| German |
Russian |
Bulgarian[2] |
| a |
а (but at the end of a word, following i, я is used: Bavaria → Бавария) |
| aa |
а (Aachen → Ахен) |
| ae |
transcribed like ä when it stands for that letter; otherwise, transcribed like a + e |
depending on pronunciation |
| ai |
ай (Mainz → Майнц) |
| ay |
ай |
| ä |
е after consonants, э after vowels and at the beginning of a word |
е |
| äu |
ой (historically also ей: Bäumler → Беймлер) |
ой |
| b |
б |
| c |
as к (Calw → Кальв) or ц (Celle → Целле) depending on pronunciation |
as к or ц depending on pronunciation |
| ch |
х (or, in loanwords, ш, ч, к etc. based on pronunciation) (Chiemsee → Кимзе, historically also Химзе or Химское озеро) |
к at the start of the word (Chiemsee → Кимзе); х after vowels (Achim → Ахим) |
| chh |
хг (traditionally), or хх (modern variant)[3][4] (Hochhuth → Хоххут; Eichhorn → Айххорн) |
хх if ch and h belong to different morphemes (Hochheim → Хоххайм) |
| chs |
кс, when pronounced as x, otherwise transcribed like ch + s |
| ck |
к, or between vowels (and always, according to the rules for transcribing geographic names)[5]кк (Boris Becker → Борис Беккер) |
к |
| d |
д |
| e |
е after consonants, э after vowels and at the beginning of a word (Erfurt → Эрфурт) |
е |
| ee |
like e (Spree → Шпре) |
| ei |
ай (Eider → Айдер) (historically also эй, ей: Einstein → Эйнштейн) |
ай |
| eu |
ой (Neumünster → Ноймюнстер) (historically also эй, ей: Neumann → Нейман) |
ой |
| ey |
ай (Eider → Айдер) (historically also эй, ей: Meyer → Мейер) |
ай |
| f |
ф |
| g |
г (in loanwords, before e, i, y, sometimes ж or дж based on pronunciation) |
г |
| gk |
гк (Woldegk → Вольдегк), sometimes г (Burgkmair → Бургмайр) |
? |
| h |
х, when pronounced: Herne → Херне; Dietharz → Дитхарц; omitted when silent: Ehenbichl → Ээнбихль, Lahr → Лар (historically also transcribed with г) |
х at the start of a word or morpheme; otherwise not transcribed |
| i |
и at the beginning of a word or after consonants, й after vowels |
| ie |
и when e indicates a long i, ие when divided between two syllables (Marienberg → Мариенберг) |
| j |
й at the end of a syllable; at the beginning of a word or between vowels, ja → я, jä → е, je → е, jo → йо, jö → йё, ju → ю, jü → йю; after consonants: ja → ья, jä → ье, je → ье, jo → ьо, jö → ьё, ju → ью, jü → ью; when between parts of a compound word, then ъ instead of ь |
depending on the following vowel: ja → я; je, jä → йе (only at the start of the word or after a vowel, otherwise: е); ju, jü, jui → ю |
| k |
к |
| l |
л before vowels, ль before consonants or at the end of a word (exceptions include Karl → Карл); after l, u becomes ю instead of у in some traditional cases (Ludwigsburg → Людвигсбург) |
л |
| ll |
лл except between consonants and vowels; at the end of a word -ь is appended (exceptions include Rheinmetall → Рейнметалл) |
л |
| m |
м |
| n |
н (but -mann → -ман) |
| o |
о |
| oe |
transcribed like ö when it stands for that letter; if it stands for a long o then transcribed as о: Coesfeld → Косфельд; if the two letters form separate syllables, then transcribed like o + e |
transcribed like ö when it stands for that letter; if it stands for a long o then transcribed as о: Coesfeld → Косфелд; if the two letters form separate syllables, then transcribed like o + e: Buchloe → Бухлое |
| oo |
о (Koopmann → Копман) |
| ö |
э at the beginning of a word, otherwise ё (Österreich (as a last name) → Эстеррайх) |
ьо after a consonant, otherwise йо |
| p |
п |
| ph |
ф, unless divided by a syllable boundary: Diepholz → Дипхольц |
ф, unless divided by a syllable boundary: Diepholz → Дипхолц |
| qu |
кв (Querfurt → Кверфурт) |
| r |
р |
| s |
з for /z/, с for /s/: Sassnitz → Засниц, Kiste → Кисте |
likewise: з at the start of the word or if between vowels (or between a vowel and a sonorant), in all other cases: с |
| sch |
ш |
| sp |
шп at the beginning of a word (including inside compound words), otherwise сп |
| ss |
сс or с (when ss stands for ß, then с), unless divided between two syllables: Ludwigsstadt → Людвигсштадт |
s unless at morpheme boundary |
| st |
шт at the beginning of a word (including inside compound words), otherwise ст: Rostock → Росток |
щ at the beginning of a word (including inside compound words), otherwise ст |
| ß |
с |
| t |
т, but the suffix -tion → -цион |
| tsch |
ч (unless divided between two syllables, in which case тш: Altschul → Альтшуль) |
ч |
| tz |
тц between vowels, otherwise ц (Ratzeburg → Ратцебург) |
ц: Рацебург |
| u |
у |
| ue |
transcribed like ü when it stands for that letter; if it stands for a long u then transcribed as у: Buer → Бур; if the two letters form separate syllables, then transcribed like u + e: Adenauer → Аденауэр |
transcribed like ü when it stands for that letter; if it stands for a long u then transcribed as у: Buer → Бур; if the two letters form separate syllables, then transcribed like u + e: Adenauer → Аденауер |
| ü |
и at the beginning of a word, otherwise ю (Neumünster → Ноймюнстер, Uelzen → Ильцен) |
ю |
| v |
ф when pronounced like f; в when pronounced like w |
| w |
в (Wagner → Вагнер) |
| x |
кс |
| y |
и at the beginning of a word and after consonants (even when pronounced as ü) (Bad Pyrmont → Бад-Пирмонт), й after vowels; as a consonant, ya → я (Yanina Wickmayer → Янина Викмайер) |
| z |
ц |
| zsch |
ч (unless divided between two syllables, in which case цш: so, Delitzsch → Делич, but Nietzsche → Ницше) |
