Hiragana #4

Summary

This lesson focuses on Hiragana, covering basic characters, diacritical marks, and contracted sounds. The instructor reads characters aloud and emphasizes the correct usage of the 'g' and 'z' sounds, explaining how certain characters are used more frequently in writing. The lesson also introduces combination letter sounds, such as 'ki' with small 'ya', forming 'kya'. Special attention is given to distinguishing similar sounds and characters. The session ends with writing exercises and a brief review of additional Hiragana characters, aiming to enhance learners' understanding of the nuances in Hiragana writing.

Takeaways

• 📚 Start by reading basic hiragana characters together.
• 🔍 Focus on hiragana with diacritical marks and contracted sounds.
• 🎵 Listen to the music to understand the sounds better.
• 🔤 Recognize that 'g' is not pronounced as 'z' and 'd' is not pronounced as 'g'.
• 📝 Learn to write 'g', but note it's rare and used for special occasions.
• 🐘 Write 'zoo' for the 'z' sound, not 'do'.
• 🔑 Understand that 'zoo' is more commonly used than 'zoo' for special characters.
• 🤔 Combine sounds like 'ki' and 'small ya' to read 'ka', and 'ki' and 'small u' to read 'q'.
• 📝 Practice writing the combination sounds: ka, ki, ku, ke, ko.
• 🖋️ Learn to write with diacritical marks and understand their placement.
• 👋 End the lesson with a summary of the additional characters learned.

Q & A

What is the main focus of this Hiragana lesson?

The main focus of this lesson is learning Hiragana basic characters, diacritical marks, and contracted sounds.

What is the difference between Hiragana characters with and without diacritical marks?

Hiragana characters with diacritical marks represent modified sounds, like turning a 'k' sound into a 'g' sound or an 's' sound into a 'z' sound.

What is the significance of the 'g' sound mentioned in the lesson?

The lesson highlights that in Hiragana, there are two characters for the 'g' sound, and the more common one should be used in most cases. The less common one is reserved for special words.

How does the 'zoo' sound differ from other characters?

There are two versions of the 'zoo' sound. The lesson emphasizes using the more common 'zoo' sound in most contexts, with the second version being used only in special cases.

What are contracted sounds in Hiragana?

Contracted sounds in Hiragana occur when a basic character is combined with a smaller version of 'ya', 'yu', or 'yo' to create a new sound, such as 'kya', 'kyu', and 'kyo'.

What is the irregularity in the 'g' sound mentioned in the lesson?

The irregularity refers to the fact that the 'g' sound in some instances isn't pronounced as a 'z' sound, and it's important to distinguish this when writing or speaking.

When should the less common 'g' character be used?

The less common 'g' character is used in special occasions or words, and learners are encouraged to mostly use the more common 'g' character.

How do learners combine Hiragana characters with diacritical marks and regular characters?

Learners combine diacritical marks with characters to change the sound, such as turning 'ka' into 'ga' by adding the diacritical mark.

What are some examples of Hiragana characters with contracted sounds?

Examples include 'ki' with a small 'ya' becoming 'kya', 'ki' with a small 'yu' becoming 'kyu', and 'ki' with a small 'yo' becoming 'kyo'.

What is the purpose of learning these additional Hiragana characters?

Learning these additional characters, including those with diacritical marks and contracted sounds, expands a learner's ability to read and write in Japanese by covering more complex phonetic patterns.