ラリー
rarī[ɾa̠ɾʲiː]
The English name Larry is expressed in Japanese as ラリー (rarī).
ラリー is used as a diminutive form of the name Laurence.
Meaning: diminutive of Laurence (name)
Which one should you use?
While ラリー is the diminutive, the name Laurence itself can be expressed as ローレンス in more formal situations.
How do you pronounce it?
rarī
Did you know?
- A person named Larry would likely be referred to as ラリーさん with the honorific 'san' to avoid sounding like they are talking about a car race or a sports play.
- In Japanese, ラリー is the standard term for a continuous exchange of shots in tennis or table tennis, referring to the sequence of hits between players.
- Because Japanese lacks a distinction between the 'L' and 'R' sounds, the name 'Larry' is rendered using the Japanese 'R' syllable, making it indistinguishable from the word for a racing 'rally'.
Examples in context
- ラリーはどこですか？Rarī wa doko desu ka?Where is Larry?
- ラリーは親切な人です。Rarī wa shinsetsu na hito desu.Larry is a kind person.
- ラリーと一緒に遊びました。Rarī to issho ni asobimashita.I played with Larry.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a new coworker.
- 大翔 Hiroto新しい同僚の名前は何？Atarashii dōryō no namae wa nani?What is the new colleague's name?
- 美咲 Misakiラリーという名前だよ。Rarī to iu namae da yo.His name is Larry.
- 大翔 Hirotoラリーさんはどこから来たの？Rarī-san wa doko kara kita no?Where is Larry from?
- 美咲 Misakiアメリカから来たんだって。Amerika kara kita n datte.I heard he came from America.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ラリー, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
