Among people studying Japanese, the transcription of words is a real reason for a quarrel. Which is better to write: “ti” or “chi”, “si” or “shi”? Why is it that when a Japanese scholar sees that an anime character's name is "Senjougahara", blood starts flowing from his eyes? You will learn about the types of transcription and how to pronounce Japanese sounds in this article.
Before directly studying the signs of the Japanese alphabet, it is necessary to understand how certain sounds are pronounced and by what means they are conveyed in writing in other languages. We will consider three recording options:
1) Hepburn system (Latin);
2) kunrei-shiki (Latin);
3) Polivanov system (Cyrillic).
Hepburn system
(The Hepburn romanization system)
James Curtis Hepburn (March 13, 1815 – September 21, 1911) was a physician, translator, teacher, and Protestant missionary. In 1867, he published a Japanese-English dictionary in Shanghai. Later, the Japanese society "Romajikai", developing projects for the romanization of Japanese writing, borrowed and slightly modified the English transcription of Japanese words used in the second edition of this dictionary. In 1886, in the third edition, published in Tokyo, Hepburn presented a new transcription that completely coincides with that created by the Romajikai society.
After World War II, Hepburn's transcription quickly gained popularity. The Japanese use it to write down names on passports, names of places on road signs, and names of companies. Japanese language textbooks for foreigners also use Hepburn's transcription. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that the characters of the Latin alphabet convey the sound of Japanese words from the point of view of native English speakers, without taking into account how the sounds are perceived by the Japanese themselves.
Kunrei-shiki (訓令式)
This version of the transcription was created in 1885 by Professor Tanakadate Aikitsu (September 18 - May 21, 1952). The presence of two ways to write Japanese words in Latin letters caused controversy and confusion, so it was decided to choose only one of them. Thus, in 1937, the Kunrei-shiki system was established as a nationwide transcription standard.
This notation system is more scientific. It is most often used by the Japanese themselves and linguists studying Japanese. In most elementary schools in Japan, this method of writing Japanese words is taught in native language lessons.
Kunrei-shiki is a more faithful transcription from the point of view of the language system, reflecting sounds as the Japanese themselves perceive them. ABOUThowever, it may cause a non-native Japanese speaker to pronounce words incorrectly (more on this later).
Polivanov system
Evgeny Dmitrievich Polivanov (March 12, 1891 - January 25, 1938) - Russian and Soviet linguist, orientalist and literary critic. He was involved in the study and research of various dialects of the Japanese language, phonology, as well as teaching and political activities. In 1917, he proposed a system for writing Japanese words in Cyrillic, which is still widely used today.
In its structure, Polivanov's system is similar to kurei-shiki: it is scientific and logical, but can contribute to misunderstanding of the rules of pronunciation of some Japanese sounds. Therefore, at present there are many disputes, as well as discrepancies in the Cyrillic recording of Japanese words.
Polivanov’s recording method conflicts with the so-called “folk” transcription, which, due to its unsystematic nature, will be considered in this article only in comparison with Polivanov’s.
Let's look at all three transcription methods in a comparative table:
Comparative table of transcriptions
Pay attention to the syllables in bold. They are the ones that always cause confusion when writing Japanese words in Cyrillic or Latin.
You may have noticed that in Russian transcription, for example, the letter “sh” is not used. That is why knowledgeable people are outraged that the word “sushi” is written this way, and not as “sushi.” There is no letter “e” in Cyrillic transcription. However, many words like “sushi”, “geisha” and “anime” have already firmly entered into everyday life in such a modified form.
Several factors contribute to the incorrect writing of Japanese words in Cyrillic. For example, when translating English-language texts in which Japanese realities are found, people, not knowing about the existence of Polivanov’s system, will write words in Russian, relying on their Latin version. Accordingly, “sh” can easily turn into “sh”, “j” into “j”, etc.
But another, most important factor is the auditory perception of the sounds of the Japanese language and, accordingly, their recording in a different way. So how are they pronounced?
