Otaku Magazine ISSUE #11 January 2015

❝ Language ❞

❝ Language ❞

お早う！今日は！今晩は！

        Hello everyone! Welcome to the first language issue! This is LuvSailorMercury here to give you lessons about the language of Japanese. In addition, I might incorporate some cultural lessons as well. Currently I’ve studied Japanese for four years and had the opportunity this last summer to travel to Japan, specifically Tokyo and Okinawa. My Japanese I would say mediocre, so I’m not the best but I shall try my hardest. Those who are interested in trying to speak Japanese feel free to, in addition, I have many Wattpad friends and family on here who know Japanese as well if you’re interested.

        Okay for the first lesson I must introduce you to the three Japanese writing systems for you to understand how to read Japanese. It will be difficult to teach how to pronounce and say some Japanese words. So I suggest watch youtube videos from Learn Japanese with JapanesePod101.com. Here is the link as well: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0ox9NuTHYeRys63yZpBFuA In addition, I will be teaching you a few basic greetings then mainly focus on greetings and words for the New Year. Since it is the new year and I’m sure you would like to know how to correctly say certain things.

        So first off. The three Japanese writing systems. We first have hiragana which is a writing style that is used for Japanese words. Here is main alphabet, there are variations to certain hiragana to make certain sounds. When I refer to hiragana it means the writing system itself or the actual Japanese character.

あ：A　い：I　う：U　え：E　お：O

か：KA　き：KI　く：KU　け：KE　こ：KO

さ：SA　し：SHI　す：SU　せ：SE　そ：SO

た：TA　ち：CHI　つ：TSU　て：TE　と：TO

な：NA　に：NI　ぬ：NU　ね：NE　の：NO

は：HA　ひ：HI　ふ：FU　へ：HE　ほ：HO

ま：MA　み：MI　む：MU　め：ME　も：MO

や：YA　　　　　ゆ：YU　　　　　よ：YO

ら：RA　り：RI　る：RU　れ：RE　ろ：RO

わ：WA                を：WO

                    ん：N

        When sounding out these hiragana, when it comes to the r line, it doesn’t sound like the r we say in America. It sounds more like the l sound.

        Secondly for Japanese writing systems we have katana, which is used for foreign words. Meaning words taken from other cultures such as American, French, and German.

ア：A　イ：I　ウ：U　エ：E　オ：O

カ：KA　キ：KI　ク：KU　ケ：KE　コ：KO

サ：SA　シ：SHI　ス：SU　セ：SE　ソ：SO

タ：TA　チ：CHI　ツ：TSU　テ：TE　ト：TO

ナ：NA　ニ：NI　ヌ：NU　ネ：NE　ノ：NO

ハ：HA　ヒ：HI　フ：FU　ヘ：HE　ホ：HO

マ：MA　ミ：MI　ム：MU　メ：ME　モ：MO

ヤ：YA    　　　　　ユ：YU    　　　　ヨ：YO

ラ：RA　リ：RI　ル：RU　レ：RE　ロ：RO

ワ：WA　　　　　　　　　　　　　ヲ：WO