sa-so.wavHere's is the third row of the Japanese alphabet. Starting from the left and going right is SA, SHI, SU, SE, SO.
Welcome to another lesson in learning Katakana. Did you do alright with
the last batch? Good. Now, let's move on to the next two rows of the Japanese
"alphabet."
I'll take the time to teach you a way of remembering the lines of the Japanese
syllabary. The vowels go in columns of A, I, U,
E, and then O. The rows
go like A, K, S, T, N, H, M, Y, R, W. A
little rhyme to help you remember this is About Kana Signs, Take Note How
Much You Read Wem (Them with a lisp or something, I just made that up).
Pretty easy to remember, no? Well, don't worry. You'll get the hang of
it.
Got pencil and paper. Yosh....Let's begin.
sa-so.wav
Here's is the third row of the Japanese alphabet. Starting from
the left and going right is SA, SHI, SU, SE, SO.
How to write SA
sa.wav
Pronunciation: SA
is pronounced like the "sa"
in sarcasm but
shorter.
How to write SHI
shi.wav
Pronunciation: SHI
is pronounced like the "shee"
in sheep but
shorter.
How to write SU
su.wav
Pronunciation: SU
is pronounced like the "Su"
in Susan but
shorter.
How to write SE
se.wav
Pronunciation: SE
is pronounced like the "se"
in set.
How to write SO
so.wav
Pronunciation: SO
is pronounced like the "so"
in so but don't
let the o drag
out.
How were those? Are you getting the hang of it?
Good. Let's take the fourth row. Here it is. Have fun.
ta-to.wav
Starting from the left and going right is TA,
CHI, TSU, TE, TO.
How to write TA
ta.wav
Pronunciation: TA
is pronounced like the "ta"
in tar but shorter.
How to write CHI
chi.wav
Pronunciation: CHI
is pronounced like the "chee"
in cheek but
shorter.
How to write TSU
tsu.wav
Pronunciation: TSU
is pronounced like the "tsu"
in tsunami.
SPECIAL NOTE: A question you might ask is: "How can one distinguish between TSU and SHI. The difference is in the long dash. In SHI, the long dash acts like a bed to the two shorter dashes. In TSU, the long dash is almost parallel with the shorter dashes. The best way to get used to this is find some in a Newtype or other Japanese magazine and see if you can notice the difference.
How to write TE
te.wav
Pronunciation: TE
is pronounced like the "te"
in ten.
How to write TO
to.wav
Pronunciation: TO
is pronounced like the "to"
in toe but shorter.
How to write TI
ti.wav
Pronunciation: TI
is pronounced like the "tea"
in tea but shorter.
NOTE: TI is not in the syllabary but is made of two kana TE and I. I put in how to draw it but the combination is made up of previously learned stuff you should have no problems. Please note that the I MUST BE MADE SMALLER than the TE. IF it is not drawn smaller, then the kana combination would be TEI like the "ta" in tazer.
Well, another lesson done and you're on your way to being able to read those dreaded CD spines. Here are some examples which drawn on your knowledge of previously learned lessons. The answers will be found at the very bottom.
Examples
CLICK
HERE TO HEAR WHAT THIS SOUNDS LIKE
With this example let me introduce a new concept. English words are sometimes
separated by dots. This is not a general trend in writing but some people
do it. I may provide both word combinations with and without dots to get
you used to the possibility of deciding whether it's one word or two. Can
you guess this phrase?
Help on Writing your own Katakana
words
1. Words that generally end in "t"
are written with a TO.
2. Hard "A"s like the "a"
in sailor are made by using Consonant plus
a prolonged E (e.g., sailor would be
SE-).
Answers: SOS, Sweater, Sauce, Toast, Taxi, Earth
