ジョセフ
Josefu
The English male given name Joseph is translated into Japanese as ジョセフ (Josefu). Wiktionary also lists ジョゼフ (Jozefu).
Meaning: male given name (name)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| ジョセフ | Josefu |
| ジョゼフ | Jozefu |
As Joseph is a foreign name, it is written using the Katakana script rather than Kanji.
Which one should you use?
The variation ジョゼフ uses a voiced ze sound instead of the unvoiced se sound found in ジョセフ.
How do you pronounce it?
Josefu
Did you know?
- If a person named Joseph wants to blend in, they might use a Japanese name with a similar sound, such as 丈 'Jo', which is a legitimate traditional male name.
- In Japanese pop culture, such as anime or manga, a character named 'Joseph' would almost always be written in Katakana to instantly signal to the reader that the character is an outsider or a foreigner.
- While ジョセフ is the standard way to write the name, you might see it written as ヨセフ in Japanese Bibles to better reflect the Hebrew origin 'Yosef'.
Examples in context
- ジョセフはアメリカ人です。Josefu wa amerikajin desu.Joseph is American.
- 私の友人はジョセフです。Watashi no yuujin wa Josefu desu.My friend is Joseph.
- ジョセフはとても親切な人です。Josefu wa totemo shinsetsu na hito desu.Joseph is a very kind person.
Example conversation
Two acquaintances are talking about a mutual friend at a cafe.
- 陽葵 Himari新しいクラスメートは誰ですか？Atarashii kurasumeeto wa dare desu ka?Who is the new classmate?
- 蓮 Renジョセフという名前の学生です。Josefu to iu namae no gakusei desu.He is a student named Joseph.
- 陽葵 Himariジョセフさんは優しそうですね。Josefu-san wa yasashisou desu ne.Joseph seems kind, doesn't he?
- 蓮 Renはい、とてもいい人ですよ。Hai, totemo ii hito desu yo.Yes, he is a very good person.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “joseph” translations and entries ジョセフ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
