2.5. Hiragana for n + vowels
n + vowels:| Hiragana | Romanization | Pronunciation | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| な | na | [ na ] Listen | English "n" + Japanese "a". |
| に | ni | [ nʲi ] Listen | Similar to Spanish "ñ" + Japanese "i". Since the Japanese don't distinguish [nʲi] from [ni], you can use the latter pronunciation (English "n" + Japanese "i"). |
| ぬ | nu | [ nɯ ] Listen | English "n" + Japanese "u". |
| ね | ne | [ ne ] Listen | English "n" + Japanese "e". |
| の | no | [ no ] Listen | English "n" + Japanese "o". |
Hiragana examples:
| Hiragana: | かたな |
| Pitch: | L H H |
| Romanization: | ka ta na |
| Meaning: | Japanese sword (noun) |
For your interest: Japanese swords are single-bladed curved swords. They are not only weapons but also artistic creations. Some Japanese swords are priceless.
| Hiragana: | ねこ |
| Pitch: | H L |
| Romanization: | ne ko |
| Meaning: | cat (noun) |
| Hiragana: | ぬの |
| Pitch: | L H |
| Romanization: | nu no |
| Meaning: | cloth (noun) |
| Hiragana: | にじ |
| Pitch: | L H |
| Romanization: | ni zi |
| Meaning: | rainbow (noun) |
| Hiragana: | おに |
| Pitch: | L H |
| Romanization: | o ni |
| Meaning: | demon (noun) |
For your interest: Even though this word is often translated to demon, they are more human-like than ghost-like in many fairy tales, so they are often more similar to ogres and trolls.
| Hiragana: | さかな |
| Pitch: | L H H |
| Romanization: | sa ka na |
| Meaning: | fish (noun) |
- Next article in the series 'Teach Yourself Japanese': Hiragana for h/b/p + vowels
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