Japanese Phonetics #5: Terminology (Public release!)

Summary

In this video, Dogen presents episode 5 of Japanese Phonetics, focusing on Japanese pitch accent terminology. He explains key terms such as pitch, stress, accent, downstep, mora, and intonation. Emphasizing the importance of understanding pitch accent for natural Japanese pronunciation, Dogen provides insights into the distinctions between pitch and stress, and how stress works within pitch accent patterns. He also shares his personal experience of realizing the importance of pitch accent after studying it more deeply. The lesson includes additional context for more effective learning, encouraging viewers to engage with the content for better understanding.

Takeaways

• 😀 The importance of Japanese pitch accent terminology is emphasized, including terms like pitch, stress, accent, downstep, mora, and intonation.
• 😀 Japanese pitch accent operates on two tones: low and high. Words can exhibit different pitch changes, but pitch should not be confused with volume.
• 😀 The difference between pitch and stress is highlighted, stressing that stress is not an official part of Japanese pitch accent, unlike in English where stress affects volume and length.
• 😀 Stress in Japanese works within the framework of pitch accent, where pitch can be raised but is not accompanied by a significant force change as in English.
• 😀 Intonation refers to pitch changes based on a speaker's emotions or motives, which can alter pitch accent patterns and add force to certain words.
• 😀 Not all Japanese words have a clear accent or pitch shift. Some words, especially in the heibong (low-to-high) family, lack an accent altogether.
• 😀 Mora, or beats, is different from syllables. Each full-sized hiragana or katakana character counts as one mora, which is important when studying pitch accent patterns.
• 😀 Intonation in Japanese can lead to subtle stress or force being added to words, especially when the speaker is emphasizing a particular word or phrase.
• 😀 Understanding Japanese pitch accent can prevent the mistake of adding stress in the wrong places, which might make Japanese sound unnatural to native speakers.
• 😀 While mastering pitch accent isn't critical to being understood in Japanese, it can significantly improve pronunciation and make speech sound more natural and native-like.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The main topic of the video is Japanese pitch accent terminology, focusing on explaining various aspects like pitch, stress, accent, downstep, mora, and intonation in the context of Japanese phonetics.

What does the presenter mean by 'pitch' in the context of Japanese phonetics?

In Japanese phonetics, 'pitch' refers to the high and low tones of a word or phrase, independent of volume. It is important to note that pitch is not the same as volume, as words can change pitch without a noticeable change in loudness.

How does pitch accent differ from stress in languages like English?

Pitch accent in Japanese is determined by the variation in high and low tones within a word, whereas stress in English involves the force applied to certain syllables, affecting both volume and pitch. Stress is not a part of the Japanese pitch accent system.

What is downstep, and how does it relate to pitch accent in Japanese?

Downstep refers to a drop in pitch from high to low within a word. In Japanese, downsteps are part of pitch accent patterns and are crucial for identifying which words have accents. Words with downsteps exhibit more prominence in their pitch.

What is the importance of 'mora' in understanding Japanese pitch accent?

Mora is a unit used to count syllables in Japanese. It differs from syllables because certain combinations of sounds (like small 'tsu' or 'ya' characters) count as a single mora. Understanding mora is essential when studying Japanese pitch accent patterns.

What is the difference between intonation and pitch accent in Japanese?

Pitch accent refers to the fixed high and low tone patterns that exist in individual words, while intonation refers to how pitch accent patterns can change based on a speaker's emotions or motives. Intonation can involve changes in both pitch and stress.

Why is it important to study Japanese pitch accent, even if it’s not strictly necessary for understanding?

Studying pitch accent is important for speaking Japanese naturally. While you can still be understood without perfect pitch accent, using the correct patterns helps you sound more native-like, especially as you gain confidence and add stress to words.

What did the presenter realize about their own Japanese pronunciation during their time at university?

The presenter realized that despite feeling confident in their Japanese pronunciation, they were unconsciously stressing words in ways that were incorrect according to Japanese pitch accent rules, especially with words from the heibong family, which do not have accent patterns.

How does the difference in pitch accent patterns affect how native Japanese speakers perceive non-native speakers?

If a non-native speaker adds stress or changes the pitch accent pattern incorrectly, their speech may sound unnatural to native speakers. Even if they are confident, the wrong pitch accent can make the speech less fluent or even incorrect, especially in isolated words.

What advice does the presenter give about learning Japanese pitch accent?

The presenter advises that while it's okay to make mistakes with pitch accent, learning it properly can greatly improve one's pronunciation and spoken language. For those aiming for native-like fluency, studying pitch accent is highly recommended, though being intelligible is still possible without perfect pitch accent.