Post by Kiri on Apr 21, 2009 21:52:59 GMT -5
We're gonna start out first by introducing The Writing systems. There are three used: Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji.
On the top is HIRAGANA and the bottom is KATAKANA. Both Charts have the same readings. Hiragana is the original Japanese characters. As you can tell by the chart, hiragana is slightly curved, and is the equivilant of "cursive kanji". Each stroke when writing goes from left to right. The chart really should be going right to left, but this is the best chart i could find that had Katakana. So! The characters are as followed: I'm going to start with the far left (and you read it down):
A (ah; like f"a"ther), I(ee; like mach"i"ne), U (oo; like S"ue"), E (eh; as in l"e"dge [thats what my book says, but I think it sounds more like the letter "a"]), O (like "oh" for ok?). These are the main sounds; the "5 Japanese Vowels".
The next column is the "K" line. Again, from top to bottom its: Ka, Ki, Ku, Ke, Ko. This row also has the ability to have the "G" sounds. (Ga, Gi, Gu, Ge, Go) All you have to do it add ten-ten -"- to the character.
Row 3 is the "S" row. Top to bottom: Sa, Shi (pronounced 'she'), Su, Se (almost like saying "say"), and So. This row is also magical: you get the "Z" sounds by adding -"-. So you have Za, Ji (Shi"), Zu, Ze, Zo
Row 4 is the "T" row. Top to bottom: Ta, Chi, Tsu, Te, To (toe). Becare when you speak 'tsu' and 'su' they sound very similar. Just remember: tsu is when u say 'tsumani' and we learned to write it as a 'tsumani' wave. The "T" row gets the ability to have the "D" sounds: Da, Ji (Chi"), Zu (Tsu"), De, Do.
Row 5: "N". Na, Ni, Nu, Ne, No.
Row 6: "H". This is a very special Row. First, you have the regular: Ha, Hi, Fu, He, Ho. With the "H" row, you can add -"- or Maru- a small circle. The ten-ten on the "H" row makes them a "B" sound. Ba, Bi, Bu, Be, Bo. If you add a maru, you end up with a "P" sound. Pa, Pi, Pu, Pe, Po.
Row 7: "M". Ma, Mi, Mu, Me, Mo
Row 8: "Y". Ya, Yu, Yo. They got rid of Yi and Ye b/c they ended up sounding too similar to I and E.
Row 9: "R". This one is a bit tricky to pronounce. There is no definate "R" sound. it's like a cross between an R and and L. (Its easier to just pronounce it with an L though). So, do not be confused when you see and "R" when it is pronounced "L". Ra, Ri, Ru, Re, Ro.
Row 10: "W". Wa, Wo. The "wo" is pronounced as "oh". The only time wo is used... is when it is a Particle... YEY!! ((god I hate particles!)
Row 11 (in this chart it is the last one in row 10; however, that is not the actual way to have the chart): "n" This really has no pronounciation. It's not pronounced "Na" though it is in the "Ah" line. It is like a nasal sound. Kind of like "Mmm"; a hum noise, i guess, lol.
Now, minus the ten-ten and maru things, there is a basic 46 characters (except for katakana. To my understanding; they don't use "wo" in katakana; therefore only having 45). I'll explain about Katakana in here: it is used for foreign words and onomatopoetic expressions (like 'peko-peko' the noise for your stomach being empty and wanting food. "onaka ga peko-peko desu." I'm hungry).
Another thing with writing: if there is a double consonant sound; say it with a slight pause. For example: koppu. Ko-pu. Cup.
The final Writing is Kanji. This is the characters taken from Chinese writing. There are actually examples of it. Its the line dividing the top and bottom; grated it just the numbers, but hey; its a sample!
One rule: NEVER COMBINE KATAKANA AND HIRAGANA IN ONE WORD!!! >.<
Alright... a bit on punctuation: 4 things.
1. Maru (the small circle, did you remember?) is the period; used at the end of the sentence; NO MATTER WHAT!
2. Ten. (a slight diagonal dash; kinda like , <-- only going the other way.) The comma. unlike english, there are not definate rules for commas; Japanese ppl use commas where they normally pause for speaking.
3. Kakko. Quotation marks. They kinda look like [ ]... only.. [ is missing the bottom part and ] is missing the top part.
4. Question Marks: There are none.
Alright; I think this sums up these. If any thing else comes up, I will post up. Any questions: post 'em... or if you have messenger IM me. My names are under my profile.
