MangaBaka Japanese Romanization Style

Core Romanization Style

This style guide defines how to consistently romanize and style Japanese-language titles for metadata purposes.
The goal is to provide a standard that is easy to read, type, and apply across various databases, while staying true to linguistic norms.

The Basis

We follow Modified Hepburn romanization with the following enhancements or deviations:

• Represent long vowels using full-length spellings (e.g., ou, oo, uu, aa, ee, ii) instead of using macrons (e.g., ō, ū, ā ē, ī) ― small deviation.
• Represent the sokuon (っ) with a "ch"-syllable as cch instead of the strict Hepburn tch ― major deviation.
• Translate non-assimilated or uncommon loanwords into their native equivalents (e.g., スキル → "Skill", ダンジョン → "Dungeon").
• Retain loanwords that are clipped slang and/or are natively embedded in everyday Japanese (e.g., バイト → "Baito", ラブホ → "Rabuho").
• Always romanize Japanese items and names fully even if an English equivalent is commonly known—they are not loaned words (e.g., 東京 → "Toukyou", 大阪 → "Oosaka").

Capitalization

As we are romanizing titles of Japanese literature, we use the following capitalization style:

• Capitalize all nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and auxiliary verbs when separated.
• Keep all particles (e.g., no, ga), copulas (e.g., da, desu), and copula inflections or contractions (e.g., deshita, deshou, datta, jan) in lowercase.

Word Spacing, Fusions, and Hypenation

Keep all words — including non-lexicalized noun phrases, particles, copulas, and copula inflections separate, except for:

• Auxilary verbs and auxiliary-like forms are always fused to the main verb or adjective—whether via the -te form or the stem (see Auxiliaries).
• The single-letter morpheme ん (from の) is fused with the following copula or particle (んだ → nda, んだけど → ndakedo).
• Conjunctive particles are fused when functioning as a single cohesive unit (なのに → nanoni, でも → demo).
• Common lexicalized words are fused when treated as single words in modern usage (女の子 → Onnanoko, いつの間にか → Itsunomanika, なんとなく → Nantonaku).
• Compound nouns undergoing rendaku are fused (想い人 → Omoibito, 恋人 → Koibito).
• Leading honorifics o- and go- are fused without a hyphen and capitalized (お姫 → Ohime, ご主人 → Goshujin).
• Hyphens are used with honorifics, titles, household/clan names, Arabic numbers with counters, and multi-word expressions functioning as one unit.

Actual Title Showcasing the Style

異世界グルメで成り上がり無双　～山に追放されたので、のんびりキャンプを楽しんでいたらいつの間にか強くなっていて、王侯貴族や実力者たちが俺を放っておいてくれません。一方、俺を追放した貴族たちは破滅が始まる～
Isekai Gourmet de Nariagari Musou: Yama ni Tsuihou Sareta node, Nonbiri Camp o Tanoshindeitara Itsunomanika Tsuyoku Natteite, Oukou Kizoku ya Jitsuryokusha-tachi ga Ore o Houtte Oitekuremasen. Ippou, Ore o Tsuihou Shita Kizoku-tachi wa Hametsu ga Hajimaru

• Loanwords: グルメ → Gourmet, キャンプ → Camp (kept as native loan-words, no Englishization).
• Particles: de, ni, o, ga all separate.
• Rare particle: や (ya) correctly separated.
• Conjunction: ので → node fused, especially as it is being before a comma.
• Native numeral + counter: Ippou, fused without a hypen allowing for special or suppletive reading.
• Verb auxiliaries fused: Tanoshindeitara, Natteite, Kuremasen.
• Main verb + auxilary verb + contracted auxilary split and fused: Houtte Oitekuremasen.
• Noun + Suru separated: Tsuihou Sareta, Tsuihou Shita.
• Lexicalized words: Nariagari treated as one word.
• Semantic Binomial Compound: Oukou Kizoku allowed to be separated for clarity and readability.
• Hyphens: Jitsuryokusha-tachi, Kizoku-tachi for multi-word fusions.
• Subtitle formatting: main title and subtitle divided with colon.

