July 2009Archive

When is Hiragana used?

Hiragana is a script into which "Kanji that has been transmitted from ancient China" has transformed.

Hiragana is used along with kanji to write all native Japanese words

Hiragana is used for verb and adjective endings (okurigana), particles, words that have no kanji, words which are commonly written only in kana, words for which the writer does not know the kanji, and as furigana (hints provided by the writer to the reading of an unfamiliar kanji).

 

>>Hiragana are used when you can't use kanji, for sound symbolism, particles, help verb, and conjunctions.
Therefore, often you can see them together with a kanji to form a word.

 

 

>>Hiragana is used for changing meanings of kanji by adding a hiragana character after the kanji.
Hiragana is also used wherever kanji characters wouldn't be used.

 

>>Hiragana can be used to express and write all Japanese words without the use of kanji since hiragana is like an alphabet.

 

>>If you can't remember the right kanji for a word, you can just spell it out in hiragana.

 

>>Showing pronunciation

Hiragana characters are often written next to unusual kanji characters to show their pronunciation in the same way that you have added roman characters to the sentence above.

In this case the hiragana characters are referred to as "Furigana or Yomigana".

 

Hararie

 

Japanese has why "Katakana" must be used.

Katakana(カタカナ/片仮名) is a Japanese syllabary, one component of the Japanese writing system along with hiragana, kanji, and in some cases the Latin alphabet.
Katakana are characterized by short, straight strokes and angular corners, and are the simplest of the Japanese scripts.

The katakana is used for the notation of the word of loan word mainly.

 

1. Difficult loan word to translate into Japanese.
2. Loanword that has been established as Japanese.
3. Japanized English.
4. Emphasis of word in advertising media.

1. Difficult loan word to translate into Japanese.

Example	Katakana notation	Pronunciation
Design	デザイン	dezain
Image	イメージ	imeeji(imēji)
Gasoline	ガソリン	gasorin
Fastener	ファスナー	fasunaa(fasunā)
Hard disk	ハードディスク	haado disuku(hādo dhisuku)
Antenna	アンテナ	antena

Other: country names, foreign places, personal names, animal ,plant species, and minerals etc.

2. Loanword that has been established as Japanese. .

Example	Katakana notation	Pronunciation
Camera	カメラ	kamera
Taxi	タクシー	takushii
Apron	エプロン	epuron
Elevator	エレベーター	erebetaa(erebētā)
U-turn	ユーターン	yuu taa n(yūtān)
Volume	ボリューム	boryuumu(boryūmu)
Monitor	モニター	monitaa(monitā)

 

3. Japanized English.

Example	Katakana notation	Pronunciation
PC	パソコン	pasokon
The keeping of one's own bottle of liquor in one's favorite bar.	ボトルキープ	botoru kiipu
Air conditioner	エアコン	eakon
Custom-made	オーダーメード	oodaa meido(ōdā meido)
Last orders; Last call	オーダーストップ	oda sutoppu(ōdā sutoppu)
One-room apartment	ワンルームマンション	wan ruumu manshon) (wan rūmu manshon)
The state that does not become independent from mother mentally.	マザコン	mazakon

4. Katakana for emphasis by advertising media.

Katakana are used for emphasis, especially on signs, advertisements, and hoardings (i.e., billboards).
The consumer receives the strong impression to the advertisement by "Originally, word that should write by the kanji or the hiragana"'s being written by the katakana.

The katakana word used for this advertisement is very impressive.

 

Hararie

 

 

Kind of hiragana script that becomes cause of the mess.

 

The script in each language might have perhaps various fonts.

And, they might have a slight difference of shape by the font.

There is no problem if it is your mother tongue.

But, if it is a foreign language, you and I might be a little puzzled.

A Japanese hiragana has a lot of fonts.
Because the difference of those shape is a little, it might cause confusion.

Well, let's see "Each hiragana with a little difference" with me.

 

Connection of line

I displayed "All Hiragana with the difference in the form by a font" here.

The most is the difference in "existence of the break of a line."

I showed "All hiraganas with the difference of shape by the font" here.
Most of the difference is "Presence of the connection of the line."

Compare the parts enclosed by red circle, please.
Can you understand those differences?

 

Japanese children go to school at the age of seven.
And, they learns the hiragana and the katakana first.

The shape of the hiragana used by the textbook of the elementary school in Japan is different according to the times.

It is because the standard of the shape of the hiragana is not being defined by the Ministry of Education that has jurisdiction over the school system of Japan.

Because politicians in Japan always think only about own rights and money, they do not notice such a thing at all.

Sorry, I return to the subject.

