Joseph in Japanese Katakana
Joseph (common English boy's name, surname) is written ジョセフ — read josefu.
ジョセフ
| Katakana | ジョセフ |
|---|---|
| Reading (romaji) | josefu |
| Hiragana | じょせふ |
| Half-width katakana | ｼﾞｮｾﾌ |
Character by character
| Katakana | Hiragana | Sound |
|---|---|---|
| ジョ | じょ | jo |
| セ | せ | se |
| フ | ふ | fu |
Tips for writing Joseph in katakana
- Write the small ョ at about half size, in the lower left of the square (in horizontal writing). ジョ is one sound, jo.
- Katakana is written left to right like English, or top to bottom in vertical text. Keep every character the same size except the small ones.
Joseph on Japanese forms
Example full name: Joseph Smith → ジョセフ・スミス (Western order, names separated by ・).
Most Japanese forms put the family name first: スミス ジョセフ. In a フリガナ (furigana) field write it in katakana; if the field says ふりがな use hiragana (すみす じょせふ); some bank and card forms ask for half-width katakana (ｽﾐｽ ｼﾞｮｾﾌ).
Japan has no official katakana spelling for foreign names. Once you use a spelling for a bank account, phone contract or employer, keep using the same one so your records match.
FAQ
How do you write Joseph in Japanese?
Joseph is usually written ジョセフ (josefu) in katakana, the script Japanese uses for foreign names. In hiragana it is じょせふ.
Is there a kanji for Joseph?
No. Foreign names have no official kanji; they are written in katakana. Kanji versions offered online (ateji) are chosen only for sound and look, and their "meanings" are made up, so this site does not provide them.
Similar names
How spellings are chosen: the first spelling is the one most commonly used for this name in Japanese books, media and everyday writing, checked against the Japanese government's rules for writing foreign words (Cabinet Notice No. 2 of 1991, 外来語の表記). The list was compiled by this site; it is not an official register. Pronunciation matters more than spelling — if your name is pronounced differently, the katakana can differ too.