- Learning Japanese: Introduction
- Learning Japanese: Computer Fonts
- Learning Japanese: Writing System
- Learning Japanese: Computer Input
- Learning Japanese: Pronunciation
Whatever course material you use to study will provide detailed guidelines for pronunciation. I’ll also discuss some audio reference material in a later post, once I get past the mechanics of the written language.
For a quick introduction you may want to view these articles: “Pronunciation of Japanese” provides a sample reading (from the beginning of Natsume Soseki’s classic novel Botchan) along with the text in both rÅmaji and hiragana, and a few practice word lists; “Japanese/Pronunciation” discusses the basic rules and guidelines for pronunciation, along with audio samples; “Japanese phonology” goes into much greater technical detail.
RÅmaji transcription is only approximate. For example, the sound of “ã‚“” may be [n], [m], or [ng]; the sound transcribed by convention as “r” is closer to a blend of English [l], [r], and [d].
One kana symbol corresponds to one syllable, of which there are five types:
- five basic vowels: [a], [i], [u], [e], and [o]
- consonant + vowel: [na], [ki], [yu], …
- syllabic consonant: [n]/[m]
- doubled consonants: “kk”, “tt”, …
- contracted syllable: for example, [ki] + [ya] = [kya], [chi] + [ya] = [cha], …
The vowels are always distinct, never blended, and they have only one pronunciation. For example, “oi” is “oh-ee”, not like “oy” in English “boy”; the words “aoi” and “iie” are each pronounced with three syllables.
All syllables are of equal stress and duration. Accent, when used, is conveyed by a tone or pitch change (high-to-low) rather than by loudness.
The first table below shows the rÅmaji and hiragana syllabary of Japanese. The katakana syllabary is the same; just replace the symbols. The second table shows additional katakana symbols used to write “foreign” syllables.
basic | ||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
rÅmaji | hiragana | |||||||||||||||||||||
n | wa | ra | ya | ma | ha | na | ta | sa | ka | a | ん | ゠| ら | や | 㾠| 㯠| 㪠| 㟠| 㕠| ㋠| ゠| |
ri | mi | hi | ni | chi | shi | ki | i | り | ã¿ | ã² | ã« | ã¡ | ã— | ã | ã„ | |||||||
ru | yu | mu | fu | nu | tsu | su | ku | u | ã‚‹ | ゆ | ã‚€ | ãµ | 㬠| 㤠| ã™ | ã | ㆠ| |||||
re | me | he | ne | te | se | ke | e | れ | ã‚ | 㸠| ã | 㦠| ã› | ã‘ | ㈠| |||||||
(w)o | ro | yo | mo | ho | no | to | so | ko | o | ã‚’ | ã‚ | よ | ã‚‚ | ã» | ã® | 㨠| ã | ã“ | ㊠| |||
dakuon | ||||||||||||||||||||||
rÅmaji | hiragana | |||||||||||||||||||||
ba | da | sa | ga | ã° | ã | ã– | ㌠| |||||||||||||||
bi | ji | shi | gi | ビ | 㢠| 㘠| ㎠| |||||||||||||||
bu | zu | su | gu | ã¶ | 㥠| ãš | ã | |||||||||||||||
be | de | se | ge | 㹠| 㧠| 㜠| 㒠| |||||||||||||||
bo | do | so | go | ã¼ | ã© | ãž | ã” | |||||||||||||||
handakuon | ||||||||||||||||||||||
rÅmaji | hiragana | |||||||||||||||||||||
pa | ã± | |||||||||||||||||||||
pi | ã´ | |||||||||||||||||||||
pu | ã· | |||||||||||||||||||||
pe | 㺠| |||||||||||||||||||||
po | ã½ | |||||||||||||||||||||
yoon (basic) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
rÅmaji | hiragana | |||||||||||||||||||||
rya | mya | hya | nya | cha | sha | kya | りゃ | ã¿ã‚ƒ | ã²ã‚ƒ | ã«ã‚ƒ | ã¡ã‚ƒ | ã—ゃ | ãゃ | |||||||||
ryu | myu | hyu | nyu | chu | shu | kyu | りゅ | ã¿ã‚… | ã²ã‚… | ã«ã‚… | ã¡ã‚… | ã—ã‚… | ãã‚… | |||||||||
ryo | myo | hyo | nyo | cho | sho | kyo | りょ | ã¿ã‚‡ | ã²ã‚‡ | ã«ã‚‡ | ã¡ã‚‡ | ã—ょ | ãょ | |||||||||
yoon (voiced) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
rÅmaji | hiragana | |||||||||||||||||||||
bya | ja | ja | gya | ã³ã‚ƒ | ã¢ã‚ƒ | ã˜ã‚ƒ | ãŽã‚ƒ | |||||||||||||||
byu | ju | ju | gyu | ã³ã‚… | ã¢ã‚… | ã˜ã‚… | ãŽã‚… | |||||||||||||||
byo | jo | jo | gyo | ã³ã‚‡ | ã¢ã‚‡ | ã˜ã‚‡ | ãŽã‚‡ | |||||||||||||||
yoon (semivoiced) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
rÅmaji | hiragana | |||||||||||||||||||||
pya | ã´ã‚ƒ | |||||||||||||||||||||
pyu | ã´ã‚… | |||||||||||||||||||||
pyo | ã´ã‚‡ |
additional rÅmaji and katakana for foreign words | ||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
rÅmaji | katakana | |||||||||||||||
fa | tsa | kwa | ファ | ツァ | クァ | |||||||||||
fi | ti | wi | フィ | ティ | ウィ | |||||||||||
fe | tse | che | she | we | ye | フェ | ツェ | ãƒã‚§ | ã‚·ã‚§ | ウェ | イェ | |||||
fo | tso | kwo | wo | フォ | ツォ | クォ | ウォ | |||||||||
va | gwa | ヴァ | グァ | |||||||||||||
vi | di | ヴィ | ディ | |||||||||||||
vu | dyu | ヴ | ヂュ | |||||||||||||
ve | je | ヴェ | ジェ | |||||||||||||
vo | ヴォ |