{"id":2921,"date":"2014-01-20T08:37:04","date_gmt":"2014-01-20T08:37:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/?p=2921"},"modified":"2014-06-06T16:59:56","modified_gmt":"2014-06-06T16:59:56","slug":"lets-learn-how-to-read-japanese-part-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/lets-learn-how-to-read-japanese-part-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Let\u2019s learn how to read Japanese! Part 3"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hi everyone. \u00a0The Part 3 of the Hiragana lesson will be on what we call Yo-on(\u3088\u3046\u304a\u3093,\u62d7\u97f3) & Sokuon(\u305d\u304f\u304a\u3093\u3001\u4fc3\u97f3). \u00a0Once you master these two along with the 2 previous lessons (basic hiragana(seion) <\/a>& dakuon, han-dakuon<\/a>), you will be reading Japanese hiragana’s in no time. Please don’t think too hard. \u00a0These are just additional sounds in Japanese language.<\/p>\n

Yo-on(\u3088\u3046\u304a\u3093,\u62d7\u97f3)<\/strong><\/p>\n

These are smaller size hiragana’s expressed as \u00a0“\u3083 “, “\u3085”, “\u3087”. \u00a0These are pronounced as “ya”, “yu”, “yo” by itself, however, with added sounds, it creates another unique sounds. \u00a0Take a look at the chart below. See if you can pronounce these one at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\u304d\u3083(kya)<\/td>\n\u304d\u3085(kyu)<\/td>\n\u304d\u3087(kyo)<\/td>\n\u304d<\/a>(ki)<\/td>\n\u304e\u3083(gya)<\/td>\n\u304e\u3085(gyu)<\/td>\n\u304e\u3087(gyo)<\/td>\n\u304e<\/a>(gi)<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u3057\u3083(sya\/sha)<\/td>\n\u3057\u3085(syu\/shu)<\/td>\n\u3057\u3087(syo\/sho)<\/td>\n\u3057<\/a>(shi)<\/td>\n\u3058\u3083(zya\/ja)<\/td>\n\u3058\u3085(zyu\/ju)<\/td>\n\u3058\u3087(zyo\/jo)<\/td>\n\u3058<\/a>(gi)<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u3061\u3083(tya\/cha)<\/td>\n\u3061\u3085(tyu\/chu)<\/td>\n\u3061\u3087(tyo\/cho)<\/td>\n\u3061<\/a>(chi)<\/td>\n\u3062\u3083(zya\/ja)<\/td>\n\u3062\u3085(zyu\/ju)<\/td>\n\u3062\u3087(zyo\/jo)<\/td>\n\u3062<\/a>(ji)<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u306b\u3083(nya)<\/td>\n\u306b\u3085(nyu)<\/td>\n\u306b\u3087(nyo)<\/td>\n\u306b<\/a>(ni)<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u3072\u3083(hya)<\/td>\n\u3072\u3085(hyu)<\/td>\n\u3072\u3087(hyo)<\/td>\n\u3072<\/a>(hi)<\/td>\n\u3073\u3083(bya)<\/td>\n\u3073\u3085(byu)<\/td>\n\u3073\u3087(byo)<\/td>\n\u3073<\/a>(bi)<\/td>\n\u3074\u3083(pya)<\/td>\n\u3074\u3085(pyu)<\/td>\n\u3074\u3087(pyo)<\/td>\n\u3074<\/a>(pi)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u307f\u3083(mya)<\/td>\n\u307f\u3085(myu)<\/td>\n\u307f\u3087(myo)<\/td>\n\u307f<\/a>(mi)<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u308a\u3083(rya)<\/td>\n\u308a\u3085(ryu)<\/td>\n\u308a\u3087(ryo)<\/td>\n\u308a<\/a>(ri)<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

When you are trying to pronounce these for the first time, it might be hard to read them out. \u00a0These are very unique sounds, but very important sounds.<\/p>\n

Let’s try reading the following hiragana’s with these Yo-on’s in it.<\/p>\n

\u304d\u3083\u3079\u3064<\/p>\n

\u304d\u3085\u3046\u308a<\/p>\n

\u304e\u3085\u3046\u306b\u3085\u3046<\/p>\n

\u3072\u3083\u304f<\/p>\n

\u304b\u307c\u3061\u3083<\/p>\n

\u304d\u3093\u304e\u3087<\/p>\n

\u3073\u3087\u3046\u3044\u3093<\/p>\n

\u308a\u3087\u3046\u308a<\/p>\n

\u3067\u3093\u3057\u3083<\/p>\n

\u306b\u3072\u3083\u304f<\/p>\n

These are read as follows:<\/p>\n

\u304d\u3083\u3079\u3064(kyabetsu)-cabbage<\/p>\n

\u304d\u3085\u3046\u308a(kyuri)-cucumber<\/p>\n

\u304e\u3085\u3046\u306b\u3085\u3046(gyunyu)-milk<\/p>\n

\u3072\u3083\u304f(hyaku)-hundred<\/p>\n

\u304b\u307c\u3061\u3083(kabocha)-Japanese pumpkin<\/p>\n

\u304d\u3093\u304e\u3087(kingyo)-gold fish<\/p>\n

\u3073\u3087\u3046\u3044\u3093(byoin)-hospital<\/p>\n

\u308a\u3087\u3046\u308a(ryori)-cooking<\/p>\n

\u3067\u3093\u3057\u3083(densha)-train<\/p>\n

\u306b\u3072\u3083\u304f(nihyaku)-two hundred<\/p>\n

\n

The last part of the Hiragana will be on Sokuon.<\/p>\n

Sokuon(\u305d\u304f\u304a\u3093\u3001\u4fc3\u97f3)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The only Sokuon you have to worry about is just “\u3063”. This is the smaller version of “\u3064”, which we pronounce it as “tsu”. \u00a0However, for certain words, we use this small\u00a0“\u3063” to double the sound that follows.<\/p>\n

For example, \u304d\u3063\u3066 is pronounced as “kitte” (stamp). \u3070\u3063\u305f is pronounced as “batta” (grasshopper). \u00a0Let’s practice this in the next examples:<\/p>\n

\u306f\u3063\u3071<\/p>\n

\u308d\u3063\u3053\u3064<\/p>\n

\u304c\u3063\u3053\u3046<\/p>\n

\u3055\u3063\u304b<\/p>\n

\u306a\u3063\u3071<\/p>\n

\u306d\u3063\u3068\u3046<\/p>\n

\u3075\u3063\u3068\u3046<\/p>\n

\u3051\u3063\u3068\u3046<\/p>\n

\u3053\u3063\u3068\u3046\u3072\u3093<\/p>\n

These are pronounced as follows:<\/p>\n

\u306f\u3063\u3071(happa)-leaf<\/p>\n

\u308d\u3063\u3053\u3064(rokkotsu)-rib<\/p>\n

\u304c\u3063\u3053\u3046(gakko)-school<\/p>\n

\u3055\u3063\u304b(sakka)-author<\/p>\n

\u306a\u3063\u3071(nappa)-green vegetables<\/p>\n

\u306d\u3063\u3068\u3046(nettou)-boiled water<\/p>\n

\u3075\u3063\u3068\u3046(futtou)-boil<\/p>\n

\u3051\u3063\u3068\u3046(kettou)-duel<\/p>\n

\u3053\u3063\u3068\u3046\u3072\u3093(kottouhin)-antique<\/p>\n

Take a look at the video below. You can practice your pronunciation\u00a0on\u00a0Yo-on(\u3088\u3046\u304a\u3093,\u62d7\u97f3) and learn some additional vocabularies within this video. Enjoy!<\/p>\n