Austin
Lesson Notes "Spelling is conservative, but pronunciation changes constantly." My first lesson with Japanese Specialist was today, and it focused on the Japanese accent. He covered the difference between syllables and mora (拍), the latter of which is similar to a beat or pitch. Each mora is represented by a single hiragana (or katakana) character. おばさん = 3 syllables, 4 moras おばあさん = 3 syllables, 5 moras かた = 2 syllables, 2 moras かった = 2 syllables, 3 moras (the pause is also a mora) We then went over what he calls zero type, first type, end type, and center type, classifications of words based on their pronunciation. Zero type words have a low mora first and then high moras after that. (Do-re-re) on a musical scale: さくら(は)   がくせい(は) (The は is considered part of the word) First type words have a high mora first and then low moras after that. (Mi-re-re) on a musical scale. カメラ(は)   せいと(は) End type words are high from the second mora to the end, after which they fall. おとこ(は)   おとうと(は) Center type words have high moras except for the first and last. たまご(は)   せんせい(は) (He noted that せんせい is particularly difficult for foreigners to pronounce). After having me pronounce each of the words a few times and use some in sentences, the lesson ended and we parted ways.
Oct 9, 2015 1:03 AM