24

There are three kinds of characters in fapanese: hiragana,katakana, and kanji.l All three
characters can be seen in a single sentence.

ア レ ビ を 見 ま す。 I watch television.
たα たα4α た
α璽 4111″
`α
`a
Hiragana and katakana, like the alphabet, represent sounds. As you can see in the above ex-
ample, hiragana has a roundish shape and is used for conjugation endings, function words,
and native )apanese words not covered by kanji. Katakana, which has rather straight lines, is
normally used for writing loanwords and foreign names. For example, the ]apanese word for
"television" is written in katakana as 7 V V (terebi). Kanji, or Chinese characters, represent
not just sounds but also meanings. Mostly, kanji are used for nouns and the stems of verbs
and adjectives.

Onirqgono
l. Bosic Hirogono Syllobles
There are forty-six basic hiragana syllables, which are listed below. Once you memorize this
chart, you will have the skill to transcribe all of the ]apanese sounds.

あ ヽ
﹁
ノ
え キ、
どフ
 
α タ
ι ‘
，

′
η 義 ノ 十 こ
ヽ ′
ヽ
■
κ ″ 勧 レ
ヽ ん

ｌ コ
へ し ０ 
´
せ そ
ヽ ′ 

” むЙ′ “イ
“ ”
Ｊ︰ 」‐
′﹁
ら イ ヽ
ブ ン
ヽ
  ．
′
  、 Ｌ
ム９ ・
た 蹴 タ
た わ

ユ しＬ ■４ ″ヽ
′‘、 α﹁ ″ Ｖ ′
ｃ卜 ・ “ ■ ｄ ・ ′
            
れα ′
,′ ′′ ４ι ″０

ユ アＡ 、 工
よ ｒ
め ＾ヽ よ
，
︶    
カι ル ヵθ
・ ，
４ た

I
There is another writing system called romaji (Roman letters) which is used for station names, signs, and so on.
 Japanese Writing System >>> 25

■ヽ
ま み dJ
りヽ
αノ も
  

観 ″ '7,タ
〃じ
御
ジつ ふ 卜
、 
 
ツ よ
／﹁
″
〃 ″

ヽ
Ｌ ＝
り
る Ｊ４
イ し ろ
′
   
″
″ ″ γι
印
■
土
″﹁
﹁ ノ
  
て * The syllables L, 4, z, and .j. are
″α ち
romanized as shi, chi, tsu, and fu, re-
spectively, to closely resemble English
′
■ン pronunciation.
︵
 ， 
′ **
t i, also pronounced as "wo."

The romanization is given for general pronunciation reference.

2. Hirogano with Diocriticol Morks

You can transcribe 23 additional sounds by adding diacritic marks. With a pair of short
diagonal strokes ( " ), the unvoiced consonants k, s, f, and h become voiced consonants g, z,
d, and b, respectively. The consonant h changes to p with the addition of a small circle ( " ).

ギ ノ ギ ↓゛
が ヽ
′ ﹂
ヽ ♂ ″
″ ♂ ″

ギ ド コ ぜ ぞ
し Ｃ
ヽ ′
多 ″̈ Ｚ “ “
手ド
′一 ぢ *づ で ど
﹂
グα
ノ Zι ″
売 あ
ギ アＡ゛
、 ゛ ゴ
しだ め ＾ヽ よ
ヽ  
らヴ 仇 ｂθ

* t; i
rf
pa
ぴ
ro
.).
pu
＾ヽ
  
ｏ
lf
po
(jr) and
same as tJ (71) and
(zu) are pronounced the
f (zu), respec-
″ ｐ‘ tively, and have limited use.

3. Tronscribing Controcted Sounds

Small t, O, and I follow after letters in the second column (l-vowel hiragana, except \ \)
and are used to transcribe contracted sounds. The contracted sound represents a single syl-
lable.
26

tr
ky,
tro
kyu
*F
kyo
ぎゃ
Ｏγク
δ／
t"rl
gyu
*"r
gyo

Lr
sha
Lo
shu
Lr
sho
じゃ tio
ju
tit
jo

trr tra trt

cha chu cho

l-t
nya
l:nyuo l:r
nyo
び f (.lr' a び よ
Lrr Uo (/r 妙α 妙タ 妙ο
hy, hyu hyo
dr Uo Ut
hr
mya
ltO
myu
htmyo
pya pyu pyo

r)r t)o r)t

rya ryu ryo

4. Tronscribing Double Consononts

There is another small letter, '1, which is used when transcribing double consonants such as
tt and pp.

Examples: i'- t: katta (won) cf. /t't: kata (shoulder)

J-/' sakka (writer)
ll-lf happa (leaf)
{-' L zasshi (magazine)

Note double consonant ,?'s as in sannen (three years) are written with ,L + a hiragana with
an initial n sound (t, l:, Y), tJ, a s nd O).