Japanese pronunciation
In general, for a Russian person Japanese pronunciation will not seem difficult. Some confusion may arise due to attempts to read the transcription in the manner of the Russian language. Below we will describe how certain sounds are pronounced in the syllables of kana. However, to better understand the peculiarities of pronunciation, we advise you to use the Internet to listen to Japanese pronunciation. For example, here you will find hiragana, and here katakana. The resource provides the opportunity to listen to the pronunciation of syllables of the Japanese alphabet by clicking the mouse.
A - looks like Russian A; pronounced the same way as in the Russian word “sam”.
And – sounds like the Russian sound in the word “world”; if I is in a word after a vowel sound (except uh), it starts to sound like th.
U - lips do not round and do not stretch forward, as when pronouncing Russian at, but on the contrary, they stretch slightly, as when pronouncing And. The Japanese sound u resembles a sound average between Russians at And s.
E - sounds like a Russian sound uh in the word “these”; does not soften the preceding consonant sound (therefore, it is incorrect to convey it in writing with the Russian letter “e”, as often happens in “folk” transcription).
O - pronounced like a Russian sound O, however, the lips do not stretch, but are only slightly rounded.
K and G - these sounds are pronounced in all syllables in the same way as Russian To And G.
S – in the syllables SA, SU, SE, SO, pronounced the same way as the Russian sound With. In the syllables SI, SYA, SYU, SIO, the first sound is a soft hissing sound and is pronounced as a sound intermediate between Russians sya And sch(accordingly, there can be no question of transcribing it with the letter “sh”).
DZ - in the syllables DZA, DZU, DZE, DZO sounds like a fusion of sounds d And h(that is, you don’t need to say it first d, and then h). In the syllables DZI, DZYA, DZYU, DZIO, the first sound has no analogue in Russian. It can be described as a fusion of sounds d and soft and.
T – in the syllables TA, TE, TO coincides with the Russian sound T. In the syllables TI, TYA, TYU, TYO it is pronounced as a sound, average between Russians t And h.
D - in the syllables DA, DE, DO coincides with the Russian sound d.
Ts – pronounced the same way as the Russian sound ts.
N - in the syllables NA, NI, NU, NE, BUT, NYA, NU, NIO, pronounced the same way as in Russian.
X - in the syllables HA, HE, XO is pronounced more quietly than the Russian sound X; in the syllable HI is pronounced the same as in the Russian word “giggle”.
F – sound, average between X and Russians f.
P and B - pronounced the same way as Russian sounds n And b.
M – coincides with the Russian sound m.
R – sound, average between Russian sounds l And r(pronounce the Russian sound r, but so that your tongue does not vibrate). Due to lack of sound l the Japanese use sound instead r in borrowed words. So, for example, Russian names A l ina And A r ina they will sound the same in Japanese.
The syllables Ya, Yu, Yo are pronounced the same as Russians I, yu, yo. They are called syllables because they consist of two sounds: a consonant (th) and a vowel (a/u/o).
В – represents a sound intermediate between Russians V And at. The syllable O (を/ヲ), once part of the series VA, is not read as in, and coincides with the Russian sound O.
N (in the syllable ん/ン) – at the end of words or before vowels, pronounced as a nasal sound (as if you are saying the sound n not with your mouth, but with your nose); before the sounds b, p, m reads like Russian sound m; in all other cases it is pronounced as a Russian sound n.
We present to your attention a short Japanese phrasebook; if you need everyday, frequently used words and phrases in Japanese, then go ahead!
Greetings
Ohayo gozaimasu (Ohayou gozaimasu) - "Good morning".
This is a variant of a fairly polite good morning wish.
It is worth recalling that "y" don't pronounce in Japanese after voiceless consonants. So they say it "Ohae gozaimas".
Ohayou- This is an informal option, can be used among friends and youth.
Ossu– a very informal and very masculine version (pronounced like "oss"). Girls are strongly advised not to use masculine pronunciations.
Konnichiwa- “Good afternoon”, “Hello”, “Hello”. Probably one of the most famous Japanese words.
Yahho! (Yahhoo)– an informal version of the word “hello”.
