In this lesson you will learn about Japanese extended sounds – when the vowel is voiced longer.
Japanese extended sounds are marked in hiragana with an extra u, う, or i, い, after the character to be extended. In katakana it is marked by a line looking like a hyphen. The result is that the vowel before is voiced longer.
Listen to and compare the sounds in the following table of examples, going from left to right, one row at a time.
| おばさん |
おばあさん |
| obasan |
obaasan |
| Aunt |
Grandmother |
|
| おじさん |
おじいさん |
| ojisan |
ojiisan |
| Uncle |
Grandfather |
|
ビル
|
ビール
|
| biru |
biiru |
| Building |
Beer |
|
来て
|
聞いて
|
| kite |
kiite |
Come!
(-te form or order form) |
listen!
(-te form or order form) |
|
地図
|
チーズ
|
| chizu |
chiizu |
| Map |
Cheese |
|
好き
|
スキー
|
| suki |
sukii |
| To love |
To ski |
|
主
|
週
|
| shu * |
shuu |
| Main thing, lord |
Week (as in raishuu, next week) |
|
鳥
|
通り
|
| tori |
toori |
| Bird |
street |
|
掘る
|
ホール
|
| horu |
hooru |
| Dig |
Hall |
Related posts:
- Free Japanese Lesson: Modified Sounds Part 2: Youon
- Free Japanese Lesson: Modified Sounds Part 3: More Youon
- Free Japanese Lesson: Modified Sounds Part 1
- Free Japanese Lesson: Double Consonants
- Free Japanese Lesson: Pitch Accent
6:16 am on July 11th, 2011
the examples of the extended sounds are really useful in helping beginners like me to see n hear the differences of the words with similar sounds, but I would appreciate if more examples are added…arigatou.
4:11 pm on April 7th, 2011
hiragana and katakana in one sentence.. oh men! this would be a bit confusing for me..
tasukette!:(
2:24 am on November 30th, 2009
can u please add more words here? hihi
12:43 pm on November 7th, 2009
這裡只有我是中國人喲
4:20 pm on February 23rd, 2009
ii no renshu!
4:05 pm on February 18th, 2009
I can tell this is where I’ll messup a lot. Thank you for your wonderful examples!
5:01 pm on December 24th, 2008