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Lesson 3

Lesson 3

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Lesson 3

Lesson 3

Uploaded by

chickenducktales
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Metalanguage

The Japanese writing system is a mixture of innovation and tradition,


a combination of Chinese Characters and Japanese alphabet. Of course, the
first step to learning the Japanese language is to learn the alphabet or at
least, to learn the sounds that exist in the language. Each have different
usage, purpose and characteristics and all are necessary in Japanese writing.
However, before delving into those intricacies, let us first learn the essential
terms that you are going to encounter in the pursuit of ULOc.

1. Kanji. かんじ are adopted logographic Chinese characters that are


used in the Japanese writing system. This means that each kanji
character has its own meaning and corresponds to a word. By
combining characters, more words can be created.

2. Hiragana. ひらがな which literally means “ordinary” or “simple”


kana, is used primarily for native Japanese words and grammatical
elements. There 46 basic characters which symbolizes syllabaries,
or 71 including diacritics. Each sound in Japanese language
corresponds to on character in the syllabary. Hiragana is the first
writing system learned by Japanese children, and thus is often the
recommended system for non-Japanese to learn first, as well.

3. Furigana/Yomigana. ふりがな / 読み仮名 is a hiragana used as a


reading aid for kanji you will find either next to or above kanji. It
will help you read kanji you may not know yet, so make sure you
master kana!

4. Okurigana. 送り仮名 or suffixes following kanji roots, which may


inflect verb sand adjectives, grammatical and function words such
as particles, and other Japanese native words without kanji forms
too formal or complicated.

5. Katakana. カタカナ meaning “fragmentary kana” are used

primarily for gairaigo (がいらいご) foreign words and names,

loanwords and
13
onomatopoeia. Like the hiragana, there 5 singular vowels, 40
consonant-vowels and 1 singular consonant.
6. Romaji. In addition to the three Japanese character systems (kanji,
hiragana, katakana), in Japan you will see the Roman alphabet used
to spell out sounds. These Romanized letters, may be used where
Japanese text is targeted at non-Japanese speakers, such as street
signs, dictionaries, textbooks and passports.

Essential Knowledge

Japanese alphabet

⮚ Hiragana ひらがな

The first step to learning the Japanese language is to learn the


alphabet. Or, at least, to learn the sounds that exist in the language. There
are absolutely no "tones" in Japanese like in many other Asian languages
and there are only 2 exceptions within the alphabet which will be explained
later. The Japanese alphabet does not contain letters but, instead, contains
characters and, technically, they are not alphabets but character sets. The
characters in the chart below are called Hiragana. Hiragana is the main
alphabet or character set for Japanese. Japanese also consists of two other
character sets - Kanji (Chinese characters), which we will get into later, and
another alphabet/character set, Katakana, which is mainly used for foreign
words. Katakana will be covered in the next lesson. Don't wait to move on
until you have all Hiragana characters memorized - learn them as you
continue to go through the other lessons.
There are 5 vowels in Japanese. (a), pronounced "ahh", (i),
pronounced like "e" in "eat", (u), pronounced like "oo" in "soon", (e),
pronounced like "e" in "elk", and (o), pronounced "oh". All Hiragana
characters end with one of these vowels, with the exception of (n). The only
"consonant" that does not resemble that of English is the Japanese "r". It is
slightly "rolled" as if it were a combination of a "d", "r", and "l". In addition,
the Japanese alphabet is called a “syllabary”, or “syllabic script”. That is
because each “letter” in Japanese represents a whole syllable in English.
There are two main ways the characters represent syllables: as a sole vowel
and as a consonant with a vowel. There is only one character that
represents a sole consonant: n. Other than that, consonants must always be
paired with a vowel, and the vowel will always follow the consonant.
14
Chart 1

Dakuten and Handakuten Hiragana Characters

Dakuten (゛) and Handakuten (゜) can be added to the basic Hiragana
set to change the pronunciation and extend the alphabet used to create
native Japanese words.
20 Basic Dakuten Hiragana characters

K→G
When dakuten markers
are added, k sounds
become g sounds.

か が ga

き ぎ gi

く ぐ gu
け げ ge

こ ご go

H→B
When dakuten markers are added,
h sounds become b sounds.

は ば Ba

16

ひ び Bi

ふ ぶ bu

へ べ Be

ほ ぼ Bo

S → Z, T → D
When dakuten markers are added, s
sounds become z sounds (except for
shi which becomes ji).

さ ざ za

し じ ji

す ず zu

せ ぜ ze
そ ぞ zo

When dakuten markers are


added, t sounds become d
sounds.

た だ da

ち ぢ ji*

つ づ dzu*

て で de

と ど do

* ぢ and づ are almost never used for ji and zu, so use じ

5 Basic Handakuten Hiragana Characters


H→P
When handakuten markers are added,
h sounds become p sounds.

