Master the pronunciation for the consonant + semivowel combinations
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| This is きよう, and this is きょう. |
| This is びよういん, and this is びょういん. |
| In this lesson, we'll practice small ゃ, ゅ, and ょ, and see how they work in different words. |
| I'm Risa, and this is Japanese Pronunciation Through Minimal Pairs. |
| The small ゃ, ゅ, and ょare known as yōon in Japanese. |
| They are always combined with き (ki), し (shi), ち (chi), に (ni), ひ (hi), み (mi), and り (ri). |
| For example, |
| きゃく |
| "customer," |
| (1) |
| しゃしん |
| "photo," |
| (1) |
| ちゅうごく |
| "China," |
| (1) |
| ひゃく |
| "hundred," |
| (1) |
| りょうり |
| "cook." |
| To pronounce these sounds correctly, practice the consonant and the semivowel separately. Once you're comfortable, try blending them into a single smooth sound rather than two distinct ones. |
| Let's use ぴゃ (pya) as an example. |
| Start by closing your lips while your tongue touches the roof of your mouth. This creates a bit of pressure, which you release in one smooth motion as you open your mouth to produce the sound. |
| ぴゃ (pya) |
| [3 seconds pause] |
| ぴゃ (pya) (enunciated) |
| [3 seconds pause] |
| ぴゃ (pya) |
| Let's try another one. |
| (1) |
| きゃ (kya) |
| [3 seconds pause] |
| きゃ (kya) (enunciated) |
| [3 seconds pause] |
| きゃ (kya) |
| Let's look at some common words that use these sounds. |
| きゃく |
| "customer" |
| (1) |
| きゅう |
| "nine" |
| (1) |
| きょか |
| "permission" |
| (1) |
| しゃしん |
| "photo" |
| (1) |
| しゅみ |
| "hobby" |
| (1) |
| しょくじ |
| "meal" |
| みゃく |
| "pulse" |
| (1) |
| ミュージック |
| "music" |
| (1) |
| みょうじ |
| "family name" |
| Understanding how to pronounce small ゃ, ゅ, and ょ correctly is essential because it can change the meaning of a word, leading to misunderstandings. |
| For example, 美容院 びよういん means "beauty salon," while 病院 びょういん means "hospital." |
| 美容院 びよういん |
| (1) |
| 病院 びょういん |
| [space for repitition] |
| 美容院 びよういん |
| (1) |
| 病院 びょういん |
| Let's compare some words that differ depending on whether they have the small ゃ, ゅ, ょor not. |
| りょう/りよう |
| (1) |
| りょう/りよう |
| (1) |
| りょう means "dormitory," and りよう means "to use." |
| Let's try another. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| みょう/みよう |
| (1) |
| みょう/みよう |
| (1) |
| みょう means "strange" or "peculiar," and みよう means "let's see." |
| Let's try another. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| きょう/きよう |
| (1) |
| きょう/きよう |
| (1) |
| きょう means "today," and きよう means "skillful" or "deft." |
| Now, listen to the following sentence, focusing on different minimal pairs. |
| (1 sec pause) |
| 花子は病院に行き、幸子は美容院に行きます。 |
| (Hanako wa byōin ni iki, Sachiko wa biyōin ni ikimasu.) |
| (1) |
| びょういん/びよういん |
| "hospital"/"beauty salon" |
| As we've seen in this lesson, the tiny differences in minimal pairs can lead to big changes in meaning. Keep listening and practicing these minimal pairs – they'll help you improve your pronunciation! |
| By the way, if you watched til the end |
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