Ooh! (Ooi)– also an informal version of “Hello”, used by men. Often to attract attention at a great distance.
Yo! (Yo!)- an exclusively informal male version of the same greeting.
Gokigenyou– a rather rare and very polite female greeting, which can be translated as “Hello.”
Konbanwa- "Good evening".
Hisashiburi desu- “Long time no see.” Pronounced like "hisashiburi des." A female informal option would be - Hisashiburi ne? (Hisashiburi ne?), male Hisashiburi da naa... (Hisashiburi da naa) .
Moshi-moshi– used when answering a phone call as “hello”.
Farewells
Sayonara– the usual “Farewell” option if there is little chance of a new meeting.
Saraba– an informal option like “bye.”
Mata Ashita– the usual “see you tomorrow” option. Female - Mata ne, male - Mata naa.
Dzya, mata (Jaa, mata)- “See you again.” A very commonly used informal option.
Jia (Jaa)– a very informal option, often used by friends.
De wa- a little more formal than "Jia (Jaa)".
Oyasumi nasai- "Good night". A somewhat formal option, an informal one would be simple - Oyasumi.
Everyday phrases in Japanese:
Answers
Hai – “Yes.” Universal standard answer. Often it can mean anything, but not agreement, but, for example, only “continue”, “I understand”, “yeah”.
Haa (Haa)- “Yes, sir,” “I obey, sir.” This is a very formal expression.
Uh (Ee)- “Yes.” Not very formal.
Ryoukai- “That’s right.” Military response.
Ie- "No". Standard polite expression. Also used as a polite form of declining gratitude or compliment.
Nai- "No". Used to indicate the absence or non-existence of something.
Betsu ni- "Nothing".
Naruhodo- “Of course,” “Of course.”
Motiron- "Naturally!" Expression of confidence.
Yahari- "I thought so".
Yappari– too, but not so formally.
Maa... (Maa)- "Maybe…"
Saa... (Saa)- "Well…". Used when they have difficulty agreeing and doubt.
Honto desu ka? (Hontou desu ka?)- “Really?”, “Really?”
Honto? (Hontou?)– Less formal.
So desu ka? (Sou desu ka?)– Formal form of the phrase “Wow...”. Informal - So what? (Sou ka?), can be pronounced as “Su ka!”
So desu nee... (Sou desu nee)- “That’s how it is...” Formal version.
So da na... (Sou da naa)- Male version.
So nah... (Sou nee)– Female version.
Masaka! (Masaka)- “It can’t be!”
Everyday phrases in Japanese:
Requests
Onegai shimasu- A very polite form of request. Especially often used in requests like “do something for me.”
Onegai– A less polite and much more common request.
- kudasai- Polite form. Added as a suffix to a verb.
- kudasaimasen ka? (kudasaimasenka)- More polite form. It is also added as a suffix to a verb. It can be translated as “could you do something for me?”
Everyday phrases in Japanese:
Acknowledgments
Doumo– “Thank you” is used in response to everyday small help. For example, when you were let ahead or served something.
Arigatou gozaimasu– A polite and formal form, the expression is usually pronounced as “Arigato gozaimas“.
Arigatou— Less formal polite form.
Doumo arigatou- "Thank you very much".
Doumo arigatou gozaimasu– A very polite and very formal phrase of gratitude.
Osewa ni narimashita- “I am your debtor.” Very polite and formal uniform. Informally they say - Osewa ni natta.
Iie- "My pleasure". Informal form. Polite option - Dou itashimashite.
Everyday phrases in Japanese:
Apologies
Gomen nasai– “Excuse me, please”, “I beg your pardon”, “I’m very sorry.” A very polite form. Expresses regret for some reason, say, if you have to disturb someone. Often not an apology for a significant offense (unlike “sumimasen”).
Gomen– Informal form of the same.
Sumimasen- "I'm sorry". Polite form. An apology for committing a significant wrongdoing.
Sumanai/Suman– Not very polite, male version.
Shitsurei shimasu- "I'm sorry". Very polite formal uniform. Used, say, as “I’m sorry to bother you” when entering a superior’s office.