Examples: ! Lt'JL sannen (three years)

gftgtt annai (guide)

5. Other lssues Reloting to Tronscription ond Pronunciotion

A. Long Vowels
When the same vowel is placed one right after the other, the pronunciation of the vowel
becomes about twice as long as the single vowel. Be sure to hold the sound long enough,
because the length of the vowel can change one word to another.
 Japanese Writing System >>> 27

aa +j lt'r, a l, obqgsan (grandmother) cf. B lr I L obasan (aunt)

ii *, ti u t ,L ojiisan (grandfather) cf. *j U a /L ojisan (uncle)

uu fiU swii (number)

ee The long ee sound is usually transcribed by adding an \ \ to an e-vowel hiragana.

There are a few words, however, in which i. is used instead of t '.
i r '' 4s 99ga (movie)
+;fJX- I L ongesan (big sister)
oo The long oo sound is in most cases transcribed by adding an ? to an o-vowel
hiragana. There are, however, words in which the long vowel is transcribed with
an *i, for historical reasons.
ll ) t) -> hooritsu (law)
Y t; tgp (ten)

B. Pronunciation of fu
L "n" is treated like a full syllable, in terms of length. Its pronunciation varies, however,
depending on the sound that follows it. |apanese speakers are normally not aware of the
different sound values of L. Therefore, you do not need to worry too much about its pronun-
ciation.2

C. Vowels to Be Dropped
The vowels i and u are sometimes dropped when placed between voiceless consonants (k, s, f,
p, andh), or at the end ofan utterance preceded by voiceless consonants.

Example: f tff sfu)kides(u) (Ilikeit.)

D. Accent in the fapanese Language

|apanese has pitch accent: all syllables are pronounced basically either in high or low pitch.
Unlike English stress accent in which stressed syllables tend to be pronounced longer and
loudet in |apanese each syllable is pronounced approximately in equal length and stress.
The pitch patterns in fapanese vary greatly, depending on the region of the country.

2
One variety of the L pronunciation merits discussing here. When it is followed by a vowel or at the end of an
utterance, ,L indicates that the preceding vowel is long and nasalized. (Nasalized vowels are shown here with a
tilde above vowel letters. You hear nasalized vowels in French words such as "bon," or the English interjection
"uh-uh," as in "no.")
ex. *tLi>r'raai (romance) llL ho (book)
Followed by n, t, d, s, and z sounds, L is pronounced as "n." ex. B Ltt onna (woman)
Followed by m, p, and b sounds, L is pronounced as "m." ex. a l, lf sampo (stroll)
Followed by ft and g sounds, L is pronounced as "ng" as in "song." ex. * Ltt maryga (comics)
2B

a
Examples: あ さ (morning)
sa

mae
t*.t na
(name)

ka
/: r)'t ' tai (high)

@r"rokono
﹁” ノ ｒＬ
．
オ
 
ノ  ノ エ
ー ′
ι；
′ １
″ θ
一 キ 〃 ケ ︺﹁
″ ／ Ｊ
︺ 
滋 燈 れ ル た０

ユ上
．′
 ′
、／
レ・
ス セ ′
′
   
Ｓα υ”．
” “
０

〃
チ ｌ
・
い′′ ︺
フ
一
Ｐ
／
 
ノ   
・
″
物 おタ 女２
´
”

ー︲ 、
ヌ ノ
一

﹁一 ︺ っ
  ４
／
一

′ ︺  
．
  
４タ ４
・  
 
観
ι
４
“
ノ ヽ レ 一フ ′ヽ ■一
    ﹂ ノ″   、 月  、
     
，た 滋 ＾ ，
α タ ″ ′安， ん０
レ

、 ′
， ′
マ 、
、
′ヘ
″
， ζ
′  
モ
      

網 ″ “タ “祀
御
ユ
，
ー  ユ ヨ
 
タ２
″ ″
ラ ＝ ｌ ︲ ｒ７
ソ レ レ ﹄一
レ
 
  
″
″ ″ 簿〇

７
ｒ′ ヲ
ノ 
″α ο *Thesyllables
>, +,'/,and 7 are
romanized as shi, chi, tsu, and fu, re-
ン
spectively, to closely resemble English
“ pronunciation.

ガ ギ 刀，  
／ 
ん
ノ ゴ
″ ・
ｇ ル‘ ｇ
″
+i
Zα
/ ズ tZ`
')'
勿
 Japanese Writing System >> > 29

゛
夕゛
１゛
＊´ゴ ヽ、ノ
一
Ｔ
′ ノ プ ｉヽ
 
´  
，
あ ″̈ ￨
燿％
凌 α０

ハ ビ フ
，
＾ヽ
゛ 斗
﹂  
     々
ια 腕 仇 ι
ιθ ａ

*
f (jr) and "/ (zu) are pronounced the
パ ピ
﹂
プ ｏ
＾ヽ
  
■
引 same as ) (1i) and / (zu), respec-
pα ″ ｐ‘ ク
ν tively, and have limited use.

