Fine Japanese Calligraphy

The Art of Master Japanese Calligrapher Eri Takase

Herbie in Japanese

ハービー

Herbie, when pronounced "hur-bI", is ハービー (hābī) in katakana.

h as in hatur as in her, butterb as in batI as in ski, held long
Shared by Herbie Hancock and others

This katakana spelling is shared by Academy Award-winning jazz pianist and composer Herbie Hancock (ハービー・ハンコック), English musician Herbie Flowers (ハービー・フラワー), and jazz flutist Herbie Mann (ハービー・マン). It's also the katakana spelling for British boxer Herbie Hide (ハービー・ハイド).

Or tell us how you pronounce Herbie and we will translate it.

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Full sample PDF of the Amy design: three variations, the line art, Amy, its pronunciation, romaji and Japanese

Name and Phrase

"Herbie Family is My Life," "Herbie Family Bonds are Forever." Each is composed in Japanese calligraphy by Master Takase.

These are high-resolution PDFs with the calligraphy, the line-art, the English, the Japanese, the Japanese reading. For a real example see Name and Phrase.

Herbie Family Is My Life
Herbie Family Is My Life hur-bI ハービー Herbie in katakana with the kanji for Life (inochi) and a red eternity seal
Herbie Family Is My Life
Herbie Family Is My Life hur-bI はあびい Herbie in hiragana with the kanji for Life (inochi) and a red eternity seal
Herbie Family Bonds Are Forever
Herbie Family Bonds Are Forever hur-bI ハービー Herbie in katakana with the kanji for Bonds (kizuna) and a red eternity seal
Herbie Family Bonds Are Forever
Herbie Family Bonds Are Forever hur-bI はあびい Herbie in hiragana with the kanji for Bonds (kizuna) and a red eternity seal

Herbie Japanese Tattoo Designs

Herbie in vertical katakana as a tattoo on a man's arm

Get your tattoo of Herbie in Japanese brushed by Master Eri Takase. You can order Herbie in katakana, which is how non-Japanese names are written in Japanese, or hiragana, which is considered more feminine. Herbie, when pronounced hur-bI, is ハービー (hābī) in katakana and はあびい (haabii) in hiragana. Click the sample and see for yourself.

h as in hatur as in her, butterb as in batI as in ski, held long
Herbie in Katakana (Vertical)
Herbie katakana, vertical
Herbie in Katakana (Horizontal)
Herbie katakana, horizontal
Herbie in Hiragana (Vertical)
Herbie hiragana, vertical
Herbie in Hiragana (Horizontal)
Herbie hiragana, horizontal
A customer's tattoo: Mayumi is my life, in Japanese calligraphy by Master Eri Takase

Each design is an original work by Master Takase, delivered as a high-resolution PDF with the calligraphy and line art: everything you need for a perfect tattoo or print. Every translation includes links to independent sources so with one click you can verify it for yourself.

Your purchase includes a personal-use license. For a book, a product or a business, see Licensing.