The Self_teacher of Japan language. Lesson 14

The HIRAGANA syllabary. NIGORI (vocalization)

Lesson 14

Translated from Russian by Tanya Nefyodova

Previous lessons introduced one of the Japanese syllabaries, hiragana. You couldn't buy notice that it missed many familiar sounds. However, this doesn't mean that the Japanese are that deficient in sounds. The case is that some hiragana characters can sound differently with the so-called nigori, that is, when vocalized.

The table pictures the changes t
o sounds when we write some
of syllabary characters with a nigori (").

As you can see, nigori turns the unvoiced sounds K, H, S in corresponding syllables to the voiced consonants G, B, Z(J). The (°) character changes H to unvoiced P.
     (The ancient pronounced all modern H-syllables with P instead).

     Task 1

Please learn the new characters and sounds. Try to remember them well.

Pay attention to specifics in pronunciation.

The 'B' and 'P' sounds are almost the same as your English 'B' and 'P,' but Japanese ones are harder.
'Z(J)' is pronounced as one sound, and more of a [z]. Sometimes in the middle of a word it does sound like bare [z].
In 'JI(DJI)' the 'J' sound is soft and kind of hissing.
When 'G' goes before N or K, it is very close to English velar 'NG.'

ATTENTION!
You would expect 'CHI' and 'TSU' with 'nigori' to sound as 'DI' and 'DU,' but alas! they are pronounced as 'DJI' and 'DZU,' right as your 'voiced' characters 'SHI' and 'SU.'
These two characters (nigori of 'CHI' & 'TSU') have a very limited usage and are worth a separate discussion.

     Task 2

Please write the following words in hiragana.

Try both horizontal and vertical styles of writing.

SUZUSHII (chilly), SHIZUKANA (calm, quiet), GORO (about /with time/), GOGO (afternoon), GAKA (artist), BARA (rose), CHIZU (map), DARE (who), DAIKU (carpenter), GENKI (vivacity, vigour), GENGOGAKU (linguistics), TEKUBI (wrist), KANJI (hieroglyphs), BANGOHAN (dinner), DAIGAKU (university), KABAN (suitcase), KABE (wall), TEGAMI (letter).
GOZAIMASU, KUDASAI.

Horizontal style of writing requires that you write from left to right,
with lines going from top to bottom.
Vertical style of writing requires that you write characters one under another in rows that go from right to left.
Final 'SU' is pronounced as 'S.'