Delicious Japanese. Translator of Japanese hieroglyphs (kanji) to transcription
It's good when you come to the country, you can freely communicate with the locals in their native language - this is ideal. But not everyone and not always has such knowledge, and although I believe that simply memorizing individual phrases, without a general knowledge of the language, will not lead to mutual understanding with the locals, perhaps some phrases may still be useful.
I know from my own experience that an attempt by a foreigner to at least common phrases, such as good morning, thank you, goodbye, to pronounce in the local language always causes a good response.
In order not to read everything written on the screen, if you need these hint words for a trip to Japan or to communicate with Japanese friends download them for yourself for free, print and use. On this page, the words are partially published, as a good example of what you will see in the electronic version.
And for the correct pronunciation of words, it is better to read a couple of articles, since in Japanese there are such concepts as reduction - reduction, and as a result, words are not pronounced as they are written. This is especially true for words with the ending - です - desu, します - shimasu, in fact, the sound "u" is not pronounced.
Useful words and expressions of the Japanese language.
Greetings:
ohayo gozaimasu - good morning!
konnichiva - hello (good afternoon)!
konbanwa - good evening!
hajimemaschi - nice to meet you
douzo yoroshiku - nice to meet you
o-yasumi nasai - good night
sayunara - goodbye!
Polite formulas:
namae-o oshiete kudasai - what is your name?
then moishimasu - my name is ...
sumimasen - sorry
o-genki des ka - how are you?
genki des - thanks, good
ie - no
arigatou - thank you
doumo arigatou godzaimas - thank you very much
douitashimashite - not worth a thank you
onegai ... - please (at an informal request) ...
douzo - please (when invited) ...
kekkou desu - no thanks
chetto matte kudasai - please wait
shitsurei shimashita - sorry (for disturbing)
itadakimasu - bon appetit
gochisou-sama deshita... - thanks for the treat
Expression of basic needs:
onaka-ga bitch - I'm hungry
nodo-ga kawaku - I'm thirsty
koohi-o kudasai - give me a cup of coffee, please
tsukareta - I'm tired
nemuy des - I want to sleep
o-tearai-wa dochira desu ka - where is the toilet?
Doko desu ka - where is...
are-o misete kudasai - please show me this...
Communication in stereotypical situations:
douschitan des ka - what happened?
daijoubu desu ka - are you all right?
daijoubu desu - it's all right
ikura desu ka - how much does it cost?
dochira no go shushshchin desu ka - where did you (arrive)?
Sagashite imas - I'm looking for...
michi-ni mayoimashita - I got lost (in the city)
koko-wa doko desu ka - where am I?
eki-wa doko desu ka - where is the train station?
basutei-wa doko desu ka - where is the bus stop?
Ginza-wa dochi desu ka - how to get to Ginza?
nihongo-ga wakarimasen - I don't understand Japanese
wakarimasu ka - do you understand?
wakarimasen - I don't understand
shchite imas - I know
shirimasen - I don't know
kore-wa nan desu ka - what is it (is)?
kore-o kudasai - I'll buy it...
eigo-o hanasemas ka - do you speak English?
roschiago de hanasemasu ka - do you speak Russian?
eigo no dekiru hito imasu ka - does anyone here speak English?
nihongo-de nanto iimasu ka - how would it be in Japanese?
eigo-de nanto iimasu ka - how would it be in English?
grovesyago de nanto iimasu ka - how would it be in Russian?
mou ichi do itte kudasai - please say it again
yukkuri hanashite kudasai - please speak more slowly
E itte kudasai - please take me to... (in a taxi)
Made ikura desu ka - how much will it cost to travel to...
aishiteru - I love you
kibun-ga warui - I feel bad
Questions:
Dare? - who?
nani? - what?
daughters? - which?
dore? -which?
itsu? -when?
nanji desuka? - what time is it now?
doko? - where?
naze - why?
The basic formulas of a telephone conversation:
power-power - hello!
Tanaka-san-wa imasu ka - May I have Mr. Tanaka?
donata desu ka - tell me, please, who is on the phone?
