Table Of ContentContents
Acknowledgments
Xlll
How to Use This Book xvn
Introduction 1
I. Pronunciation 1
II. Special Symbols and Conventions 19
III. Romanization 21
IV. Classroom Instructions 24
V. Greetings and Useful Phrases 24
Lesson I 28
Introduction 28
SECTION A 28
Structural Patterns 31
1. Verbals 31
,,I
2. Sentence-Particles: ka, ne, yo 33 '1
I
3. Negative Questions; Invitations 33 , I
4. Affirming and Negating 34
SECTION B 37
Structural Patterns 39
1. Adjectivals: Affirmative Imperfective and Perfective 39
2. Adjectivals: The -ku Form and the Negative 40
3. Sentence-Particle nee/ne! 42
SECTION C 45
Lesson 2 48
SECTION A 48
Structural Patterns 50
1. INo minal + desu/ 50
2. Soo desu 53
SECTION B 55
Structural Patterns 58
1. kore, sore, are, dore 58
2. Personal Referents 59
.,
i.~~.:
---___ ---=i~ '
Contents • ix
3. Counting: Digits, Hundreds, and Thousands; -eii 60 Structural Patterns 126
64 (i) Nominal Modifiers of Nominals 126
SECTION C .
2. Inverted Sentences 128
66 3. -hodo -7 128
Lesson 3 ©
kore mo sore mo 128
66
SECTION A SECTION C 132
69
Structural Patterns
1. Loanwords 69 Lesson 6 135
2. Pre-nominals: kono, sono, ano, demo 70
3. Counting to 9999; Classifiers -ban, -doru, -seiito 70 SECTION A 135
SECTION B 74 SUtrJu ctural Patterns 138
Structural Patterns 77 Phrases and Compounds 138
1. /Adjectival + Nominal/ 77 2. The kotira Series 138
2. Counting Ten-Thousands: -maii 78 3. Place Words 139
$
3. Phrase-Particle to: sore to sore 78 4. moo sukosi saki 140
4. Nominal no 79 Patterns of Location; Phrase-Particle ni 140
SECTION C 81 Multiple Particles - 141
· 7. Word Order 141
Lesson 4 84 SECTION B 146
Structural Patterns 149
SECTION A 84 149
~ The koko Series
Structural Patterns 86 desyoo Jt. V ~ 150
I. /Nominal + Predicate/ $6 /ka + ne(e)/ 151
2. Phrase-Particle wa 87 SECTION C 154
· 3. Phrase-Particle ga 89
4. Phrase-Particle o 91 Lesson 7 158
5. desu - arimasu, 92
6. Requests; Verbal Gerunds 93 SECTION A 158
I
SECTION B 99 Structural Patterns 162
Structural Patterns 102 I. Phrase-Particles: /Place+ made ore - ni + ikimasu/,.
I. Classifiers: -satu, -mai, -hoii 102 /Place + de + tabemasu/ 162
2. Extent 103 Verbal Gerund + lcimAsu 163
3. The koiina Series 103 Polite Requests: kudasaimaseii ka 164
4. Clause-Particles: kedo and ga 104 Animate Location:jm3,su, 164
I
5. Hesitation Noises 105 Politeness: In-Group/Out-Group 164
6. Phrase-Particle mo 105 SECTION B 170
SECTION C 109 Structural Patterns ' 175
175
Verbals' ·masyi>o "
Lesson 5 Phrase-Particles: /takusii de ikimasu/; kore o ikimasu/ 176
112
Humble-Polite Verbals: okiki-simasu 176
SECTION A 112 Adjectivals in -tai;. Introduction to the E_~t~q<j~d,~f_r.e_Q.ica!~ 177
Structural Patterns 115 Verbal Gerunds: f~t_e,I · . 179
CLl
Double-ga Predicates 115 SECTION C 186
®~ 116
3. gozaimasu + ' 117 Lesson 8 189 1
@ The Japane~e Series of Numerals and Classifiers: -tu 117
® /moo + Quantity/ 118 SECTION A 189
SECTION B 122 Structural Patterns 194
./
Contents • xi
x •Contents
Q) Time Classifiers: -ka/-niti, ·zikaii, -zi, -huii 194 1. V,e rbal Gerund + (i)ru 277
2. The Perfective in Recall 195 2 . siru; zonL z1, ru -iI.- 280
3. Approximation: ·goro and ·gurai 196 3. INo minal to + Predicate/: seftsee to hanasu 'talk with a teacher' 281
© Casual-Style 197 4. More on Phrase-Particles kara and ni: /tomodati kara (or ni) kariru/ 282
©
The Copula Gerund: d,e: /raku de ii desu/ 197 SECTION C 287
SECTION B 202
Structural Patterns 207 Lesson 11 291
