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Deceptive
I need help with Katakana?
I'm currently learning Katakana and I enjoy learning the diferent characters, but I have a problem with some of the character meanings. Can someone help? I hope we can also be friends.
Jul 26, 2008 2:07 PM
Answers · 2
I understood what you meant by your message. The meaning of ゙ and ゚ in Katakana.
゙(double dots, I just wonder if your computer show the mark properly) make the sound to a voiced sound.
カキクケコ(ka,ki,ku,ke,ko) become ガギグゲゴ(ga,gi,gu,ge,go)
サシスセソ(sa,shi,su,se,so) become ザジズゼゾ(za,zi,zu,ze,zo)
タチツテト(ta,chi,tsu,te,to) become ダヂヅデド(da,dzi, zu,de,do)
ハヒフヘホ(ha,hi,hu,he,ho) become バビブベボ(ba,bi,bu,be,bo)
You may think the correspondence between h and b is strange.
Actually it should be p and b phonetically.
The ancient pronunciation of ハヒフヘホ is considered as pha,phi,phu,phe,pho. But they changed into ha,hi,hu,he,ho. That's why Japanese people think the voiced sound of H is B.
And for expressing the sound 'P', the small round mark ゚ was introduced.
ハヒフヘホ(ha,hi,hu,he,ho) バビブベボ(ba,bi,bu,be,bo) パピプペポ(pa,pi,pu,pe,po)
July 27, 2008
Katakana is a phonetic writing system. The characters don't have meaning. Can you explain what is your problem?
July 27, 2008
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Deceptive
Language Skills
English, Japanese
Learning Language
Japanese
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