How to say Russia in Japanese: ロシア and how to say 'I am Russian'
Russia in Japanese is ロシア (Roshia), in katakana. 'I am Russian' is ロシア人です (Roshia-jin desu), 'Russian language' is ロシア語 (Roshia-go), 'I am from Russia' is ロシアから来ました (Roshia kara kimashita). The kanji spelling 露西亜 exists, but today it is used only in abbreviations like 日露 'Japan–Russia'.
Japanese people write country names in katakana — the syllabary for everything that comes from outside. An exception is made for neighbors that entered the language long ago: China, Korea, and the USA have retained kanji. Russia fell into an intermediate category: katakana in everyday life, kanji in diplomacy.
How to say 'Russia' and 'Russian'
| Japanese | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| ロシア | Roshia · Roshia | Russia |
| ロシア人 | Roshia-jin · Roshia-jin | Russian (person) |
| ロシア語 | Roshia-go · Roshia-go | Russian language |
| ロシアから来ました | Roshia kara kimashita · Roshia kara kimashita | I came from Russia |
| モスクワ | Mosukuwa · Mosukuwa | Moscow |
| 露西亜 | Roshia · Roshia | Russia (obsolete kanji spelling) |
| 日露 | Nichi-Ro · Nichi-Ro | Japan-Russia (abbreviation of one character from each country) |
Why Russia is 露 in abbreviations
Japanese abbreviates country names to one kanji: 日 Japan, 米 USA, 英 Britain, 中 China, 露 Russia. The character 露 ('dew') was chosen for its sound 'ro'. Therefore, in the news you see 日露関係 — 'Japan-Russia relations'.
What you'll need when talking about yourself
| Japanese | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 私はロシア人です | watashi wa Roshia-jin desu · watashi wa Roshia-jin desu | I am Russian |
| ロシア語が話せます | Roshia-go ga hanasemasu · Roshia-go ga hanasemasu | I speak Russian |
| 日本語を勉強しています | nihongo o benkyō shite imasu · nihongo o benkyō shite imasu | I am studying Japanese |
| 名前は…です | namae wa … desu · namae wa … desu | My name is... |
How to write your name next to it
Your name is written in the same katakana as the country name: ロシアのアンナです — 'I am Anna from Russia'. Kanji are not chosen for names: in documents, badges, and tickets, foreign names are always in katakana.
Say a phrase about yourself
'Roshia-jin desu' — the 'desu' at the end sounds voiceless, without the 'u'.
FAQ
- How do you say 'Russia' in Japanese?
- ロシア (Roshia), in katakana. The obsolete kanji spelling 露西亜 is now found only in abbreviations.
- How do you say 'I am Russian' in Japanese?
- ロシア人です (Roshia-jin desu) or fully 私はロシア人です. 'I am from Russia' is ロシアから来ました (Roshia kara kimashita).
- Why is Russia written in katakana?
- Japanese people write all foreign names in katakana. Kanji have been retained only for countries that entered the language very long ago: 日本, 中国, 韓国, 米国.
- What does 露 mean in the news?
- It is a one-character abbreviation for Russia, chosen for its sound 'ro'. Other countries are abbreviated similarly: 日 Japan, 米 USA, 中 China.
Updated: 2026-07-25