Futher Clarification

Modified Hepburn Summary

• は, へ, and を as particles are always romanized as wa, e, and o.
• ん is always romanized as n, or as n' — with an apostrophe — when the ん is followed by a vowel or y.
• ず and づ are generally romanized both as zu as they are phonetically identical, if distinction is strictly necessary then dzu is used for づ.
• sokuon (っ) before any "ch"-syllables are rendered as tch, but this should only be used in alternative titles for searchability!

Auxiliaries

Japanese auxiliary elements attach to verbs and adjectives to modify aspect, voice, or nuance.
These are grouped into three types for romanization purposes: Auxiliary Verbs, Contracted Auxiliaries, and Adjectival Auxiliaries.

Auxiliary Verbs

Auxiliary verbs (e.g. -kuru, -iku, -shimau, -ageru, -morau, -kudasai, etc.) typically follow the -te form of a main verb and are always fused with the preceding stem and express sequence, aspect, completion, or request.

Examples:

• 頑張ってくれ → Ganbattekure
• 見てください → Mitekudasai
• 行ってしまった → Itteshimatta

Contracted Auxiliaries

Contracted auxiliaries (e.g. -iru → -teiru/-teru, -ita → -teita/-teta, -iyou → -you, -mashita, etc.) represent shortened or conjugated forms of auxiliary verbs. These are also fused with the main verb stem.

• 楽しんでいたら → Tanoshindeitara
• 食べてる → Tabeteru
• していた → Shiteita

Adjectival Auxiliaries

Adjectival auxiliaries (e.g. -sugiru, -yasui, -nikui, -rashii, etc.) attach directly to an adjective or verb stem to express degree, desire, or ease/difficulty, and are fused as a single unit.

Examples:

• 可愛すぎる → Kawaisugiru
• 完璧すぎる → Kanpekisugiru
• 集まりすぎました → Atsumarusugimashita
• 読みやすい → Yomiyasui

Hyphenation

Honorifics, Titles, and Household/Clan names

• 直美さん is romanized as Naomi-san (name + honorific)
• お兄ちゃん is romanized as Onii-chan (kinship + "honorific")
• 田中先生 is romanized as Tanaka-sensei (name + title)
• 魔王様 is romanized as Maou-sama (demon king)
• 天使様 is romanized as Tenshi-sama (rank + honorific)
• 聖騎士さま is romanized as Seikishi-sama (rank + honorific)
• 京兼家 is romanized as Kyougane-ke (household/clan name)
• 篝家 as Kagari-ke (household/clan name)

Titles that are a standalone noun title, such as 陛下, are always romanized separately and without a hyphen; 国王陛下 → Kokuou Heika.

• お姉さん / おねえさん is romanized as Oneesan (elder sister) | Hypenation is optional for now...
• お兄さん / おにいさん is romanized as Oniisan (elder brother) | Hypenation is optional for now...
• 叔父さん / おじさん is romanized as Ojisan (uncle or middle-aged man)
• 叔母さん / おばさん is romanized as Obasan (aunt or middle-aged woman)
• 奥さん is romanized as Okusan (wife)
• お嫁さん is romanized as Oyomesan (bride + polite prefix)
• おっさん is romanized as Ossan (old man)
• 皆さん is romanized as Minasan (everyone)

• 神様 is romanized as Kamisama (god)
• 姫様 is romanized as Himesama (princess)
• 旦那様 is romanized as Dannasama (husband or master of x)
• お嬢様 is romanized as Ojousama (young lady)
• ご主人様 is romanized as Goshujinsama (master)
• おひとり様 is romanized as Ohitorisama (a person alone)

• れい姉ちゃん is romanized as Rei-neechan

Multi-word Expressions

These words function as a single semantic or grammatical unit, particularly modifier–noun phrases, semi-lexicalized constructions, or commonly recognized set expressions. This is especially common when the first element is a katakana loanword or roman-letter term or abrivation, where the hyphen helps clarify word boundaries and preserves the perception of a single semantic unit

