Chinese surname readings
How are common Chinese surnames read in Japanese?
A Chinese surname may have a Japanese kanji on-reading and a separate Katakana approximation of its Mandarin pronunciation. This chart keeps the two systems apart.
Look up a full nameWhy can Zhang be both チョウ and チャン?
Simplified 张 maps to the Japanese glyph 張. Its Japanese on-reading is チョウ, while Mandarin Zhāng can be approximated as チャン. One answers how the kanji is read in Japanese; the other approximates the Chinese surname’s sound.
Japanese texts and historical references may use an on-reading. A person introducing themselves may instead use a reading based on Mandarin, Cantonese, Taiwanese Hokkien or another established pronunciation.
Common Chinese surnames in Japanese
Mandarin Katakana is approximate. The person’s established reading takes priority.
| Chinese surname | Japanese glyph | Japanese on-reading | Mandarin Katakana |
|---|---|---|---|
| 王 | 王 | オウ | ワン |
| 李 | 李 | リ | リー |
| 张 | 張 | チョウ | チャン |
| 刘 | 劉 | リュウ | リウ |
| 陈 | 陳 | チン | チェン |
| 杨 | 楊 | ヨウ | ヤン |
| 黄 | 黄 | コウ | フアン |
| 赵 | 趙 | チョウ | チャオ |
| 吴 | 呉 | ゴ | ウー |
| 周 | 周 | シュウ | チョウ |
| 徐 | 徐 | ジョ | シュー |
| 孙 | 孫 | ソン | スン |
| 胡 | 胡 | ウ | フー |
| 朱 | 朱 | シュ | チュー |
| 高 | 高 | コウ | ガオ |
| 林 | 林 | リン | リン |
| 何 | 何 | カ | ヘ |
| 郭 | 郭 | カク | グオ |
| 罗 | 羅 | ラ | ルオ |
| 郑 | 鄭 | テイ | チェン |
| 欧阳 | 欧陽 | オウヨウ | オウヤン |
| 司马 | 司馬 | シバ | スーマ |
How to use the chart
Glyph conversion
Simplified surnames such as 张, 刘, 陈 and 杨 map to 張, 劉, 陳 and 楊 in common Japanese glyph forms.
On-reading is not Mandarin
王 is オウ as a Japanese on-reading and ワン as a Mandarin approximation; 陈 is チン versus チェン.
Compound surnames
欧阳 and 司马 must first be recognized as two-character family names before the readings are combined.
Given names add ambiguity
A full name may contain characters with several Japanese readings or polyphonic Mandarin pronunciations.
From surname chart to full-name result
Identify the family name
Check whether it is one character or a compound surname such as 欧阳.
Choose one reading system
Use Japanese on-reading or Mandarin Katakana by context rather than mixing them.
Convert the full name
Review character-level candidates and complete-name output in the converter.
This is not a Japanese surname chart
林 can be a Japanese surname read はやし, but that is a different question. This page covers Chinese surnames represented through Japanese on-readings and Mandarin pronunciation aids; it does not rename a person.
For a real person, prefer their stated pronunciation, business card, official profile or established usage.
Continue exploring Chinese name readings
How do you read a Chinese name in Japanese?
Learn how the two reading systems work across a complete Chinese name.
How to write a Chinese name in Japanese Katakana
Compare Japanese readings, Mandarin pronunciation and the available Kana formats.
How to fill in Furigana with a Chinese name
Distinguish name, Furigana, Hiragana and passport Roman-letter fields.
Look up the complete name
Enter a Simplified or Traditional name to review each character, alternative readings, Mandarin Katakana and Pinyin.