Q) Phrase-Particles: naii-zi made; koko kara; zyuu-zi ni 207
SECTION A 291
® /Nominal + Phrase-Particle + desu/ 208
Structural Patterns 296
® Polite-Style: irassyaimasu i - mairimasu 1 'go' 209
1. More on the Family; Counting People 296
(J) Classifiers: -syuukaii; ·gatu; -kagetu; -neii(kaii) 209
2. /Predicate X + kara/: 'because X' 297
5. Questions without ka: Naii-neii desyoo. 210
3. Patterns of Manner 299
SECTION C '215 x
4. omou; to omou 300
5. The Direct-Style Tentative Copula: daroo 301
Lesson 9 219
SECTION B 306
SECTION A 219 Structural Patterns 309
Structural Patterns 222 1. Ritual; Introductions 309
1. Verbals: Direct-Style, l.mpe;i;:fe,tive, Affirmatjre 222 2. The Extended Family 311
2. da 226 SECTION C 315
3. More on Style: Careful and Casual; Distal and Direct; Polite and Plain;
Gentle and Blunt; Masculine and Feminine 226 Lesson 12 319
4. dare kara no tegami 'a letter from whom?' 228
SECTION A 319
5. Adjectival + naru: osoku naru 'become late' 229
Structural Patterns . 323
6. Tentative Predicates in desyoo 230 '~
1. iu - ossyaru i - moosu 1 323
7. zyuu-zi made ni 'by 10 o'clock' 230
2. Telephone Numbers 324
SECTION B 235
3. kirasit(e) orimasite i 324
Structural Patterns 239
4. Alternate Questions 325 ·1i
1. Verbals: Direct-Style, Perfective, Affirmative 239
SECTION B 330
2. datta 241
Structural Patterns 335
3. The Extended Predicate . 242
1. Telephone Conversations 335
4. /Nominal + ni + naru/: zyoozu ni naru 'become skilled/skillful' 245
2. Onegai-dekimasu kai-- 336
5. soiina ni 'to that extent' 245
3 .. suru - nasaru i - itasu i 336
6. Verbal Compounds in -suru: beiikyoo-suru 'study' 245
SECTION C 341
SECTION C 250
Lesson 10 255 Japanese-English Glossary 347
English-Japanese Glossary 359
SECTION A 255 fo.dex 369
Structural Patterns 259
1. Notes on People; Counting Ages 259
2. Polite Equivalents of da 261
3. Honorific-Polite Verbals: /o- + stem + ni + naru/i 261
4. Nominals of Relative Time 262
5. Kanozyo ne41 262
6. Verbals: Direct-Style Negative Derivatives 264
SECTION B 273
Structural Patterns 277
IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT
How to Use This Book
You are now about to begin learning the Japanese language following a carefully developed
system. Assisting you in this endeavor-along with your instructors-are the textbook and
accompanying video and audiotapes. But in order for the textbook to be as effective as
possible, it should be used in the manner intended. It was designed on the basis of a
particular approach to foreign-language learning, and in order to gain the greatest possible
benefit from using it, following the recommended procedures is important.
The following are basic underlying assumptions which have affected the construction of
this textbook:
1. The order of the lessons is of crucial importance.
Each lesson presumes control of what has been introduced previously. Only Lesson 1 is
completely new; each later lesson consists of a limited amount of new material combined
with material introduced earlier that is already familiar. Thus, each lesson serves both to
add new knowledge and to review old.
2. No lesson can be omitted.
Each lesson is heavily dependent on all preceding lessons. Since explanations of vocab
ulary, structural patterns, and usage are regularly included within the lesson where they
first occur in the textbook, the failure to cover every lesson carefully will result in persisting
problems.