On the top is HIRAGANA and the bottom is KATAKANA. Both Charts have the same readings. Hiragana is the original Japanese characters. As you can tell by the chart, hiragana is slightly curved, and is the equivilant of "cursive kanji". Each stroke when writing goes from left to right. The chart really should be going right to left, but this is the best chart i could find that had Katakana. So! The characters are as followed: I'm going to start with the far left (and you read it down):
A (ah; like f"a"ther), I(ee; like mach"i"ne), U (oo; like S"ue"), E (eh; as in l"e"dge [thats what my book says, but I think it sounds more like the letter "a"]), O (like "oh" for ok?). These are the main sounds; the "5 Japanese Vowels".
The next column is the "K" line. Again, from top to bottom its: Ka, Ki, Ku, Ke, Ko. This row also has the ability to have the "G" sounds. (Ga, Gi, Gu, Ge, Go) All you have to do it add ten-ten -"- to the character.
Row 3 is the "S" row. Top to bottom: Sa, Shi (pronounced 'she'), Su, Se (almost like saying "say"), and So. This row is also magical: you get the "Z" sounds by adding -"-. So you have Za, Ji (Shi"), Zu, Ze, Zo
Row 4 is the "T" row. Top to bottom: Ta, Chi, Tsu, Te, To (toe). Becare when you speak 'tsu' and 'su' they sound very similar. Just remember: tsu is when u say 'tsumani' and we learned to write it as a 'tsumani' wave. The "T" row gets the ability to have the "D" sounds: Da, Ji (Chi"), Zu (Tsu"), De, Do.
Row 5: "N". Na, Ni, Nu, Ne, No.
Row 6: "H". This is a very special Row. First, you have the regular: Ha, Hi, Fu, He, Ho. With the "H" row, you can add -"- or Maru- a small circle. The ten-ten on the "H" row makes them a "B" sound. Ba, Bi, Bu, Be, Bo. If you add a maru, you end up with a "P" sound. Pa, Pi, Pu, Pe, Po.
Row 7: "M". Ma, Mi, Mu, Me, Mo
Row 8: "Y". Ya, Yu, Yo. They got rid of Yi and Ye b/c they ended up sounding too similar to I and E.
Row 9: "R". This one is a bit tricky to pronounce. There is no definate "R" sound. it's like a cross between an R and and L. (Its easier to just pronounce it with an L though). So, do not be confused when you see and "R" when it is pronounced "L". Ra, Ri, Ru, Re, Ro.
Row 10: "W". Wa, Wo. The "wo" is pronounced as "oh". The only time wo is used... is when it is a Particle... YEY!! ((god I hate particles!)
Row 11 (in this chart it is the last one in row 10; however, that is not the actual way to have the chart): "n" This really has no pronounciation. It's not pronounced "Na" though it is in the "Ah" line. It is like a nasal sound. Kind of like "Mmm"; a hum noise, i guess, lol.
Now, minus the ten-ten and maru things, there is a basic 46 characters (except for katakana. To my understanding; they don't use "wo" in katakana; therefore only having 45). I'll explain about Katakana in here: it is used for foreign words and onomatopoetic expressions (like 'peko-peko' the noise for your stomach being empty and wanting food. "onaka ga peko-peko desu." I'm hungry).
Another thing with writing: if there is a double consonant sound; say it with a slight pause. For example: koppu. Ko-pu. Cup.
The final Writing is Kanji. This is the characters taken from Chinese writing. There are actually examples of it. Its the line dividing the top and bottom; grated it just the numbers, but hey; its a sample!
One rule: NEVER COMBINE KATAKANA AND HIRAGANA IN ONE WORD!!! >.<
Alright... a bit on punctuation: 4 things.
1. Maru (the small circle, did you remember?) is the period; used at the end of the sentence; NO MATTER WHAT!
2. Ten. (a slight diagonal dash; kinda like , <-- only going the other way.) The comma. unlike english, there are not definate rules for commas; Japanese ppl use commas where they normally pause for speaking.
3. Kakko. Quotation marks. They kinda look like [ ]... only.. [ is missing the bottom part and ] is missing the top part.
4. Question Marks: There are none.
Alright; I think this sums up these. If any thing else comes up, I will post up. Any questions: post 'em... or if you have messenger IM me. My names are under my profile.