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FIRST MISSION!!

First mission for Asia’s Mafia Learning Squad:

 

 

       Wellcome to the Japanese Gang! I am Kakato, your japanese teacher. Plus kawaii sensei!

 

 

       In this first mission we are going to learn the basics of reading and writing japanese: hiragana and katakana. Both are syllabaries used in japanese. They are like the romanized alphabet but using syllabals.


       First, let’s memorize the hiragana syllabary:

       Every character represents a sound. Begin with the vowels (a, i, u, e, o) and then we combine the vowels with the following letters creating syllabals (k, s, t, n, h, m, y, r, w). Finally, we have the sound “N” that is the only consonant that works without any vowel.

 

 

       It should be difficult for you to learn this from 0 but don't worry! Once you have learned hiragana you won't forget it ever again. It's like riding a bike, it may look a little tricky but when you have got it you can't stop riding! With a little effort and practice rewritting this list everyday I assure you that it will become easy peasy.

 

 

       Hiragana is used for most of Japanese words. Moreover, to write particles that have an important use in Japanese grammar and suffixes too (-san, -kun, -chan). It is used to write kanji's reading sistem too. When you see a kanji (xinese character used in Japanese) you will also see that usually we find hiragana writed upon them.


Finally, we have katakana's syllabary:

       In this table we have the same as in the other hiragana's table: the vowels (a, i, u, e, o) and then consonants + vowels forming syllabals (k, s, t, n, h, m, y, r, w). And the N that like in the other table is a lonely consonant.

 

 

       Katakana is different from hiragana's writing because the strokes are more static and straight. I suggets you first start learning hiragana and when you have mastered it, try with katakana.

 

 

       Katakana is used to transcript foreign words into Japanese and also to represent onomatopoeia.


       In both syllabaries we have combinations of syllabals that we need to learn too. Here is a table for you to learn:

IMPURE SOUNDS: (“) and (º)

 

       I don't know if you have seen this (“) or this (º) above a hiragana or katakana.

 

       “ (ten ten) is used to sonorize consonants + vowels. It is used with k, s, t, and h. When used change this consonants to g, z, d, and b. There are a few excepcions:

  • “Shi” with “ is readed “Ji”.

  • “Chi” with “ is readed “Ji”

  • “Tsu” with “ is readed “Zu”

 

º (maru) is used to deafen consonants + vowels. It is used with h which it transforms into a p.

 

How to: double counsonants and vowels

 

       In japanese there are some words that have doubled its consonants or vowels. First, if we want to double a counsonant we only have to put a little “tsu” infront of the consonant that we want to double:

ゆっくり-> Yukkuri (The K of Ku is doubled because we have put a little tsu infront of the hiragana)

 

       Finally, to double vowels we only need to put the same vowel we have behind. If it's wa we put an a. If it's te we put an e. But in order to double o or u we are going to use just u. If we want to double yo we put an u:

 

さようなら-> Sayoonara

 

Your boss, Mr. Kakato

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