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Lesson Transcript

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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