3. No part of any lesson can be omitted.
Developing a skill involves the forming of new habits, and new habits are acquired only
through extensive practice. In addition to explanatory material, each lesson in this text
includes a variety of practice material aimed at developing fluent oral control of the lan
guage. To omit reading the explanations is to fail to take advantage of the shortcuts to
learning provided by systematization. To omit any of the recommended drill procedures is
to stint on the skill side of language learning and run the risk of becoming able only to talk
abaut Japanese.
4. Developing speaking and listening skills in a foreign language cannot be done through
the eye.
For memorization and drill practice, oral models are absolutely necessary. Romanized
Japanese (i.e., Japanese written with the letters of our alphabet) should serve only to remind
you of what you have already heard-and heard many, many times. The letters used in
romanization are all familiar to English speakers, but when used to represent Japanese,
they represent a completely different set of sounds. If you have studied French, or German,
or Spanish--or even Vietnamese-this will not surprise you. 'Six' as an English word and
'six' as a French word stand for totally different pronunciations. You must not attempt to
xvii
............ ___ , ....... Vt3'f.,; .auaa DUOK How to Use This Book • xix
read any of the Japanese material that follows until you first become familiar with Japanese considered satisfacton until vou can participate promptly and accurately according to the
sounds, and next learn the spelling code according to which familiar symbols represent models, without reference to the textbook. For each stimulus in these drills, there is only
those sounds in a completely regular and predictable fashion. You may be surprised to one correct answer, which follows the model of the first example of the drill. (For example,
learn the native pronunciation of familiar Japanese place names like Tokyo,' 'Kyoto,' and one drill may require vou to answer every stimulus question in the negative [Stimulus: 'Are
'Osaka'; and of cultural borrowings like 'kimono,' 'sake,' and 'sukiyaki.' you hungry?' Response: 'No, I'm not.'] regardless of your actual condition.) All the drills
The Japanese, of course, use a completely different writing system, but they, too, postpone are response drills, which means that each stimulus + response is actually a short conver
using their written code until they have already learned to speak. For foreigners who are sation.
interested in learning to read Japanese, it is most efficient to study the special written Application Exercises, on the other hand, suggest practice that utilizes reality-provided
symbols after acquiring at least some familiarity with the material being read. In other words, by either visual aids or your general knowledge-as the basis for correct responses.
if you are told that a particular symbol in the Japanese writing system stands for X at a
SECTION C
time when you also have to be instructed as to what X means, 'reading' in its usual sense
is impossible; you will undoubtedly proceed to decode-to move directly from Japanese Eavesdropping (devoid of any negative connotations!) involves listening in on Japanese
symbols to your own native language, bypassing the Japanese language completely. To avoid conversations on tape, and answering questions about their content. Note that (a) only the
this, we recommend that beginning readers start out by reading only material in which they questions are printed in the textbook; and (b) the language of both the questions and
h9ve already acquired oral competence.1 answers is English. This section represents a kind of situation that commonly occurs in real
life: imagine that you are being questioned by an English-speaking friend, who doesn't
Always listen to an utterance first; after that you may check to see how it is represented understand Japanese as well as you do, about the meaning of a Japanese conversation that
in a written code, but do not let the written form become a crutch for your understanding or you have both overheard. This portion of the lesson involves processing from Japanese to
speaking. Remember that most conversations in the real world proceed free of any con English, a competence distinct from operating within the foreign language alone, but one
nection with the written language. Listening and speaking are very different from reading which is also important to develop.
and writing; they are totally different kinds of skills and are best acquired through different Utilization presents typical situations in which the Japanese you have learned might be
approaches. The ability to speak and understand a language is much more significant as utilized. A situational orientation of this kind is intended to emphasize the importance of
an aid to learning to read than the reverse. speaking a foreign language according to what is grammatically and culturally appropriate
The lessons that follow the Introduction are organized in the following way: in a given setting, rather than through direct translation of what would be appropriate in
your native language in a similar setting. Again, the ease with which you produce accurate
SECTIONS A AND B answers will be a clear signal of the degree to which you have mastered the material. Slow,
hesitant, mistake-ridden answers-produced only after constant checking back to earlier
Each of these sections contains Core Conversations (which may be single exchanges be
explanatory material-dearly signal the need for further study and practice before moving
tween two people or longer conversations), their English Equivalents, Breakdowns with
to the next lesson. Remember that each lesson presupposes good control of everything that
Supplementary Vocabulary, Miscellaneous Notes, Structural Patterns, Drills, and Ap
has already been introduced. And remember too that the acquisition of a skill like speaking
plication Exercises.
