Translation guide
The English word 'Wei' is a proper noun, typically a Chinese surname or a historical state name. In Japanese, it is rendered in katakana as ウェイ for the surname, or as 魏 for the historical Chinese state. This guide covers how to refer to the name or the historical entity in Japanese.
Referring to a person with the surname Wei
Standard katakana rendering of the Chinese surname Wei. Used in most contexts for modern individuals.
Mr./Ms. Wei came from China.
Kanji form of the surname, used historically or in formal contexts. Rare in modern usage for individuals.
魏氏は古代の名家です。
The Wei clan is an ancient distinguished family.
Referring to the ancient Chinese state of Wei
The standard Japanese name for the historical state of Wei, using the kanji 魏. Used in historical and academic contexts.
魏は三国時代の国の一つです。
Wei was one of the states during the Three Kingdoms period.
Literally 'State of Wei', used to explicitly refer to the country. Common in historical texts.
魏国は曹操によって建国されました。
The State of Wei was founded by Cao Cao.