Is Yamucha the only Chinese name only written in Katakana?

[xmysticgohanx]

The rest are written in kanji with a katakana reading right? I'm asking so I can be more consistent with the Chinese names in the series. I'm thinking I should use Jiaozi, Taobaibai, Shenlong etc. but if Yamucha is different than I shouldn't use Yumcha.

[LuckyCat]

Puar comes to mind. プーアル

[xmysticgohanx]

In that case Oolong as well huh

[Herms]

"Yumcha" isn't even any more accurate than "Yamcha", really. "Yamcha" is a compelely valid way of writing the Cantonese word for dimsum, while "yumcha" is actually not standard in the modern system for romanizing Cantonese words, but instead is some sort of holdover from Ye Olden Days that still gets used in everyday English out of habit. That is, if you learn Cantonese in a class today, "yamcha" will be the spelling you're taught, whereas "yumcha" gets used on Wikipedia due to historical precedent or whatever. Wulong vs Oolong is sort of the same deal.

"Yamucha" (with the u) is completely pointless.

[Puto]

Essentially: If you're going to be using 'Yamucha' and really want to be consistent, then you should be using 'Puuaru' and 'Uuron' too. And if you're using the proper correct romanisation Yamcha as opposed to the historically-used-in-English Yumcha, then you should likewise be using Wulong instead of Oolong.

[xmysticgohanx]

"Yumcha" isn't even any more accurate than "Yamcha", really. "Yamcha" is a compelely valid way of writing the Cantonese word for dimsum, while "yumcha" is actually not standard in the modern system for romanizing Cantonese words, but instead is some sort of holdover from Ye Olden Days that still gets used in everyday English out of habit. That is, if you learn Cantonese in a class today, "yamcha" will be the spelling you're taught, whereas "yumcha" gets used on Wikipedia due to historical precedent or whatever. Wulong vs Oolong is sort of the same deal.

"Yamucha" (with the u) is completely pointless.

But if Yamcha isn't spelled with Kanji + Katakana then it's different from Shenlong, Taobaibai, and the other people I mentioned.

Also, I currently use Yamucha because the characters in the anime (and thus the Japanese) pronounce it like yam-oo-cha which is different then someone like Usopp for example (the direct romanization is Usoppu but the last "u" is pronounced "uh") or Darbra

[RedRibbonSoldier#42]

So, what is the actual cantonese pronouniation for Yamucha?

[linkdude20002001]

But if Yamcha isn't spelled with Kanji + Katakana then it's different from Shenlong, Taobaibai, and the other people I mentioned.

Also, I currently use Yamucha because the characters in the anime (and thus the Japanese) pronounce it like yam-oo-cha which is different then someone like Usopp for example (the direct romanization is Usoppu but the last "u" is pronounced "uh") or Darbra

Hm... I'd say they pronounce the U in 'Yamucha' the same way they pronounce the U in 'Dabura', and that it's just a matter of the two voiced consonants hiding the unstressed U better; the B and the R, whereas 'Yamucha' only has the M. But then again, I haven't watched the show in quite a while.

Also, it's a tricky line you walk. On one hand you're putting pronunciation first on certain names (Yamucha), meanwhile in the other hand you're putting spelling first (Taobaibai)...unless B is pronounced like a P in Cantonese or Mandarin. I don't know anything about either.

[RedRibbonSoldier#42]

I thought he was named Tao Pai Pai?

[Nejishiki]

I thought he was named Tao Pai Pai?

Well, the appropriate reading of his Chinese-like name would be Tao Bai Bai in English as per the furigana guide. Tao Pai Pai is fine for a, "Japanese reading", though.

[RedRibbonSoldier#42]

I thought he was named Tao Pai Pai?

Well, the appropriate reading of his Chinese-like name would be Tao Bai Bai in English as per the furigana guide. Tao Pai Pai is fine for a, "Japanese reading", though.

I'm confused. Why would the Japanese adapt it to pai if it was bai?

[Nejishiki]

To put it simply, not everything translates the same way across languages. As I mentioned, for English, that would be the way to go, but the Japanese characters phonetically give you the, "Pai", sound.

[RedRibbonSoldier#42]

To put it simply, not everything translates the same way across languages. As I mentioned, for English, that would be the way to go, but the Japanese characters phonetically give you the, "Pai", sound.

パイ and バイ are both in japanese phonetics and are distinct. If the original pronounciation was the later, they could handle it, right?

[Nejishiki]

Well, not when Toriyama opted to use, "タオパイパイ", for the furigana reading in the original version. I'm fairly certain it's a nuance lost between translations and his name is supposed to be silly rather than him legitimately not using, "バイ", on accident, as that would destroy the name pun. I hope I answered that sufficiently, for I wasn't sure what to target in particular to your response.

[RedRibbonSoldier#42]

Well, not when Toriyama opted to use, "タオパイパイ", for the furigana reading in the original version. I'm fairly certain it's a nuance lost between translations and his name is supposed to be silly rather than him legitimately not using, "バイ", on accident, as that would destroy the name pun. I hope I answered that sufficiently, for I wasn't sure what to target in particular to your response.

Oh, so it's another example of a loan word being modified to make it a pun?

[Nejishiki]

To my understanding, yes.

[linkdude20002001]

That makes sense. I looked up the on readings of 白 and got 'haku' and 'byaku'. Nothing of either 'bai' or 'pai'. I'm guessing it's a Chinese-only pronunciation.

[Puto]

For the record, it's Tao Bai Bai when using the modern Pinyin standard for romanising Chinese, but Tao Pai Pai if romanised using the older Wade-Giles standard. Chinese->Japanese approximation often (but not always) resembles Wade-Giles more than Pinyin. (Another example is 餃子 becoming "Chiaotzu" in Wade-Giles and "Jiaozi" in Pinyin; the Japanese approximation "Chaozu" looks closer to the Wade-Giles than the Pinyin)

[linkdude20002001]

Isn't 'jiaozi' pronounced /dʒaʊˈzu/ [jou-zoo], tho? That's how my mom's Chinese husband pronounced it (according to my ears), and also what he called the character. I think he watched it growing up, so he knew the names. ...And I'd just ask him this stuff, but I can't due to circumstances. Sorry.