Crouch Memorial Language Institute: >日本語 (Japanese)-English

Note: This language uses a non-Roman alphabet. If it does not display correctly, please consult your browser's help files to find out how to add the appropriate font.

Translation obtained from two Japanese magazine pictures archived at The Leaky Cauldron.

ア | イ | ウ | エ | オ | カ | キ | ク | ゲ | ゴ | ガ | ギ | グ | ゲ | ゴ | サ | シ | ス | セ | ソ | ザ | ジ | ズ | ゼ | ゾ | タ | チ | ツ | テ | ト | ダ | ヂ | ヅ | デ | ド | ナ | ニ | ヌ | ネ | ノ | ハ | ヒ | フ | ヘ | ホ | バ | ビ | ブ | ベ | ボ | パ | ピ | プ | ペ | ポ | マ | ミ | ム | メ | モ | ヤ | ユ | ヨ | ラ | リ | ル | レ | ロ | ワ | ン |

Key to transliteration

i tends to disappear in the syllable shi.
u is pronounced lightly or not at all at the ends of words and following unvoiced consonants.

Even when a vowel disappears, the syllabification is usually unchanged. Example: Suneipu, the transliteration of "Snape", would come out as S'-nei-p'. However, when the speaker knows that this is a transliteration, further correction is allowed, so you can pronounce it like the original.

ai, ei, oi, au, ou are diphthongs.
f is pronounced by forming the lips as though to say "oo" and then blowing air through as making an h.
r is like the Italian or Spanish r, but articulated much further back in the mouth, a bit behind where an l would be. To Western ears, the sound is midway between an l and the Italian or Spanish r.

b, ch, d, g, h, j, k, m, n, p, s, sh, t, ts, w, y, z are all pronounced about the same as in English.

A note on name order

ア

Institute home | Index by language | Index by native name of language | Search by English word