AboutGaddy Yaari Expertise What I do: I'll help you understand Hebrew phrases or single words, as well as answer questions about Jewish practices.
What I don't do: Tattoo translations. For that, try http://www.stars21.com/translator/english_to_hebrew.html
Experience I am a columnist for a Hebrew-language newspaper, and a graduate of the Jewish Theological Seminary.
Education/Credentials MBA
BA in the US,
Grade school and high school in Israel
Expert: Gaddy Yaari Date: 6/7/2008 Subject: Does spelling count?
Question QUESTION: I was planning on giving my son a ring with his name engraved in Hebrew. His name is Shaun. I read a question about a man asking for a translation on Shawn. But is the spelling also different in Hebrew? If so, do you know the spelling for Shaun in Hebrew? Thank you.
ANSWER: Karen,
Hebrew is a straight-forward phonetic language, which means that there is only one way to spell a particular word. Thus Shaun, Sean and Shawn are all spelled the same way: Shin Vav Nun-sofit, ש ו ן
Gaddy
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thank you. Now I have one last question. Earlier today I tried looking for a translation to the name Shaun over an internet site, where they translated your name into Hebrew. They gave me the spelling of Nun sofit Nun Chet Vav Yod. Is that someting different? Eventhough the pronounciation wasn't Shaun, it explained that that was the Hebrew name for Shaun.
Answer Karen,
The other website gave you a translation to the Hebrew equivalent of Shaun, which is the name 'Yokhanan'. That is the Hebrew name of John the Baptist, which has been translated to different languages as John, Jean, Johann, Ian, Sean, etc.
Instead of giving you the Hebrew spelling for the name 'Yokhanan' I gave you the spelling for Shaun.
