Japanese Phonetic System
The Japanese Language has only 5 vowels which are:
a, as in Ah
i, as in We
u, as in Soon
e, as in Get
o, as in Old
Another 14 consonants (k, s, t, n, h, m, y, r, w, g, z, d, b, p) except n / m (before b, p, m) create a sound together. That is, with one consonant and a vowel.
Examples:
- k + a = ka
- n + i = ni
- m + u = mu
- s + e = se
- t +o = to
But si, ti, tu are written as shi, chi, tsu respectively to get closer to the sound.
The language has no pronunciation for f and r. For instance, fu is pronounced as hu, and ra is pronounced as la.
Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji
Japanese can be represented in:
Hiragana (平仮名),
|
Hiragana ( 平 仮名) |
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|
Vowel |
a | あ | i | い | u | う | e | え | o | お | |||||||
|
Consonant |
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| k | ka | か | ki | き | ku | く | ke | け | ko | こ | kya | きゃ | kyu | きゅ | kyo | きょ | |
| s | sa | さ | shi | し | su | す | se | せ | so | そ | sha | しゃ | shu | しゅ | sho | しょ | |
| t | ta | た | chi | ち | tsu | つ | te | て | to | と | cha | ちゃ | chu | ちゅ | cho | ちょ | |
| n | na | な | ni | に | nu | ぬ | ne | ね | no | の | nya | にゃ | nyu | にゅ | nyo | にょ | |
| h | ha | は | hi | ひ | fu | ふ | he | へ | ho | ほ | hya | ひゃ | hyu | ひゅ | hyo | ひょ | |
| m | ma | ま | mi | み | mu | む | me | め | mo | も | mya | みゃ | myu | みゅ | myo | みょ | |
| y | ya | や | yu | ゆ | yo | よ | |||||||||||
| r | ra | ら | ri | り | ru | る | re | れ | ro | ろ | rya | りゃ | ryu | りゅ | ryo | りょ | |
| w | wa | わ | o | を | |||||||||||||
| n / m | ん | ||||||||||||||||
| g | ga | が | gi | ぎ | gu | ぐ | ge | げ | go | ご | gya | ぎゃ | gyu | ぎゅ | gyo | ぎょ | |
| z | za | ざ | ji | じ | zu | ず | ze | ぜ | zo | ぞ | ja | じゃ | ju | じゅ | jo | じょ | |
| d | da | だ | ji | ぢ | zu | づ | de | で | do | ど | (ja) | ぢゃ | (ju) | ぢゅ | (jo) | ぢょ | |
| b | ba | ば | bi | び | bu | ぶ | be | べ | bo | ぼ | bya | びゃ | byu | びゅ | byo | びょ | |
| p | pa | ぱ | pi | ぴ | pu | ぷ | pe | ぺ | po | ぽ | pya | ぴゃ | pyu | ぴゅ | pyo | ぴょ | |
|
Katakana ( 片 仮名) |
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|
|
Vowel | a | ア | i | イ | u | ウ | e | エ | o | オ | ||||||
|
Consonant |
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| k | ka | カ | ki | キ | ku | ク | ke | ケ | ko | コ | kya | キャ | kyu | キュ | kyo | キョ | |
| s | sa | サ | shi | シ | su | ス | se | セ | so | ソ | sha | シャ | shu | シュ | sho | ショ | |
| t | ta | タ | chi | チ | tsu | ツ | te | テ | to | ト | cha | チャ | chu | チュ | cho | チョ | |
| n | na | ナ | ni | ニ | nu | ヌ | ne | ネ | no | ノ | nya | ニャ | nyu | ニュ | nyo | ニョ | |
| h | ha | ハ | hi | ヒ | fu | フ | he | ヘ | ho | ホ | hya | ヒャ | hyu | ヒュ | hyo | ヒョ | |
| m | ma | マ | mi | ミ | mu | ム | me | メ | mo | モ | mya | ミャ | myu | ミュ | myo | ミョ | |
| y | ya | ヤ | yu | ユ | yo | ヨ | |||||||||||
| r | ra | ラ | ri | リ | ru | ル | re | レ | ro | ロ | rya | リャ | ryu | リュ | ryo | リョ | |
| w | wa | ワ | o | ヲ | |||||||||||||
| n / m | ン | ||||||||||||||||
| g | ga | ガ | gi | ギ | gu | グ | ge | ゲ | go | ゴ | gya | ギャ | gyu | ギュ | gyo | ギョ | |
| z | za | ザ | ji | ジ | zu | ズ | ze | ゼ | zo | ゾ | ja | ジャ | ju | ジュ | jo | ジョ | |
| d | da | ダ | ji | ヂ | zu | ヅ | de | デ | do | ド | (ja) | ヂャ | (ju) | ヂュ | (jo) | ヂョ | |
| b | ba | バ | bi | ビ | bu | ブ | be | ベ | bo | ボ | bya | ビャ | byu | ビュ | byo | ビョ | |
| p | pa | パ | pi | ピ | pu | プ | pe | ペ | po | ポ | pya | ピャ | pyu | ピュ | pyo | ピョ | |