Shitsurei– too, but less formally.
Moushiwake arimasen- “I have no forgiveness.” A very polite and formal form, more often used in the army and in business.
Moushiwake nai- not such a formal option.
Dozo- “Please.” A short form, an offer to enter, take an item, and so on. The answer is something we already know “Domo”.
Chotto... (Chotto)- "No worries". Polite form of refusal. For example, if you are offered coffee.
Everyday phrases in Japanese:
Everyday phrases
Itte kimasu– Literally can be translated as “I left, but I’m going to come back.” Use when leaving home for work or school.
Chotto itte kuru– Not a formal form, something like “I’ll go out for a minute.”
Itte irashai- “Come back quickly.” In response to " Itte kimasu."
Tadaima- “I'm back” or “I'm home.” It is also used as a spiritual return home.
Okaeri nasai– “Welcome home,” in response to “Tadaima” . Okaeri- not a formal option.
Itadakimasu- pronounced before eating. Literally – “I accept [this food].” They often fold their palms as if in prayer.
Gochisousama deshita- “Thank you, it was delicious.” When finishing a meal. Another option is Gochisousama
Everyday phrases in Japanese:
Everyday and necessary phrases
Kawaii! (Kawaii)- “Wow!”, “How cute!”, “How lovely!” . Often used in relation to children, girls, and also very handsome guys. This word has a strong meaning of “manifestation of weakness, femininity, passivity (in the sexual sense of the word).”
Sugoi! (Sugoi)– “Cool” or “Cool/cool!” In relation to people, it is used to denote masculinity.
Kakkoii! (Kakkoii!)- “Cool, beautiful, awesome!”
Suteki! (Suteki!)– “Beautiful, charming, delightful!”, pronounced “Stacky!”
Hide! (Hidoi!)- “Evil!”, “bad.”
Forge! (Kowai)- "Scary!" . With an expression of fear.
Matte! (Matte)- “Wait!”, “Stop!”
Abunay! (Abunai)– warning – “Danger!” or “Look out!”
SOS phrases in Japanese:
Tasukete! (Tasukete)- “Help!”, “Help!” - pronounced as “Taskete!”
Yamero!/Yamete! (Yamero/Yamete)- “Stop!”, “Stop it!” or “Stop it!”
Dame! (Dame)- “No, don’t do that!”
Hanase! (Hanase)- “Let go!”
Hentai! (Hentai)- “Pervert!”
Urusai! (Urusai)- "Shut up!"
Uso! (Uso)- “Lie!”, “You’re lying!”
It’s good that when you come to a country, you can freely communicate with local residents in their native language - this is an ideal option. But not everyone and not always have such knowledge, and although I believe that simply memorizing individual phrases, without a general knowledge of the language, will not lead to mutual understanding with local residents, perhaps some phrases can still be useful.
From my own experience, I know that a foreigner’s attempt to pronounce at least generally accepted phrases, such as good morning, thank you, goodbye, in the local language, always causes a good response.
So as not to read everything written on the screen, if you need these hint words for a trip to Japan or for communicating with Japanese friends download them for yourself for free, print and use. The words are partially published on this page as a clear example of what you will see in the electronic version.
And for the correct pronunciation of words, it is better to read a couple of articles, since in the Japanese language there are such concepts as reduction - abbreviation and, as a result, words are pronounced differently from how they are written. This is especially typical for words with the endings - です - desu, します - shimasu, in fact, the sound “u” is not pronounced.
Useful words and expressions in Japanese.
Greetings:
ohayo gozaimasu - good morning!
konnichiwa - hello (good afternoon)!
konbanwa - good evening!
hajimemashite - nice to meet you
douzo eroschiku - nice to meet you
o-yasumi nasai - good night
sayunara - goodbye!
