Japanese Pronunciation - Part 2

The Japanese language has only 5 vowels: a, i, u, e, o. They are terse vowels, pronounced clearly and sharply. If one pronounces the vowels in the following sentence one will have their approximate sounds. Please note: the "u" is pronounced with no forward movement of the lips.

Ah (a), we (i) soon (u) get (e) old (o).

You can Listen to the audio files for the 46 basic Japanese sounds.

Japanese Pronunciation - Part 1

Japanese Pronunciation
Meeting Vowel Sounds

The vowel sounds in Japanese are as follows:

A as in "father" E as in "seven eleven" I as in "Easter treat" O as in "open, Pope" U as in "fruity moogle".

You'll notice that the vowels are pronounced the similarly to Spanish, Italian, and Latin (and several other European languages).

Pronunciation of these vowels is very consistant. There are no silent vowels (although sometimes the Japanese choose not to voice a vowel). Each vowel sound is pronounced distinctly.

For example, the word kaeru would be pronounced "KAH eh roo". In English, you might want to pronounce it "KAY roo" or "KAY ruh".

The vowels 'i' and 'u' are weak vowels. That means that many times they are not pronounced. The most important example is:

desu (the u is silent - pronounced DESS)

However, don't just go around dropping u's and i's. People will have no idea what you're saying.

Consonant sounds are generally pronounced the same way as in English, but there are a few differences:

R - Prounounced like a combination of 'L' and 'D', with a bit of 'R' mixed in. It's pretty close to how the R is pronounced in Spanish. (It isn't "trilled", however) In Spanish, an R sounds a lot like a 'D'. Consider this: Say "lu." Notice how you drag the tip of your tongue along the roof of your mouth. To say a Japanese R, just briefly touch the tip to that spot at the moment you say the consonant, and use a little more "punch" in your voice.

F - You can pronounce it like an F, but often it sounds more like an 'H'.

There is no accent in Japanese, meaning there is no emphasis on a particular part of a word. English and Spanish have accents, Japanese does not.

Japanese does have pitch inflections, and this is their substitute for accents. For example, in English, we put stress on a certain part of a word to make it sound right and this is marked by an apostrophe-like symbol in the dictionary.In Japanese , they do not put stress on their words but raise the pitch of their voices instead. In Chinese, there are patterns to move between five different pitches to distinguish a word's meaning.In Japanese, there are only two pitches, but the only real way to grasp where to raise the pitch of your voice is from listening to Japanese speech and repeating it.

Source: elanguageschool.net

Sentence Structure - Giving and receiving

Giving

上げる（あげる）・差し上げる（さしあげる）・やる

thing

The standard way to say that you are giving something to someone in Japanese is to use the verb 上げる（あげる）. The sentence structure is fairly easy to remember:

• (Giver) は (Receiver) に (Item or Gift) を あげる。

Of course, rules for politeness and tense affect the way you conjugate the verb あげる:

1. 私は妹にお菓子をあげる。（わたしはいもうとにおかしをあげる）// I give my sister candy. (plain form)
2. 友達はお母さんにカードをあげた。（ともだちはおかあさんにかーどをあげた）// My friend gave his mom a card. (plain form)
3. 毎週、彼女は先生に林檎をあげます。（まいしゅう、かのじょはせんせいにりんごをあげます）// Every week she gives an apple to the teacher. (polite form)
4. 私達は猫にボールをあげました。（わたしたちはねこにぼーるをあげました）// We gave the cat a ball. (polite form)

There are several other ways to express giving though.　One of them is to use the verb　差し上げる（さしあげる）．You use this when talking about giving something to a superior. when talking about giving something to a superior. Example:

1. 私は先生に本を差し上げます。（わたしはせんせいにほんをさしあげます）// I give the teacher the book.

