Description of the Japanese Pronunciation か き く け こ、が ぎ ぐ げ ご
か き く け こ and が ぎ ぐ げ ご consist of the Japanese consonants [k] and [g] together with the Japanese vowels [a], [i], [u], [e] and [o] respectively. When you pronounce [k] and [g] your tongue is going to touch the back part of the roof of your mouth. This closure will cause a buildup of pressure. Then, you will release that pressure all at once by moving your tongue down. When you pronounce き /ki/ and ぎ /gi/, your tongue should make contact with the roof of your mouth farther forward than the other sounds. [k] is a unvoiced sound and [g] is a voiced sound.
Does it make sense to you? Let's try to pronounce か き く け こ、が ぎ ぐ げ ご after the tutor on the video!
Wasabi Japanese Pronunciation Lessons
Words Exercise with the Pronunciation [k] [g] か き く け こ、が ぎ ぐ げ ご
Please repeat the following words after the tutor on the video.
| Words | Roman Letters | Meanings |
|---|---|---|
| 描く | ka ku | to draw, to paint |
| がいこく | ga i ko ku | foreign country |
| きれい | ki re i | beautiful |
| ぎんこう | gi n ko u | bank |
| くり | ku ri | chestnut |
| およぐ | o yo gu | to swim |
| けしき | ke shi ki | scene |
| げんき | ge n ki | healthy |
| こうえん | ko u e n | park |
| ごぜん | go ze n | morning |
Sentences Exercise with the Pronunciation [k] [g] か き く け こ、が ぎ ぐ げ ご
Please repeat the following sentences after the tutor in the video.
| Japanese Sentences | English Translations |
|---|---|
| 風邪にかかりました。 | I caught a cold. |
| 綺麗な景色を描きました。 | I painted a beautiful scene. |
| 公園で元気に遊びました。 | I played lively in the park. |
Tongue Twister Exercise with the Pronunciation [k] [g] か き く け こ、が ぎ ぐ げ ご
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 |
|---|---|
|
菊栗きくくり三菊栗、合わせて菊栗六菊栗。 |
菊: chrysanthemum, 栗: chestnut |
|
古栗の木の古切り口。 |
古: old, 木: tree, 切り口: cut end |
|
粉米のなまがみ、粉米のなまがみ、こん粉米の小なまがみ。 |
粉米: crushed rice, なまがみ: crunch |
Conclusion
This is the how to pronounce [k] [g] か き く け こ、が ぎ ぐ げ ご. 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; [s] [z] さ す せ そ、ざ ず ぜ ぞ.