Then when I say how the Japanese thinks about a difference of the form of Hiragana,
most Japanese will not have thought about the shape of the hiragana.

In conclusion, "These are all correct Hiragana."
Use Hiragana of the shape that you like, please.

 

Then, see "Hiragana with the difference in a special shape" next, please.

 

 

Hiragana script with special difference of shape

This is "そ[so]" of Hiragana.

I write "そ" by using the shape of a left hiragana.

In the times when I learned Hiragana in an elementary school, Hiragana of the right side was used.
My younger brother is using Hiragana of the left.

My younger brother is 14 years old younger than I.
A young Japanese seems to use shape of the left.

Then, see the last Hiragana, please.

 

This is "ふ[fu]" of Hiragana.

Most of the font used in Japan is a left letterform.

The right-hand "Hiragana of FU" seemed to have been used at prewar days.
The left-hand "Hiragana of FU" is shape of the brush script type.
This is a letterform of "Japanese Kana calligraphy" written with a very thin brush.

But, if a left letterform is written in a hurry, it becomes the right-hand letterform after all.

 

Then, "Today's conclusion."---

"As for Hiragana, if the letterform that can be read is kept, all are okay." !!

 

 

To learn the hiragana

HIRAGANA GANBATTE

Hiragana Gambatte!:
Hiragana Ganbatte (The Gambatte! series)

Product Description:

Instead of an alphabet, Japanese use katakana and hiragana to show the pronunciation of words. It is the purpose of this book to teach you how to read and write hiragana. In all, there are forty-six hiragana characters for forty-six different sounds. This is not as difficult as it seems. With this original picture book, you can learn to read and write hiragana in no time at all, and have fun doing it.

Key English words and pictures are linked to all the hiragana characters to help you fix their shapes in your mind. Manga-style illustrations and nearly 100 mini-articles about Japanese society and culture not only help you remember the characters but also add to your knowledge of Japan. Altogether, this makes Hiragana Gambatte! quite an unusual workbook.

Hiragana Gambatte! teaches you to: * Understand the differences between hiragana and the alphabet * Understand the systematic nature of hiragana * Use the correct stroke order when writing hiragana * Write hiragana so that each character is consistent in size and shape

 

 

 

The reason why there is Kunyomi

kanji imported about 1500 years ago by China was the letter which was difficult for a Japanese.

The countries around China imported Chinese kanji as it is, but only Japan changed it into "way of reading in accord with Japan" and imported kanji.

The race which took in and used the Chinese character for the language of own country in this way is not other than a Japanese.

Therefore, Japanese may be a difficult language.

 

Kunyomi is a Japanese original reading.

But there is the case that "kanji that becomes an origin" has various meanings for 1 character.
Therefore, kunyomi isn't one in many cases.

As the example, let's see kanji of Japan with much kunyomi.

 

Look at left kanji.

It is said that this is "kanji having most Kunyomi" in Japan.

 

On-yomi

Pronunciation	Word as example
生[しょう] : sho	一生 : issho　　[one's] lifetime
生[じょう] : jo	誕生日 : tanjo-bi　　Birthday
生[せい] : sei	先生 : sensei　　Teacher

 

Kun-yomi

Pronunciation	Word as meaning or example
生きる : i-kikru	live / be living / be alive
生かす : i-kasu	keep...alive
生ける : i-keru	arrange set roses in a vase.
生む : u-mu	cause / lead to / give rise to
生まれる :u-mareru	be born / come into existence / be formed / arise
生える : ha-eru	grow / sprout / spring up / come in
生やす : ha-yasu	grow
生る : a-ru	Appearance of the sacred one.
生る : na-ru	bear fruit / grow
生 : nama	生野菜 : nama-yasai　　Raw vegetable/Fresh vegetables
生 : ki	生真面目 : ki-majime　　Earnest / Seriousness
生 : o	生い立ち : o-i-ta-chi　　One's background
生 : fu	芝生 : shiba-fu　　Lawn
生 : ou	to grow/ to spring up/ to cut teeth
生 : ubu	Prefix of noun
生 : inochi	[one's] lifetime / Life

It is said that there is various pronunciation of this kanji besides these.

Besides, It is reported that this is kanji with 150 kinds of reading.

A lot of pronunciations are not used too much in present Japan.
But, most of the pronunciation that I wrote here is daily used in Japan.

 

Easy method of identifying Kunyomi

I teach the method that is good for you.

"Declensional kana ending is accompanied, and the meaning is comprehensible" is Kunyomi.

Though there is an exception, this method is a method of recognizing Kunyomi most quickly.

 

"Conversation" is the best learning method for studying Japanese.

