# How was Pope John Paul II referred to in other languages? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 4, 2005, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-pope-john-paul-ii-referred-to-in-other-languages/297707 "2005-04-04T18:32:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2005, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-pope-john-paul-ii-referred-to-in-other-languages/297707/1 "2005-04-04T18:32:30Z")
In English, his (assumedly Latin) papal name is translated into English names. So something (presumably) approaching _Johannes Paulus Secundus_ (sp?) is translated into “John Paul the Second”. Is this pretty much the pattern in all European languages? In Spain, was he _Juan Pablo el Segundo_? In France, _Jean-Paul le Deuxième_? In Russian, _Иван Павел Второй_ (Ivan Pavel Vtoroi)? How was this name rendered in non-European languages such as Arabic, Farsi, Chinese, and Japanese? ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2005, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-pope-john-paul-ii-referred-to-in-other-languages/297707/2 "2005-04-04T18:36:02Z")
I should add that I am aware that in almost all cases, the Roman numeral II would be used in place of “the Second”, regardless of language. I am interested in how the full name and number is pronounced orally. ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Mahma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@Joe\_Mahma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Mahma)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2005, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-pope-john-paul-ii-referred-to-in-other-languages/297707/3 "2005-04-04T18:41:27Z")
I happened to see a Polish-language news website that referred to him as Jan Pawel II. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2005, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-pope-john-paul-ii-referred-to-in-other-languages/297707/4 "2005-04-04T18:45:50Z")
Whe I was watching the Italian news there was a scroll across the screen and they referred to him as Giovanni Paulo. (I don’t speak Italian so my spelling may be off.) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2005, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-pope-john-paul-ii-referred-to-in-other-languages/297707/5 "2005-04-04T18:49:33Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > In Spain, was he _Juan Pablo el Segundo_? Actually, just Juan Pablo Segundo (the article is not necessary in this case). There is a street here in Panama City named Juan Pablo II. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2005, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-pope-john-paul-ii-referred-to-in-other-languages/297707/6 "2005-04-04T18:50:12Z")
[QUOTE=bordelond] I should add that I am aware that in almost all cases, the Roman numeral II would be used in place of “the Second”, regardless of language. [QUOTE] And after I typed that, I found a Romanian news site which demonstrates that sometimes the Roman numeral gets an add-on. In Romanian, the late Pope was _Ioan Paul al II-lea_. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2005, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-pope-john-paul-ii-referred-to-in-other-languages/297707/7 "2005-04-04T18:50:30Z")
I linked to [this catalog listing](http://www.intratext.com/Catalogo/Autori/AUT197.HTM) in the other pope names thread. It shows JP2’s names in many languages, although without identifying those languages. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2005, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-pope-john-paul-ii-referred-to-in-other-languages/297707/8 "2005-04-04T18:51:38Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Actually, just Juan Pablo Segundo (the article is not necessary in this case). Thanks. I took that particular stab because the name spoken out in English does have a definite article. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2005, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-pope-john-paul-ii-referred-to-in-other-languages/297707/9 "2005-04-04T18:59:18Z")
> [@The Chao Goes Mu](#): > > Whe I was watching the Italian news there was a scroll across the screen and they referred to him as Giovanni Paulo. (I don’t speak Italian so my spelling may be off.) I saw a Greek online newspaper apparently render the name as “Τζοβάνι-Πάολο” (Tzovani-Paolo), which would seem to basically spell out the Italian version of the name in Greek orthography. I’d have expected Greek media to use Greek version of the names. ---
**Author:** ![dotchan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@dotchan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dotchan)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2005, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-pope-john-paul-ii-referred-to-in-other-languages/297707/10 "2005-04-04T19:36:47Z")
A quick google search turns up 约翰•保罗二世 Which is basically a phonetic translation of “John Paul II”. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2005, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-pope-john-paul-ii-referred-to-in-other-languages/297707/11 "2005-04-04T19:55:44Z")
> [@dotchan](#): > > A quick google search turns up > 约翰•保罗二世 > > Which is basically a phonetic translation of “John Paul II”. How’d you Google that? ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2005, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-pope-john-paul-ii-referred-to-in-other-languages/297707/12 "2005-04-04T20:05:10Z")