Ivanov desu - Ivanov on the phone
rusu desu - he is not at home
gaishyutsu shieldeimasu - he left the office
denwashimasu - I'll call you
bangouchigai desu - you dialed the wrong number
Main health complaints:
onaka-ga itai - my stomach hurts
kaze-o hiita - I caught a cold
kega-o shield - I hurt myself
samuke-ga suru - makes me shiver
netsu-ga aru - I have a high fever
nodo-ga itai - my throat hurts
kouketsuatsu - my blood pressure has risen
kossetsu - I have a fracture
haita - my tooth hurts
shinzoubyou - my heart worries
zutsuu - my head hurts
haien - I have pneumonia
Mochewen - I'm having an appendicitis attack
yakedo - I have a burn
hanazumari - I have a runny nose
gary - i have diarrhea
arerugia - I'm allergic
Most used nouns:
juusho - address
kuukou airport
ginkou bank
yakkyoku - pharmacy
beuin - hospital
okane - money
bangou - number
keisatsu - police
yuubinkyoku post office
jinja - shinto shrine
otera - buddhist temple
eki - station
denwa - phone
kippu - ticket
denschya - electric train
sakana - fish
yasai - vegetables
kumono - fruits
niku - meat
mizu - water
fuyu - winter
haru - spring
natsu - summer
aki - autumn
ame - rain
Most used verbs:
kau - to buy
dekiru - to be able
kuru - to come
nomu - to drink
taberu - to eat
iku - to go
uru - to sell
hanasu - to talk
tomaru - rent (a hotel room)
wakaru - to understand
aruku - to walk
kaku - write
Pronouns:
vataschi - me
watashitachi - we
anata - you, you
kare - he
kanojo - she
karera - they
Most used adjectives:
ii - good
warui - bad
ookii - big
chiisai - small
You can also get acquainted with the phonetics of the Japanese language, learn the pronunciation of adverbs, colors, numerals, indicate directions, see the spelling of useful hieroglyphs denoting the days of the week, month, announcements and signs, the names of cities and regions, you can download a Japanese phrasebook for free. I would be glad if he will help you navigate when visiting Japan. Additionally, I recommend reading an article about in Japanese and about
To get a Russian-Japanese phrasebook, you need to subscribe to receive an electronic version of the phrasebook located in the sidebar of the blog.
Ohayo gozaimasu (Ohayou gozaimasu)- "Good morning". Polite greeting. In youth communication can be used in the evening. Reminder: in most cases, "y" after voiceless consonants is not pronounced, that is, this expression is usually pronounced as "Ohayo gozaimas".
Ohayo (Ohayou)- Informal version.
Ossu- A very informal masculine option. Often pronounced like "Oss".
Konnitiva (Konnichiwa)- "Good afternoon". The usual greeting.
Kombanwa- "Good evening". The usual greeting.
Hisashiburi desu- "Long time no see". Standard polite option.
Hisashiburi ne? (Hisashiburi ne?)- Women's version.
Hisashiburi da naa… (Hisashiburi da naa)- Male version.
Ahho! (Yahhoo)- "Hey". informal option.
Ooh! (Ooi)- "Hey". A very informal masculine option. The usual greeting for roll call at a great distance.
Yo! (Yo!)- "Hey". Exclusively informal male version.
Gokigenyo (Gokigenyou)- "Hello". A rare, very polite female greeting.
Mosi-mosi (Moshi-moshi)- Hello. Answer by phone.
Sayonara- "Goodbye". The usual option. It is said if the chances of an early new meeting are small.
Saraba- "Till". informal option.
Mata asita (Mata ashita)- "Till tomorrow". The usual option.
Mata ne (Mata ne)- Women's version.
Mata naa (Mata naa)- Male version.
Jaa, mata (Jaa, mata)- "See you". informal option.
Jaa- Quite informal.
De wa (De wa)- Slightly more formal.
Oyasumi nasai (Oyasumi nasai)- "Goodnight". Somewhat formal.
Oyasumi- Informal version.
hai- "Yes". Universal standard expression. It can also mean "I understand" and "Go on." That is, it does not necessarily mean consent.
haa (haa)- "Yes, sir". A very formal expression.
ee (ee)- "Yes". Not very formal.
Ryokai- "Yes sir". Military or paramilitary option.
Ie (Ie)- "Not". Standard polite expression. Also a polite form of declining a thank you or a compliment.
Nai- "Not". An indication of the absence or non-existence of something.
Betsu ni- "Nothing".
Naruhodo (Naruhodo)“Of course.” “Of course.”
Motiron (Mochiron)- "Naturally!" An indication of confidence in a statement.
Yahari“That's what I thought.”
Yappari— A less formal form of the same.
Maa… (Maa)- "May be…"
Saa ... (Saa)“Well…” I mean, “Perhaps, but there are still doubts.”