takes time and practice. If the foundation is weak, ultimate collapse becomes a worrisome
Core Conversations are to be memorized, using the accompanying video and audiotapes.
possibility; but if each lesson is systematically mastered, increment by increment, a solid
Note that new vocabulary and new patterns are thus acquired in context with appropriate
proficiency can be acquired.
pronunciation and intonation. While supplementary vocabulary is included (with the Break
downs), even these items should be practiced within a familiar context; they should not be The Check-up is intended to check your control of the 'fact' component of the lesson.
We assume that the foreign language student can learn a foreign language more quickly if
memorized or practiced as isolated items. A word means what it means in context.
the patterns of the language are explained systematically. While learning abaut a language
The English Equivalents and Breakdowns will assist you in comprehending the Core
will never produce foreign language proficiency unless supplemented by hours of active
Conversations. The Miscellaneous Notes and Structural Patterns should be read carefully
practice, it can speed the process by guiding you to accurate, extended usage of the patterns
as soon as the Core Conversations have at least become familiar. The Japanese language is
that are being drilled.
totally unrelated to English: unless you understand in depth how the language is put to
The Check-up section can be covered outside of class. The relevant notes should be
gether, you will continue to encounter seemingly baffling examples which actually should
carefully checked if there are questions that present difficulties. The questions themselves
not be at all surprising. It is important to strive for thorough understanding of the building
serve to emphasize the most important structural features that have been introduced in
blocks of the language and to take advantage of its regularity as an independent system.
each lesson.
Drills are to be practiced with the tapes. Your performance in these drills must not be
I. For those interested in reading, see the forthcoming Japanese: The Wntten Language. for a systematic intro
duction, and Japanese: The spoken Language-Supplement for the written Japanese version of all the Japanese
languagc material included in this text.
------ -----------·--------·--·--··
Introduction
.. ... ... .J -- I. PRONUNCIATION
. .
Mora is the term we will use to refer to the syllable-like unit of Japanese: each mora rep
• J resents one beat and occupies roughly the same unit of time (a 3-mora word takes three
times as long to pronounce as a 1-mora word).
I
.-..I .• • The so-called 'standard' dialect of Japanese (spoken by educated natives of Tokyo) can
. . be described in terms of 113 distinct mora of the following kinds:
.. 5 single vowel
J
67 consonant + vowel
... ... .JI.. I • 36 consonant + y + vowel
..
5 single consonant
Your first task is to learn ( l) how the sounds of Japanese are pronounced and (2) how
the Japanese sounds-which are different from the sounds of English-are represented in
this text with the letters of our alphabet. For (l), you will need as a model a native speaker
of Japanese and/or a recording made by a native speaker.1 For (2), you must study the chart
and notes below, always bearing in mind that the letters are no more than arbitrary symbols
which are meant to remind you of the actually occurring Japanese sounds. Although the
symbols may seem unnecessarily arbitrary at the beginning, while the structure of Japanese
is still unknown, you will become accustomed to them very quickly as you become familiar
with the language.
The Mora ofJ apanese
l 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ll 12 13 14 15 16 17
a ka ga ga sa za ta da na ha pa ha ma ya ra wa k
i ki gi gi si zi ti - ni hi pi bi mi - ri - s
u ku gu gu SU zu tu - nu hu pu bu mu yu ru - t
e ke ge ge se ze te de ne he pe be me - re - p
0 ko go go so zo to do no ho po ho mo yo ro - ft
kya gya gya sya zya tya - nya hya pya bya mya - rya -
kyu gyu gyu syu zyu tyu - nyu hyu pyu byu myu - ryu -
kyo gyo gyo syo zyo tyo - nyo hyo pyo byo myo - ryo -
_____. _1_r _____________________________________ _.
0 l. The practice drills that follow are available on audiotape.