> [@Biffy the Elephant Shrew](#): > > I linked to [this catalog listing](http://www.intratext.com/Catalogo/Autori/AUT197.HTM) in the other pope names thread. It shows JP2’s names in many languages, although without identifying those languages. OK, let’s look at your link and see what we got here. Thanks to Google, I can identify these conclusively: Latin - Ioannes Paulus PP. II Vietnamese - Gioan Phaoloâ II Italian - Giovanni Paolo II Romanian - Ioan Paul al II-ea Croatian - Ivan Pavao II. Czech - Jan Pavel II. Slovak - Ján Pavol II Polish - Jan Pawel II Slovenian - Janez Pavel II. Hungarian - János Pál II. French - Jean-Paul II Portugese - João Paulo II Finnish - Johannes Paavali II German - Johannes Paul II. Dutch - Johannes Paulus II Spanish - Juan Pablo II ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2005, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-pope-john-paul-ii-referred-to-in-other-languages/297707/13 "2005-04-04T20:09:18Z")
BBC’s international websites seem to be a good source for Western languages. I can add Bulgarian to the list: Йоан Павел Втори (Ioan Pavel Vtori). Not so easy to find Asian references, though. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2005, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-pope-john-paul-ii-referred-to-in-other-languages/297707/14 "2005-04-04T20:10:41Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > I saw a Greek online newspaper apparently render the name as “Τζοβάνι-Πάολο” (Tzovani-Paolo), which would seem to basically spell out the Italian version of the name in Greek orthography. I’d have expected Greek media to use Greek version of the names. Another Greek rendition: Ιωάννη Παύλο B’ (Ioanni Paulo II), where the "B’ " stands for the Roman numeral II. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2005, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-pope-john-paul-ii-referred-to-in-other-languages/297707/15 "2005-04-04T20:12:08Z")
Albanian: _Gjon Palit të Dytë_ ---
**Author:** ![Eurograff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@Eurograff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eurograff)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2005, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-pope-john-paul-ii-referred-to-in-other-languages/297707/16 "2005-04-04T22:59:32Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > OK, let’s look at your link and see what we got here. Thanks to Google, I can identify these conclusively: > > Latin - Ioannes Paulus PP. II > > … > > Finnish - Johannes Paavali II Correct. This would be pronounced as “Johannes Paavali toinen”. > [@](#): > > German - Johannes Paul II. Danish and Norwegian also use that. > [@](#): > > Dutch - Johannes Paulus II This is also the Swedish form. A Swede would probably say “Johannes Paulus den andre”. ---
**Author:** ![Dubious\_Weasle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b782af/32.png) [@Dubious\_Weasle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dubious_Weasle)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2005, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-pope-john-paul-ii-referred-to-in-other-languages/297707/17 "2005-04-04T23:38:05Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > In English, his (assumedly Latin) papal name is translated into English names. So something (presumably) approaching _Johannes Paulus Secundus_ (sp?) is translated into “John Paul the Second”. > > Is this pretty much the pattern in all European languages? In Spain, was he _Juan Pablo el Segundo_? In France, _Jean-Paul le Deuxième_? In Russian, _Иван Павел Второй_ (Ivan Pavel Vtoroi)? > > How was this name rendered in non-European languages such as Arabic, Farsi, Chinese, and Japanese? In Korean it appears to be 바오로 2세 Basically, it’s just Paul the 2nd. Actually a little closer to Pa-oh-roh. ---
**Author:** ![WeRSauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f19dbf/32.png) [@WeRSauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WeRSauron)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-pope-john-paul-ii-referred-to-in-other-languages/297707/18 "2005-04-05T00:05:47Z")
In Urdu, it would be pronounced as “Jaan Paal Do’em” (“do’em” meaning “second”). According to BBC Hindi, he is known as “Jon Pol Dviteey” (“dviteey” meaning “second”). WRS ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-pope-john-paul-ii-referred-to-in-other-languages/297707/19 "2005-04-05T00:23:49Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > I should add that I am aware that in almost all cases, the Roman numeral II would be used in place of “the Second”, regardless of language. > And after I typed that, I found a Romanian news site which demonstrates that sometimes the Roman numeral gets an add-on. In Romanian, the late Pope was _Ioan Paul al II-lea_. In Romanian, though, the adjective when present, and the last word of a compound noun, bears the suffix that functions as a case marker (it’s actually a modified article placed in post-position). So this is not odd in Romanian. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-pope-john-paul-ii-referred-to-in-other-languages/297707/20 "2005-04-05T00:26:25Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > Another Greek rendition: Ιωάννη Παύλο B’ (Ioanni Paulo II), where the "B’ " stands for the Roman numeral II. Your first version would be the transliteration of his name in Italian into the Greek alphabet; the second, the actual Greek rendering of his name. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-pope-john-paul-ii-referred-to-in-other-languages/297707.md?page=2)