Description of the Japanese Pronunciation ひ
ひ consists of the Japanese consonant [ç] representing the sound of the roman letter /h/ with the Japanese vowel [i]. When you pronounce [ç], the position of your tongue is different from は へ ほ. You are going to put your tongue in the high and the central position and make a chink between your tongue and the roof of your mouth. Then you will make a sound by causing friction as air passes through the chink. Be careful to prevent your tongue from touching any parts of your mouth. [ç] is an unvoiced sound.
Does it make sense to you? Let's try to pronounce ひ after the tutor on the video!
Wasabi Japanese Pronunciation Lessons
Words Exercise with the Pronunciation [ç] ひ
Please repeat the following words after the tutor on the video.
| Words | Roman Letters | Meanings |
|---|---|---|
| 引く | hi ku | to pull |
| ひと | hi to | person |
| ひま | hi ma | leisure, spare time |
| ひとつ | hi to tsu | one |
| ひだり | hi da ri | left |
| ひゃく | hya ku | hundred |
| ひらがな | hi ra ga na | Hiragana (Japanese letter) |
| ひるごはん | hi ru go ha n | lunch |
| あさひ | a sa hi | morning sun |
| ゆうひ | yu u hi | evening sun |
Sentences Exercise with the Pronunciation [ç] ひ
Please repeat the following sentences after the tutor in the video.
| Japanese Sentences | English Translations |
|---|---|
| 暇な人を誘います。 | I will invite someone with spare time. |
| 左にいるのがひろみです。 | The person on the left is Hiromi. |
| 朝日も夕日もきれいです。 | Both the morning and the evening suns are beautiful. |
Tongue Twister Exercise with the Pronunciation [ç] ひ
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 |
|---|---|
|
ひきぬきにくいひき肉はひきぬきにくいぬくい肉。 |
ひきぬく: to pull out, ひき肉: minced meat, ぬくい: warm |
|
暇な人と暇なマントヒヒと暇に浸る。 |
暇: leisure, 人: person, マントヒヒ: Papio hamadryas (baboon), 浸る: be immersed in |
|
月日の光で瞳が光る |
月: moon, 日: sun, 光: light, 瞳: eye, 光る: to shine |
Conclusion
This is the how to pronounce [ç] ひ. 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; [ɸ] ふ.