は ぱ pa

ひ ぴ pi

ふ ぷ pu

へ ぺ pe

ほ ぽ po
33 Small や, ゆ, よ Characters

Small や, ゆ, よ characters can be added to the basic Hiragana set


to change the pronunciation and extend the alphabet used to create
native Japanese words.

きゃ kya みゃ mya ぎゃ gya

きゅ kyu みゅ myu ぎゅ gyu

きょ kyo みょ myo ぎょ gyo

しゃ sha にゃ nya じゃ ja

しゅ shu にゅ nyu じゅ ju

しょ sho にょ nyo じょ jo

ちゃ cha ひゃ hya びゃ bya

ちゅ chu ひゅ hyu びゅ byu

ちょ cho ひょ hyo びょ byo

ぴゃ pya ぴゅ pyu ぴょ pyo

18
Correct Strokes of Hiragana Characters
Committing Hiragana to memory isn’t enough. You must also learn the correct
stroke order in writing each character. With the following visual stroke-by-stroke
guide, you will learn to write hiragana characters. Be sure to follow the correct
stroke order shown in the guide because this will also help you remember how to
draw the characters.


Katakana カタカナ

As mentioned in previous lesson, Katakana (as seen in the chart


below) is mainly used for foreign words such as foreign names and words
that have been borrowed from other languages such as コンピューター
(kompyu-ta- = computer). Katakana is the least frequently used of the
three-character sets in Japanese. The Japanese language does not have as
many sounds as the English language so, when creating a name in
Katakana, for instance, the name must be sound out to the closest
Japanese equivalent.

Chart 1
Chart 2
ガ ga ギ gi グ gu ゲ ge ゴ
go

ザ za ジ ji ズ zu ゼ ze ゾ zo

ダ da ヂ ji ヅ zu デ ド do
de

バ ba ビ ブ bu ベ be ボ bo
bi

パ pa ピ pi プ pu ぺ pe ポ po

Correct Strokes of Katakana Characters

Additional Katakana Characters

ヴァー Va ヴィー Vi ヴェー Ve ヴォー Vo


ウ ィー Wi ウェー We ファー Fa フィー Fi
フェ ー Fe フォー Fo ディー Di チェー Che
ティ ー Ti ジェー Je ラ ー La
⮚ Romaji
Romaji are roman letters, normally used to help foreign
Japanese learners in the pronunciation. However, you should
stop using them when we you get familiarized with the hiragana.
Most of the time Japanese articles are written in a
combination of hiragana, katakana and kanji, it would seem like
it is useless to learn romaji. However, for foreigners who don't
know Japanese, romaji can help to give correct pronunciation.

⮚ Basic Kanji

Kanji (漢字, pronounced [kaɲdʑi] are the adopted logographic


Chinese characters that are used in the Japanese writing
system. They are used alongside the Japanese syllabic script
hiragana and katakana. The Japanese term kanji for the
Chinese characters literally
means "Han characters". It is written with the same
characters as in Traditional

Chinese to refer to the character writing system, hanzi (漢字).


Some of the kanji characters have been modified to fit the
Japanese language, while some of them are totally new
characters created by the Japanese.
There are around 2500 Japanese kanji that are used in daily
life, and high school students in Japan are required to master
1945 kanji, known as the jouyou kanji (常用漢字), which means
commonly used kanji. It normally takes around 3 years to learn
kanji of such big numbers, but if you are diligent, you can
possibly do it within 1 or 2 years.

Kanji have basically two types of reading, onyomi (音読み )

and kunyomi (訓読み). Onyomi is the Chinese reading of kanji,


while kunyomi is the Japanese reading of kanji.Some kanji have

Kanji English Onyomi Kunyomi JLPT N5 Vocab with


Meaning Kanji

一 one ichi, itsu hito(tsu), hito 一人 (one person, alone)

二 two ni futa(tsu), futa 二人 (two people, pair)

三 three san mit(tsu), mi 三日 (3rd day of


the month)

四 four shi yo(tsu), yo, yon 四日 (4th day of


the month)

五 five go itsu(tsu), itsu 五日 (5th day of


the month)

六 six roku mut(tsu), mu 六日 (6th day of


the month)

七 seven shichi nana(tsu), nana 七日 (7th day of


the month)

八 eight hachi yat(tsu), ya 八日 (8th day of


the month)
九 nine kyuu, ku kokono(tsu), 九日 (9th day of
kokono
the month)

both onyomi and kunyomi. For example, in the word 山


which means mountain, the onyomi is san and the kunyomi is
yama.

