Learn to Combine the Sounds in Japanese with the Y Group
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| Hi everyone! I’m Michelle Yamamoto. |
| Welcome back to The Ultimate Japanese Pronunciation Guide at JapanesePod101.com. |
| In this lesson, you'll combine sounds with the Y-group や ゆ and よ. |
| Do you remember the syllables ending in an "i" sound? |
| They are き、し、ち、に、ひ、み、り. |
| These syllables are combined with や、ゆ、よ. |
| For example, when き is combined with や、ゆ、よ, it will become きゃ、きゅ、きょ. |
| In pronunciation, the "y" sound is called a glide. Take a look at this chart. |
| When you write the y group, you write や、ゆ、よ smaller. |
| Okay, let's get started. |
| The first one is... |
| きゃ、きゅ、きょ |
| き is combined with や to get きゃ |
| You need to say き and や together very quickly to form them into one syllable. |
| Repeat after me. |
| きゃ |
| きゃ |
| き combined with ゆ to get きゅ |
| Say き and ゆ together very quickly in one syllable. Let's try it together! |
| Repeat after me. |
| きゅ |
| きゅ |
| き is combined with よ to make きょ. |
| Repeat after me. |
| きょ |
| きょ |
| Let's try some words. |
| きゃく customer, きゃ・く、きゃく |
| きゅう nine, きゅ・う、きゅう |
| きょか permission, きょ・か、きょか |
| Next is し. When し meets や、ゆ and よ, the sounds merge. |
| しゃ、しゅ、しょ |
| し combined with や, ゆ、よ to get しゃ、しゅ、しょ |
| Be sure to pronounce two sounds in one syllable. |
| Repeat after me. |
| しゃ |
| しゅ |
| しょ |
| For example |
| しゃしん photo, しゃ・し・ん、しゃしん |
| しゅみ hobby, しゅ・み、しゅみ |
| しょくじ meal, しょ・く・じ、しょくじ |
| The next sound combination is... |
| ちゃ、ちゅ、ちょ |
| ち combined with や, ゆ、よ to get ちゃ、ちゅ、ちょ |
| Be sure to say two sounds in one syllable. |
| Repeat after me. |
| ちゃ |
| ちゅ |
| ちょ |
| Ready for some examples? |
| ちゃいろ brown, ちゃ・い・ろ、ちゃいろ |
| ちゅうごく China, ちゅ・う・ご・く、ちゅうごく |
| チョーク chalk, チョ・ー・ク、チョーク |
| The next one is... |
| にゃ、にゅ、にょ |
| に can be combined with や, ゆ、よ to make にゃ、にゅ、にょ |
| Repeat after me. |
| にゃ |
| にゅ |
| にょ |
| Let's practice them in some words. |
| にゃーにゃー meow, meow, にゃー・にゃー、にゃーにゃー |
| ニューヨーク New York, ニュー・ヨー・ク、ニューヨーク |
| エルニーニョ El Nino, エ・ル・ニー・ニョ、エルニーニョ |
| The next one is... |
| ひゃ、ひゅ、ひょ |
| ひ can be combined with や, ゆ、よ to make ひゃ、ひゅ、ひょ. |
| Repeat after me. |
| ひゃ |
| ひゅ |
| ひょ |
| Here are some words. |
| ひゃく hundred, ひゃ・く、ひゃく |
| ヒューストン Houston、ヒュ・ー・ス・ト・ン、ヒューストン |
| ひょう leopard、ひょ・う、ひょう |
| The next one is... |
| みゃ、みゅ、みょ |
| み combined with や, ゆ、よ to get みゃ、みゅ、みょ |
| Repeat after me. |
| みゃ |
| みゅ |
| みょ |
| Let's try some words. |
| みゃく pulse, みゃ・く、みゃく |
| ミュージック music, ミュ・ー・ジッ・ク、ミュージック |
| みょうじ family name, みょ・う・じ、みょうじ |
| The next one is... |
| りゃ、りゅ、りょ |
| り combined with や, ゆ、よ make the merged sounds りゃ、りゅ、りょ |
| Repeat after me. |
| りゃ |
| りゅ |
| りょ |
| Now for some words. |
| りゃく abbreviation, りゃ・く、りゃく |
| りゅう dragon、りゅう、りゅ・う、りゅう |
| りょうり cook, りょ・う・り、りょうり |
| We have more syllables ending in an "i" sound, which are ぎ、じ、び、ぴ. |
| The next group is when ぎ combines with the y group. |
| ぎゃ、ぎゅ、ぎょ |
| Repeat after me. |
| ぎゃ |
| ぎゅ |
| ぎょ |
| Let's take some examples. |
| ぎゃく reverse、ぎゃ・く、ぎゃく |
| ぎゅうにゅう milk, ぎゅ・う・にゅ・う、ぎゅうにゅう |
| きんぎょ gold fish, き・ん・ぎょ、きんぎょ |
| Next up is the じ group |
| じゃ、じゅ、じょ |
| Repeat after me. |
| じゃ |
| じゅ |
| じょ |
| Let's get these words down. |
| ジャズ jazz, ジャ・ズ、ジャズ |
| ジュース juice ジュ・ー・ス、ジュース |
| じょうだん joke, じょ・う・だ・ん、じょうだん |
| Let's look at び。 |
| びゃ、びゅ、びょ |
| Repeat after me. |
| びゃ |
| びゅ |
| びょ |
| Let's try some more words. |
| さんびゃく three hundred, さ・ん・びゃ・く、さんびゃく |
| デビュー debut, デ・ビュ・ー、デビュー |
| びょういん hospital, びょ・う・い・ん、びょういん |
| Don't confuse びょういん with びよういん. Remember you need to say び and よ sounds in one syllable, to say びょういん. |
| The last one is... |
| ぴゃ、ぴゅ、ぴょ |
| Repeat after me. |
| ぴゃ |
| ぴゅ |
| ぴょ |
| Here are some sample words... |
| ろっぴゃく six hundred, ろっ・ぴゃ・く、ろっぴゃく |
| ピュア pure ピュ・ア、ピュア |
| はっぴょう announcement, はっ・ぴょ・う、はっぴょう |
| These are combinations of sounds that you've already learnt, so you're reviewing and learning at the same time! |
| In the next lesson, you'll learn a secret to mastering the Japanese long vowel. Here is a sample. Can you hear the difference between おばさん, meaning "aunt" and おばあさん, meaning "grandma"? You'll learn how in the next lesson. |
| What's the worst pronunciation mistake you've made? Share in the comments. |
| See you in the next Ultimate Japanese Pronunciation Guide lesson! |
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