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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Think we found our name ... Sabine ... but I'd like to check how you'd pronounce it

56 replies

edeluna · 20/01/2011 13:22

Expecting a girl in a few weeks. The name in the lead right now is Sabine.

I love it but I'm just a little concerned about whether its correct pronunciation would be baffling to anyone here in the UK. I'm not sure if people here are familiar with the name at all.

It's pronounced zaBEEna and comes from Italian; it is a familiar name in German and French.

Both Sabine and Sabina are acceptable spellings, though we prefer the former. However, I don't want her to have to constantly correct people's pronunciation. So if it seems likely that people might call
her saBEAN or something like that, maybe we go with the spelling ending in -a.

Grateful for any thoughts on this one!

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NorthernGobshite · 20/01/2011 18:11

sah been.

EColi · 20/01/2011 18:04

Sabine is my Swiss SIL's name and she pronounces it sa-beany so that's how I would say it.

littleomar · 20/01/2011 14:52

zabeena. i think of it as a german name too.

in french you would pronounce it with three syllables, i think, but the final e would be quite 'soft' (compared to a final -a in italian for eg)

it is a nice name.

Original poster
edeluna · 20/01/2011 14:47

Thanks, everyone.

I know the pronunciations are different in French and German; I probably should have clarified that it's the German pronunciation we prefer. We're not German, btw, but lived there for a long time.

My own name is fairly common in English but there's an even more common variation in the UK, so since moving here, I constantly have to correct people, who automatically go with the British variation instead of looking at how my name is spelled or listening to how I pronounce it. Not the end of the world, just a minor irritation.

Still leaning towards the Sabine spelling. As Merrylegs pointed out, the most important thing is that the people who know you personally get it right. I've met lots of people with unusual or unfamiliar-to-me names and you just learn how to say it. No big deal. So maybe I shouldn't worry about it so much. :)

I really appreciate all the feedback. Thanks again!

OP posts:
Edmundo · 20/01/2011 14:44

Sa-Bean

AmIGoingMad · 20/01/2011 14:36

I'd also think of it as Sa-bean but that's because I have a French friend of the same name.

PuppyMonkey · 20/01/2011 14:35

I would pronounce Sab-een too. Like on Moulin Rouge...?? However, if someone told me: "Actually, you pronounce it Zab-eena" I would pronounce it "Zab-eena."

She says speaking as someone who ALWAYS has to correct peple when they pronoubnce her own name.

PatriciaHolm · 20/01/2011 14:31

Sa-bean. yep. Or, just possibly, say-bine, as that's how it's pronounced in the Rape of the Sabine women. With an a on the end I'd assume it was Sa- been - ah.

KirstyJC · 20/01/2011 14:11

I would also say Sah-BEAN. It is a lovely name either way though!

kiery · 20/01/2011 14:08

What a beautiful name. I love the name Sabine!

But I would, having a 10 year old dd Sabine!

Lots of people comment on what a lovely name it is. It may be common in some parts of Europe but not so here.

My Omi (grandmother) is Austrian and I have relatives called Sabine; pronounced Sa-been-eh, but my daughter is the French Sa-Bean.

Guacamole · 20/01/2011 13:58

I would pronouns it Sa-been-eh; but I speak German. I think the majority of people in the UK would say Sa-been. So if you are from the UK; I would go for Sabina which everyone I imagine would pronounce Sa-been-ah.

LunaticFringe · 20/01/2011 13:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

sophiesmummie · 20/01/2011 13:55

And Sabine looks much nicer (and more correct) than Sabina.

sophiesmummie · 20/01/2011 13:53

Definately Sabeenuh - it is a very common name in Germany. I like it.

Merrylegs · 20/01/2011 13:49

I am named after my German grandmother. Her name ended in 'e' which is pronounced as an 'eh' in Germany. As I live in the UK my parents gave me an 'a' version of the name.

However I am forever correcting people who still pronounce it as if it doesn't have an 'a' on the end. So my rather complicated point is, no matter if it's Sabine or Sabina, people she doesn't know still won't pronounce it 'Zabeeneh'. However those she does know will pronounce it the right way.

I have spent my life correcting my name - it's an irritation, but not a massive one in the scheme of things. The people who know me all pronounce it correctly, which is what matters tbh.

(I think it looks better spelt Sabine btw!)

MmeLindt · 20/01/2011 13:45

Sa-been-eh

would be the German pronunciation. Not -a at the end, more of an -eh.

Try this link

mousymouse · 20/01/2011 13:42

I would say Zahbeeni (the i beeing a short i as in drinks and nibbles), as pronounced in denmark and germany.
but I guess most people in the uk would say Zabean.

MirandaWest · 20/01/2011 13:41

I would assume Sabeena as I think I have known someone German with that name.

YeButerfleogeEffete · 20/01/2011 13:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SilentBob · 20/01/2011 13:34

Sabeen here too, as in the French name. I guess if you call her Sabina in the UK though, people will mistake it for Sabrina.

dessen · 20/01/2011 13:31

Sa Been

onimolap · 20/01/2011 13:30

I would pronounce Sabina as Sa-BEE-na.

When I see Sabine, I see the geog vocabulary word (Rape of the Sabine Women) and think Say-Byne, and would probably say it like that as the name too.

I prefer Sabina.

rinabean · 20/01/2011 13:29

I'd pronounce it Sa-BEE-ner, but it seems I'm in the minority, and it's still not the right way to say it!

GetOrfMoiLand · 20/01/2011 13:29

I would pronounce it Sabina - but only becauae I knew a german girl of that name.

In this country though 99% of people will pronounce it Sabeen.

If you want it Sabina, spell it Sabina.

kingprawntikka · 20/01/2011 13:29

SaBean too.