Honto desu ka? (Hontou desu ka?)“Really?” Polite form.
Honto? (Hontou?)- Less formal.
So what? (Souka?)- "Wow..." Sometimes pronounced like "Su ka!"
So desu ka? (Sou desu ka?)— Formal form of the same.
So desu nee ... (Sou desu nee)- "That's it like ..." Formal option.
So da na… (Sou da naa)- Men's informal version.
So nee ... (Sou nee)- Women's informal version.
Masaka! (masaka)- "Can not be!"
Onegai Shimasu (Onegai Shimasu)- A very polite form. Can be used on its own. Especially often used in requests like "do something for me." I remind you that in most cases, “u” after voiceless consonants is not pronounced, that is, this expression is usually pronounced as "Onegai Simas".
Onegai (Onegai)— Less polite, more common form.
- kudasai- Polite form. Added as a suffix to a verb. For example, "kite-kudasai"- "Please, come".
— kudasaimasen ka? (kudasaimasenka)- A more polite form. Added as a suffix to a verb. Translated as "Could you do something for me?". For example, "Kite-kudasaimasen ka?"“Could you come over?”
Domo (Doumo)- Short form, usually said in response to a small "household" help, say, in response to a filed coat and an offer to enter.
Arigato gozaimasu (Arigatou gozaimasu)— Polite, somewhat formal uniform. I remind you that in most cases, “u” after deaf consonants is not pronounced, that is, this expression is usually pronounced as “ Arigato gozaimas«.
Arigato (Arigatou)— Less formal polite form.
Domo arigatou- "Thanks a lot". Polite form.
Domo arigato gozaimasu (Doumo arigatou gozaimasu)- "Thank you very much". Very polite, formal uniform.
Katajikenai - Old-fashioned, very polite uniform.
Osewa ni narimashita (Osewa ni narimashita)“I am in your debt.” Very polite and formal.
Osewa ni natta (Osewa ni natta)— An informal form with the same meaning.
Dou itashimashite) - Polite, formal form.
Ie (Iie)- "It's my pleasure". informal form.
Gomen nasai- "I'm sorry", "I'm sorry", "I'm sorry." A very polite form. Expresses regret for some reason, say, if someone has to be disturbed. Usually not actually an apology for a significant misconduct (unlike sumimasen).
Gomen- Informal form.
Sumimasen (Sumimasen)- "I apologize". Polite form. Expresses an apology associated with a significant misconduct.
Sumanai / Suman (Sumanai / Suman)— Not very polite, usually male form.
Sumanu“Not very polite, old-fashioned uniform.
Shitsurei shimasu (Shitsurei shimasu)- "I apologize". Very polite formal. Used, say, to enter the boss's office.
Shitsurei (Shitsurei)— Similar but less formal form
Moshiwake arimasen (Moushiwake arimasen)“I have no forgiveness.” Very polite and formal. Used in the military or business.
Moushiwake nai- Less formal.
Dozo (Douzo)- "Ask". A short form, an invitation to enter, take a coat, and so on. The usual answer is "Domo".
Totto… (Chotto)- "No worries". Polite form of refusal. For example, if you are offered tea.
Itte kimasu (Itte kimasu)"I left, but I'll be back." Pronounced when leaving for work or school.
Chotto itte kuru- Less formal. Usually means something like "I'll be out for a minute."
Itte irashai (Itte irashai)"Come back soon."
Tadaima (Tadaima)"I'm back, I'm home." Sometimes it is said outside the home. Then this phrase means "spiritual" return home.
Okaeri nasai (Okaeri nasai)- "Welcome home." The usual response to "Tadaima" .
Okaeri (Okaeri) less formal form.
Itadakimasu (Itadakimasu)- Pronounced before eating. Literally - "I accept [this food]." I remind you that in most cases, “u” after voiceless consonants is not pronounced, that is, this expression is usually pronounced as "Itadakimas".
Gotisosama deshita (Gochisousama deshita)“Thank you, it was very tasty.” Pronounced at the end of a meal.
Gotisosama (Gochisousama)- Less formal.
Kawaii! (kawaii)- "How lovely!" Often used in relation to children, girls, very handsome guys. In general, this word has a strong meaning “the appearance of weakness, femininity, passivity (in the sexual sense of the word)”. According to the Japanese, the most "kawaii" the creature is a blond good girl of four or five years old with European features and blue eyes.
