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Japanese
Pronunciation Guide
When pronouncing Japanese words, remember that each
syllable is stressed equally when saying multi-syllable words (i.e., ka-ra-te,
not kar-ate). All syllables of a word are pronounced with equal emphasis. Also,
a word does not change in the plural as it does in English. For example,
"bonsai" may mean one bonsai or many bonsai. It would be incorrect to say
"bonsais."
Vowels
A = ah, as in
ah |
Y = ee, as in bee |
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I = ee, as in we |
AI = eye, as in
pie |
U = oo, as in
soon |
EI = ay, as in say |
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E = eh, as in get |
EN = en, as in ten |
O = oh, as in
old |
YU = u, as in
use |
Consonants
Ba
"bah"
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Bi
"bee"
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Bu
"boo"
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Be
"beh"
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Bo
"boh"
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Chi "chee" |
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Da
"dah"
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De
"deh"
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Do
"doh"
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Fu "foo" |
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Ga
"gah"
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Gi
"gee"
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Gu
"goo"
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Ge
"geh"
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Go
"goh"
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Ha "hah"
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Hi "hee"
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He "heh"
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Ho
"hoh"
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Ji
"jee"
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Ju
"ju"
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Ja
"jah"
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Ka
"kah"
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Ki
"kee"
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Ku
"koo"
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Ke
"keh"
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Ko
"koh"
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Ma
"mah"
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Mi
"mee"
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Mu
"moo"
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Me
"meh"
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Mo
"moh"
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Na
"nah"
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Ni
"nee"
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Nu
"noo"
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Ne
"neh"
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No
"noh"
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Pa
"pah"
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Pi
"pee"
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Pu
"poo"
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Pe
"peh"
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Po
"poh"
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R
"rt"
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Ra
"rtah"
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Ri
"rtee"
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Ru
"rtoo"
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Re
"rteh"
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Ro
"rtoh"
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Sa
"sah"
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Shi
"shee"
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Su
"soo"
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Se
"seh"
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So "soh"
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Ta
"tah"
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Tsu
"tsoo"
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Te
"teh"
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To
"toh"
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Wa "wah"
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Wo "oh"
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Ya
"yah"
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Yu
"yoo"
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Yo
"yoh"
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Za
"zah"
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Zu
"zoo"
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Ze
"zeh"
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Zo
"zoh"
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Zu
"zoo"
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Japanese
Numbers
There
are two counting
systems in Japan
- This is the most
commonly used.
Refer
to the Pronunciation
Guide
if needed
ichi
(one) |
ni
(two) |
san
(three) |
shi or
yon
(four) |
go
(five) |
roku
(six) |
shichi or nana (seven) |
hachi (eight) |
kuu or
kyu
(nine) |
juu or
jyu
(ten) |
Numbers 11-19 are spoken/written
by adding jyu (or juu) plus the one's digit;
juu-ichi (eleven), juu-ni (twelve), juu-san (thirteen), etc.
With numbers 20
and greater, it's the number in the ten's
digit,
then "juu", followed by the next number;
"Shi"
and "shichi" are not used with
these numbers - "yon" and "nana"
are.
nijuu (twenty), sanjuu (thirty),
yonjuu (forty -
do not say shijuu), nanajuu (seventy)
Or if this is easier: Numbers 20-29 are done the same way
with the prefix "ni-jyu"
added in front of the one's digit;
ni jyu (twenty), ni
jyu ichi (twenty-one), etc.
Numbers 30-39 are done the same way with the
prefix "san-jyu"
added in front of the one's digit;
san jyu ichi (thirty-one),
and shi jyu ichi (forty-one), kyu jyu kyu (ninety-nine), etc.
There
are always exceptions....
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hyaku (100) |
sanhyaku (300) |
yonhyaku (400) |
roppyaku (600) |
nanahyaku (700) |
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happyaku (800) |
sen or issen (1,000) |
sanzen (3,000) |
yonsen (4,000) |
nanasen (7,000) |
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hassen (8,000) |
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man or ichiman (10,000) |
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