• Ｓランク is romanized as S-Rank (Considered as a fully loaned word, so it is capitalized as such).
• バイト先 is romanized as Baito-saki (先 is fused with a hyphen due to the katakana loanword; location).
• ポーション師 is romanized as Potion-shi (師 is fused with a hyphen due to the katanana loanword; master).
• Ｓ級 is romanized as S-kyuu (級 is fused with a hyphen due to the Roman letter term; class).
• 僕たち is romanized as Boku-tachi (たち is always fused with a hyphen; pluralization).
• 環状戦 is romanized as Kanjou-sen (級 is always fused with a hyphen; battle/war/fight).
• 学校祭 is romanized as Gakkou-sai (祭 is always fused with a hyphen; festival)
• 文化部 is romanized as Bunka-bu (祭 is always fused with a hyphen; club)
• 女性用 is romanized as Josei-you (用 is always fused wiht a hyphen; for...)
• 契約婚 is romanized as Keyaku-kon ("contract marriage" hyphenated due to the clipped 婚約)

Arabic numerals and Their Counters and Modifiers

Arabic numerals followed by counters are always fused with a hyphen to the counter.
The counter uses its regular numeral-attached reading; the standard form used in dictionaries and this is most often On’yomi, but not always.

• 2人 is romanized as 2-nin and not as 2-ri (mimicing futari in this case is wrong).
• １０００体 is romanized as 1000-tai.
• 10年 is romanized as 10-nen.
• 8月31日 is romanized as 8-gatsu 31-nichi.

• １０年間 is romanized as 10-nenkan as number + counter (年) + fused modifier (間).
• ２２２日目 is romanized as 222-nichime as number + counter (日) + fused modifier (目).
• ３１番目 is romanized as 31-banme as number + counter (番) + fused modifier (目).
• ６歳上 is romanized as 4-saijou (number + counter (歳) + fused lexicalized (上)).
• １０歳下 is romanized as 10-saishita as number + counter (歳) + fused lexicalized (下).
• ８万枚 is romanized as 8-manmai as number + number unit (万) + fused counter (枚).
• ３億円 is romanized as 3-okuen as number + number unit (億) + fused counter (円).
• １０万年 is romanized as 10-mannen as number + number unit (万) + fused counter (年).

• 5キロ is romanized as 5 Kilo (Capitalized because it is used in a title).
• 5キロ減 is romanized as 5 Kilo-ge (number + counter + modifier).
• 2メートル is romanized as 2 Meter (Capitalized because it is used in a title).
• 2メートル越え is romanized as 2 Meter-koe (number + counter + modifier).

Romanization of Kanji Numerals and Their Counters

Kanji numerals followed by counters are always fused without a hyphen to the counter, any modifier is also fused directly to the counter.
This ensures that special numeral–counter readings or suppletive readings are reflecting natural lexicalization and are correctly preserved in romanization.

• 二人 → Futari (not Ninin)
• 一年 → Ichinen
• 四年生 → Yonensei
• 八男 → Hachinan

Romanization of Quotations

1. Japanese quotation marks 「文章」, and 『文章』 are to be romanized to double straight quotation marks "text".
2. Any straight or smart quotation marks “文章” are to be romanized to double straight quotation marks "text".
3. If the lenticular brackets 【文章】 is clearly used as quotation then it also should be romanized to double straight quotation marks "text".

Romanization of Other Special Characters

1. Full-width square brackets ［文章］ or lenticular brackets 【文章】 when unclear if they are for quotation, are to be romanized to normal square brackets [text].
2. Double Angle Brackets 《文章》 are to be romanized to double straight quotation marks "text"
3. Any other (unicode)symbol present (×,♥,♡,★,☆,○,♂,♀,ect.) shall be copied as-is but there shall nearly always (overruled by author/cover styling) be a space around these symbols!