There's one more way to express giving. This is done by the verb やる which literarely means "Do". You should be very careful with this verb though, since it is very informal. Example:

1. 私はトシオにケーキやった。（わたしはとしおにけーきやった）// I gave toshio cake.

service

You can also attach a verb of giving to the 〜て form of verbs, which means that you did something for someone. The subject of the sentence must always be the speaker/the giver. Take a look at this structure:

• (Speaker) は (Verb in 〜て form) (Verb of receiving)。

Examples of this in English would be, "I washed the car for her," or, "I did the laundry for him." Here are some examples in Japanese:

1. 私はアパートの掃除をしてあげました。（わたしはあぱーとのそうじをしてあげました）// I cleaned the apartment (for him/her). (polite form)
2. 私は晩ご飯を作ってあげた。(わたしはばんごはんをつくってあげた）// I made dinner (for him or her). (plain form)

Receiving

もらう・下さる（くださる）・くれる・いただく

thing

To say that you have received something, you use the verb もらう. もらう is a passive verb, while あげる is an active verb, so the stucture of a sentence using もらう is a little different than one using あげる. You know now that you only use あげる when the subject is the giver. Likewise, you only use もらう when the subject is the receiver. Here are examples:

• (Receiver) は (Giver) に (Item or Gift) を もらう。

or

• (Receiver) は (Giver) から (Item or Gift) を もらう。

Although に is slightly more casual, you can use both に and から when you recieve some THING (You don't use から for service. See below). You may use から especially when you would like to emphasize the giver.

Of course, rules for verb tense and politeness affect what form of もらう you use:

1. クリスマスが来たら、お婆ちゃんに新車をもらうと思う。（くりすますがきたら、おばあちゃんにしんしゃをもらうとおもう）// When Christmas comes, I think I'll get a new car from grandma. (plain form)
2. 誕 生日に、梓はお父さんから250,000円をもらったそうです！ (たんじょうびに、あずさはおとうさんから250,000えんをもらったそうです！）// For her birthday, I heard that Azusa received 250,000 yen from her dad! (polite form)
3. 彼 女は王子と結婚したら、女王に多くの宝石をもらいます。（かのじょはおうじとけっこんしたら、じょおうにおおくのほうせきをもらいます）// When she marries the prince, she will receive many jewels from the queen. (polite form)
4. お母さんに新しいパソコンをもらいました！（おかあさんにあたらしいぱそこんをもらいました）// I got a new computer from my mother! (polite form)

There are three other verbs which you can express receiving with.　The verb くれる is most commonly used. It's neither impolite nor polite. You will often use this verb when you've gotten something from someone who isn't currently there. Example:

1. 彼は先生にお茶をくれた。（かれはせんせいにおちゃおくれた）// He got tea from the teacher.

Another verb which is used when expressing receiving is 下さる（くださる）, this is a more polite version, and you would use this if you would recieve something of a person who is currently around you, or when you are talking to him.

Examples:

1. 私は岸子に漫画を下さいました。（わたしはきしこにまんがをくださいました）// I received a manga from kishiko.
2. 私はあなたにビデオを下さいます。（わたしはあなたにびでおをくださいました）// I get a video from you.

The verb いただく is a humble verb, and is only used when you receive something from a superior.

Example:

1. 私は先生にペンをいただきました。（わたしはせんせいにぺんをいただきました）// I received a pen from the teacher.

service

You can also attach the verbs for receiving to the 〜て form of a verb to say that you received the verb (such as a service or something of that nature) from them. For example, "The dentist examined my teeth for me," or "Mom cleaned up my room for me." Once again, you can only use the verbs of receiving in this case if the subject of the sentence is the one receiving the service. If the subject of the sentence is actually doing the service, then you use the verbs for giving. Here are some examples:

1. 医者に診てもらいました。（はいしゃにみてもらいました）// The doctor examined me (for me). (polite form)
2. 彼氏に新しい車を買ってもらった！（かれしにあたらしいくるまをかってもらった）// My boyfriend bought a new car for me! (plain form)

In this case, you do not use から instead of に, because what you gain in this form is not a thing but a service.

Source: elanguageschool.net

Sentence Structure - Japanese Verbs

First, let us DEFINE what a VERB is in Japanese. If we define this category on the basis of meaning (for example, 'a verb is a word representing an action or state of being') we are bound to run into trouble. Instead, it is simpler and more accurate to define the category on the basis of form. Here it is: if it can end in -masu, then it is a verb.

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Next, let us review some of the standard verb forms, with examples:

Dictionary Form (ending in -u/-ru):
This is the way verbs are listed in most dictionaries. Also known as 'direct form' because sentences that end with a verb in this form indicate a comparatively familiar relation between speaker and addressee.

Distal Form (ending in -masu): Indicates a somewhat distant or polite relationship between speaker and addressee.

