The HIRAGANA syllabary (variations).

Task 1

Use hiragana to write the following words.

The words are written as you would hear them pronounced.

Ammari (too, overmuch), empitsu (pencil), shimbun (newspaper), komban (evening), rombun (article), zembu (the whole nine yards), semmonka (specialist), shimpai (worry, anxiety), sampo (walk, promenade), gambaru (strive, stick to it), kampan (deck), jimmin (nation, people), sammai (three pieces of paper), samman (30,000).

        Lesson 15.2        Long vowels

In Japanese, vowels can be short and long. Here we'll use a colon (:) to indicate long vowels in transcriptions for words of Chinese origin and a double vowel for words of Japanese origin.

Length of a vowel can change the sense completely:

ko:ro (course, route (sea), run), koro: (old people, seniors, elders) hohei (foot troops), ho:hei (artillery)

In hiragana, vowel length is indicated in a few ways.

ookii big

chiisai small

sense: teacher

To show long 'O,' 'U,' 'YU' within a syllable ('SO,' 'SU'...), an additional final 'U' is written.

do:mo thanks

sumo: sumo

futsu:no usual

ku:so: imagination

Task 2

Use hiragana to write the following words.

Caution! If it is a verb that ends in 'OU,' you should pronounce it as 'OU.'

Do:mo arigato: (thank you), seito: (learner, student), o:i (numerous), hiko:ki (airplane), honto: (truth), eigo: (English language), mo: (already), kino: (yesterday), oto:to (younger brother), ro:do: (labour), ozei (a lot), ku:gun (air force), omou (to think), do:butsu (animal), bummei (civilization), su:gaku (mathematics), sou (to go, to pass), yu:tsuna (moody).

Attention!   ko: so, this way       kou ask for A verb ending in 'ou' goes with Japanese 'o' + Japanese 'u' rather than long 'o:'.

       Lesson 15.3        Soft consonants

Combination of hiragana syllables ending in 'I' plus symbols for 'YA,' 'YU,' 'YO' result in the following phonemes:

Pronunciation: English consonant (except for Japanese 'R') + Japanese 'Y' + Japanese 'A,' 'U,' 'O.'

KI+YA=	KYA	KI+YU=	KYU	KI+YO=	KYO
SHI+YA=	SHA	SHI+YU=	SHU	SHI+YO=	SHO
CHI+YA=	CHA	CHI+YU=	CHU	CHI+YO=	CHO
NI+YA=	NYA	NI+YU=	NYU	NI+YO=	NYO
HI+YA=	HYA	HI+YU=	HYU	HI+YO=	HYO
MI+YA=	MYA	MI+YU=	MYU	MI+YO=	MYO
RI+YA=	RYA	RI+YU=	RYU	RI+YO=	RYO
GI+YA=	GYA	GI+YU=	GYU	GI+YO=	GYO
BI+YA=	BYA	BI+YU=	BYU	BI+YO=	BYO
PI+YA=	PYA	PI+YU=	PYU	PI+YO=	PYO
JI+YA=	JA	JI+YU=	JU	JI+YO=	JO

Task 3     Read words written in hiragana. Point to a translation to see a hint.

In the horizontal style of writing, the softening characters 'YA,' 'YU,' 'YO' are a bit smaller and a bit lower than the others.

хяку hundred

,

тандзйо birth

,

сясин photograph

,

отя tea

,

кайся company

,

акусю hand shake

,

Attention!

ju: ten , jiyu: liberty

Task 4

Write the following words in hiragana.

In the vertical style of writing, the softening characters 'YA,' 'YU,' YO' are a bit smaller and a bit to the right

Kaisha (company), toishokan (library), miyage (gift, present), byo:ki (illness, sickness, disease), byo:in (hospital), benkyo: (study), honya (book shop), kyo: (today), kyo:mi (interest (n.)), enjo (aid (n.)), jama (hindrance), akushu (hand shaking), akachan (infant), sampyaku (300), jiyu: (freedom, liberty), hiko:jo: (flying field), shiyo:jo: (farm).

       Lesson 15.4        Double consonants.

In English, double consonants are pronounced as one, e.g., Anna, common, etc. In Japanese, double consonants are longer than usual ones. The addition of another consonant almost always creates the characteristic clipping sound.

Length of a consonant can change the meaning completely:

hiko:shi (pilot), hikkoshi (crossing (n.)) gaka (artist), gakka (lesson)

A smaller-sized 'TSU' is used to carry the consonant sound of the second character (except for 'N' & 'М') to the end of the first.

gakka lesson

zasshi magazine

shippai misfortune

motto more

minna all

kimmu service

Task 5

Write the following words in hiragana.

The doubling character 'TSU is written a bit lower than others in the horizontal style and a bit to the right in the vertical style.

Kekkon (marriage), kippu (ticket), gakko: (school), yukkuri (slowly), besso: (summer cottage), onna (woman), rippana (gorgeous), chotto (a little, just a moment), kammanna (slow), isshu:kan (one week), jikken (experiment), hikkosshi (moving (dwelling, office, etc.)), shippai (misfortune), isshoni (together), bummei (civilazation), kissaten (cafe), gakka (lesson).

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