Politeness formulas:
namae-o oshiete kudasai - what is your name?
then moushimasu is my name...
sumimasen - sorry
o-genki des ka - how are you?
genki des - thank you, ok
ie - no
arigatou - thank you
doumo arigatou gozaimas - thank you very much
douitaschite - no need for gratitude
onegai... - please (if informal request)...
douzo - please (if invited)...
kekkou desu - no thanks
chetto matte kudasai - please wait
shitsurei shimashita - sorry (for disturbing you)
itadakimasu - bon appetit
gochisou-sama deshita... - thank you for the treat
Expression of basic needs:
onaka-ga suku - I'm hungry
nodo-ga kawaku - I'm thirsty
koohi-o kudasai - please give me a cup of coffee
tsukareta - I'm tired
nemuy des - I want to sleep
o-tearai-wa dochira desu ka - where is the toilet?
Doko desu ka - where is...
are-o misete kudasai - please show me this...
Communication in stereotypical situations:
douschitan des ka - what happened?
daijoubu desu ka - are you okay?
daijoubu desu - everything is fine
ikura desu ka - how much does it cost?
dochira-no go shushushchin desu ka - where did you (arrive) from?
Sagashite imas - I'm looking for...
michi-ni mayomashita - I got lost (in the city)
koko-wa doko desu ka - where am I?
eki-wa doko desu ka - where is the train station?
Basutei-wa doko desu ka - where is the bus stop?
Ginza-wa dochi desu ka - how to get to Ginza?
nihongo-ga wakarimasen - I don't understand Japanese
wakarimasu ka - do you understand?
wakarimasen - I don't understand
shitte imas - I know
Shirimasen - I don't know
kore-wa nan desu ka - what is it (this)?
kore-o kudasai - I'll buy it...
eigo-o hanasemas ka - do you speak English?
roshchiago de hanasemasu ka - do you speak Russian?
eigo no dekiru-hito imasu ka - does anyone here speak English?
nihongo-de nanto iimasu ka - how do you say it in Japanese?
eigo-de nanto iimasu ka - how would it be in English?
Groveago de nanto iimasu ka - how would it be in Russian?
mou ichi do itte kudasai - say it again, please
yukkuri hanashite kudasai - please speak more slowly
E itte kudasai - please take me to... (in a taxi)
Made ikura desu ka - how much will it cost to travel to...
aishiteiru - I love you
kibun-ga varui - I feel bad
Questions:
Dare? - Who?
Nani? - What?
daughters? - which?
dore? -Which?
itsu? -When?
nan-ji desuka? - what time is it?
doko? - Where?
naze - why?
Basic formulas for a telephone conversation:
power-power - hello!
Tanaka-san-wa imasu ka - can I please Mr. Tanaka?
donata desu ka - please tell me who is on the phone?
Ivanov desu - Ivanov is on the phone
rusu desu - he is not at home
gaischutsu shiteimasu - he left the office
denwashimasu - I'll call you
bangouchigai desu - you dialed the wrong number
Main health-related complaints:
onaka-ga itai - my stomach hurts
kaze-o hiita - I have a cold
kega-o shield - I got hurt
Samuke-ga suru - I'm chilling
netsu-ga aru - I have a high fever
nodo-ga itai - my throat hurts
kouketsuatsu - my blood pressure has risen
kossetsu - I have a fracture
haita - I have a toothache
shinzoubeu - my heart worries me
jutsuu - I have a headache
haien - I have pneumonia
mocheuen - I'm having an attack of appendicitis
yakedo - I have a burn
hanazumari - I have a runny nose
Gary - I have diarrhea
arerugia - I have allergies
Most used nouns:
juusche - address
Kuukou airport
ginkou - bank
yakkyoku - pharmacy
beuin - hospital
okane - money
bangou - number
keisatsu - police
yuubinkyoku - post office
jinja - Shinto shrine
Otera - Buddhist temple
eki - station
denva - telephone
kippu - ticket
denshcha - electric train
sakana - fish
yasai - vegetables
kudamono - fruit
niku - meat
mizu - water
fuyu - winter
haru - spring
Natsu - summer
aki - autumn
ame - rain
Most used verbs:
kau - buy
dekiru - to be able
kuru - to come
nomu - to drink
taberu - to eat
iku - to go
uru - sell
hanasu - talk
tomaru - rent (hotel room)
vakaru - to understand
aruku - to walk
kaku - write
Pronouns:
vataschi - I
wataschitachi - we
anata - you, you
kare - he
kanojo - she
karera - they
Most used adjectives:
ii - good
varui - bad
ookii - big
chiisai - small
You can also get acquainted with the phonetics of the Japanese language, learn the pronunciation of adverbs, colors, numerals, directions, see the writing of useful hieroglyphs indicating the days of the week, months, announcements and signs, the names of cities and regions, you can download a free Japanese phrasebook. I would be glad if he helps you navigate when visiting Japan. Additionally, I recommend reading the article about the Japanese language and
To receive the Russian-Japanese phrasebook, you must subscribe to receive the electronic version of the phrasebook, located in the sidebar of the blog.