However, some kanji have only onyomi. For example, the


word 秒 which means second (second as in hour, minute,
second), has only onyomi byou. Most kanji created by the
Japanese have only kunyomi. For example, this kanji 畑 which
means field (field of crops) has only kunyomi hatake. Most of the
time, there are several onyomi or kunyomi for one kanji
(character). The context and meaning will determine which
reading is used.
Japanese Kanji for Numbers
First, let’s look at numbers. The first three are very
straightforward to remember: a single line (one), two lines (two),
three lines (three). Easy. The rest can be more difficult. The
drawback is that most of the time in Japan, they use 1 – 10
romanized numbers instead of kanji. But you still have to learn
them. Be careful with 千: it looks almost identical to チ (katakana
chi) and one of the readings is the same.

22
Also, you may think 万年筆 (“fountain pen”) will never
show up in the JLPT N5 and yet it somehow it always does. It
translates as “ten-thousand year writing brush” aka a pen that
outlasts all others.

23
十 ten juu, ji tou, to 十日 (10th day of
the month)

百 hundred hyaku — 百万円 (1 million Yen)

千 thousand sen chi 千万円 (10 million Yen)

万 ten thousand man, — 万年筆 (fountain pen)


ban

円 Yen, circle, and en maru(i) 円い (round)


round

Japanese Kanji for Time


These kanji are often used together with numbers, so I’ve

included them next. You’ll pair numbers up with kanji like 月 to

create the months of the year, like 一月 (“January”).

Some of the kanji on this list have more uses than just time,

such as 来 る which is an irregular verb. But, 来 also reads as ら

い, meaning “future”. Combined with other time kanji you get:

来週 (“next week”), 来月 (“next month”), and 来年 (“next

year”).
Kanji English Meaning Onyomi Kunyomi JLPT N5 Vocab with Kanji

日 day, sun nichi, hi, ka 明日 (tomorrow)


jitsu
週 week shuu — 毎週 (every week)

月 month, moon getsu, tsuki 月曜日 (Monday)


gatsu

年 year nen toshi 今年 (this year), 去年 (last year)

時 time, hour ji toki 時計 (clock, watch)

間 time frame, kan, ken aida 時間 (time, hours)


span of time

分 minute, part, bun, wa(karu) 三十分 (thirty minutes), 自


to bu,
understand, fun 分 (oneself)
to
divide

午 noon go — 午前 (morning, A.M.)

前 before zen mae 名前 (name)

後 after, later, go, kou ato 午後 (afternoon, P.M.)


behind

今 now kon, kin ima 今晩 (this evening), 今朝


(this morning)

先 before, ahead, sen saki 先週 (last week), 先生


future
(teacher, master)
来 to come rai ku(ru) 来月 (next month), 来る
(to come)

半 half, middle han naka(ba) 半分 (half)

毎 every, each mai — 毎日(every day)

何 what, which, ka nan, nani 何曜日 (what day of the week)


how many

Japanese Kanji for People & Things


This category includes many of the basic natural elements
(very important in Japanese culture, so they pop up a lot),
people, and body parts. Because these kanji are used in so many
words, they’ve evolved the most over time and have a lot of
readings. I’ve included most of the top ones to know, but you’ll
often find these have irregular readings, too.

Kanji English Meaning Onyomi Kunyomi JLPT N5 Vocab with Kanji

人 person jin, nin hito 人々 (people)

男 man, boy, male dan, nan otoko 男の子 (boy)

女 woman, girl, jo, nyo onna, me 女の子 (girl)


female
子 child shi, su ko 子供 (child)

Consider, for example, 母 and 父. When talking about your


own mom and dad to others, you would read/say them as haha

水 water sui mizu 水曜日 (Wednesday)

木 tree, wood moku, ki, ko 木曜日 (Thursday)


boku

土 earth, ground do, to tsuchi 土曜日 (Saturday)

金 money, gold kin, kon kane 金曜日 (Friday)

本 book, source hon moto 日本語 (Japanese)

川 river sen kawa 川 (river)

花 flower ka hana 花火 (fireworks)

気 spirit ki, ke — 元気 (healthy, spirit, fine)

生 life, to live, to sei, shou i(kiru), u 生徒 (pupil)


be born, to (mareru),
grow ha(yasu)

and chichi. But when talking to your parents, they would be kaa
魚 fish gyo sakana 魚 (fish)

天 heaven ten ame, ama 天気 (weather)

空 sky, empty kuu sora, a(keru) 空 (sky)

山 mountain san yama 山 (mountain)

雨 rain u ame 雨 (rain)

電 electricity den — 電気 (electricity)

車 car, vehicle sha kuruma 電車 (electric train)

語 language, go kata(ru) 英語 (English)


word, to chat

耳 ear ji mimi 耳 (ear)

手 hand shu te 手紙 (letter)

足 foot, to add soku ashi, ta(su) 足 (foot)

目 eye moku me 目 (eye)


口 mouth kou, ku kuchi 出口 (exit)

as in okaasan (お母さん) and tou as in otousan (お父さ

ん). These kanji also change when used for grandparents, aunts,
and uncles. Just be on the lookout. You’ll have to memorize them
on a word-by-word basis.