-----.------------·-----
Z • lntr0duct1on Introduction • 3
(In the following discussion, row numbers correspond to the numbers of the vertical rows
in the chart above. IN THIS SECTION ONLY, mora within a word are separated by hyphens I Row 3 The symbol: stands for a sound but the Japanese sound:
to show mora division, and capital letters represent a pitch level higher than that repre approximately like:
sented by lower-case letters.)
g before a, 'g' in 'begone' in initial position is
u,e,o more fully voiced than
I Row l The symbol: stands for a sound but the Japanese sound: the corresponding
approximately like: English initial4
gy, and g 'g' in 'regular' in initial position is
a 'a' in 'father' is short and clipped
before i more fully voiced than
i 'i' in 'machine' is short and clipped
the corresponding
u 'u' in 'put' is short, clipped, and
English initial"
without lip-rounding
e 'e' in 'bet' is short and clipped
Practice 3
0 'o' in 'horse' is short and clipped
GA-i 'injury' gi-K0-0 'art' GU-ke·e 'my elder brother'
When two or more Japanese vowels follow each other directly, each one retains its original GE-e 'craft' Gl-ka-i 'the Diet' GYA-ku-i 'traitorous mind'
quality and length, but the sequence is regularly pronounced as a continuum. The occur GO-i 'vocabulary' go-KA-I 'misunderstanding' gyo-0-KO-O 'good fortune'
rence of the same vowel symbol twice indicates a long vowel: e.g., aa represents a + a gi-KE-E 'brother-in-law' gu-U-1 'a moral' GYU-u 'beef'
pronounced without a break.
A word in Japanese has at least as many mora as it has vowels: thus, a-0-i is a 3-mora ROW4
word; E-e is a 2-mora word. The symbol g represents a sound like the 'ng' of 'singer'5-that is, it is a sound made with
the tongue in position for a g but with the air escaping through the nasal passages. In
Practice 12
Japanese, this sound never occurs at the beginning of an utterance.
a 'oh!' A-o 'blue' u-E 'top' e 'picture' Like gy and g before i, gy and g before i are pronounced with the tongue raised in a
A-a 'oh!' 1-i 'is good' o-1 'nephew' E-e 'yes' 'y' position, somewhat like the 'ngy' of 'bring you.'
A-i 'love' i-E 'house' o-0-i 'are many' o-U 'owe' The occurrence of g is a matter of dialect. While it is usually considered a feature of
A-u 'meet' i-1-E 'no' a-0-i 'is blue' o-0-U 'conceal' Tokyo Japanese, there are many Tokyo speakers who regularly use g instead, and there
are still others who alternate freely between the two. The situation, as far as this text is
concerned, is as follows:
I Row 2 The symbol: stands for a sound but the Japanese sound: Where g is written, g is NOT to be substituted.
approximately like: Where g is written, g can ALWAYS be substituted.
k before a, u 'c' in 'coot' has less aspiration3 Example:
GA-i: G occurs in the speech of all speakers of Japanese.
e, o
ky, and k 'c' in 'cute' has less aspiration3 KA-gu: Some speakers say KA-gu (with the nasal g) consistently, others say KA-gu con
sistently, and still others alternate freely between the two pronunciations.
before i
Whichever pronunciation you use, you must be able to understand both.6
The values of the vowel symbols remain the same as in Row f above. Practice 4
E-e-ga 'movie' KA-ge 'shadow' KA-i-gi 'conference'
Practice 2
i-KA-ga 'how?' GO-go 'afternoon' ka-I-GYA-KU7 'a jest'
ka-U 'buy' a-KA-I 'is red' ka-1-KE-E 'account'
KA-gu 'furniture' ko-0-GO 'spoken language' ka-1-GYU-U 'sea-cow'
ka-0 'face' o-0-KI-i 'is big' KYA-a 'eek!'
a-0-gu 'look up' ku-GI 'nail' KO-o-gyo-o 'industry'
i-KE 'pond' KE-e-ko 'practice' KYO-o 'today'
ko-KO 'here' ku-U-K0-0 'airport' KYU-u 'grade' 4. A voiced sound is one accompanied by vibration of the vocal cords. In English, a voiced consonant at the
beginning of a word begins without voice (vibration); in Japanese an initial voiced consonant is voiced throughout
its articulation.
