Description of the Japanese Pronunciation つ
つ consists of the Japanese consonant [ts] with the Japanese vowel [u]. When you pronounce [ts] your tongue is going to touch your upper gums. This closure will cause a buildup of pressure. Soon after that, you will make a chink and cause friction by passing air through the chink. This way is similar to the one to pronounce [tɕ] in ち, but you will use the point of your tongue where you make a chink is a little farther forward than the [tɕ]. Be careful however, because if your tongue makes contact with the back part of your upper gums, it would sound like ちゅ. [ts] is an unvoiced sound.
Does it make sense to you? Let's try to pronounce つ after the tutor on the video!
Wasabi Japanese Pronunciation Lessons
Words Exercise with the Pronunciation [ts] つ
Please repeat the following words after the tutor on the video.
| Words | Roman Letters | Meanings |
|---|---|---|
| 月 | tsu ki | moon |
| つぎ | tsu gi | next |
| 着く | tsu ku | to arrive |
| つくえ | tsu ku e | desk, table |
| 作る | tsu ku ru | to make |
| つよい | tsu yo i | strong |
| ついたち | tsu i ta chi | 1st (day) |
| ひとつ | hi to tsu | one |
| ふたつ | fu ta tsu | two |
| みっつ | mi ttsu | three |
Sentences Exercise with the Pronunciation [ts] つ
Please repeat the following sentences after the tutor in the video.
| Japanese Sentences | English Translations |
|---|---|
| 机を一つ作ります。 | I will make a desk. |
| 次の月曜日は一日です。 | The next Monday is the 1st. |
| 月に着きました。 | I arrived at the moon. |
Tongue Twister Exercise with the Pronunciation [ts] つ
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 |
|---|---|
| つづらつらつらきつつきとつづる、つづらつらつらきつつきとつづる。 |
つづら: vine clothes, つらつら: closely きつつき: woodpecker, つづる: write |
|
いえのつるべはつぶれぬつるべ、隣のつるべはつぶれるつるべ。 |
いえ: house, つるべ: (well) bucket, つぶれる: break, 隣: neighbor |
|
妻がつつじを五つ摘み取る。 |
妻: wife, つつじ: Japanese azalea, 摘み取る: to pick |
Conclusion
This is the how to pronounce [ts] つ. 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; [n] な ぬ ね の.