Japanese tongue twisters

Mycernius · 24 Nov 2006

Do the Japanese indulge in tongue twisters? If so could someone put some up. It might help with pronunciation as I try to learn the language. In romaji if you could, as it might make it easier for me to learn them, but a following kanji or kana script would also help. Thank you

undrentide · 24 Nov 2006

Yes there are many tongue twisters in Japanese.
Here are some "classics".

東京特許許可局
とうきょうとっきょきょかきょく Tokyo tokkyo kyokakyoku
*Tokyo Patent Authorization Office (kyokakyoku... part is a bit difficult.)

隣の客はよく柿食う客だ
となりのきゃくはよくかきくうきゃくだ tonarino kyaku wa yoku kakikuu kyaku da
*Guest at neighbour is a guest who eats persimmon a lot.

竹薮に竹立て掛けたのは竹立て掛けたかったからだ
たけやぶにたけたてかけたのはたけたてかけたかったからだ
takeyabu ni take tatekaketanowa take tatekaketakattakarada
*I put a bamboo against the bamboo bush because I wanted to put a bamboo against the bamboo bush.

生麦生米生卵
なまむぎなまごめなまたまご namamugi namagome namatamago
*Raw wheat, raw rice, raw egg

赤巻紙青巻紙黄巻紙
あかまきがみあおまきがみきまきがみ akamakigami aomakigami kimakigami
*Red rolled paper, blue rolled paper, yellow rolled paper
(kimakigami part is a bit tricky!)

Even typing them out is difficult... haha
Hope you'll enjoy them!

Davey · 24 Nov 2006

I found these on wiki:

隣の客はよく柿食う客だ。
Transliteration: Tonari no kyaku wa yoku kaki kuu kyaku da.
The neighbors' visitor eats a lot of persimmons.
バスガス爆発ブスバスガイド
Transliteration: Basu gasu bakuhatsu busu basu gaido.
bus gas explosion ugly bus guide
裏庭には二羽、庭には二羽、鶏あり
Transliteration: Uraniwa niwa niwa, niwa niwa niwa, niwatori ari.
In the back yard there are two chickens and in the front yard there are two chickens
瓜売りが瓜売りに来て瓜売れず売り売りかえる瓜売りの声
Transliteration: Uriuri ga uri urini kite uri urezu uri uri kaeru uriuri no koe.
A melon vender came to sell melons, but no melon was sold; O, the voice of melon vender who is back, selling melons.
東京特許許可局
Transliteration: Tōkyō Tokkyo Kyokakyoku
Tokyo Special Patent Approval office

Supervin · 24 Nov 2006

undrentide said:
竹薮に竹立て掛けたのは竹立て掛けたかったからだ
たけやぶにたけたてかけたのはたけたてかけたかったからだ

This one sure is tough.

leonmarino · 24 Nov 2006

undrentide said:
隣の客はよく柿食う客だ
となりのきゃくはよくかきくうきゃくだ tonarino kyaku wa yoku kakikuu kyaku da
*Guest at neighbour is a guest who eats persimmon a lot.

Hm? I always thought this one was:
お宅の客はよく柿食う客だ
おたくのきゃくはよくかきくうきゃくだ
Otaku no kyaku wa yoku kaki kuu kyaku da :jawdrop:

Cue · 24 Nov 2006

leonmarino said:
Hm? I always thought this one was:
お宅の客はよく柿食う客だ
おたくのきゃくはよくかきくうきゃくだ
Otaku no kyaku wa yoku kaki kuu kyaku da ☝

LOL, this is my first time I ever hear that.
One of the variations of the above said "Aka-makigami(Red rolled paper)" one,
I've heard of this one:
赤パジャマ黄パジャマ茶パジャマ
あかぱじゃまきぱじゃまちゃぱじゃま
Aka Pajama, Ki Pajama, Cha Pajama
(Red pajamas, Yellow pajamas and Brown pajamas)
This one should be a bit easier to pronounce than rolled paper. ^^
Also:
東京特許許可局長今日急遽休暇許可拒否
とうきょうとっきょきょかきょくちょうきょうきゅうきょきゅうかきょかきょひ
Tokyo Tokkyo Kyokakyoku-cho, kyo kyukyo kyuka kyoka kyohi
(The chief of the Tokyo Patent Authorization Office suddenly denied permission to take a day off today.(?))
Source: Wikipedia (In Japanese)

Glenn · 24 Nov 2006

Cue said:
東京特許許可局長今日急遽休暇許可拒否

That one just went from bad to worse.[/quote]

undrentide · 25 Nov 2006

Cue said:
東京特許許可局長今日急遽休暇許可拒否

I echo Glenn on this...
I'm likely to end up saying とうきょうとっきょきょきゃきょきゅ...きゅきょきょ. ..??