5. This is a valid comparison only for those speakers of English who distinguish between the medial sounds
2. All the practice drills that follow are for pronunciation practice only. Do not try to remember the meanings of 'singer' and 'finger,' with the latter containing the medial sound of 'singer' + 'g.'
of these items. 6. Accordingly, examples of g substitution for g have been included on the tapes that accompany this text.
3. The corresponding English sound is followed by a strong puff of breath. 7. See the section on whispered mora below.
4 •Introduction Introduction • 5
Practice 7
I
Row 5 The symbol: stands for a sound but the Japanese sound: ka-TA 'person' TI-zu 'map' o-SI-Go-TO-TYU-U 'in the middle of work'
approximately like: ta-KA-i 'is high' ti-I-SA-i 'is small' ko-0-TY0-0 'director'
s before a, 's' in 'see' is pronounced further ki-I-TE 'listening' o-TYA 'tea' TYO-o-me-e 'long life'
u, e, o forward in the to-0-KA 'ten days' ko-0-TYA 'black tea' TU-i-te 'concerning'
sy, ands 'sh' in 'she' mouth si-Go-TO 'work' TYU-u-i 'warning' tu-ZU-KI 'continuation'
before i
Practice 5
A-sa 'morning' o-SA-KE 'rice wine' SYA-ka-i 'society' I Row 8 The symbol: stands for a sound but the Japanese sound:
a-SU 'tomorrow' SU-gu 'right away' HA-i-sya 'dentist' approximately like:
A-se 'perspiration' ko-0-SU-I 'perfume' KYU-u-syu-u 'Kyushu'
d 'd' in 'redeem' is pronounced with the
a-SI 'leg' o-I-SI-1 'is delicious' sya-SY0-0 'conductor'
tongue touching the
a-SO-KO 'there' o-KA-SI-i 'is funny' syu-U-SY0-0 'grief' teeth and is regularly
fully voiced4
I
Row 6 The svmbol: stands for a sound but the Japanese sound:
approximately like:
z before a, 'z' in 'bazaar' is pronounced further Practice 8
u, e, o or 'dz' in 'old zebra' forward in the mouth e-DA 'branch' DE-te 'leaving' KA-do 'street corner'
and is regularly fully o-KA-DA (family name) i-SO-i-de 'hurrying' DO-ko 'where?'
zy, and z T in 'reject' voiced4 ku-DA-SA-i 'give me' de-KI-go-to 'occurrence' do-0-GU 'tool'
before i
Practice 6
za-1-KA 'inventory' GO-zi 'five o'clock' ZYU-u 'ten'
I Row 9 The symbol: stands for a sound but the Japanese sound:
KA-zu 'number' KA-zi 'a fire' KA-zyu 'fruit tree'
approximately like:
ki-ZU 'a cut' zi-E-E 'self-defense' zyo-0 'feeling'
n before a, 'n' in 'deny' is pronounced with the
ZE-e 'a tax' ZYA-a 'well then' zyo-SE-E 'woman'
u, e, o tongue touching the
ZO·o 'elephant" zya-K0-0 'musk' ko-0-ZYO-o 'factory'
ny, and n 'n' in 'menu,' teeth and is regularly
before i 'avenue,'8 etc. fully voiced4
I Row 7 The symbol: stands for a sound but the Japanese sound:
approximately like:
t before a, 't' in 'tip' is pronounced with the Practice 9
e, o tongue touching the NA-ka 'inside' o-KA-NE 'money' NYA-o 'meow'
teeth and with little
KI-nu 'silk' so-NO 'that' gyu-U-NYU-U 'milk'
aspiration
ty, and t 'ch' in 'cheap' is pronounced further te-NU-GU-I 'towel' NA-ni 'what?' nyu-U-ZY0-0 'entrance'
before i forward in the mouth NE-ko 'cat' ni-KA-1 'second floor' NYO-o-go 'court lady'
t before u 'ts' in 'tsetse fly' is pronounced further
forward in the mouth
8. Applicable only for those speakers who use a 'nyu' pronunciation in English.
-------r-·--- -- --..
