Genki Textbook page 24
Japanese Sounds
and Pronunciation
Three types of writing
私
は
カナダ
に
行きます。
Watashi wa kanada ni ikimasu.
1. Kanji
2. Hiragana
3. Katakana
*Romaji
Kanji
漢字
• Chinese or native-Japanese origin
• used for whole words
• used for parts of words such as verbs
Hiragana
•
•
•
•
ひらがな
48 characters
phonetic syllabary
used for Japanese words with no kanji
used for grammar such as prepositions,
verb conjugations
Katakana
•
•
•
•
カタカナ
48 characters
phonetic syllabary
used for foreign words
used to show emphasis ie onomatopoeia
Romaji
ローマ字
• roman alphabet used to show the
pronunciation of Japanese words
• used for learners of Japanese only
Pronunciation
はつおん
• 5 main vowels (short and long)
SHORT SOUNDS
LONG SOUNDS
あ
ああ
a
ā
i
u
e
い
いい
え
ii or ī
ū
ē or ei
o
お
ō
おう おお
う
うう
ええ
えい
• Similar to: Ah, we soon get old.
Genki Textbook front cover
Hiragana
Chart
Genki workbook pg 117-121
Hiragana – basic sounds
Mnemonics from: http://www.canyouchopstick.com/2011/01/katakana-mnemonic/
Animations from: http://japaneselanguageculturefood.com/japanese-language-katakana.htm
• Genki workbook pg 117 – Practice writing as we go!
A あ
An antenna is up on the roof.
あ as in ‘up on the roof’.
I
い
There are two eels.
い as in ‘eels’.
U う
Ooo! This is heavy!
う as in ‘Ooo!’
E
え
I have to exercise.
え as in ‘exercise’.
O お
A golf ball is on the green.
お as in ‘on the green’.
＊NOTE:
Handwritten
Print
KA か
A kite is flying in the sky.
か as in ‘kite’.
KI き
I have a key.
き as in ‘key’.
KU く
Here comes a cuckoo bird.
く as in ‘cuckoo’.
KE け
A keg of beer.
け as in ‘keg’.
KO こ
An apple core.
こ as in ‘core’.
• Genki workbook pg 117
II and III - Can you write the words?
＊NOTE:
Handwritten
Print
• Genki workbook pg 118 – Practice writing as we go!
SA さ
I love sake!
さ as in ‘sake’.
SHI
し
She has a ponytail.
し as in ‘she’.
SU
す
The pigs tail will soon fall off.
す as in ‘soon’.
SE
せ
Sensei’s hat.
せ as in ‘sensei’.
SO
そ
Zig-zag sewing.
そ as in ‘sewing’.
TA た
A letter ‘t’ and ‘a’ make ta.
た as in ‘ta’.
CHI
ち
She’s a cheerleader.
ち as in ‘cheerleader’.
TSU
つ
Tsunami is a tidal wave.
つ as in ‘tsunami’.
TE
て
The dog is wagging his tail.
て as in ‘tail’.
TO
と
Ouch! A nail is in my toe.
と as in ‘toe’.
• Genki workbook pg 118
II and III - Can you write the words?
• Genki workbook pg 119 – Practice writing as we go!
NA
な
A nun is kneeling in front of
the cross.
な as in ‘nun’.
NI
に
A needle and thread.
に as in ‘needle’.
NU ぬ
The egg fell out of the bowl
with noodles and chopsticks.
ぬ as in ‘noodles’.
NE ね
I caught a big fish in my net.
ね as in ‘net’.
NO
の
Do not enter!
の as in ‘not’.
HA
は
I live in a house.
は as in ‘house’.
HI ひ
He is on the wall.
ひ as in ‘he’.
FU ふ
I climbed Mt Fuji.
ふ as in ‘Fuji’.
HE
へ
There is a haystack.
へ as in ‘haystack’.
HO
ほ
A house becomes a home
with a satellite.
ほ as in ‘home’.
• Genki workbook pg 119
II and III - Can you write the words?
• Genki workbook pg 120 – Practice writing as we go!
MA
ま
Mum loves music.
ま as in ‘mum’.
MI み
Who’s 21? Me!
み as in ‘me’.
MU
む
Moo-moo cow.
む as in ‘moo’.
ME め
Chopsticks and noodles
without any mess.
め as in ‘mess’.
MO
も
The more worms, the more fish.
も as in ‘more’.
YA や
Yay, I’m on a yacht.
や as in ‘yay’.
YU
ゆ
Make a U-turn.
ゆ as in ‘U-turn’.
YO
よ
Yoga is hard.
よ as in ‘yoga’.
• Genki workbook pg 120
II and III - Can you write the words?
＊NOTE:
Handwritten
Print
• Genki workbook pg 121 – Practice writing as we go!
RA
ら
I love steamy ramen noodles.
ら as in ‘ramen’.
RI
り
A pretty ribbon.
り as in ‘ribbon’.
RU
る
Catch a kangaroo with
a loop in the rope.
る as in ‘kangaroo’.
RE
れ
Ready, set, go. Let’s race!
れ as in ‘Ready’.
RO
ろ
No loop in the rope. The
kangaroo got away!
ろ as in ‘rope’.
WA
わ
Wow! A magic wand.
わ as in ‘Wow’.
O を
Oh! A cheerleader is
on my toe.
を as in ‘oh!’.
N ん
The letter ‘n’ in end.
ん as in ‘end’.
• Genki workbook pg 121
II and III - Can you write the words?
• ん ‘n’ is the only independent sound
• nasal sound
• When ‘n’ is followed by b, m, p the ‘n’
sound is more like ‘m’
Dropping sounds
The ‘u’ sound at the end of verbs is often dropped:
です
desu
=
des＿
ございます gozaimasu
=
gozaimas＿
When pronouncing ‘shite’ the ‘i’ sound is often dropped:
はじめまして hajimemashite
= hajimemash＿te
しつれい
shitsurei
= sh＿tsurei
Particles – Hiragana changes
Particles are grammatical markers and are put before or after
Japanese words to make a sentence. Eg. In romaji particles are
written on their own separate from other words.
Ie. Watashi wa kōen e ikimasu.
wa
は
（not わ)
o
を
（not お）
e
へ
（not え）
Hiragana – other sounds
Ten ten and maru
Combined sounds
Tenten and Maru
＊NOTE
じ ず
mostly used
ぢ づ
rarely used
Combined sounds
The hiragana line ending in ‘i’ sound
can be combined with small：
• ‘ya’ や
• ‘yu’ ゆ
• ‘yo’ よ
These create combined sounds
and represent 1 syllable.
Compare these sounds:
きや vs
しゆ vs
ちよ vs
big
big
きゃ
しゅ
ちょ
big
small
big
small
• Genki textbook pg 290 A-D (Basic sounds revision)
• Genki textbook pg 291 E-F(Listening)
• Workbook pg 122
Hiragana – other sounds
Small ‘tsu’ and Long sounds
Long sounds
ā
ああ
ii or ī
いい
ū
うう
ei or ē
ええ OR えい
ō
おう OR おお (less common)
kyā, kyū, kyō
きゃあ、きゅう、きょう etc
• four double consonants - kk, pp, ss, and tt
• in hiragana they are represented by a small tsu っ
• double consonants indicate a small pause so the
mouth can prepare for the pronunciation of the
next syllable
Pause sound (small tsu つ)
kk
けっこん kekkon
pp
きっぷ
ss
まっすぐ massugu
tt
きって
kippu
kitte
(marriage)
(tickets)
(go straight)
(ticket)
• Genki textbook pg 292 G-H
• Workbook pg 123