Read Hiragana and Katakana
Template:CopyeditbotJapanese is a very big language trend and it's one of the easiest Asian languages to learn! But sometimes you can get the pronunciations confused and mixed up with the pronunciations of the English Alphabet and English words. Here's a simple step-by-step article to help all you Japanese-beginners!
Steps
- あ/ア is the a character. You would pronounce this character "ah". Like when you go to the doctor and they make you open your mouth and say, "Ahh."
- い/イ is the i character. You would pronounce it "ee", like you are just simply saying the English letter "e".
- う/ウ is the u character. You would pronounce it "oo", like the last two 'o's in the word "too".
- え/エ is the e character. You would pronounce it "eh". Like when someone says something to you and you can't hear them well and say, "Eh?".
- お/オ is the o character. You would pronounce it "oh", like you are simply saying the English letter 'o'.
- The rest of the characters are very easy to pronounce once you get these five pronunciations correct. When they start adding consonants to the beginner of the characters, you pronounce it just like in English. Example: Ka- You make the 'k' sound like in English and then add the Japanese 'a' at the end.
- The Pronounce "R" Sounds in Japanese is not like the English R. It is pronounced between an 'R' and an 'L'.
- Double vowels (aa, ii, uu, ee, oo) are pronounced twice as long as if the vowel was single.
- When the kana tsu (つ) inside a word is written smaller (ie. きった), it means that the consonant of the next syllable is doubled. For instance, きった is kitta ("keet-tah") and means "cut" as in "he cut it yesterday", whereas きた is kita ("keetah") and means "north".
| a | i | u | e | o | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | あ / ア a ("ah") |
い / イ i ("ee") |
う / ウ u ("oo") |
え / エ e ("eh") |
お / オ o ("oh") |
| Ka | か / カ ka ("kah") |
き / キ ki ("kee") |
く / ク ku ("koo") |
け / ケ ke ("keh") |
こ / コ ko ("koh") |
| Ga | が / ｶﾞ ga ("gah") |
ぎ / ｷﾞ gi ("gee") |
ぐ / ｸﾞ gu ("goo") |
げ / ｹﾞ ge ("geh") |
ご / ｺﾞ go ("goh") |
| Sa | さ / サ sa ("sah") |
し / シ si ("see") |
す / ス su ("soo") |
せ / セ se ("seh") |
そ / ソ so ("soh") |
| Za | ざ / ｻﾞ za ("zah") |
じ / ｼﾞ zi ("zee") |
ず / ｽﾞ zu ("zoo") |
ぜ / ｾﾞ ze ("zeh") |
ぞ / ｿﾞ zo ("zoh") |
| Ta | た / タ ta ("tah") |
ち / チ ti ("tee") |
つ / ツ tu ("too") |
て / テ te ("teh") |
と / ト to ("toh") |
| Da | だ / ﾀﾞ da ("dah") |
ぢ / ﾁﾞ di ("dee") |
づ / ﾂﾞ du ("doo") |
で / ﾃﾞ de ("deh") |
ど / ﾄﾞ do ("doh") |
| Na | な / ナ na ("nah") |
に / ニ ni ("nee") |
ぬ / ヌ nu ("noo") |
ね / ネ ne ("neh") |
の / ノ no ("noh") |
| Ha | は / ハ ha ("hah") |
ひ / ヒ hi ("hee") |
ふ / フ fu ("foo") |
へ / ヘ he ("heh") |
ほ / ホ ho ("hoh") |
| Ba | ば / ﾊﾞ ba ("bah") |
び / ﾋﾞ bi ("bee") |
ぶ / ﾌﾞ bu ("boo") |
べ / ﾍﾞ be ("beh") |
ぼ / ﾎﾞ bo ("boh") |
| Pa | ぱ / ﾊﾟ pa ("pah") |
ぴ / ﾋﾟ pi ("pee") |
ぷ / ﾌﾟ pu ("poo") |
ぺ / ﾍﾟ pe ("peh") |
ぽ / ﾎﾟ po ("poh") |
| Ma | ま / マ ma ("mah") |