Other Notes and Practices

Particles

Expression	Romanization	Function / Meaning
は	wa	topic particle
が	ga	subject particle
を	o	object particle
の	no	Genitive or nominalizer particle
な	na	adjectival(-noun) linking particle
に	ni	particle “to / at / in”
と	to	particle “and / with / that”
で	de	particle “at / in / by means of”
へ	e	particle “toward”
も	mo	particle “also / even”
や	ya	particle “and / among other things”
だけ	dake	particle “only”
まで	made	particle “to / until”
から	kara	particle “from / because”
とか	toka	particle “and so on” / “for example”
より	yori	particle “x rather than y / x over y”
にて	nite	particle “at / in / when / by / with” or conjunction “and then / so”
しか	shika	particle “nothing but / except / no more than” always followed by a negation
など	nado	particle-like “etc” / “and the like”
もん	mon	particle-like contraction (from the noun もの) “because … / after all … / emotional coloring”)
なら	nara	conditional particle “if / as for”
けど	kedo	conjunctive particle “but / although”
でも	demo	conjunctive particle “but / however”
のに	noni	conjunctive particle “although / even though”, see のに — Fused or Split?
ので	node	conjunctive particle “because / so”, see ので — Fused or Split?
では	dewa	conjunctive particle “well then / so / then”, see では — Fused or Split?
ばかり	bakari	particle
それでは	soredewa	conjunctive particle “well, ... / then, ... / so / then”
だけど	dakedo	lexicalized conjunctive “but / however / although”
だから	dakara	lexicalized conjunctive “therefore / that’s why / because …”
なのに	nanoni	lexicalized conjunctive “even though / despite that”
なので	nanode	lexicalized conjunctive “because / since”
なんて	nante	lexicalized particle “such a thing as / like”
として	toshite	"as"
ね	ne	sentence-ending particle “right / isn’t it”
ぞ / ぜ / さ	zo / ze / sa	sentence-ending particles for emphasis / tone

Copula and Copula Inflections

Expression	Romanization	Function / Meaning
だ	da	plain copula
だが	daga	lexicaliuzed conjunctive (“however / but”)
だった	datta	plain past copula
だったが	dattaga	lexicaliuzed conjunctive (“however / but”, past form)
です	desu	polite copula
ですが	desuga	lexicalized conjunctive (“but / however / (and) yet / nevertheless”)
でした	deshita	polite past copula
だろう	darou	plain conjectural (“probably / I suppose”)
でしょう	deshou	polite / conjectural (“probably / I suppose”)
である	de aru	formal written copula
であった	de atta	formal written past copula
だと	da to	always separate, だ copula (“is”) + と quotative particle, marking what follows as being “said / thought / considered”
でしょ	desho	colloquial contraction of deshou (“right? / isn’t it”)
だって	da tte	copula + particle (“is/was + quotative”), see だって — Fused or Split?
だって	datte	particle (“even / after all / because”), see だって — Fused or Split?

Special Cases

ので — Fused or Split?

のに — Fused or Split?

だって — Fused or Split?

では — Fused or Split?

If では is after a noun/phrase and marks location/topic → de wa (two particles).
If では is at the start of a sentence (“well then…”) or in set forms like ではない, ではなく, ではあるまい → dewa (lexicalized).

な + ん + copula

The な + ん + copula sequence is romanized as a single parsed unit:

• The ん (from の) fuses directly to the following copula, like です creating ndesu.
• In this construction, なの + です has become lexicalized, functioning as a fixed explanatory phrase (“it is that…” / “the reason is…”).
• Be aware that it must be from the particles な + の, and not from 何 as it would be otherwise capitialized, 何ですか → Nan desu ka (“What is it?”).
• なんです → nandesu
• なんですが → nandesuga
• なんだ → nanda
• なんでしょう → nandeshou
• なんでした → nandeshita
• なんだから → nandakara

Suru Romanization Rule

When Suru or Suru inflected forms (Shita, Shite, Sareta, Saseru, etc.) attaches productively to a noun write it separately and capitalize it.

These are simply nouns that gain verbal force through the addition of suru; dictionaries may list them as “suru”-verbs but morphologically they are still noun + suru.

By contrast, fixed or lexicalized suru-verbs such as 恋する (Koisuru), 愛する (Aisuru), or 画する (Kakusuru) are romanized fused, since suru is no longer detachable but part of the verb stem.

Dictionaries may list them as normal suru-verbs, found by its suru base form, and they should be treated as a verb.

