Japanese Pitch Accents + Sentence Breakdown for Beginners
For beginners of Japanese - Let's break down a Japanese sentence (two actually) together.
I intended this to just be a sentence breakdown, but since this was my first attempt and I planned to go through the pronunciation, I gave a short introduction to pitch accents in Japanese too.
Note: pitch accents vary greatly by region and dialect. For example, in Fukui prefecture, most words are treated as heiban (mostly flat). The two ame's I mentioned, 雨 and 飴, for example, would be pronounced the same. The pitch accents presented here are the standard Tokyo dialect. If you learn that, you will be understood most anywhere.
If you want to skip to the sentence breakdown, jump to timestamp: 03:07
00:00 Introduction
00:29 About Japanese Pitch Accents
03:07 Sentence Breakdown
A few tools mentioned in the video:
- Chrome extension Yomichan (also works with Brave browser!) : https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/yomichan/ogmnaimimemjmbakcfefmnahgdfhfami
- Their website: https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/
- NHK Accent dictionary: https://www.nhk-book.co.jp/detail/000000113452016.html
- Or on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dictionary-Japan-language-pronunciation-accent/dp/4140113456/ (expensive if you aren't in Japan!)
- You can also buy the NHK dictionary in electronic form in the app store. The app that I have is called "Dictionaries" and then you have to buy the dictionary as an in-app purchase
- For an excellent and in-depth crash course on pitch accents: https://www.patreon.com/dogen
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Momotaro's Song 桃太郎の歌 in Japanese - Traditional Japanese Song
The Peach Boy in Japanese. Momotaro (the Peach Boy) came from a peach, led three animals to subjugate the terrible oni, and returned victorious!
But did you know there was a song? Here is the traditional Japanese song.
Yumi sang it with one change from the original (an accident!). The original version has Momotaro saying やりましょう instead of あげましょう for "I will give...".
やる is used when giving food to animals. あげる is used for giving something to an equal or above. However, more and more people use あげる when feeding their pets.
For more Japanese traditional songs:
https://thejapanesepage.com/sparrows-song/
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Let's Learn a Japanese Traditional Song: Sparrows School 雀の学校 Suzume no Gakkou
For more on this song (and other traditional Japanese songs):
https://thejapanesepage.com/sparrows-song/
チイチイパッパチイパッパ雀[すずめ]の学校[がっこう]の先生[せんせい]はむちを振[ふ]り振[ふ]りチイパッパ
This song’s lyrics were written by 清水かつら (Shimizu Katsura) and the melody by 弘田龍太郎 (Hirota Ryuutarou) in 1921.
Apparently, the ちいちいぱっぱ was inspired by the sound of his young daughter learning to talk (ちいちい) and by the sound of the fluttering of sparrow’s wings (ぱっぱ).
チイチイパッパ チイパッパ
chii chii pappa chii pappa
Chii chii pappa chiipappa
雀[すずめ]の学校[がっこう]の先生[せんせい]は
suzume no gakkou no sensei wa
The teacher of the sparrow’s school
むちをふりふり チイパッパ
muchi o furi furi chii pappa
swings about a whip
生徒[せいと]の雀[すずめ]は 輪[わ]になって
seito no suzume wa wa ni natte
The sparrow students make a circle
お口[くち]をそろえて チイパッパ
o kuchi o soroete chii pappa
All together they open their mouths with chiipappa
まだまだいけない チイパッパ
madamada ikenai chii pappa
It’s still no good
も一度一緒いちどいっしょにチイパッパ
mo ichido isshou ni chii pappa
One more time all together now, chiipappa
* normally this is もう一度 but shortened for the song
チイチイパッパ チイパッパ
chii chii pappa chii pappa
chiichii pappa chiipappa
🎁 Want a FREE eBook on learning the 100 most essential kanji? It includes free MP3s of all the Japanese too.
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夏目漱石 Natsume Souseki Ten Nights of Dreams (夢十夜, Yume Jūya) 第一夜 in Japanese [INTERMEDIATE LEVEL]
The First Night
Are you looking for native-level Japanese listening practice? Listen or read real Japanese. Need help? Turn on the English subtitles.
Natsume Souseki's Ten Nights of Dreams isn't too difficult. This video is the first of the nights (there are 10 in total).
View the lesson page here: https://thejapanesepage.com/10nights/
Originally serialized in the Asahi Shimbun in 1908, Natsume Souseki wrote ten short "dreams" are written in a surreal, dreamlike style. Weird, disturbing, and somewhat humorous, these short stories are like haiku—they hint at a much bigger story which is left to the reader to fish out.
If you like Salvador Dalí's artwork or the stories of Franz Kafka, you'll surely enjoy these very strange vignettes. But the stories are absurd. Just like a dream. The do, however, make a great Japanese reader for intermediates of Japanese. They are short, well-written, and interesting enough to hold the reader's attention.
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Election and Voting Words in Japanese
Want to know important election, political, and voting words and terms in Japanese?