み / ミ mi ("mee") |
む / ム mu ("moo") |
め / メ me ("meh") |
も / モ mo ("moh") |
| Ya | や / ヤ ya ("yah") |
ゆ / ユ yu ("yoo") |
よ / ヨ yo ("yoh") | ||
| Ra | ら / ラ ra ("rah") |
り / リ ri ("ree") |
る / ル ru ("roo") |
れ / レ re ("reh") |
ろ / ロ ro ("roh") |
| Wa | わ / ワ wa ("wah") |
ゐ / ヰ wi ("wee") |
ゑ / ヱ we ("weh") |
を / ヲ wo ("woh") | |
| N | ん / ン n ("n") | ||||
| ya | yu | yo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kya | きゃ / キャ kya ("kyah") |
きゅ / キュ kyu ("kyoo") |
きょ / キョ kyo ("kyoh") |
| Gya | ぎゃ / ｷﾞｬ gya ("gyah") |
ぎゅ / ｷﾞｭ gyu ("gyoo") |
ぎょ / ｷﾞｮ gyo ("gyoh") |
| Sya | しゃ / シャ sya ("syah") |
しゅ / シュ syu ("syoo") |
しょ / ショ syo ("syoh") |
| Zya | じゃ / ｼﾞｬ zya ("zyah") |
じゅ / ｼﾞｭ zyu ("zyoo") |
じょ / ｼﾞｮ zyo ("zyoh") |
| Tya | ちゃ / チャ tya ("tyah") |
ちゅ / チュ tyu ("tyoo") |
ちょ / チョ tyo ("tyoh") |
| Dya | ぢゃ / ヂャ dya ("dyah") |
ぢゅ / ヂｭ dyu ("dyoo") |
ぢょ / ヂｮ dyo ("dyoh") |
| Nya | にゃ / ニャ nya ("nyah") |
にゅ / ニュ nyu ("nyoo") |
にょ / ニョ nyo ("nyoh") |
| Hya | ひゃ / ヒャ hya ("hyah") |
ひゅ / ヒュ hyu ("hyoo") |
ひょ / ヒョ hyo ("hyoh") |
| Bya | びゃ / bya ("byah") |
びゅ / byu ("byoo") |
びょ / byo ("byoh") |
| Pya | ぴゃ / pya ("pyah") |
ぴゅ / pyu ("pyoo") |
ぴょ / pyo ("pyoh") |
| Mya | みゃ / ミャ mya ("myah") |
みゅ / ミュ myu ("myoo") |
みょ / ミョ myo ("myoh") |
| Rya | りゃ / リャ rya ("ryah") |
りゅ / リュ ryu ("ryoo") |
りょ / リョ ryo ("ryoh") |
| a （ア） | i （イ） | u （ウ） | e （エ） | o （オ） | ya （ヤ） | yu （ユ） | yo （ヨ） |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ユィ yi ("yee") |
ユェ ye ("yeh") |
||||||
| ヴァ va ("vah") |
ヴィ vi ("vee") |
ヴ vu ("voo") |
ヴェ ve ("veh") |
ヴォ vo ("voh") |
ヴャ vya ("vyah") |
ヴュ vyu ("vyoo") |
ヴョ vyo ("vyoh") |
| ウﾟァ fa ("fah") |
ウﾟィ fi ("fee") |
ウﾟ fu ("foo") |
ウﾟェ fe ("feh") |
ウﾟォ fo ("foh") |
ウﾟャ fya ("fyah") |
ウﾟュ fyu ("fyoo") |
ウﾟョ fyo ("fyoh") |
| シィ syi ("syee") |
シェ sye ("syeh") |
||||||
| ジィ zye ("zyee") |
ジェ zye ("zyeh") |
||||||
| チィ tyi ("tyee") |
チェ tye ("tyeh") |
||||||
| ヂィ dye ("dyee") |
ヂェ dye ("dyeh") |
||||||
| スァ swa ("swah") |
スィ swi ("swee") |
スゥ swu ("swoo") |
スェ swe ("sweh") |
スォ swo ("swoh") |
|||
| ズァ zwa ("zwah") |
ズィ zwi ("zwee") |
ズゥ zwu ("zwoo") |
ズェ zwe ("zweh") |
ズォ zwo ("zwoh") |
|||
| テァ tha ("thah") |
ティ thi ("thee") |
テゥ thu ("thoo") |
テェ the ("theh") |
テォ tho ("thoh") |
|||
| デァ dha ("dhah") |
ディ dhi ("dhee") |
デゥ dhu ("dhoo") |
デェ dhe ("dheh") |
デォ dho ("dhoh") |
|||
| ツァ twa ("twah") |
ツィ twi ("twee") |
ツゥ twu ("twoo") |
ツェ twe ("tweh") |
ツォ two ("twoh") |
|||
| ヅァ dwa ("dwah") |
ヅィ dwi ("dwee") |
ヅゥ dwu ("dwoo") |
ヅェ dwe ("dweh") |
ヅォ dwo ("dwoh") |
|||
| ファ hwa ("hwah") |
フィ hwi ("hwee") |
フゥ hwu ("hwoo") |
フェ hwe ("hweh") |
フォ hwo ("hwoh") |
|||
| ウゥ wu ("woo") |
|||||||
| クァ kwa ("kwah") |
クィ kwi ("kwee") |
クゥ kwu ("kwoo") |
クェ kwe ("kweh") |
クォ kwo ("kwoh") |
|||
| グァ gwa ("gwah") |
グィ gwi ("gwee") |
グゥ gwu ("gwoo") |
グェ gwe ("gweh") |
グォ gwo ("gwoh") |
Tips
- Don't say the characters in your head, say them out loud so you can get more speaking practice.
