Katakana - Last Guide

[Saga]

 

This one is the last guide to Katakana. We had to split the whole thing (thank you Chiakaiyuki for helping) since ,as you can see, it's pretty long and might stress mind out.

To avoid getting any of you be lost in some maze of Japanese symbols,I will keep terms away from your head. Only one important thing, we call the alphabets(both Hiragana and Katakana) - "Kana". If someone is curious how another certain thing is called,they can ask.

 

USAGE OF SMALL "ya" "yu" and "yo"

 

As you can see on the picture above,there are small katakana versions of ャ、ュ、ョ. Basically,we are gonna use these versions when we want to write down a sound like "ja"(jya).

There is only one simple rule. All first symbols you put should be a normal size,not a small version,from the endings with 'i'(イ).

And you see on the chart's picture,there are only symbols from the i-ending. Also,you can notice there are voiced symbols included such as 'gya', for example.

 

Important

When you want to make the ending sound longer,you add a normal size symbol or a new marker,it looks like a dash "ー".

I'll make some verations now.

With long ending of 'A'

Sample:

Gyaa -> ギャー (Can be made as "ギャア" ,but it depends on the word you are transforming into katakana)

Or

Haa -> ハー

 

With long ending of 'U'

Sample:

Gyuu ->　ギュー (Can be made as "ギュウ" ,but it depends on the word you are transforming into katakana)

Or

Fuu -> フー

 

With long ending of 'O'

Sample:

Gyou -> ギョー (Can be made as "ギョウ" ,but it depends on the word you are transforming into katakana)

Or

Hoo -> ホー

 

With that said,I should mention how the double sound of consonant is done.It's pretty easy.We put a small version of katakana 'tsu' ッ　in front of the consonant we want to double.

Sample:

Ressun -> レッスン

 

IMPORTANT EXCEPTIONS OF KATAKANA

 

Some of you might notice,but using the markers for voicing the symbol,there are a few sounds that are not really common,but they exist after all.

I didn't want to give them in the lesson with voicing because it might get you confused. Now,since this lesson is a lot of easier one,I can freely list down the exceptions. (:

 

Additional Voice Symbols:

Va -> ヴァ

Vi -> ヴィ

Vu -> ヴ

Ve -> ヴェ

Vo -> ヴォ

 

Wi -> ウィ

We -> ウェ

Wo(different from "ヲ”, is pretty old and not used in modern Japanese. So keep it in mind when it come to "wo" is most probably the one I am showing you now.) -> ウォ

 

Fa -> ファ

Fi -> フィ

Fe -> フェ

Fo -> フォ

 

Che -> チェ

 

Di -> ディ

Du -> ドゥ

 

Ti -> ティ

Tu -> トゥ

 

Je -> ジェ

 

She (No,it's not read as the English "She".) -> シェ

 

 

Wished I could do it easier for you,but these are additional,out of the rules we learned. Since for foreign sounds,they have to come up with something in their language,na? We are talking about Japanese after all ;P XD

 

That's all about Katakana.

Now the rest up to you. You can ask all sort of questions,or simply go to the help center in the Japanese thread. (:

I hope it will help you a bit with your Japanese.

 

Saga©

[chiakaiyuki]

It doesn't seem too bad, just a couple more sounds to remember.

 

W, V, F

 

I get why Wikipedia starts with ウｲ now. ^^