noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', transitive verb
transliteration; phonetic transcription
General term for converting text from one script to another based on pronunciation. Often used for rendering foreign words into Japanese kana or Chinese characters. Related term: 音写.
See also: 音写
外国の地名を音訳してカタカナで書く。
Transliterate foreign place names and write them in katakana.
noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', transitive verb
phonetic representation using Chinese characters
Specifically refers to representing foreign sounds with Chinese characters, a practice seen in historical contexts or in some East Asian languages.
漢字による音訳は、昔の仏典翻訳でよく使われた。
Phonetic representation using Chinese characters was often used in old Buddhist scripture translations.
noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', transitive verb
reading aloud for the visually impaired
Used in the context of accessibility, where text is read aloud for people with impaired vision. Often appears as 音訳サービス or 音訳ボランティア.
彼女は図書館で音訳ボランティアをしている。
She volunteers as a reading-aloud assistant at the library.