Put this video on loop tonight and maybe--just maybe--you'll wake up a political expert in Japanese! Okay, maybe not, but putting it on loop isn't a bad idea.
Listen to the audio of individual words on the lesson page here:
https://thejapanesepage.com/voting-vocabulary-in-japanese/
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https://japanesereaders.com/kanji-100
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How to Say “I Gotta” in Japanese
Do you know how to say "I gotta" or "I must" in Japanese?
In your textbook, you probably learned:
~なければなりません
or
~なければいけません
But how is it used in real Japanese?
Find out in this video and for extra practice--you can listen to each example sentence over and over--see our lesson page:
https://thejapanesepage.com/gotta-in-japanese/
Gotta forms:
なきゃ (+ いけない (or ならない))
なくちゃ + いけない (or ならない)
ないと + いけない (or ならない)
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犬猿の仲 Cats and Dogs Japanese Idiom - Er... Maybe Monkeys Too!
How to say cats and dogs in Japanese...
For sound files and more explanation, see:
https://thejapanesepage.com/dogs-monkeys/
When you just don't get along with someone, you say you fight like cats and dogs. There is a similar expression in Japanese. This idiom doesn't use a cat, though. This time, the dog doesn't get along with a monkey.
Let's breakdown this useful Japanese idiom
犬猿の仲
kenen no naka
Cat-and-Dog Terms
About 犬猿の仲
Literally, relations between dogs and monkeys. (They don’t get along) Monkeys are common in Japan. This has the same meaning as the English expression involving cats and dogs.
犬 ken dog [the kun reading of this kanji and most used pronunciation is いぬ inu]
猿 en monkey [the kun reading and most used is さる saru]
仲 naka relations; relationship [don’t confuse this with 中 naka, meaning “middle.”]
AさんとBさんは、いつも仲が悪い。犬猿の仲だ。
A and B are always at each other’s throat just like cats and dogs.
VOCABULARY:
Aさん A san—Mr. A
と to—and
Bさん B san—Mr. B
いつも itsumo—always
仲 naka relations; relationship [don’t confuse this with 中 naka, meaning “middle.”]
仲が悪い naka ga warui - bad relationship; don't get along
犬 ken dog [the kun reading of this kanji and most used pronunciation is いぬ inu]
猿 en monkey [the kun reading and most used is さる saru]
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Learn Basic Greetings in Japanese - From Konnichiwa to Matane
Learning basic greetings in Japanese is a solid first step for any beginner of Japanese.
In this video, you'll learn greetings (挨拶 aisatsu) when meeting people, when asking how they are doing, and when saying goodbye. Then, we'll quiz you by asking what a word is in Japanese. Your final quiz will be to construct sentences using just the words and phrases in the video.
Listen, speak, and repeat.
Greetings covered:
おはようございます ohayou gozaimasu - good morning
おはよう ohayou - good morning (among friends)
こんにちは konnichiwa - hello (said most of the day)
こんばんは konbanwa - good evening (when meeting someone at night)
お休みなさい oyasumi nasai - good night; sleep well
お元気ですか ogenki desu ka - how are you? [The o is honorific]
元気です genki desu - I’m fine
お久しぶりです ohisashiburi desu - It’s been a while.
最近はどうですか? saikin wa dou desu ka - How have things gone recently?
ありがとう arigatou - thanks
ありがとうございます arigatou gozaimasu - thank you
どういたしまして dou itashimashite - you are welcome
さようなら sayounara - farewell
バイバイ bai bai - bye (among friends)
じゃあ、またね jaa, mata ne - well, see you again
気をつけて ki o tsukete - take care
Want a FREE eBook on learning the 100 most essential kanji? It includes free MP3s of all the Japanese too.
https://japanesereaders.com/kanji-100
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Body Parts in Japanese - Language Lesson for Beginners
Body Parts in Japanese - Language Lesson for Beginners
How do you say "thumb" in Japanese, you ask? Well, here you go.
Watch Clay and Yumi explaining the beginner level vocabulary for body parts in Japanese.
See the full lesson with individual sound files for each Japanese vocbulary word here:
https://thejapanesepage.com/body_parts/
Body Parts of the Head in Japanese
頭 atama - head
目 me - eye
まつげ matsuge - eyelash
まゆげ mayuge - eyebrow
耳 mimi - ears
首 kubi - neck
あご ago - chin
口 kuchi - mouth
唇 kuchibiru - lips
舌 shita - tongue
鼻 hana - nose
ひたい hitai - forehead [also おでこ odeko]
ほっぺ hoppe - cheek
髪の毛 kami no ke - hair
歯 ha - tooth
General Body Parts in Japanese
肩 kata - shoulder
肘 hiji - elbow
手首 tekubi - wrist
ふともも futomomo - thigh
足 ashi - leg; foot [can refer to either]
つまさき tsumasaki - toe
腕 ude - arm
拳 kobushi - fist
指 yubi - finger
背中 senaka - back
お尻 oshiri - buttocks
足首 ashikubi - ankle
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JLPT N5 Basic Kanji 1-10 Numbers in Japanese Characters
Learn beginner-level basic kanji with mnemonics, repetition, and examples.
