Lesson 2

Nihongo wo yasashi de wa arimasen ga, omoshiroi des...

Consonants


The existing consonants in Japanese, as you can see in the syllabary are: k, g, s, z, t, n, h, b, p, m, y, r and w. These consonants, combined with the vowels, make up the syllables. The only consonant which goes alone is the "n".
The consonants can be "doubled". This means that when pronouncing a doubled consonant, this one is pronounced a little longer.  For example, "stamp" is pronounced "kitte". When writing it we must write a little "tsu" (tu) before the syllable "te" in "kitte". Then, this would look like this: "ki + (little tsu) + te". Here you have the graphic examples:

Combination of sounds


Combining the syllables from the "i" row, that is to say, ki, shi, chi, ji,  ni, hi, etc. with the ones of the "y" column, that is to say, "ya", "yu" and "yo" we can optain special sounds as "ju", "cha", "nyo" or "kyo". Look out, the ya, yu, yo syllables always will be written in little form when combining with the "i" row ones.
Examples:
"Milk" is pronounced "gyuunyuu" and  must be written "gi + (little yu) + u + ni + (little yu) + u."
"Hospital" is pronounced "byooin" and must be written "bi + (little yo) + i + n."

Look out : Combining "shi", "chi" and "ji" with the little ya, yu, yo we do not obtain "shyu", "chya" or "jyo" but "shu", "cha" and "jo"
Examples:
"Tea" is pronounced "koocha" and must be written "ko + u + chi + (little ya)
"Factory" is pronounced "koojoo" and must be written "ko + u + ji +(little yo)
"Enterprise" is pronounced "kaisha" and must be written "ka+ i + shi + (little ya)
And, as usually, the graphic examples...


Ha and Wa


One of the exceptions in Japanese pronunciation is that sometimes the syllable written as "ha" is pronounced as "wa". This only happens when the "ha" syllable does the function of subject marker. Form example, in "Watashi wa genki desu" (I'm OK), where "watashi" means "I", "genki" means "OK" and "desu" is the verb "to be", the "wa" syllable indicates thet "watashi" is the subject of the phrase. Well, thus it is prounced as wa is is written as "ha".
A similar case is "wo", which when it does the fuction of Direct Object it is pronounced "o". Example: Ringo o tabemasu = "to eat apples", where "ringo" is "apple" and "tabemasu" is "to eat", wo indicates that "ringo" is the DO. It is written as "wo" but it is pronounced as "o".
And the graphic examples, as usually...

I think that I am not missing anything about the syllabaries... But you must not think that knowing the syllabaries you begin to master Japanese. No! You just know to write the words in a simple way, is like learning to write for the second time... There is always the grammar, which I will not explain for the moment, and the kanji...
What are the kanji ? Asking this question, you are doomed... It was better not to know it. If  after all you are interested in what the kanji are and how to use them, you can go to the next page...

THAT'S NOT ALL FOLKS !

If you want to enter the world of kanji , click here !!!

Or then, go to the home page


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