny Polivanov system. Note that it has its own spelling conventions and does not necessarily constitute a direct phonetic transcription of the pronunciation into the standard Russian usage of the Cyrillic alphabet.

Main table

Hiragana and Katakana to Polivanov cyrillization correspondence table, for single/modified kana.

KanaCyrillicHepburn
あアаa
かカкаka
さサсаsa
たタтаta
なナнаna
はハхаha
まマмаma
やヤяya
らラраra
わワваwa
んン-н-n
がガгаga
ざザдзаza
だダдаda
ばバбаba
ぱパпаpa
KanaCyrillicHepburn
いイи/йi
きキкиki
しシсиshi
ちチтиchi
にニниni
ひヒхиhi
みミмиmi
 
りリриri
ゐヰвиwi
 
ぎギгиgi
じジдзиji
ぢヂдзиji
びビбиbi
ぴピпиpi
KanaCyrillicHepburn
うウуu
くクкуku
すスсуsu
つツцуtsu
ぬヌнуnu
ふフфуfu
むムмуmu
ゆユюyu
るルруru
 
 
ぐグгуgu
ずズдзуzu
づヅдзуzu
ぶブбуbu
ぷプпуpu
KanaCyrillicHepburn
えエэe
けケкэke
せセсэse
てテтэte
ねネнэne
へヘхэhe
めメмэme
 
れレрэre
ゑヱвэwe
 
げゲгэge
ぜゼдзэze
でデдэde
べベбэbe
ぺペпэpe
KanaCyrillicHepburn
おオоo
こコкоko
そソсоso
とトтоto
のノноno
ほホхоho
もモмоmo
よヨёyo
ろロроro
をヲвоwo
 
ごゴгоgo
ぞゾдзоzo
どドдоdo
ぼボбоbo
ぽポпоpo
KanaCyrillicHepburn
きゃキャкяkya
しゃシャсяsha
ちゃチャтяcha
にゃニャняnya
ひゃヒャхяhya
みゃミャмяmya
りゃリャряrya
ぎゃギャгяgya
じゃジャдзяja
ぢゃヂャдзяja
びゃビャбяbya
ぴゃピャпяpya
KanaCyrillicHepburn
きゅキュкюkyu
しゅシュсюshu
ちゅチュтюchu
にゅニュнюnyu
ひゅヒュхюhyu
みゅミュмюmyu
りゅリュрюryu
ぎゅギュгюgyu
じゅジュдзюju
ぢゅヂュдзюju
びゅビュбюbyu
ぴゅピュпюpyu
KanaCyrillicHepburn
きょキョкёkyo
しょショсёsho
ちょチョтёcho
にょニョнёnyo
ひょヒョхёhyo
みょミョмёmyo
りょリョрёryo
ぎょギョгёgyo
じょジョдзёjo
ぢょヂョдзёjo
びょビョбёbyo
ぴょピョпёpyo

Syllabic n (ん/ン) is spelled м (m) before b, p, m, and spelled нъ before ya, yu, yo.

Grammar particles は and へ are written ва and э. Syllable を is written either во or о depending on pronunciation.

Diphthongs

It is permitted to use й instead of и in Chinese diphthongs ai and ei (e.g. синдзитай, сэйнэн).

Geminate consonants

Consonants are geminated exactly as they are in romaji: e.g. -kk- > -кк-.

Long vowels

Long vowels may be marked by macron as in Hepburn, but since letter ё has a diacritical mark already it is permitted and much more common to mark long vowels by using a colon (e.g. сё:гун). The sequence ei may be written э:, эй or эи. In regular texts long vowels are usually unmarked.

Common errors and deviations

In English texts, Japanese names are written with the Hepburn system. Attempts may be made to transcribe these as if they were English, rather than following a dedicated Japanese Cyrillization scheme.

A common example of this is attempting to transcribe shi (Polivanov: си) as ши and ji (Polivanov: дзи) as джи. This is inadvisable for use in Russian, because ши is actually pronounced like шы in Russian, and джи like джы, thus making the vowel (/ɨ/) closer to Japanese /u/ than to Japanese /i/. Whereas, щи would have a correct vowel sound, but be pronounced more like Japanese sshi.

Equally often, people transcribe cha, chi, chu, cho as ча, чи, чу, чо. This is phonetically correct, but does not conform with the Polivanov scheme (тя, ти, тю, тё), which more closely resembles the Kunrei-siki romanisations (tya, ti, tyu, tyo) for these particular characters.

Sometimes е, rather than э, is used for e, despite е being pronounced ye in Russian (though not in other languages). This is typically not done in the initial position, despite older romanisations such as "Yedo" doing so. In any case, it does not conform with the Polivanov scheme, although it is seen as more acceptable for words that are in general use (e.g. kamikaze > камикадзе instead of камикадзэ). Replacing ё (yo) with е (ye) is incorrect, however, as it will change the Japanese word too much.

The sound yo (Polivanov: ё), when in the initial position or after a vowel, is often written as йо (yo), which has the same pronunciation: Ёкосука -> Йокосука (Yokosuka), Тоёта -> Тойота (Toyota). Although, the spelling "йо" is not common in Russian words, these are more generally accepted for Japanese names than the transliterations using "ё". "Ё" is not often used in Japanese Cyrillization due to its facultative use in the Russian language (and possible substitution with the letter "Е" which would affect the pronunciation), but professional translators use ё mandatory. Some personal names beginning with "Yo" (or used after a vowel) are written using "Ё" (e.g. Йоко for Yoko Ono, but Ёко for Yoko Kanno and all other Yokos).

Exceptions

Some proper names, for historical reasons, do not follow the above rules. Those include but are not limited to:

Examples
English (Rōmaji) Russian spelling Cyrillization Japanese
Japan (Nihon, Nippon) Япония Нихон, Ниппон 日本 (にほん, にっぽん)
Tokyo (Tōkyō) Токиo То:кё: 東京 (とうきょう)
Kyoto (Kyōto) Киото Кё:то 京都 (きょうと)
Yokohama Иокогама (also Йокохама) Ёкохама 横浜 (よこはま)
Yokosuka Йокосука Ёкосука 横須賀 (よこすか)
Toyota Тойота (Тоёта in older publications) Тоёта トヨタ (originally: 豊田)
jujitsu (jūjutsu) джиу-джитсу дзю:дзюцу 柔術 (じゅうじゅつ)
yen (en) иена эн 円 (えん)
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See also
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