- In katakana, the character ー is used to double the vowel of the preceding character. For instance, the word "game" uses katakana characters for being a foreign word, and is written "ゲーム" : "geehmu" (the final u is barely pronounced).
- The vowels i and u are often silent or barely pronounced in most Japanese words, especially when they are located at the end of certain verbs. It is also the case of the vowel "u" that follows the consonant "s". For example, "arimasu" (there is) is pronounced "ah-ree-mas", "deshita" (was) is pronounced "deh-shtah", and "suki" (to like) is pronounced "skee".
- An alternate mnemonic is "Ah, we soon get old" A I U E O
- The Pronounce "R" Sounds in Japanese is pronounced by pressing the tongue to the top of the mouth like L. However, the tongue should touch a little further back in the mouth than L. When you say the Japanese R, only touch the very tip of your tongue to the top of the mouth (unlike L, where you touch your a big part of the tongue to the top of the mouth).
- Even if you know the pronunciations, a little extra practice everyday still helps a lot. Quickly review the characters and then go on to your other Japanese studies.
- Japanese vowels are pronounced briefly, except for long vowels.
- Do not worry about getting a 'Japanese accent'. Learning the language is the first step.
- Practice makes perfect!
- When は, を and へ are used as sentence particles, they are respectively pronounced wa ("wah"), o ("oh") and e ("eh").
- Memorize the Kana symbols with vivid pictures. Sometimes the complex Kanji are actually easier to remember because they have clues (such as the tree sign often squished next to symbols that are about sticklike tools). On the other hand, Kana symbols are syllabic, similar to an alphabet; try using their appearance to make links for memorization. For instance; き "ki" looks and sounds similar to "key".
- The katakana syllabary is used to write a word borrowed from a foreign language, as well as all foreign names and onomatopoeia. It can also be use for emphasis, similar to using bold or italic text in English.
- For the pronunciation of kanji, you will have to refer to a dictionary, especially since most kanji can be spelled different ways.
- If you're going to Japan, take some time out to learn about their body/hand gestures too! Actions speak louder than words and some body/hand gestures that are okay in your country may not be okay or polite in Japan. If you do something that does offend someone, just apologize to them.
- An easy way to memorize the pronunciations of the vowels: "fAther's elite attitude gets old."
- The hiragana syllabary is used to write word endings and Japanese words, replacing the kanji if the kanji is not widely known or the readers are children. It can also be used alongside kanji to indicate its pronunciation.
- Consonants are pronounced like the English letter sound, except for 'R' which is pronounced between an 'L' and an 'R'.
Warnings
- It is very insulting to go up to a person of Asian decent and then start speaking Japanese to them. If you're in Japan, it's fine, but if you're walking the streets of New York and you see a person of Asian decent and speak Japanese to them, they might take it as a big insult.
- Do not speak Japanese 'slang' terms to anyone you don't know. If you're meeting a Japanese person for the first time, use formal Japanese. Also, for older adults, family, or someone with a higher status than you (boss, sensei, etc.), you need to show them respect and use formal Japanese with them.
Related Articles
- Sound Natural While Speaking Japanese
- Pronounce "R" Sounds in Japanese
- Learn Japanese on Your Own
- Count to Ten in Japanese
- Write Ke in Hiragana
- Write To in Katakana
- Write A in Katakana
- Write Ku in Katakana
- Write Ri in Katakana
- Write To in Hiragana
- Learn to Read Japanese