゛
」 ゛ 」゛
fヤ fユ
斗 、

キ ャ キ コL
=レ
ギ ヨ 「 「
ヤ ヨ
リタ りο gノ α gノ ο
りα gノ ι
`

ヽ
ヽ
ン゛ヤ
ン ヤ ン ュ イ
ノ ー
コ ン ュ ン ョ
１
４
〓
４
Ｉ
″
′α ノタ ο
ノ
´イ ´′
チ ャ ア ユ ず ヨ
︱
，れ
ε
′7タ “

二一
一 了 ］●
  ユ 一・
 
ヨ
η
ノα ４”
タ れノ
θ
ノ
ビヤ ビコ . ビ ヨ

ヒ 妙α 妙タ 妙ο
ヒ ャ ヒ コL ヨ
° 1_
りα ″タ りο レ」
し ・7 Eュ ピョ
ミ ヽ
ρツα pツ ク pツ ο
ミ
ヽ ヤ コL ミ ヨ
ノα ″
″ク ″ θ
“ 'タ '1夕

リャ コ
=
ヨ
rノ α rノ ク ″
夕ο

The pronunciation of katqkana and its combinations are the same as those of hiragana, ex-
cept for the following points.

(1) The long vowels are written with

-
Examples: カー kaa (Car) ケー キ keeki (CakC)
ス キー sukii (Ski) ボー ル booru (ba11)

スー ツ suutsu (Suit)

When you write vertically, the - mark needs to be written vertically also.

Example: ボ
ボー ル
ル
30

(2) Additional combinations with small vowel letters are used to transcribe foreign sounds
which originally did not exist in |apanese.

Examples: ウィ ハ ロ ウ ィー ン harowiin (Halloween)

ウェ ハ イウ ェ イ haiwee (highway)
ウォ ミネ ラ ル ウ ォー ター mineraruwootaa (mineral water)
ン ェ シ ェフ shefu (chef)
ン ェ ジ ェー ム ス jeemusu (fames)
チ ェ チ ェ ック chekku (check)
フ ァ フ ァ ッシ ョン fasshon (fashion)
フ イ フ ィリピン firipin (Philippine)
フェ カフ ェ kafe (cafe)
フオ フ ォー ク fooku (fork)
ア イ パ ー テ ィー paatii (party)
ア イ デ ィズニ ー ラ ン ド Dizuniirando (Disneyland)
ア ユ デ ュエ ッ ト dyuetto (duet)

(3) The sound "v" is sometimes written with l.. For example, the word "Venus" is some-
timeswrittenas E-17 or l'4 -f 7.

①Kani:
Kanji are Chinese characters which were introduced to lapan more than 1,500 years ago
when the |apanese language did not have a writing system. Hiragana and katakana evolved
later in |apan based on the simplified Chinese characters.
Kanji represents both meanings and sounds. Most kanji possess multiple readings, which
are divided into two types: on-yorai (Chinese readings) and kun-yomi (lapanese readings).
On-yomi is derived from the pronunciations used in China. Some kanji have more than one
on-yomi due to temporal and regional variances in the Chinese pronunciation. Kun-yomi are
fapanese readings. When people started to use kanji to write native fapanese words, |apanese
readings (kun-yomi) were added to kanji.
By the time of high school graduation, |apanese are expected to know 2,136 kanji (called
|oyo kanji), which are designated by the Ministry of Education as commonly used kanji. A
total of 1,006 kanji are taught at the elementary school level, and most of the remainder are
taught in junior high school.
There are roughly four types of kanji based on their formation.
 Japanese Writing System >>> 3l

(1)Pictograms
Some kanji are made from pictures:

/´ ｀｀、
/ 腐 ヽ

嘲ブ
■一
￨
■

ノ /1＼ 不 (tree)

劣
、、￨′

/′ i ヽ
B (a"r' r,r,r)

(2) Simple ideograms

Some kanji are made of dots and lines to represent numbers or abstract concepts.

一 二一
 一
 
(three) t"pl
¨ 一¨
- -|-

(3) Compound ideograms

Some kanji are made from the combination of two or more kanji.

ff ta"r, sun) * n (moon)

[ff o,igt',)

,r\{l".ro,r) + /((tr"") 休 (tO reSt)

(4) Phonetic-ideographic characters

Some kanji are made up of a meaning element and a sound element.

Meaning element Sound elernent On-yomi

i (water) + 青 Sα (bluC)
清 sei (clean)

日(dtt Sun)+青 Sα (bluC)

晴 Sα (Clear Sけ )