Learning kanji is hard because there are so many characters to learn -- about 2,000 to be fluent in Japanese.
But at its core, kanji is fairly straightforward and, dare I say it, easy. Take each character one at a time, develop a mnemonic to remember the kanji parts that make up the kanji, and finally learn the pronunciation as you build your vocabulary.
For the lesson page, more examples, sound files, and more, please see: https://thejapanesepage.com/japanese-kanji/
Let's go through the first ten kanji found on the Japanese Language Proficiency Test N5 (Beginner level). These happen to be the numbers one through ten:
一 ichi (one)
二 ni (two)
三 san (three)
四 yon; shi (four)
五 go (five)
六 roku (six)
七 shichi; nana (seven)
八 hachi (eight)
九 kyuu (nine)
十 juu (ten)
Again, please see the lesson page for sound files and more practice:
https://thejapanesepage.com/japanese-kanji/
Want a FREE eBook on learning the 100 most essential kanji? It includes free MP3s of all the Japanese too.
https://japanesereaders.com/kanji-100
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Introduction to Japanese Kanji and How to Learn Kanji Quickly
Introduction to Japanese Kanji and How to Learn Kanji Quickly
If you are a beginner of Japanese ready to start learning kanji, this video will help you answer these questions.
What are Japanese kanji?
- Kanji make up the third part of the Japanese writing system after hiragana and katakana. Unlike the kana, kanji characters have both meaning and pronunciation (readings). The pronunciations are divided into two types: on yomi (On readings for sounds from Chinese) and kun yomi (Kun readings for native Japanese pronunciations)
How many kanji are there?
- No one really knows, but over 2,000 kanji are needed to be literate in Japan!
Why study kanji?!
- In Japan, kanji is everywhere. Kanji does a great job of giving meaning at a glance--it is easier to skim Japanese than English due to kanji characters. Kanji help differentiate homophones. And sometimes, by knowing kanji, you can figure out the meaning of words you have never encountered before!
How to learn kanji readings?
- The best way to learn the pronunciation of kanji is to learn vocabulary words and note the kanji in context.
How to learn kanji meanings?
- Enjoy your kanji journey. It truly is fascinating. Also, kanji are made up of radicals and kanji parts. Use mnemonic stories to "build" the kanji in your head. In this way, you'll remember not only the meaning of a kanji but how to write it too. If you can create a mnemonic story based on the meanings of these kanji parts, even seemingly complex kanji can be learned quickly.
How to study kanji?
- Use technology such as Anki flashcard software, Yomichan the Chrome extension, and kanji textbooks that use mnemonic stories such as Heisig's Remembering the Kanji and Kodansha's Kanji Learner's Course.
Want a FREE eBook on learning the 100 most essential kanji? It includes free MP3s of all the Japanese too.
https://japanesereaders.com/kanji-100
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Nihongo no Tane Podcast for Upper Beginner Learners of Japanese にほんごのたね: Ep 1: 自己紹介について
For upper beginners to intermediates. Listen to the short podcast and then answer the comprehension questions here:
https://thejapanesepage.com/podcast-nihongonotane-1/
KEY VOCABULARY:
初心者(しょしんしゃ) - beginner [初 (beginning) + 心 (heart; mind) + 者 (person]
中級者(ちゅうきゅうしゃ) - intermediate [中 (middle) + 級 (class; rank; grade) + 者 (person)]
向(む)け - intended for; aimed at [from 向ける (to turn towards; to point)]
繰(く)り返(かえ)し - repetition
自己紹介(じこしょうかい) - self introduction [自己 (self; oneself) + 紹介 (introduction; presentation)]
必(かなら)ず - without fail; always; without exception
頼(たの)まれること - the act of being asked to do something [the こと makes the preceding phrase into a noun phrase: the act of ~]
出身地(しゅっしんち) -birthplace; where you are from [出 (go out; exit) + 身 (somebody) + 地 (land)]
年齢(ねんれい) - age [年 (year) + 齢 (age)]
女性(じょせい) -women [女 (woman; female) + 性 (gender); note, the じょ sound is short]
新聞(しんぶん)に年齢(ねんれい)が載(の)ってたりします - Ages are listed in newspaper (articles)
例文(れいぶん) - example sentence
主婦(しゅふ) - housewife [主 (lord; master) + 婦 (lady; wife); note: both have short vowels]
秘密(ひみつ) - secret
--
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How to Say Country and Language Names in Japanese
Saying the name of languages in Japanese is usually a matter of adding “go” after the country’s name. There are exceptions, but if you know the names of countries that are home to a language, you can easily know the language name.
Checkout this lesson and download a handy image of country names here:
https://thejapanesepage.com/countries-and-language-names-in-japanese/
Enjoyed this video? Please subscribe to our Rumble channel.
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