Sugoi! (Sugoi)- "Cool" or "Cool / cool!" In relation to people, it is used to mean "masculinity."
Kakkoii! (Kakkoii!)- "Cool, beautiful, drop dead!"
Suteki! (Suteki!)- "Cool, charming, beautiful!" I remind you that in most cases, “u” after voiceless consonants is not pronounced, that is, this expression is usually pronounced as "Stacks!".
Forge! (Kowai)- "Scary!" Expression of fear.
Abunai! (Abunai)- "Dangerously!" or "Watch out!"
Hida! (Hidoi!)- "Evil!", "Evil, bad."
Tasukete! (Tasukete)- "Help!", "Help!" I remind you that in most cases, “u” after voiceless consonants is not pronounced, that is, this expression is usually pronounced as "Taskate!".
Yamero!/Yamete! (Yamero/Yamete)- "Stop!"
Dame! (dame)"No, don't do it!"
Hayaku! (Hayaku)- "Faster!"
Matte! (matte)- "Wait!"
Yoshi! (yoshi)- "Yes!", "Come on!". Usually pronounced like "Yes!" .
Ikuzo! (Ikuzo)- "Let's go!", "Forward!"
Itai!/Itee! (Itai/Itee)- “Oh!”, “It hurts!”
Atsuy! (Atsui)- "Hot!"
Daijobu! (daijoubu)- "All right," "Healthy."
Kampai! (Kanpai)- "To the dregs!" Japanese toast.
Gambate! (Ganbatte)- “Don’t give up!”, “Hold on!”, “Give it your best!”, “Try your best!” The usual parting words at the beginning of difficult work.
Hanase! (hanase)- "Let go!"
Hentai! (hentai)- "Pervert!"
Urusai! (Urusai)- "Shut up!"
Usos! (uso)- "Lie!"
Yokatta! (Yokatta!)- “Thank God!”, “What happiness!”
Yatta! (yatta)- "Happened!"
A brief Japanese phrase book is presented to your attention, if you need everyday, frequently used words and phrases in Japanese, then go ahead!
greetings
Ohayo gozaimasu (Ohayou gozaimasu) - "Good morning".
This is a rather polite good morning wish.
It is worth recalling that "at" don't pronounce in Japanese after voiceless consonants. So they pronounce it "Ohae gozaimas".
Ohayo (Ohayou)- this is an informal option, can be used among friends and young people.
Ossu- a very informal and very masculine version (pronounced as "oss"). It is strongly advised not to use masculine pronunciation for girls.
Konnitiva (Konnichiwa)- “Good afternoon”, “Hello”, “Hello”. Probably one of the most famous Japanese words.
Ahho! (Yahhoo)- an informal version of the word "hello".
Ooh! (Ooi)- also an informal version of "Hello", used by men. Often to attract attention at a great distance.
Yo! (Yo!)- an exclusively informal male version of the same greeting.
Gokigenyo (Gokigenyou)- a rather rare and very polite female greeting, can be translated as “Hello”.
Kombanwa- "Good evening".
Hisashiburi desu- "Long time no see". Pronounced like "hisashiburi des". The female informal option would be - Hisashiburi ne? (Hisashiburi ne?), male Hisashiburi da naa… (Hisashiburi da naa) .
Mosi-mosi (Moshi-moshi)- used when answering a phone call as "hello".
goodbyes
Sayonara- the usual version of "Farewell" if there is little chance of a new meeting.
Saraba- an informal version of the "bye" type.
Mata asita (Mata ashita)- the usual option "see you tomorrow." Female - Mata ne (Mata ne), male - Mata naa.
Jaa, mata (Jaa, mata)- "See you". A very commonly used informal variant.
Jaa- a very informal option, often used by girlfriends.
De wa (De wa)- a little more formal than "Jaa (Jaa)".
Oyasumi nasai (Oyasumi nasai)- "Goodnight". Somewhat formal option, informal will be just - Oyasumi.
Everyday phrases in Japanese:
Answers
Hai - "Yes". Universal standard answer. Often it can mean anything, but not agreement, but, for example, only - “continue”, “I understand”, “yeah”.
haa (haa)- “Yes, sir”, “I obey, sir.” This is a very formal expression.
ee (ee)- "Yes". Not very formal.
Ryokai- "Yes sir". military response.
Ie (Ie)- "Not". Standard polite expression. Also used as a polite form of declining a thank you or a compliment.