Kyoko_desu · 25 Nov 2006

undrentide said:
I echo Glenn on this...
I'm likely to end up saying とうきょうとっきょきょきゃきょきゅ...きゅきょきょ. ..??

Me too! I go like とうきょうとっきょきょきゃきょきゅ～～！:joyful:

Cue · 25 Nov 2006

But, then again, I don't think I can say it either.
Actually, I sometimes can't even say this simple word fast, myself.
手術（しゅじゅつ） or 手術室（しゅじゅつしつ）
Romaji: Shujutsu/Shujutsu Shitsu
English: Surgery(Operation)/Operating Room(Operating Theatre)<--!? "Theatre"? o_o;
I often say it as "Shujuchu". Oh well. ^^;
Noseybonk, do you feel like trying anything of the above now?
Good luck, and don't worry if you get your tongue twisted by "Tokyo Tokyyo" ones, none of us can say it either anyway!

Q

Karamuucho · 25 Nov 2006

It's not a tongue twister, but when I was a kid in Japan I remeber very vaguely two snails... that used to repeat this sound...

『でんでけでんでけでんでけでんでけでんでけ…』
on and on ... and on.

To this day, I still can't carry that on for too long...

leonmarino · 25 Nov 2006

Cue said:
Actually, I sometimes can't even say this simple word fast, myself.
手術（しゅじゅつ） or 手術室（しゅじゅつしつ）
Romaji: Shujutsu/Shujutsu Shitsu
English: Surgery(Operation)/Operating Room(Operating Theatre)<--!? "Theatre"? o_o;
I often say it as "Shujuchu". Oh well. ^^;

I often say しゅうつ. （笑） But many people do, right? Black Jack said it like that didn't he!?

Cue · 26 Nov 2006

LOL, no, I've never thought of that, Leon.
But I think it's a good idea, I'll try that next time when I need to say "shujutsu"!

Glenn · 26 Nov 2006

Can someone help me finish this one?

かっぱかっぱかっぱらった、かっぱらったかっぱかった、かっぱかっぱらったかった

Or something like that. I don't remember it too well.

お願いします！

undrentide · 26 Nov 2006

Glenn said:
Can someone help me finish this one?

かっぱかっぱかっぱらった、かっぱらったかっぱかった、かっぱかっぱらったかった

Or something like that. I don't remember it too well.

お願いします！

I think it's a poem by 谷川俊太郎 that goes:

かっぱかっぱらった
かっぱらっぱかっぱらった
とってちってた

かっぱなっぱかった
かっぱなっぱいっぱかった
かってきってくった

Yes, it is like 早口言葉 (tongue twister) and a play of words.

かっぱ (a sort of monster living in the river)
らっぱ (trumpet)
かっぱらった (past form of かっぱらう meaning "to steal")
とってちってた (sound of the trumpet)
なっぱ (green vegetable)
いっぱ (a bundle)
かってきって (te form of かってくる = かってきて changed into a form to fit in!)
くった (past form of くう "to eat")

群読を楽しもう１〜「かっぱ」谷川俊太郎〜

Glenn · 26 Nov 2006

Ah, yeah. Thanks, underentide!

Mycernius · 1 Dec 2006

These are fun , but some are very hard
Thank you everyone for answering

Japanese tongue twisters

Mycernius

The Hairy Wookie

undrentide

Japa'n vagyok

Davey

先輩

Supervin

先輩

leonmarino

Back

Cue

今北産業

Glenn

一切皆苦

undrentide

Japa'n vagyok

Kyoko_desu

先輩

Cue

今北産業

Karamuucho

後輩

leonmarino

Back

Cue

今北産業

Glenn

一切皆苦

undrentide

Japa'n vagyok

Glenn

一切皆苦

Mycernius

The Hairy Wookie

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