Among people studying Japanese, the transcription of words is a real reason for a quarrel. Which is better to write: “ti” or “chi”, “si” or “shi”? Why is it that when a Japanese scholar sees that an anime character's name is "Senjougahara", blood starts flowing from his eyes? You will learn about the types of transcription and how to pronounce Japanese sounds in this article.
Before directly studying the signs of the Japanese alphabet, it is necessary to understand how certain sounds are pronounced and by what means they are conveyed in writing in other languages. We will consider three recording options:
1) Hepburn system (Latin);
2) kunrei-shiki (Latin);
3) Polivanov system (Cyrillic).
Hepburn system
(The Hepburn romanization system)
James Curtis Hepburn (March 13, 1815 – September 21, 1911) was a physician, translator, teacher, and Protestant missionary. In 1867, he published a Japanese-English dictionary in Shanghai. Later, the Japanese society "Romajikai", developing projects for the romanization of Japanese writing, borrowed and slightly modified the English transcription of Japanese words used in the second edition of this dictionary. In 1886, in the third edition, published in Tokyo, Hepburn presented a new transcription that completely coincides with that created by the Romajikai society.
After World War II, Hepburn's transcription quickly gained popularity. The Japanese use it to write down names on passports, names of places on road signs, and names of companies. Japanese language textbooks for foreigners also use Hepburn's transcription. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that the characters of the Latin alphabet convey the sound of Japanese words from the point of view of native English speakers, without taking into account how the sounds are perceived by the Japanese themselves.
Kunrei-shiki (訓令式)
This version of the transcription was created in 1885 by Professor Tanakadate Aikitsu (September 18 - May 21, 1952). The presence of two ways to write Japanese words in Latin letters caused controversy and confusion, so it was decided to choose only one of them. Thus, in 1937, the Kunrei-shiki system was established as a nationwide transcription standard.
This notation system is more scientific. It is most often used by the Japanese themselves and linguists studying Japanese. In most elementary schools in Japan, this method of writing Japanese words is taught in native language lessons.
Kunrei-shiki is a more faithful transcription from the point of view of the language system, reflecting sounds as the Japanese themselves perceive them. ABOUThowever, it may cause a non-native Japanese speaker to pronounce words incorrectly (more on this later).
Polivanov system
Evgeny Dmitrievich Polivanov (March 12, 1891 - January 25, 1938) - Russian and Soviet linguist, orientalist and literary critic. He was involved in the study and research of various dialects of the Japanese language, phonology, as well as teaching and political activities. In 1917, he proposed a system for writing Japanese words in Cyrillic, which is still widely used today.
In its structure, Polivanov's system is similar to kurei-shiki: it is scientific and logical, but can contribute to misunderstanding of the rules of pronunciation of some Japanese sounds. Therefore, at present there are many disputes, as well as discrepancies in the Cyrillic recording of Japanese words.
Polivanov’s recording method conflicts with the so-called “folk” transcription, which, due to its unsystematic nature, will be considered in this article only in comparison with Polivanov’s.
Let's look at all three transcription methods in a comparative table:
Comparative table of transcriptions
Pay attention to the syllables in bold. They are the ones that always cause confusion when writing Japanese words in Cyrillic or Latin.