Nai- "Not". Used to indicate the absence or non-existence of something.
Betsu ni- "Nothing".
Naruhodo (Naruhodo)– “Of course”, “of course”.
Motiron (Mochiron)- "Naturally!" Expression of confidence.
Yahari- "I thought so".
Yappari- too, but not so formally.
Maa… (Maa)- "Maybe…"
Saa ... (Saa)- "Well…". Use when it is difficult to agree and doubt.
Honto desu ka? (Hontou desu ka?)- "Is it really true?"
Honto? (Hontou?)- Less formal.
So desu ka? (Sou desu ka?)- The formal form of the phrase "Wow ...". informal - So what? (Souka?) can be pronounced as "Su ka!"
So desu nee ... (Sou desu nee)- "That's how ..." Formal option.
So da na… (Sou da naa)- Male version.
So nee ... (Sou nee)- Women's version.
Masaka! (masaka)- "It can not be!"
Everyday phrases in Japanese:
Requests
Onegai Shimasu (Onegai Shimasu)“Very polite form of request. Especially often used in requests like “do something for me”.
Onegai (Onegai)“A less polite and much more common request.
- kudasai- Polite form. Added as a suffix to a verb.
- kudasaimasen ka? (kudasaimasenka)- A more polite form. Also added as a suffix to the verb. It can be translated as "Could you do something for me?".
Everyday phrases in Japanese:
Thanks
Domo (Doumo)“Thank you” is used in response to everyday little help. For example, when they let you go ahead or filed something.
Arigato gozaimasu (Arigatou gozaimasu)– A polite and formal form, the expression is usually pronounced as “Arigato gozaimas“.
Arigato (Arigatou)— Less formal polite form.
Domo arigatou- "Thanks a lot".
Domo arigato gozaimasu (Doumo arigatou gozaimasu)– A very polite and very formal expression of gratitude.
Osewa ni narimashita (Osewa ni narimashita)“I am in your debt.” Very polite and formal. Informally they say Osewa ni natta (Osewa ni natta).
Ie (Iie)- "It's my pleasure". informal form. Polite option - Dou itashimashite.
Everyday phrases in Japanese:
Apologies
Gomen nasai- “I'm sorry”, “I'm sorry”, “I'm sorry”. A very polite form. Expresses regret for some reason, say, if someone has to be disturbed. Often not an apology for a major misconduct (unlike sumimasen).
Gomen– Informal form of the same.
Sumimasen (Sumimasen)- "I apologize". Polite form. An apology for committing a significant misconduct.
Sumanai / Suman (Sumanai / Suman)– Not very polite, male version.
Shitsurei shimasu (Shitsurei shimasu)- "I apologize". Very polite formal. Used, say, as "sorry to bother" when entering a superior's office.
Shitsurei (Shitsurei)- too, but less formally.
Moshiwake arimasen (Moushiwake arimasen)“I have no forgiveness.” A very polite and formal uniform, more commonly used in the military and in business.
Moushiwake nai- not so formal.
Dozo (Douzo)- "Ask". Short form, an offer to enter, take a thing, and so on. The answer is what we already know "Domo".
Totto… (Chotto)- "No worries". Polite form of refusal. For example, if you are offered coffee.
Everyday phrases in Japanese:
Household phrases
Itte kimasu (Itte kimasu)- Literally can be translated as "I left, but I'm going to return." Use when leaving home for work or school.
Chotto itte kuru- Not a formal form, something like - "I'll go out for a minute."
Itte irashai (Itte irashai)"Come back soon." In response to " Itte kimasu (Itte kimasu)."
Tadaima (Tadaima)- "I'm back" or "I'm at home." It is also used as a spiritual return home.
Okaeri nasai (Okaeri nasai)– “Welcome home”, in response to "Tadaima" . Okaeri (Okaeri)- not a formal option.
Itadakimasu (Itadakimasu)- pronounced before eating. Literally, “I accept [this food].” Often they fold their hands as in prayer.
Gotisosama deshita (Gochisousama deshita)“Thank you, it was delicious.” At the end of a meal. Another variant - Gotisosama (Gochisousama)
Everyday phrases in Japanese:
Everyday and necessary phrases
Kawaii! (kawaii)- “Wow!”, “How cute!”, “What a charm!” . Often used in relation to children, girls, as well as very handsome guys. This word has a strong meaning “a manifestation of weakness, femininity, passivity (in the sexual sense of the word)”.
