2.9. Hiragana for r + vowels
r + vowels:| Hiragana | Romanisation | Pronunciation | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| ら | ra | [ ɽa ] Listen | Japanese "r" + Japanese "a". Japanese "r" is similar to Spanish "r". It is quite different from English "r", and using English "l" is better. When you pronounce English "l", you touch the front upper gums with the tip of your tongue. To pronounce Japanese "r", broaden your tongue and touch the front upper gums. You can shut the mouth with the tongue. In that case, Japanese "r" sounds almost like "d" to English speakers, but they are different. American /t/ in water sounds like Japanese "r". |
| り | ri | [ ɽʲi ] Listen | Japanese "r" + Japanese "i". |
| る | ru | [ ɽɯ ] Listen | Japanese "r" + Japanese "u". |
| れ | re | [ ɽe ] Listen | Japanese "r" + Japanese "e". |
| ろ | ro | [ ɽo ] Listen | Japanese "r" + Japanese "o". |
Hiragana examples:
| Hiragana: | さくら |
| Pitch: | L H H |
| Romanization: | sa ku ra |
| Meaning: | cherry blossom (noun) |
For your interest: Cherry blossoms are the symbol flower of Japan. Many Japanese people go to parks to have a casual party under cherry blossoms in the spring. Those parties are called はなみ "hanami".
| Hiragana: | るら |
| Pitch: | H L |
| Romanization: | ru ri |
| Meaning: | lapis lazuli (noun) |
| Hiragana: | いろ |
| Pitch: | L H |
| Romanization: | i ro |
| Meaning: | colour (noun) |
| Hiragana: | れいぞうこ |
| Pitch: | L H H L L |
| Romanization: | re i zô ko |
| Meaning: | refrigerator (noun) |
| Hiragana: | とろろ |
| Pitch: | L H H |
| Romanization: | to ro ro |
| Meaning: | a kind of yam (noun) |
| Hiragana: | つらら |
| Pitch: | L H H |
| Romanization: | tu ra ra |
| Meaning: | icicle (noun) |
- Next article in the series 'Teach Yourself Japanese': Hiragana for w + vowels
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