6 • Introduction Introduction • 7
I I
Row 10 The symbol: stands for a sound but the Japanese sound: Row 13 The symbol: stands for a sound but the Japanese sound:
approximately like: approximately like:
b before a, 'h' in 'hot' m before a, 'm' in 'remind'
e,o has more friction u, e, o is regularly fully
hy, and b 'h' in 'humid' my, and m 'm' in 'amuse' voiced4
before i before i
H before u is made by bringing the upper and lower lips together and then
Practice 13
puffing air out between them. Unlike English 'f,' which is the closest English
sound, Japanese h before u does not involve the lower teeth in its production. MA-e 'front' mu-SU-ME 'daughter' KYO-o-mi 'interest'
ma-TA 'again' ME-e-zi 'Meiji' mya-KU-D0-0 'pulse'
Practice 10 NO-mu 'drink' I-tu mo 'always' MYU-u-zu 'muse'
HA-i 'yes' hi-GE 'beard' HYO-o 'hail' mu-K0-0 'over there' MI-se-te 'showing' ko-0-MYO-O 'great deed'
HA-ha 'mother' ko-0-HI-i 'coffee' HU-u 'manner'
I
he-E 'wall' HYU-u-zu 'fuse' HU-ne 'boat' Row 14 The symbol: stands for a sound but the Japanese sound:
HO-o 'direction' hya-KU-DO 'I 00 times' HU-zi 'Fuji' approximately like:
I y 'y' in 'year' is regularly fully
Row 11 The symbol: stands for a sound but the Japanese sound: voiced4
approximately like:
p before a, 'p' in 'poor Practice 14
u,e,o has less aspiration ya-0-YA 'vegetable store' o-YU 'hot water' yo-SI-DA (family name)
py, and p 'p' in 'pure' NA-go-ya 'Nagoya' yu-KI-yo 'snowy night' sa-Y0-0 'that way'
before i o-YA-SU-MI-NA-SA-i yu-U-ME-E 'famous' o-HA-Y0-0 'good morning'
'good night'
Practice 11
PA-a-zi 'purge' PU-u-pu-u (noise of a horn) PO-o-zu 'a pause'
a-PA-a-to 'apartment' pe-E-ZI 'page' PYU-u-pyu-u (noise of a whistle) ROW 15
de-PA-a-to 'department PO-ka-po-ka 'repeatedlv' pi-A-NO 'piano'
The Japanese r is a flap-r, made by flicking the tip of the tongue against the alveolar ridge
store'
(area behind the upper teeth). This sound closely resembles the 'r' in the British English
pronunciation of 'very.' To speakers of American English, it often sounds like ad, but there
I
Row 12 The symbol: stands for a sound but the Japanese sound: are two main differences: (l) the Japanese r is shorter than d; and (2) in the production
approximately like: of r, the tip of the tongue makes contact with the alveolar ridge, whereas in the production
of d, it is the area of the tongue immediately behind the tip that makes contact against the
b before a, 'b' in 'rebel'
upper teeth. When r is immediately followed by i or y, the r articulation just described is
u,e,o is regularly fully
accompanied by palatalization-that is, the back part of the tongue is in position to make
by, and b 'b' in 'rebuke' voiced4 a y sound, while the tip makes the flap-r.
before i
Practice 15
Practice 12 ra-KU 'comfortable' o-HU-ro 'bath' rya-KU-ZI 'simplified character'
BA-ta-a 'butter' ka-BE 'wall' sa-BI-SI-i 'is lonely' sa-YO-NA-RA 'goodbye' o-MO-SI-RO-i 'is interesting' ka-I-RYU-U 'ocean current'
ta-BA-KO 'cigarette' bo-0 'stick' BYA-ku-e 'white robe' BI-ru 'building' ri-K0-0 'clever' ryu-U-K0-0 'fashion'
a-SO-BU 'play' o-BO-e-te 'remembering' BYU-u-byu-u (noise of wind) RU-u-ru 'rule' ko-0-RI 'ice' RYO-o-zi 'consul'
a-BU-NA-I 'is dangerous' e-BI 'shrimp' byo-0-BU 'screen' KI-re-e 'pretty' a-RI-ga-to-o 'thank you' ryo-0-RI-ya 'restaurant'
