| Yokoso!Welcome to my Japanese Lessons.Have you | | | | Sounds:ga za da ba pagi ji - bi pigu zu - bu puge ze |
| ever watched an old Japanese samurai movie on the | | | | de be pego zo do bo poThere are situations where |
| late show? Chances are you thought that everyone | | | | two consonants are together with a vowel.They |
| was always angry at everyone else and spent a lot | | | | produce the following Tertiary Sounds:kya gya sha ja |
| of time yelling in monotonous staccato tones. I felt | | | | cha nya hya pya bya mya ryakyu gyu shu ju chu nyu |
| the same way. It was all unintelligible blabber, not a | | | | hyu pyu byu myu ryukyo gyo sho jo cho nyo hyo |
| real language. Well, guess what? It is actually possible | | | | pyo byo myo ryoNow that you are armed with the |
| to make some sense out of the nonsensical language | | | | correct sounds for the language, why don't you pull |
| that you hear on Japanese movies, etc. With a little | | | | out your Japanese Name or Phrase and give the |
| understanding of how the language works, you will | | | | pronunciation a try? with a bit of practice you should |
| be on your way to sounding just like those yelling, | | | | be able to get the sounds just right.One last thing to |
| sword-swinging samurai of yore.What I would like to | | | | mention that I found really helps with getting the |
| do is provide you with a basic understanding of the | | | | pronunciation right. Almost all of the sounds can be |
| Japanese language. It is not meant to replace formal | | | | said without the use of the lips. Think of yourself as |
| study at an institute of higher learning. Not everything | | | | a ventriloquist, speaking from a puppet. Don't move |
| can be covered, but I will do my best to provide | | | | your lips, and keep them relaxed. It should help. And |
| language tips that will help you develop your | | | | practice.Here are a few simple sentences that you |
| Japanese language skills.I will be working mainly with | | | | can use for pronunciation practice and begin to |
| "conversational" Japanese in nature; something that | | | | memorize for your future use:Practice Sentences:1. |
| you can use right away in certain situations. Learning | | | | Watashi no namae wa Ken desu. (My name is Ken.)2. |
| to read and write can take years.Of course in order | | | | Kono biiru wa ikura desu ka? (How much is this |
| to truly become fluent in any foreign language it is | | | | beer?)3. Toire wa doko desuka? (Where is the |
| always desirable, if at all possible, to immerse oneself | | | | toilet?)4. Mata ne! (See you later!)5. Ohisashiburi desu |
| in the language and culture (like what I did - threw | | | | ne. (Long time no see.)6. Ohayou gozaimasu. (Good |
| away a life in biotechnology for a brave new world). | | | | morning.)7. Konnichi wa. (Hello.)8. Konban wa. (Good |
| Coming to Japan will do wonders for your language | | | | evening.)9. Oyasumi nasai. (Good night.)10. Koko wa |
| ability if you ever have the chance. I understand that | | | | doko desu ka? (Where am I |
| this is not feasible for most people, so I will strive to | | | | now?)--------------------------- |
| do my best to provide you with current lessons and | | | | The Culture Pocket: A Brief History of the Japanese |
| examples for study.Pronunciation in JapaneseMaybe | | | | Written LanguageMost scholars believe that prior to |
| you have recently had a phrase translated for you | | | | the introduction of Kanji from China, there was no |
| with the corresponding pronunciation written in roman | | | | formal written language. No one is certain when the |
| characters. Or how about a tattoo in kanji (Japanese | | | | script first came to the islands but some believe that |
| characters)? That is rather popular these days. But | | | | it could have been around the first century AD. In |
| how do you pronounce it so it sounds close to | | | | the early third century, artifacts have been |
| natural? Fear not for help is on the way! In this lesson | | | | recovered that depict some form of writing.Kanji was |
| you will learn a bit about the history of the language | | | | first used as a system of writing sometime in the |
| and how the language sounds. So sit back, take out | | | | late 5th century or early 6th century. It is difficult to |
| your notebook and enjoy the first lesson Japanese | | | | set an exact date because of the writings being |
| Lesson series.Let's get down to business.In Japanese | | | | based on the Chinese calendar which is difficult to |
| there is no clear stress on syllables in words as there | | | | interpret. More than likely, Chinese or Koreans who |
| is in English. A non-Japanese speaker would | | | | came to the islands to live began using the |
| pronounce the city of Yokohama as "Yoko-HAA-ma" | | | | characters.In the beginning kanji was more than likely |
| and the family name Yoshida as "Yo-SHEE-da". In | | | | used to represent sounds (phonetics) for loan words |
| English, stress tends to be placed on the second last | | | | from other cultures. Also, the introduction of |
| syllable of longer words. Not so in Japanese. All | | | | Buddhism into China and eventually Japan prompted |
| syllables are spoken with equal strength and length. A | | | | translations of the scripts using the script. Buddhism |
| Japanese speaker would say "Yo-ko-ha-ma" and | | | | probably had the greatest influence on the |
| "Yo-shi-da" without stressing any parts.Try saying the | | | | development of the language due to the huge influx |
| following words without putting any extra strength | | | | of people from the mainland to build temples, |
| or stress on any of the syllables:1. Yokohama 2. | | | | translate documents, make statues, tiles, copy |
| Kawasaki 3. Nagasaki 4. Hiroshima 5. Amerika6. | | | | sutras, etc.Around the seventh century it seems that |
| Osutoraria 7. koohii 8. Nippon 9. beesubooru 10. | | | | the Japanese people began mastering the language |
| koppuSome texts say that there are long and short | | | | themselves and started to do some work of their |
| syllables in the Japanese language. I disagree. In most | | | | own. The language began to make some changes as |
