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Introduction to Japanese Writing Basics

Sep 22, 2024

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Basic Japanese Writing

Introduction

  • Presenter: Raisa
  • Purpose: Teach the basics of Japanese writing, focusing on the Japanese alphabet.
  • Platform: JapanesePod101.com

Japanese Scripts

  • Three Scripts:
    • Hiragana: Basic Japanese alphabet where each character represents one syllable sound.
    • Katakana: Used for foreign words, mirrors hiragana syllables but different in appearance.
    • Kanji: Represents words/concepts, challenging due to numerous characters and varying readings.

Focus of the Series

  • Concentration on Hiragana and Katakana (Japanese alphabet).

Hiragana Basics

  • Usage: Commonly used for functional words like particles, endings of adjectives and verbs.
  • Number of Characters: 46.
  • Reading Direction: Japanese is read vertically from right to left.

First 5 Hiragana Characters

  • あ (A): Resembles an apple.
  • い (I): Looks like two eyes.
  • う (U): Boxer getting punched.
  • え (E): Energetic ninja.
  • お (O): UFO; has a floating stroke.

Lesson Recap

  • Learned Characters: あ, い, う, え, お
  • Practice Words: Stomach (い), Love (あい), etc.

Second Lesson Characters

  • か (Ka): Blade cutting stick.
  • き (Ki): Looks like a key.
  • く (Ku): Cuckoo’s beak.
  • け (Ke): Cake.
  • こ (Ko): Koi fish.

Diacritics

  • Dakuten (゛): Adds voicing; e.g., か (Ka) becomes が (Ga).
  • Handakuten (゜): Used in the 'H' column; e.g., は (Ha) becomes ぱ (Pa).

Third Lesson Characters

  • さ (Sa): Sad face.
  • し (Shi): Fishing hook.
  • す (Su): Swan in glass.
  • せ (Se): M shape.
  • そ (So): Zigzag stitch.

Practice and Differences

  • Practice Words: Diagram (ず), Blue (あお).
  • Similar Characters: Remember unique features to distinguish.

Fourth Lesson Characters

  • た (Ta): Looks like T.
  • ち (Chi): Mirror image of さ.
  • つ (Tsu): Tsunami wave.
  • て (Te): Dog.
  • と (To): Tornado.

Additional Points

  • Small 'Tsu' (っ): Prolongs consonants.
  • Dakuon: Voiced sounds with diacritics.

Fifth Lesson Characters

  • な (Na): Nut.
  • に (Ni): Knee.
  • ぬ (Nu): Noodles with chopsticks.
  • ね (Ne): Snail behind a nail.
  • の (No): No sign. Used as a possessive particle.

Sixth Lesson Characters

  • は (Ha): Capital H + a.
  • ひ (Hi): Smiling mouth.
  • ふ (Fu): Unique sound, like Mount Fuji.
  • へ (He): Pointing to heaven.
  • ほ (Ho): Horse face with mane.

Seventh Lesson Characters

  • ま (Ma): Man in a mask.
  • み (Mi): Musical note.
  • む (Mu): Cow.
  • め (Me): Mess from dropped noodles.
  • も (Mo): Monitor lizard.

Eighth Lesson Characters

  • ら (Ra): Rabbit.
  • り (Ri): River.
  • る (Ru): Ruby.
  • れ (Re): Reindeer.
  • ろ (Ro): Robbed of ruby.

Ninth Lesson: Y Sounds and Yoon

  • や (Ya): Yak.
  • ゆ (Yu): Unicorn.
  • よ (Yo): Yo-yo.
  • Yoon (Diagraphs): Combine with small や, ゆ, or よ to form glides.

Tenth Lesson Characters

  • わ (Wa): White swan.
  • を (Wo): Wall crack, used as object marker.
  • ん (N): Looks like italized N, pronunciation varies.

Summary of Hiragana

  • Total Characters: 46.
  • Modifiers: Dakuten (゛) and Handakuten (゜).
  • Diagraphs (Yoon): Combine characters for additional sounds.
  • Special Pronunciations: Vary depending on grammatical context.

Conclusion

  • Next Steps: Learn Katakana for borrowed words from English.

These notes cover the essential elements of the Japanese writing system as discussed in the lectures, focusing on hiragana, including character shapes, mnemonics, and their uses in sentences. Practice with example words and diacritics to enhance understanding.

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