You may have noticed that in Russian transcription, for example, the letter “sh” is not used. That is why knowledgeable people are outraged that the word “sushi” is written this way, and not as “sushi.” There is no letter “e” in Cyrillic transcription. However, many words like “sushi”, “geisha” and “anime” have already firmly entered into everyday life in such a modified form.
Several factors contribute to the incorrect writing of Japanese words in Cyrillic. For example, when translating English-language texts in which Japanese realities are found, people, not knowing about the existence of Polivanov’s system, will write words in Russian, relying on their Latin version. Accordingly, “sh” can easily turn into “sh”, “j” into “j”, etc.
But another, most important factor is the auditory perception of the sounds of the Japanese language and, accordingly, their recording in a different way. So how are they pronounced?
Japanese pronunciation
In general, for a Russian person Japanese pronunciation will not seem difficult. Some confusion may arise due to attempts to read the transcription in the manner of the Russian language. Below we will describe how certain sounds are pronounced in the syllables of kana. However, to better understand the peculiarities of pronunciation, we advise you to use the Internet to listen to Japanese pronunciation. For example, here you will find, and here. The resource provides the opportunity to listen to the pronunciation of syllables of the Japanese alphabet by clicking the mouse.
A - looks like Russian A; pronounced the same way as in the Russian word “sam”.
And – sounds like the Russian sound in the word “world”; if I is in a word after a vowel sound (except uh), it starts to sound like th.
U - lips do not round and do not stretch forward, as when pronouncing Russian at, but on the contrary, they stretch slightly, as when pronouncing And. The Japanese sound u resembles a sound average between Russians at And s.
E - sounds like a Russian sound uh in the word “these”; does not soften the preceding consonant sound (therefore, it is incorrect to convey it in writing with the Russian letter “e”, as often happens in “folk” transcription).
O - pronounced like a Russian sound O, however, the lips do not stretch, but are only slightly rounded.
K and G - these sounds are pronounced in all syllables in the same way as Russian To And G.
S – in the syllables SA, SU, SE, SO, pronounced the same way as the Russian sound With. In the syllables SI, SYA, SYU, SIO, the first sound is a soft hissing sound and is pronounced as a sound intermediate between Russians sya And sch(accordingly, there can be no question of transcribing it with the letter “sh”).
DZ - in the syllables DZA, DZU, DZE, DZO sounds like a fusion of sounds d And h(that is, you don’t need to say it first d, and then h). In the syllables DZI, DZYA, DZYU, DZIO, the first sound has no analogue in Russian. It can be described as a fusion of sounds d and soft and.
T – in the syllables TA, TE, TO coincides with the Russian sound T. In the syllables TI, TYA, TYU, TYO it is pronounced as a sound, average between Russians t And h.
D - in the syllables DA, DE, DO coincides with the Russian sound d.
Ts – pronounced the same way as the Russian sound ts.
N - in the syllables NA, NI, NU, NE, BUT, NYA, NU, NIO, pronounced the same way as in Russian.
X - in the syllables HA, HE, XO is pronounced more quietly than the Russian sound X; in the syllable HI is pronounced the same as in the Russian word “giggle”.
F – sound, average between X and Russians f.
P and B - pronounced the same way as Russian sounds n And b.
M – coincides with the Russian sound m.
R – sound, average between Russian sounds l And r(pronounce the Russian sound r, but so that your tongue does not vibrate). Due to lack of sound l the Japanese use sound instead r in borrowed words. So, for example, Russian names A l ina And A r ina they will sound the same in Japanese.
The syllables Ya, Yu, Yo are pronounced the same as Russians I, yu, yo. They are called syllables because they consist of two sounds: a consonant (th) and a vowel (a/u/o).
В – represents a sound intermediate between Russians V And at. The syllable O (を/ヲ), once part of the series VA, is not read as in, and coincides with the Russian sound O.
N (in the syllable ん/ン) – at the end of words or before vowels, pronounced as a nasal sound (as if you are saying the sound n not with your mouth, but with your nose); before the sounds b, p, m reads like Russian sound m; in all other cases it is pronounced as a Russian sound n.