Sugoi! (Sugoi)– “Cool” or “Cool/cool!” In relation to people, it is used to denote masculinity.
Kakkoii! (Kakkoii!)– “Cool, beautiful, awesome!”
Suteki! (Suteki!)- “Beautiful, charming, delicious!”, pronounced as “Stacks!”.
Hida! (Hidoi!)- "Evil!", "Bad".
Forge! (Kowai)- "Scary!" . With an expression of fear.
Matte! (matte)– “Wait!”, “Stop!”
Abunai! (Abunai)- warning - "Danger!" or “Watch out!”
SOS phrases in Japanese:
Tasukete! (Tasukete)– “Help!”, “Help!” - Pronounced as "Taskate!".
Yamero!/Yamete! (Yamero/Yamete)– “Stop!”, “Stop!” or "Stop!"
Dame! (dame)- "No, don't do it!"
Hanase! (hanase)– “Let go!”
Hentai! (hentai)- "Pervert!"
Urusai! (Urusai)- "Shut up!"
Usos! (uso)- “Lies!”, “You're lying!”
Your browser is not supported!
Offer for individuals:
Get lifetime access to this translator and other tools!
Language Packs
Offer for entrepreneurs:
This word-to-transcription translator is available as a REST API.
Price from 1500 rubles / month.
Create a script for the practice of writing hieroglyphs:
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to see Disqus comments.Transcription of Japanese words - furigana, romaji and pitch
Japanese phonetics may seem easy for beginners to learn Japanese language. There are only 5 vowels in Japanese, Japanese consonants do not differ much from Russian ones. However, there is something about the Japanese language that causes difficulty for almost all students. This is... pitch accent! What it is?
Pitch stress means that vowels in Japanese words are pronounced with different pitches(high and low tone). To better understand this phenomenon, let's compare Japanese with Russian. In Russian, stress is forceful - stressed vowels are pronounced louder unstressed. In some cases, the position of the stress changes the meaning of the word. Compare:
- There was a beautiful castle on the hill.
- He put a big padlock on the door.
If a foreigner who is starting to learn Russian utters one of these phrases, putting the stress in the wrong place, the interlocutor will, of course, understand him, but will chuckle. The same phenomenon exists in Japanese, where pitch accent helps to distinguish words, which look the same when written canoe(Japanese alphabet). If a person speaks Japanese with the correct pitch accent in words, then his speech sounds natural and is much easier to understand.
Now I would like to talk about the different types phonetic transcription in Japanese. There are several ways to record how Japanese words are pronounced, namely:
- romaji- writing Japanese words in Latin letters,
- furigana is a small kana printed next to kanji (Japanese characters),
- international phonetic alphabet (IPA),
- Polivanov system- writing Japanese words in Cyrillic.
Here, for example, is the phonetic transcription of the Japanese word 発音 (pronunciation):
- hatsuon (romaji),
- 発音 (はつおん) (furigana next to kanji),
- (international phonetic alphabet),
- Hatsuon (Polivanov system).
Let's now return to the question of why pitch is so difficult to learn. I believe that the main problem is not that the pitch is difficult to reproduce for Japanese beginners. The problem is that pitch stress is very often not marked in any way in Japanese dictionaries and textbooks. And as a result, most students (and sometimes even their teachers) consider this aspect of the Japanese language unimportant. When you start learning Japanese, you are warned in the first chapter of the textbook that Japanese has pitch accents, so if you want your speech to sound right, listen to the audio recordings and repeat. And most of the time, that's where the discussion ends! In my opinion, this is a very superficial approach!
Unlike some other pitch-accent languages (such as Chinese), it is rare in Japanese that the position of the accent in a word completely changes its meaning. If a person, speaking Japanese, puts the stress in the wrong place, he is understood (often with great difficulty). The average student concludes: "If I am understood, then why learn these accents?" But not everything is so simple. Compare the following three phrases (colors indicate high and low tones):
- 端を見る ha shi o mi ↧ ru – to see the end,
- 箸を見る ha ↧ shi o mi ↧ ru – to see Food sticks,
- 橋を見る ha shi ↧ o mi ↧ ru – to see bridge.
I hope this online translator of Japanese text (hieroglyphs + kana) to transcription help change the situation. He highlights syllables in different colors, which are pronounced in a low or high tone.
A special option emphasizes the reduced vowels /i/ and /u/. In these cases, the reduced syllable will be replaced by a circled katakana. For example: 惑星わ㋗せい. Given that the ピ and プ characters in the circle do not exist, they will be replaced by ㋪° and ㋫°, respectively.
