Introduction
![Picture of Mouth for Pronouncing [a]](https://sb-drops.s3.amazonaws.com/drop/rmopt-658cdd502cd21-918359400-1703730512.gif)
The pronunciations of Japanese vowels are determined by 3 factors; two of which are the position of your tongue, high or low (1) and front or back (2), and the final factor is the form of your mouth (3). When you pronounce あ, you are going to open your jaws wider as if you were going to bite two fingers lengthways and put your tongue on the low and the central position. You may touch the tip of your tongue to your lower gums.
Does it make sense to you? Let's try to pronounce [a] あ after the tutor on the video!
Wasabi Japanese Pronunciation Lessons
Words Exercise with the Pronunciation [a] あ
Please repeat the following words after the tutor on the video.
| Words | Roman Letters | Meanings |
|---|---|---|
| あなた | a na ta | you |
| あの | a no | that |
| あさ | a sa | morning |
| あした | a shi ta | tomorrow |
| あるく | a ru ku | to walk |
| あう | a u | to meet |
| あげる | a ge ru | to give [to others] |
| まいあさ | ma i a sa | every morning |
| ぐあい | gu a i | condition, health |
| しあい | shi a i | game, match |
Sentences Exercise with the Pronunciation [a] あ
Please repeat the following sentences after the tutor in the video.
| Japanese Sentences | English Translations |
|---|---|
| 朝のあいさつは大事です。 | The morning greeting is important. |
| 明日、あの本を買います。 | Tomorrow, I will buy that book. |
| 毎日友達と会います。 | I meet with my friends every day. |
Tongue Twister Exercise with the Pronunciation [a] あ
Please repeat the following tongue twisters after the tutor on the video. Also, please focus on the pronunciation practice, not the meaning, because they were made only for the sake of practice.
| Japanese Tongue Twisters | Vocabulary |
|---|---|
|
青は藍より出でて藍より青し。 |
青: blue, 藍: indigo, 出でる: to come |
|
明日の朝はあしたの朝ともあすの朝とも読める。 |
明日: tomorrow, 朝: morning, 読む: to read |
|
お綾や、親にお謝り。 |
お綾: girl’s name, 親: parents, 謝る: to apologize |
Conclusion
This is the how to pronounce [a] あ. We recommend that you practice the sentences above at least 5 times for each exercise, though we understand that pronunciation practice can be dull. Good pronunciation will give you listening and speaking ability, and thereby you will be confident enough to speak Japanese with native speakers. Thus, the ability you gain is well worth the time spent. We are looking forward to seeing you in the next lesson [i] い.
