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Why you learn Japanese?

Purpose
Merit

As students, what are your expectations?

My expectations from you, as a teacher.

Self - introduction
“Jiko shookai”

　　Hajime mashite.
はじめまして。
　Watashi wa Ken　 desu.
わたしは けん です。
Hajime mashite.
はじめまして。
Watashi wa Mika desu.
わたしは みか です。
　Mactan 　　ni 　sundeimasu.
マクタンに すんでいます。
　Mabolo ni sundeimasu.
マボロに すんでいます。
Yoroshiku onegai shimasu.
よろしくおねがいします。
Yoroshiku onegai shimasu.
よろしくおねがいします。

JAPANESE WRITING SYSTEM

3 kinds of characters in JAPANESE:

1. HIRAGANA – phonetic sound; roundish in shape; used in particles, and native

Japanese words and conjugation endings
2. KATAKANA – phonetic sound; straight lines; used for foreign words or loan words
3. KANJI – also known as Chinese characters, not only represent sounds but also
meanings; mostly used in nouns, stem of words and adjectives.

The importance of pitch and pronunciation in Japanese

A あ　I い　U う　E え　O お

A
I
U
E
O
W R Y M H N T S K A
N

HIRAGANA
1. 46 Basic hiragana syllables

a あ
i い
u う
e え
o お
ka か
ki き
ku く
ke け
ko こ
sa さ
shi し
su す
se せ
so そ
ta た
chi ち
tsu つ
te て
to と
na な
ni に
nu ぬ
ne ね
no の
ha は
hi ひ
fu ふ
he へ
ho ほ
ma ま
mi み
mu む
me め
mo も
ya や
yu ゆ
yo よ
ra ら
ri り
ru る
re れ
ro ろ
wa わ
wo を
n ん
2. Hiragana with Diacritical marks
* there are 23 additional sounds by adding ( “ )
to consonants K, S, T, H becomes G, Z, D, B sound

Ka か
Ki き
Ku く
Ke け
Ko こ
Ga が
Gi ぎ
Gu ぐ
Ge げ
Go ご
Sa さ
Shi し
Su す
Se せ
So そ
Za ざ
Ji じ＊
Zu ず＊
Ze ぜ
Zo ぞ
Ta た
Chi ち
Tsu つ
Te て
To と
Da だ
Ji ぢ＊
Zu づ＊
De で
Do ど
Ha は
Hi ひ
Fu ふ
He へ
Ho ほ
Ba ば
Bi び
Bu ぶ
Be べ
Bo ぼ
* adding ( ° ) to the consonant H becomes P sound
Ha は
Hi ひ
Fu ふ
He へ
Ho ほ
Pa ぱ
Pi ぴ
Pu ぷ
Pe ぺ
Po ぽ

3. Contracted sounds

* small や ya、ゆ yu、よ yo are used to transcribe contracted sounds. Each

represents one syllable.
4. Double consonants

* small つ tsu, used to transcribe double consonants

eg. tt, pp, kk etc.
 eg. さっか　(sakka / writer, author)
ざっし (zasshi / magazine)
はっぱ (happa / leaf)

* double consonant ん n is written with ん＋N sound characters (な na, に ni, ぬ

nu, ね ne, の no)
eg. さんねん　(sannen/ three years)
あんない　(annai/ guide)
きゃ
kya
きゅ
kyu
きょ
kyo
ぎゃ
gya
ぎゅ
gyu
ぎょ
gyo
しゃ
sha
しゅ
shu
しょ
sho
じゃ
ja
じゅ
ju
じょ
jo
ちゃ
cha
ちゅ
chu
ちょ
cho
にゃ
nya
にゅ
nyu
にょ
nyo
ひゃ
hya
ひゅ
hyu
ひょ
hyo
びゃ
bya
びゅ
byu
びょ
byo
みゃ
mya
みゅ
myu
みょ
myo
りゃ
rya
りゅ
ryu
りょ
ryu

Transcription and Pronunciation

Long vowels

* when same vowel is placed one right after the other, the pronunciation of
the vowel becomes twice as longer.
* length of the vowel can change its meaning

aa
おばあさん
Obaasan
grandmother
おばさん
obasan
aunt
ii
おじいさん
Ojiisan
grandfather
おじさん
ojisan
uncle
uu
すうじ
Suuji
number
ee
えいが
Eega
movie
おねえさん
Oneesan
big sister
oo
ほうりつ
Hooritsu
law
とお
too
ten
* Words spelled with EI is pronounced as EE
* Words spelled with OU is pronounced as OO

B. Pronunciation if ん N

* is treated like a full syllable.

* pronunciation depends on the letter following it
Pronunciation
Followed by N, T, D, S, Z
N
Ex. おんな
onna
woman
Followed by M, P, B
M
Ex. さんぽ
sampo
stroll
Followed by K, G
NG
Ex. まんが
manga
comics
C. Dropped vowels

* vowels I and U are sometimes omitted when placed between consonants K, S,

T, P and H

* ex. すきです sukidesu (I like it)

Otsukaresama deshita!