Description of the Japanese Pronunciation や ゆ よ
や ゆ よ consist of the Japanese consonant [j] representing the sound of the roman letter /y/ with the Japanese vowels [a], [u] and [o] respectively. When you pronounce [j], you are going to raise your tongue almost up to the roof of your mouth, and then quickly move to the shape of upcoming vowels. Be careful not to make a fricative sound when you bring your tongue towards the roof. [j] is a voiced sound.
Does it make sense to you? Let's try to pronounce や ゆ よ after the tutor on the video!
Wasabi Japanese Pronunciation Lessons
Words Exercise with the Pronunciation [j] や ゆ よ
Please repeat the following words after the tutor on the video.
| Words | Roman Letters | Meanings |
|---|---|---|
| やる | ya ru | to give, to do |
| やっつ | ya ttsu | eight |
| 易しい | ya sa shi i | easy |
| ゆうべ | yu u be | evening |
| ゆうめい | yu u me i | famous |
| ゆうがた | yu u ga ta | evening |
| よる | yo ru | night |
| よぶ | yo bu | to call, to invite |
| よっか | yo kka | 4th (day) |
| ようか | yo u ka | 8th (day) |
Sentences Exercise with the Pronunciation [j] や ゆ よ
Please repeat the following sentences after the tutor in the video.
| Japanese Sentences | English Translations |
|---|---|
| 四日の夜は空いてますか？ | Are you available on the night of the 4th? |
| ゆう子さんを呼びました。 | I invited Yuko-san. |
| 夕べは有名人に会いました。 | I met a famous person this evening. |
Tongue Twister Exercise with the Pronunciation [j] や ゆ よ
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 |
|---|---|
|
お綾や親にお謝り。 |
お綾: a girl’s name, 親: parents, 謝る: to apologize |
|
夕方に友人と遊遊館に夕日を見に行くなぞ由々しきことだ。 |
夕方: evening, 友人: friend, 遊遊館: amusement park’s name, 夕日: evening sun, 由々しい: grave |
|
よぼよぼ病 、よぼよぼ病、よぼよぼ病 。 |
よぼよぼ病 = a disease’s name (*fictional) |
Conclusion
This is the how to pronounce [j] や ゆ よ. 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; [ɾ] ら り る れ ろ.