• 転職する → Tenshoku Suru (noun + suru, present plain)
• 辞退して → Jitai Shite (noun + suru, te-form)
• 転生した → Tensei Shita (noun + suru, past plain)
• 追放された → Tsuihou Sareta (noun + suru, passive past)
• 愛します → Aishimasu (lexical suru-verb Aisuru + masu-form)

Contracted auxiliary forms, like -iru, -ru, -ita, -mashita, ect., are fused to the suru-form.

• 毛嫌いしていた → Kegirai Shiteita (noun + suru, te-form + ita)
• 溺愛されてました → Dekiai Saretemashita (noun + suru, passive te-form + mashita, past masu form)
• 全国配信してしまう → Zenkoku Haishin Shiteshimau (Noun + suru, te-form + shimau, aux verb after -te forms)
• 追放してきた → Tsuihou Shitekita (Noun + suru, te-form + kita, past form of kuru, aux verb after -te forms)
• 愛してる → Aishiteru (lexical suru-verb Aisuru + suru, te-form + ru)

ja + Auxilary

Following the base rules, forms such as じゃない or じゃだめ are romanized naturally as ja Nai and ja Dame because:

• Ja is a contraction of the particle cluster de wa, so it is treated as a particle. Particles are always written separately and in lowercase.
• The negative or affirmative auxiliary (e.g. nai, dame) is not fused to the particle, only to their host verbs or adjectives. Standalone auxiliaries are capitalized when written separately.
• じゃん is romanized as jan, as it is a colloquial contraction of ja Nai.

Examples:

• 好みじゃない → Konomi ja Nai
• 聖女じゃなかった → Seijo ja Nakatta
• 学生じゃなくなる → Gakusei ja Naku Naru

Suffix Handling

General Rule for Suffix Hyphenation

• Fuse the suffix it is part of a native or Sino-Japanese compound — i.e. it appears as a single dictionary word and this rule takes precedence over the others.
• Hyphenate the suffix if it follows a katakana (loanword), an acronym/letter, or if it’s one of the productive modern suffixes.
• Separate only when the element behaves like an independent word rather than a bound suffix.

Kanji	Suffix Reading	Behavior	Romanization with native	Romanization with loanword
部	-bu	Always hyphenated	文芸部 → Bungei-bu	ライトノベル部 → Light Novel-bu
祭	-sai	Always hyphenated	文化祭 → Bunka-sai	アイドル祭 → Aidoru-sai
戦	-sen	Always hyphenated	大戦 → Dai-sen	ファン戦 → Fan-sen
系	-kei	Always hyphenated	清楚系 → Seiso-kei	ギャル系 → Gal-kei
用	-you	Always hyphenated	女性用 → Josei-you	キッズ用 → Kids-you
化	-ka	Fused in native compounds; hyphenated after loanwords	石化 → Sekka	ヤンデレ化 → Yandere-ka
屋	-ya	Fused in native compounds; hyphenated after loanwords	お風呂屋 → Ofuroya	パンや → pan-ya
級	-kyuu	Fused in native compounds; hyphenated after loanwords	災厄級 → Saiyakukyuu	S級 → S-kyuu
師	-shi	Fused in native compounds; hyphenated after loanwords	魔術師 → Majutsushi	ポーション師 → Potion-shi
者	-sha	Fused in native compounds; hyphenated after loanwords	冒険者 → Boukensha	ゲーマー者 → Gamer-sha
生	-sei	Fused in native compounds; hyphenated after loanwords	学生 → Gakusei	ゲーマー生 → Gamer-sei
先	-saki	Separated in native words, hyphenated if after loanword	転生先 → Tensei Saki	バイト先 → Baito-saki
種	-shu	???	???	???
部隊	-butai	???	Kaijuu 8-gou: Micchaku! Dai-3 Butai	???
号	-gou	???	Kaijuu 8-gou: Micchaku! Dai-3 Butai	???