The child before entering school learns language in "conversation."

Japanese is also so.

Japanese grammar is very difficult.
You will surely come to hate Japanese if you begin to study Japanese from the grammar.

Therefore, you had better study "Japanese grammar" shallowly.

And I think that study of a "daily conversation subject" is "a shortcut of your Japanese study."

 

 

 

By　Hararie

 

 

The form that pronunciation of kanji is described by "a hiragana letter or katakana" is called "Furigana or Yomogana".

Kanji with two or more pronunciations is numerous in Japan.
"What is the pronunciation of this name?"
"What is the pronunciation of this name of a place?"
The Japanese is often annoyed by such a problem.

The "Furigana(or Yomigana) custom" exists in Japan for that.

If we do not investigate voluntarily, it doesn't often turn out concerning the name of a place.

Well, "Furigana" and "Yomigana" are used by the same purpose.

You will surely think like this.
"If so, why are there two names?"

These difference points are little.

<ふりがな/フリガナ[Furigana]>:
Furigana is a character that affixes to kanji etc. and is written in a small character.
It is called, "Ruby" in printed matter.

<よみがな[Yomigana]>:
Yomigana is a character for pronunciation to be shown.
It need not be written like the ruby.
Therefore, even if it is a large character, Yomogana is OK.

Notation	Hiragana notation	Katakana notation	Kanji mixed notation
Furigana	ふりがな	フリガナ	振り仮名
Yomigana	よみがな	ヨミガナ	読み仮名

 

Furugana is used in cases like the following.

1. The pronunciation of kanji for the personal name which is entered to the document [Official document chiefly.]

In Japan, a lot of kanji with several kinds of pronunciations exists.
Therefore, in the case of the name without Furigana, misreading sometimes occurs.
The existence of Furugana is a Japan's custom to evade such a mistake.

Look at the image of the right side.

This is a common Japanese resume.
<The image expands when clicked.>

The part enclosed with red yen is space for "Furigana".
Pronunciation of each kanji is described here.

Furigana is generally described by the Hiragana or Katakana.

But, there is the case that a description form of Furigana is appointed.

This is my full name.
My first name is Rie, and the last name is Hara.

You should write Furigana right above kanji.

Thus, when the character of "Furigana" is written with Hiragana, you should write Furigana by the hiragana.

And, when the character of "Furigana" is written by the katakana, you should write Furigana by the katakana.

These are Japanese rules.

2. Furigana used for "Publication" of book and textbook, etc.

Japanese has quite a lot of kanji.
Moreover, kanji of Japan has Onyomi and Kunyomi.
The idiom with which those kanji is combined exists innumerably.
Therefore, a lot of kanji that even the Japanese cannot read exists.
Therefore, Furugana is used for the textbook of books, a publication, and a school so that all people can read.

 

3. Furigana used for the purpose which emphasizes the word.

Left image is a name of the Japanese canned beer.
<The image expands when clicked.>

Furigana is put on the kanji of "GOKU-UMA".

"Goku-Uma" is new word expression of Japan with the meaning of "being very nice."

By using Furigana, this is effective in collecting a consumer's eyes.

There is a case where Furigana is used like this.

 

 

Reason why "Furigana" is necessary for Japanese name.

Kanji of Japan has "Onyomi" and "Kunyomi".

Therefore, a lot of Japanese names with the pronunciation of some kinds exist.

Look at the image below.

As for a Japanese name, a first name is located behind a family name. Well, "A" is a Japanese woman's full name. The case of A is a name in which a first name and a last name have two kinds of pronunciation, respectively. Therefore, judging from the combination of the pronunciations, this is a name with four kinds of pronunciations. Others don't know which pronunciation the pronunciation of her full name has. From such reasons, "Furigana" has a very important role.

Next, let's see B. This is a Japanese male's full name. In the case of his name, it has two kinds of pronunciation of a last name, and three kinds of pronunciation of a first name. When others call him by the full name, the probability that is called by a true pronunciation of his name might be very low. His "Hardship in the name" might be serious. Because it is "Name with six kinds of pronunciations". The Japanese should use "Name with a little difficulty" for own child. But, the Japanese these days tends to give a difficult name to own child.

Well, the last C is my full name. To tell the truth, my full name also has two kinds of pronunciation. My first name has two kinds of pronunciations of "Rie and Toshie". A correct pronunciation of my name is "rie". Others don't know it. In a public place like the hospital, I had a lot of unpleasant experiences that had been called "Hara Toshie". But, many of Japanese might have its experience. These are the reasons to which "Furigana" is indispensable for Japan and Japanese people.

 

Thank you for reading till the last.

 

By Hararie