Gerund Form (-te):

Potential Form (-eru/-rareru):
basically means '[x] can [do something]'
1.
To make the form:

a. with '-u' verbs, substitute '-u' with '-eru' (resulting in a '-ru' ending).

e.g. yomu >> yomeru {I can read.}

b. with '-ru' verbs, substitute '-ru' with '-rareru' (resulting in a '-ru'
ending).

e.g. taberu >> taberareru {I can eat.}
2.
Exceptional forms:

suru >> dekiru

kuru >> korareru
3.
More exceptions: there are some verbs that cannot be transformed:

dekiru (because it already IS in the potential form)

wakaru (because it already has a meaning that is very similar to
the potential: 'I can figure it out.')

aru (because, among other things, the meaning would not come through
very clearly)

aku, kieru, etc. (some intransitive verbs won't work, maybe because the
meaning is unclear)

4.
Informal colloquial contraction: with '-ru' verbs, one can add '-reru'
instead.

taberu >> taberareru >> tabereru {I
can eat it.}
5.

Ending the ending:

食べられる {informal: I can eat it.}

食べられない {informal: I can eat it.}

食べられた {informal: I could eat it.}

食べられなかった {informal: I could not eat it.}

食べられます {slightly formal: I can eat it.}

食べられません {slightly formal: I cannot eat it.}

食べられました {slightly formal: I could eat it.}

食べられませんでした {slightly formal: I could not eat it.}

6.
Particle usage: for transitive verbs, there are three or four basic particle
allocations :

a. The classic presentation (i.e., tending towards the formal and
literary):

私には　新聞が　読めない。　{I cannot read the newspaper.}

b. Occasionally one also sees:

私が　新聞が　読めない。　{I cannot read the newspaper.}

c. Since both of the above (ni/ga; ga/ga) can be considered awkward,
one most often sees:

私は　新聞が　読めない。　{I cannot read the newspaper.}

d. Occasionally one sees the following, which may be gaining acceptance:

私が　新聞を　読めない。　{I cannot read the newspaper.}

私は　新聞を　読めない。　{I cannot read the newspaper.}

e. For verbs that are not transitive, the particles remain as usual.

日本に　行ける。　{I can go to Japan.}

7.
Meanings:

a. The potential has two basic meanings, corresponding to internal
ability, and external opportunity:

およげない {I cannot swim [because I never learned, and I'll drown if I try.]}

およげない {I cannot swim [because Mommy won't allow me to go in alone.]}

b. For most verbs, either meaning is possible, depending on context.

c. For some verbs, alternate forms are used:
　　　　　　見えない {I can't see it [because it is too hazy, too far away, too dark, etc.]}
　　　　　　見られない {I can't see it [because I don't get cable TV, I didn't buy tickets on time, etc.]}
　　　　　　聞こえない {I can't hear it [because it is too far away, too noisy, I'm going deaf, etc.]}
　　　　　　聞けない {I can't hear it [because I lost my radio, etc.]}

8.
Accentation: accented verbs remain accented in their potential form:
unaccented remain unaccented:

a. accented verbs:

MIru (MIta) >> miRAREru (miRAreta)

taBEru (TAbeta) >> taBERAREru (taBERAreta)

NOmu (NOnda) >> NOmeru (NOmeta)

haSHIru (haSHItta) >> haSIREru (haSHIreta)

KAeru (KAetta) >> kaEREru (kaEreta) {= He was able
to return home.}

b. unaccented verbs:

yaMERU (yaMETA) >> yaMERARERU (yaMERARETA)

kiKU (kiITA) >> kiKERU (kiKETA)

kaU (kaTTA) >> kaERU (kaETA) {= He was able to purchase it.}

Provisional Form (-eba/-reba):

Conditional Form (-tara):

Passive Form (-areru/-rareru):

Causitive Form (-aseru/-saseru):

Passive-Causitive Form (-aserareru/-saserareru):

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Here is a list of verbs in the dictionary style, with collocations that are typical of standard usage. Listed as they appear chapter by chapter in Noto, Communicating in Japanese:

I call myself Mertz.
Did you say something?

いう	マーツといいます。	I call myself Mertz.	-
-	?か言っ?？	Did you say something?	なにかいっ?？
?る	専門は?り??ん。	I don't have a major.	?ん?んは?り??ん
わかる	分かり?し?。	I understand (lit., 'understanding happened')	-

This article was used with permission from:
John P. Mertz, Associate Professor of Japanese,
North Carolina State University.
Japanese Language Clinic