Temporal & Locative Suffixes

Some kanji behave differently depending on whether they are free-standing (native kun’yomi) or bound as a suffix in compounds (on’yomi). This system distinguishes them as follows:

Kanji	Readings	Behavior	Examples (native)	Examples (bound suffix)
前	Mae / -zen	Mae when free-standing or native. -zen when bound in Sino-Japanese compounds.	この前 → Kono Mae 名前 → Namae	戦前 → Senzen イベント前 → Event-zen
後	Ato / -go	Ato when free-standing or native. -go when used as a productive bound suffix.	その後 → Sono Ato 後で → Ato de	三日後 → Mikka-go イベント → Event-go
中	Naka / -chuu	Naka when free-standing or locative. -chuu when used as a productive bound suffix .	山の中 → Yama no Naka 胸の中 → Mune no Naka	営業中 → Eigyou-chuu イベント中 → Event-chuu

Both 前 (“before”), 後 (“after”), and 中 (“during, inside”) alternate between a native reading and a bound suffix reading.

• Use the native reading (Mae, Ato, Naka) when the word is free-standing, part of a native expression, or functioning syntactically as independent words.
• Use the bound suffix reading (-zen, -go, -chuu) when it appears as a suffix or inside a compound.
• Fuse the suffix if it is part of a native or Sino-Japanese compound or attaches to a number + counter sequence (午後 → Gogo, 放課後 → Houkago, 数分後 → Suufungo).
• 前 (-zen) behaves like older, fixed Sino-Japanese compounds and is fused when it is bound to the compounds.
• 後 (-go) and 中 (-chuu) are modern productive suffixes, and are hyphenated when not part of a native or Sino-Japanese compound or attaches to a number + counter sequence.
• For loanwords or acronyms followed by 前 / 後 / 中, default to the productive suffix forms (-mae, -go, -chuu), since these act as modern suffix-like uses.

Suffix-like Content Designators (編, 譚, 章, 録, etc.)

These suffix-like content designators have their grammatical behavior shifts depending on what precedes them;

• When directly attached to a single noun or compound, they act as suffixes and are hyphenated to the preceding word (冬編 → Fuyu-hen, 妖怪譚 → Youkai-tan).
• When following a phrase or clause-like structure, they function as independent nouns and are separated and capitalized (俺が最強になった編 → Ore ga Saikyou ni Natta Hen, 斬吸血鬼譚 → Zan Kyuuketsuki Tan).

Hyphens mark tight morphological fusion, while separation marks syntactic or semantic independence.

Dai- (大) Prefix in Romanization

The Dai (大) prefix behaves differently depending on whether the combination is fully lexicalized or still feels like a “descriptive” modifier + noun.

• Fuse if the term looks like a single dictionary entry or a well-known compound.
• Separate if dai- is clearly a modifier in front of a standalone noun, especially in titles for emphasis.

Always fused (Fully Lexicalized / Dictionary Compounds)

Kanji	Romanization	Meaning	Notes
大好き	Daisuki	to love	Verb-like, fused
大嫌い	Daikira	to hate	Fused
大人気	Daininki	very popular	Fused
大学	Daigaku	university	Fused
大天使	Daitenshi	archangel	Fixed compound, standard usage
大冒険	Daibouken	great adventure	Common collocation, borderline lexicalized
大事故	Daijiko	major accident	Semi-fixed, idiomatic
大成功	Daiseikou	great success	Semi-fixed, idiomatic
大作戦	Daisakusen	great plan	Semi-fixed, idiomatic
大問題	Daimondai	serious problem	Semi-fixed, idiomatic

Usually separate (Productive Descriptive Modifier)

Kanji	Romanization	Meaning	Notes
大冒険者	Dai Boukensha	great adventurer	Descriptive title
大賢者	Dai Kenja	great sage	Fantasy / epithet
大妖怪	Dai Youkai	great youkai	Descriptive
大聖堂	Dai Seidou	great cathedral	Semi-fixed but descriptive visible
大戦士	Dai Senshi	great warrior	Descriptive
大魔王	Dai Maou	great demon lord	LN-style epithet
大聖女	Dai Seijo	great saintess / holy maiden	Fantasy epithet
大魔導士	Dai Madoushi	great magician / archmage	Title-style descriptor
大聖者	Dai Seija	great saint / holy one	Fantasy epithet