An additional option highlights the nasalization of the consonant [ɡ]. In these cases, the normal dakuten badge (for voicing) will be replaced with a handakuten badge. For example: 資源 し ↧ け°ん .
To create a translator, I used a morphological analyzer for the Japanese language MeCab, NAIST Japanese Dictionary and a CSS file to support furigana. I took information about pitch stress in Japanese words from the following dictionaries:
- Modern Japanese-Russian Dictionary, B.P. Lavrentiev.
Color highlighting common Japanese words
The online tool on this page allows you to color-code Japanese words you need to know in order to JLPT Japanese Proficiency Exam :
| N5 | N4 | N3 | N2 | N1 |
This way you can quickly find the Japanese words you need to learn in order to prepare for the required JLPT level.
Maximum text length (number of characters):
- unregistered users - 50,
- language pack "frequent user" - 10,000,
- language pack "polyglot" - 10,000.
Note: To properly display Japanese text (kanji, hiragana, katakana, furigana), use the latest version of your internet browser and select the Unicode (UTF-8) encoding to display this page. This translator is available only online and cannot be downloaded to your computer.
Romaji and Pitch in Japanese - Online Resources
Updates to this word to transcription translator
Big update of the translator of Japanese characters into transcription
Over the past few weeks, we have been hard at work improving the Japanese word to transcription translator. Here is a list of the most important updates: Significantly improved the quality of the translation of hieroglyphs into transcription. Now the tonal stress is marked in ...
Among people who study Japanese, the transcription of words is a real quarrel. Which is better to write: “ti” or “chi”, “si” or “shi”? Why does when a Japanese person sees that an anime character's name is "Senjougahara", blood starts to flow from his eyes? You will learn about the types of transcription and how to pronounce Japanese sounds in this article.
Before directly studying the signs of the Japanese alphabet, it is necessary to understand how certain sounds are pronounced and by what means they are transmitted in writing in other languages. We will consider three recording options:
1) Hepburn's system (Latin);
2) kunrei-shiki (Latin);
3) Polivanov's system (Cyrillic).
Hepburn system
(The Hepburn romanization system)
James Curtis Hepburn (March 13, 1815 – September 21, 1911) was a physician, translator, teacher, and Protestant missionary. In 1867, he published a Japanese-English dictionary in Shanghai. Later, the Japanese society "Romajikai", which develops projects for the romanization of Japanese writing, borrowed and slightly modified the English transcription of Japanese words used in the second edition of this dictionary. In 1886, in the third edition, published in Tokyo, Hepburn presented a new version of the transcription, which completely coincided with that created by the Romajikai society.
After World War II, Hepburn's transcription quickly gained popularity. The Japanese use it to write names in passports, place names on road signs and company names. Japanese textbooks for foreigners also use Hepburn's transcription. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that the characters of the Latin alphabet convey the sound of Japanese words from the point of view of native English speakers, without taking into account how the sounds are perceived by the Japanese themselves.
Kunrei-shiki (訓令式)
This transcription variant was created in 1885 by Professor Tanakadate Aikitsu (September 18 - May 21, 1952). The presence of two ways of writing Japanese words in Latin letters at once caused controversy and confusion, so it was decided to choose only one of them. Thus, in 1937, the kunrei-shiki system was established as the nationwide transcription standard.
This notation is more scientific. It is most often used by the Japanese themselves and linguists studying the Japanese language. In most elementary schools in Japan, this way of writing Japanese words is explained in the lessons of the native language.
Kunrei-shiki is a more accurate transcription in terms of the language system, reflecting the sounds as they are perceived by the Japanese themselves. Ohowever, a non-Japanese native speaker may be pronouncing words incorrectly because of it (more on this later).
Polivanov system
Evgeny Dmitrievich Polivanov (March 12, 1891 - January 25, 1938) - Russian and Soviet linguist, orientalist and literary critic. He was engaged in the study and research of various dialects of the Japanese language, phonology, as well as teaching and political activities. In 1917, he proposed a system for writing Japanese words in Cyrillic, which is widely used in our time.
In its structure, the Polivanov system is similar to kurei-shiki: it is scientific and logical, but it can lead to a misunderstanding of the rules for pronouncing some Japanese sounds. Therefore, at present, there are many disputes, as well as discrepancies in the Cyrillic notation of Japanese words.