26

母 mother bo haha 母 (mother)

父 father fu chichi 父 (father)

友 friend yuu tomo 友達 (friend)

火 fire ka hi 火曜日 (Tuesday)

27

28

名 name mei, na 名前 (name)


myou

Japanese Kanji for Places & Directions


It’s a good idea to memorize each reading really well for
these common kanji. 店 is read as ten almost as often as mise. 外

is just as often read as gai as it is soto. But they have patterns. 店

reads as ten when combined with other kanji, like 喫茶店. On its

own, it’s mise. It’s the same with 外: gai describes something

foreign or outside the norm of one’s own country or group. Soto


is used to just say “outside.”

Kanji English Meaning Onyomi Kunyomi JLPT N5 Vocab


with Kanji

店 shop ten mise 喫茶店 (coffee


shop)

駅 station eki — 駅前 (in front of


the station)

道 street, path, way dou michi 道具 (tool)

社 shrine, society sha yashiro 社長 (president of


a company)

国 country koku kuni 外国人 (foreigner)

外 outside gai, ge soto, 外国 (foreign


hazu(reru),
country)
hoka

29
学 school, learning gaku mana(bu) 大学 (university)

校 school kou — 学校 (school)

上 up, above shou, ue, u, a(geru) 上着 (jacket)


jou

下 down, below ka, ge ku(daru), shita 靴下 (socks)

中 middle, center, chuu naka 日中 (during the


inner, between
day, midday)

北 north hoku kita 北 (north)

西 west sai, sei nishi 西 (west)

東 east tou higashi 東京 (Tokyo)

南 south nan minami 南 (south)

右 right yuu migi 右 (right)

左 left sa hidari 左 (left)


Japanese Kanji for Verbs

Kanji English Meaning Onyomi Kunyomi JLPT N5 Vocab


with Kanji

見 to see, to be ken mi(ru) 見せる (to show)


visible, to show

聞 to hear, to listen, mon, ki(ku) 聞く (to listen,


to ask bun
to hear)

書 to write sho ka(ku) 辞書 (dictionary)

読 to read doku yo(mu) 読む (to read)

話 to talk, conversation wa hanashi, hana 電話 (telephone)


(su)

買 to buy bai ka(u) 買い物


(shopping)

行 to go, to carry out kou i (ku), okona (u) 銀行 (bank)

出 to go out, to leave shutsu de (ru), da (su) 出かける (to go


out)
入 to enter, to put in nyuu hai (ru), i (reru) 入口 (entrance)

These are among the most common verbs, besides する


(suru, “to do”) which doesn’t use kanji. When used as verbs,
you’ll almost always be using the kunyomi readings.

30
The most important onyomi readings that may pop up would be for 聞

, 読, 書, 食, and 会. The first three — hear, read, and write —


appear in their onyomi readings in the test descriptions
themselves that state the test section you’re on. The last two —
eat and meet — have common onyomi readings like 食品

(“food,” or “food goods”) and 会社 (company).

31

休 to rest, break, kyuu yasu (mu), 休む (to take a


holiday, vacation yasu (mi)
day off)

食 to eat, food shoku ta (beru) 食堂 (dining room)

飲 to drink, a drink in no(mu) 飲み物


(beverage)

言 to talk, word gen, i (u) 言う (to say)


gon

立 to stand ritsu ta (tsu) 立つ (to stand)


会 to meet, society kai, e a(u) 会社 (company)

Japanese Kanji for Adjectives


Lastly, we have the most basic and common adjectives to
describe things
Kanji English Onyomi Kunyomi JLPT N5 Vocab with
Meaning Kanji

多 a lot, many ta oo(i) 多い (many), 多分


(probably)

少 a little, few shou suko(shi), 少ない (few)


suku(nai)

古 old ko furu(i) 古い (old)

新 new shin atara(shii) 新しい (new), 新聞


(newspaper)

大 big, a lot dai, tai oo(kii) 大きい (big), 大変


(dreadful, immense)

小 little, small shou chii(sai), ko 小さい (little)

安 cheap, an yasu(i) 安い (cheap)


safety,
peace
高 expensive, high kou taka(i) 高い (expensive)

長 long, leader chou naga(i) 長い (long), 部長


(manager)

白 white haku, byaku shiro, shiro(i) 白い (white), 面白い


(interesting)

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