| cases the longer sound of a syllable is due simply to | | | | it took on more than just a phonetic reproduction of |
| an extra vowel placed after the previous syllable. For | | | | foreign words (KUN reading). Eventually it began to |
| example Tokyo is actually pronounced like | | | | be used to represent ideas and concepts.Chinese and |
| To-u-kyo-u and Kyoto is Kyo-u-to (note here that | | | | Japanese are completely different. In terms of |
| the final to in Kyoto sounds shorter than the middle | | | | structure, Chinese is actually closer to English than it |
| to but it is just because it lacks the additional u which | | | | is to Japanese. And yet, the Japanese, in their |
| makes the sound appear to be longer. Pronounced | | | | amazing ability to adapt things to their own ideas, |
| carefully, the "long" syllable takes twice as long to | | | | were able to take the Chinese and add marks so |
| pronounce as the "short" syllable.Practice these | | | | that it would conform to the Japanese word order. |
| sounds:1. biiru 2. biru 3. konpyuuta 4. konpyuutaa 5. | | | | Then the kanji began to take on a second reading, |
| koka koora6. Toukyou 7. Kyouto 8. suteeki 9. ginkou | | | | known as the ON reading, as mentioned above. It |
| 10. waapuroThere are five vowels in the Japanese | | | | may be that the Korean language had influenced the |
| language: A, I, U, E, O. These vowels have one sound | | | | development of the Japanese language as both have |
| apiece. Unlike the English "a" which can have the | | | | similar word orders and also use honorific auxiliaries.In |
| sounds found in cat, crawl, cape, the Japanese A | | | | the Nara period (710-784) there was an explosion of |
| sounds like the vowel found in the word cup. And as | | | | Japanese literature. It seems that much of the oral |
| a matter of fact, all of the syllables in Japanese are | | | | tradition of passing on history was translated into |
| very short and clipped (Suzuki sounds more like S'z'ki). | | | | script for the future generations. The language began |
| Remember that whenever you see a vowel in a | | | | to become more and more complex.Hiragana began |
| Japanese word it will always have the following | | | | to be developed around the Nara period as well. It |
| sound:Vowel: a i u e o | | | | has its roots in the simplification of a cursive-style of |
| Sound: up heat soup left slopeMost consonants | | | | writing kanji. This cursive style was mainly used |
| sound as they do in English with a few exceptions | | | | privately among individuals to make notes, letters and |
| worth noting: K, G, S, Z, D, T, P, B do not have the | | | | other personal documents. For about 1400 years the |
| puff of air that is associated with same consonants in | | | | hiragana had a very large set of letters. In 1900 it |
| English. The N is also a very unusual sound as it can | | | | was standardized in brushwritten and |
| actually take on four different sounds, depending on | | | | woodblock-printed forms, mainly for artistic purposes. |
| where it is found in the word.If it precedes a vowel | | | | Because of this, hiragana tends to have a roundish, |
| (as in no) it has the normal N sound found in English. | | | | flowing style and shape.Officials and scholars |
| Before t, ts, d, n, ch, j it also posses the normal n | | | | continued to use classical Chinese for their work for |
| sound.If it is found before p, b, m it takes on an m | | | | many hundred years. As the language developed, it |
| sound.If it is found before k and g it sounds like ng | | | | became necessary to add notes next to the text to |
| as in finger.If it is found at the end of a word, or | | | | aid in the reading of the texts. This began in the |
| before all other sounds, it has a nasal sound, similar to | | | | Heian period (794-1192). Because space was limited, |
| the French n as in pain (bread).There is one other | | | | scholars began using a shorthand version of the kanji |
| sound that we need to discuss. It is the most difficult | | | | used for pronunciation. This was the beginning of |
| sound for foreigners to pronounce correctly. It is the | | | | Katakana. In the beginning it was not entirely |
| R sound. This sound is not found in the English | | | | different from hiragana but over time developed a |
| language. It is a somewhere between the English L, | | | | more square appearance, more scholarly. Eventually |
| D, R and is a rather short, chopped sound. In this | | | | the katakana script evolved such that it began to be |
| case the tongue quickly flicks the roof of the mouth | | | | used solely for writing foreign loan words, or |
| just in front of the soft upper pallette. This sound | | | | concepts that did not exist in the native Japanese |
| takes a lot of practice to get right and in order to | | | | language.Reference: Japanese Correspondence |
| pronounce it correctly you need to hear it to be able | | | | Course for JET Participants, 1993- Cameron Switzer, |
| to reproduce it.The following chart shows all the | | | | Fukui, JapanCameron Switzer has lived and worked in |
| possible combinations of consonants and vowels in | | | | Japan for over 15 years. He is fluent in the language, |
| the Japanese Language. Note that in almost every | | | | the culture and business.To visit his personal site, |
| case (except for n by itself) all consonants are | | | | please go to where you can learn a lot about life in |
| followed by a vowel. This makes the language very | | | | Japan and have a great time while doing it!If you |
| easy to pronounce.a ka sa ta na ha ma ya ra wa wo | | | | would like to continue studying the Free! Japanese |
| ni ki shi chi ni hi mi - ri - - -u ku su tsu nu fu mu yu ru | | | | Lessons, please visit: |
| - -e ke se te ne he me - re - - -o ko so to no ho mo | | | | today.For assistance regarding business related to |
| yo ro - - -There are some other sounds which are | | | | Japan, please visit Cameron's business site, |
| not quite as common, but are actually a slight | | | | Intrmarket Solutions, at: |
| variation of the main sounds.They are the Secondary | | | | today. |