Polivanov's recording method conflicts with the so-called "folk" transcription, which, due to its unsystematic nature, will be considered in this article only in comparison with Polivanov's.
Consider all three transcription methods in a comparison table:
Comparative table of transcriptions
Pay attention to the syllables in bold. It is they who always cause confusion when writing Japanese words in Cyrillic or Latin.
You may have noticed that the Russian transcription, for example, does not use the letter "sh". That is why knowledgeable people are outraged that the word "sushi" is written that way, and not as "sushi". There is no letter "e" in the Cyrillic transcription. However, many words like "sushi", "geisha" and "anime" have already become firmly established in this modified form.
Several factors contribute to the incorrect writing of Japanese words in Cyrillic. For example, when translating English-language texts that contain Japanese realities, people, not knowing about the existence of the Polivanov system, will write words in Russian based on their Latin version. Accordingly, "sh" can easily turn into "sh", "j" into "j", etc.
But another, the most important factor is the perception of the sounds of the Japanese language by ear and, accordingly, their different recording. So how are they pronounced?
Japanese pronunciation
In general, for a Russian person, Japanese pronunciation will not seem difficult. Some confusion may arise from attempts to read the transcription in the manner of the Russian language. Below will be described how certain sounds are pronounced in the syllables of kana. However, for a better understanding of the pronunciation, we advise you to use the Internet to listen to Japanese pronunciation. For example, here you will find , and here . The resource provides an opportunity to listen to the pronunciation of the syllables of the Japanese alphabet by clicking the mouse.
A - similar to Russian a; pronounced the same as in the Russian word "sam".
And - sounds like a Russian sound in the word "peace"; if And stands in a word after a vowel sound (except uh), it starts to sound like th.
U - lips do not round and do not stretch forward, as when pronouncing Russian at, but on the contrary, they are slightly stretched, as when pronouncing and. The Japanese sound y resembles a sound average between Russian at and s.
E - sounds like a Russian sound uh in the word "these"; does not soften the preceding consonant (therefore, it is incorrect to convey it in writing with the Russian letter “e”, as is often the case in “folk” transcription).
Oh - pronounced like a Russian sound about, however, the lips are not stretched out, but only slightly rounded.
K and G - these sounds in all syllables are pronounced the same as Russian to and G.
S - in the syllables SA, SU, SE, SO is pronounced the same as the Russian sound with. In the syllables SI, SYA, SYU, SYO, the first sound is a soft hissing and is pronounced like a sound, the average between Russian camping and sch(accordingly, there can be no question of transcribing it with the letter “sh”).
DZ - in the syllables DZA, DZU, DZE, DZO sounds like a fusion of sounds d and h(that is, you do not need to say first d, and then h). In the syllables DZI, DZYA, DZYU, DZYO, the first sound has no analogue in Russian. It can be described as a fusion of sounds d and soft well.
T - in the syllables TA, TE, TO coincides with the Russian sound t. In the syllables TI, TYa, TYu, TYo is pronounced as a sound, the average between Russian be and h.
D - in the syllables DA, DE, DO coincides with the Russian sound d.
Ts - pronounced the same as the Russian sound c.
N - in the syllables NA, NI, NU, NE, BUT, NYa, NYU, NE is pronounced the same as in Russian.
X - in the syllables XA, XE, XO is pronounced quieter than the Russian sound X; in the syllable HI it is pronounced the same as in the Russian word "giggle".
F - sound, middle between X and Russian f.
P and B - pronounced the same as Russian sounds P and b.
M - matches the Russian sound m.
Р - sound, average between Russian sounds l and R(pronounce the Russian sound p, but so that your tongue does not vibrate). Due to the lack of sound l the Japanese use sound instead R in borrowed words. So, for example, Russian names BUT l ina and BUT R ina they sound the same in Japanese.
The syllables I, Yu, Yo are pronounced the same as Russian i, yu, yo. They are called syllables because they consist of two sounds: a consonant (th) and a vowel (а/у/о).
V - represents a sound, the average between Russian in and at. The syllable O (を/ヲ), once part of the BA series, is not read in the modern language as in, but coincides with the Russian sound about.
Н (in the syllable ん/ン) - at the end of words or before vowels, it is pronounced as a nasal sound (as if you are saying the sound n not with your mouth, but with your nose); before the sounds b, p, m reads like a Russian sound m; in all other cases it is pronounced like a Russian sound n.